Elkmont Group Camp

Great Smoky Mountains National Park — riverside, fishing, hiking

Location: Gatlinburg, TN, TN

Price: From $38 per night

Price range: $38–$75 per night

Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (28 reviews)

Season: May through October

Situated in the stunning Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this site offers an ideal setting for group camping excursions and outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds.Gatlinburg, one of the Smokies’ famous tourist towns, is located about 9 miles from the site, offering organized rafting trips, museums, restaurants, galleries, an aquarium, skiing and more.Visitors can enjoy high-quality backcountry fishing in the cool waters of the nearby Little River and countless other streams and rivers that snake

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Flush Toilets, Drinking Water, Fishing

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/elkmont-group-camp to be notified when sites open up.

Located in Great Smoky Mountains National Park with access to over 800 miles of maintained trails and excellent backcountry trout fishing in the Little River and surrounding streams. Highly rated by campers (4.6/5 stars) who praise the helpful staff and beautiful natural setting.

Wildlife alert: American Black Bear, Bobcat, Timber Rattlesnake, and Pileated Woodpecker present in the area.

Insider tips for Elkmont Group Camp: Book early — this is a federal campground with only 4 tent sites and high demand Site C7 is located right next to restrooms for convenient access Nearly all sites have tent pads, picnic tables, fire rings, and space for vehicles

Skip Elkmont Group Camp if: You need RV hookups — no hookups available. You plan to camp outside May-October — seasonal operations only. You want more than 4 sites available — only 4 total tent sites.

Best time to visit Elkmont Group Camp: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only.

Nearby campgrounds: Appalachian Clubhouse (Gatlinburg, TN), Elkmont Campground — Great Smoky Mountains (Gatlinburg, TN), Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Pavilion (GATLINBURG, TN), Twin Creeks Picnic Pavilion (GATLINBURG, TN).

Cell Phone Coverage at Elkmont Group Camp

Cell signal at Elkmont Group Camp (Gatlinburg, TN): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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CamperWatch›TN›Elkmont Group Camp
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park — riverside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Elkmont Group Camp

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Gatlinburg, TN, TN★ 4.4 (28 reviews)From $38/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Situated in the stunning Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this site offers an ideal setting for group camping excursions and outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds.Gatlinburg, one of the Smokies’ famous tourist towns, is located about 9 miles from the site, offering organized rafting trips, museums, restaurants, galleries, an aquarium, skiing and more.Visitors can enjoy high-quality backcountry fishing in the cool waters of the nearby Little River and countless other streams and rivers that snake through the mountains, with trout available in abundance. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a hiker’s paradise, with over 800 miles of maintained trails ranging from short leg-stretchers to strenuous treks, with a number of those trails easily accessible from Elkmont Campground, including the popular Laurel Falls Trail, which leads to spectacular 80-ft. The Elkmont, Little River and James Creek Trails are also accessible.

Best for:AnglersHikersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups.
ToiletsFlush toilets
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesFishing
Family & Pets
Flush Toilets

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups — no hookups available✕ You plan to camp outside May-October — seasonal operations only✕ You want more than 4 sites available — only 4 total tent sites

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with only 4 tent sites and high demand

Site C7 is located right next to restrooms for convenient access

Nearly all sites have tent pads, picnic tables, fire rings, and space for vehicles

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October only

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: American Black Bear, Bobcat, Timber Rattlesnake, and Pileated Woodpecker present in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
865-430-5560 OR 865-436-1261· Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Getting there →

From Cherokee, NC: Take Newfound Gap Road (aka U.S. 441) North through the park into Tennessee. Turn left at Sugarlands Visitor Center. Follow Little River Road approx. 4.5 miles. Turn left at the Elkmont Campground sign and proceed 1.5 miles to the campground office. From Gatlinburg, TN: Take Newfound Gap Road (aka U.S. 441) South into the Park. (If coming from Pigeon Forge, take the Bypass into the park.) Turn a right at Sugarlands Visitor Center. Proceed 4.5 miles to the Elkmont entrance and

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Great Smoky Mountains National Park fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Great Smoky Mountains National Park before arrival — seasonal closures common.
  • Bear country — store all food in bear boxes or locked vehicle at all times.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Elkmont Group Camp cost per night?+
Elkmont Group Camp costs $38–$75 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Elkmont Group Camp open?+
Elkmont Group Camp is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Elkmont Group Camp have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Elkmont Group Camp?+
Elkmont Group Camp is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Elkmont Group Camp?+
Elkmont Group Camp is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Elkmont Group Camp?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Elkmont Group Camp is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Elkmont Group Camp open, and what are check-in times?+
Elkmont Group Camp is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

National Park Services ConcessionairePrint Facility Map
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$38 /night★ 4.4 (28)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Elkmont Group Camp cost per night?+
What season is Elkmont Group Camp open?+
Does Elkmont Group Camp have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Appalachian Clubhouse

Gatlinburg, TN

From $300/night

Elkmont Campground — Great Smoky Mountains

Gatlinburg, TN

From $30/night

Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Pavilion

GATLINBURG, TN

From $32/night

Twin Creeks Picnic Pavilion

GATLINBURG, TN

From $75/night

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