Smokemont Campground

Great Smoky Mountains National Park — riverside, fishing, hiking

Location: Cherokee, NC, NC

Price: From $30 per night

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (1686 reviews)

Season: May through October

Situated in the stunning Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this campsite offers an ideal setting to enjoy the outdoors. Ridge upon ridge of forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. World-renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian culture, this is America’s most visited national park.Smokemont Campground offers an unforgettable ou

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): weak signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas. Best carrier: Verizon. Verizon 4G: 100%. AT&T 4G: 0%. T-Mobile 4G: 0%.

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

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

Situated in Great Smoky Mountains National Park with excellent amenities including flush toilets, drinking water, fire rings, and picnic tables. Campers consistently praise the peaceful setting, clean facilities, and friendly rangers with a 4.6/5 rating from 497 Google reviews.

Wildlife alert: American Black Bear, American Elk, Wild Turkey present in area

Insider tips for Smokemont Campground: Bring a hammer for tent stakes - ground requires it Book early as a federal campground with high demand RVs must be self-contained; no hookups available

Skip Smokemont Campground if: You need RV hookups - none available at most sites. You plan to camp outside May through October - seasonal closure. You require a street address for GPS - use Newfound Gap Road directions instead.

Best time to visit Smokemont Campground: May - October — Campground operates seasonally during these months only.

Nearby campgrounds: Smokemont Group Camp (Cherokee, NC), Tow String Horse Camp (Cherokee, NC), Collins Creek Picnic Pavilion (Cherokee, NC), Round Bottom Horse Camp (Cherokee, NC).

Cell Phone Coverage at Smokemont Campground

Cell signal at Smokemont Campground (Cherokee, NC): weak overall signal based on FCC broadband data. Best carrier: Verizon.

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.

CamperWatch
CamperWatch›NC›Smokemont Campground
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park — riverside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Smokemont Campground

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Cherokee, NC, NC★ 4.5 (1,686 reviews)From $30/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Situated in the stunning Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this campsite offers an ideal setting to enjoy the outdoors. Ridge upon ridge of forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. World-renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian culture, this is America’s most visited national park.Smokemont Campground offers an unforgettable outdoor experience with the added convenience of flush toilets, drinking water and sinks.

Best for:AnglersHikersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites:TentRV
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
Max RV40 ft
Hookups2 electric sites
ADA sites7 sites
Pull-throughsAvailable
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 - none available at most sites✕ You plan to camp outside May through October - seasonal closure✕ You require a street address for GPS - use Newfound Gap Road directions instead

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Bring a hammer for tent stakes - ground requires it

Book early as a federal campground with high demand

RVs must be self-contained; no hookups available

Best: May - October

Campground operates seasonally during these months 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 · 100%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal. Best carrier: Verizon.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: American Black Bear, American Elk, Wild Turkey present in area

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
828-497-9270· Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Getting there →

There is no street address for the campground. From Cherokee, NC: Take Newfound Gap Road (aka US 441) North 6 miles. Turn right at campground sign. From Gatlinburg, TN: Take Newfound Gap Road (aka US 441) South 27 miles. Turn left at campground sign.

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 Smokemont Campground cost per night?+
Smokemont Campground costs $30 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Smokemont Campground open?+
Smokemont Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Smokemont Campground have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Smokemont Campground?+
Smokemont Campground can accommodate RVs up to 40 feet.
How do I make reservations at Smokemont Campground?+
Smokemont Campground 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 Smokemont Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Smokemont Campground is rated weak. Best carrier: Verizon. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Smokemont Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Smokemont Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

National Park Services Concessionaire
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.

$30 /night★ 4.5 (1686)
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 Smokemont Campground cost per night?+
What season is Smokemont Campground open?+
Does Smokemont Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Smokemont Group Camp

Cherokee, NC

From $50/night

Tow String Horse Camp

Cherokee, NC

From $30/night

Collins Creek Picnic Pavilion

Cherokee, NC

From $32/night

Round Bottom Horse Camp

Cherokee, NC

From $30/night

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