Spence Cabin

Great Smoky Mountains National Park — riverside, fishing, hiking

Location: Gatlinburg, TN, TN

Price: From $200 per night

Rating: 4.6 out of 5 (41 reviews)

Season: May through October

Spence Cabin is an ideal place to hold a small family gathering or family reunion away from the hustle and bustle of nearby towns. It is also an excellent location for a meeting or training session for a small group of people, or for a small wedding or reception. The outdoor patios are great places to relax and enjoy the beautiful atmosphere of the Great Smoky Mountains.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Electric Hookups, Fishing

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

Spence Cabin offers a unique, private setting within the historic Elkmont District of Great Smoky Mountains, ideal for small family gatherings, reunions, or events with beautiful outdoor patios. Google reviewers consistently praise it as charming and perfect for weddings, with a 4.7/5 rating from 143 reviews.

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

Insider tips for Spence Cabin: Book early—it is a federal campground with high demand Guest limit is 35 people, making it ideal for intimate events Located near Elkmont Campground on Little River Road, 6.7 miles south of Gatlinburg on Newfound Gap Road

Skip Spence Cabin if: You need hookups—no hookups available at this site. You prefer year-round access—seasonal operations May through October only. You want a traditional campground experience—this is a single cabin rental, not a multi-site campground.

Best time to visit Spence Cabin: May-October — Campground operates seasonally during these months only. September-October — Multiple verified reviews highlight September and fall as beautiful times for events at the cabin.

Nearby campgrounds: Appalachian Clubhouse (Gatlinburg, TN), Elkmont Group Camp (Gatlinburg, TN), Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Pavilion (GATLINBURG, TN), Twin Creeks Picnic Pavilion (GATLINBURG, TN).

Cell Phone Coverage at Spence Cabin

Cell signal at Spence Cabin (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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Great Smoky Mountains National Park — riverside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Spence Cabin

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Gatlinburg, TN, TN★ 4.6 (41 reviews)From $200/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Spence Cabin is an ideal place to hold a small family gathering or family reunion away from the hustle and bustle of nearby towns. It is also an excellent location for a meeting or training session for a small group of people, or for a small wedding or reception. The outdoor patios are great places to relax and enjoy the beautiful atmosphere of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Best for:AnglersHikersFamiliesSites: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
Hookups1 electric sites
ADA sites1 sites
PetsNot allowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsFishing
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Electric Hookups

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 hookups—no hookups available at this site✕ You prefer year-round access—seasonal operations May through October only✕ You want a traditional campground experience—this is a single cabin rental, not a multi-site campground

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

it is a federal campground with high demand

Guest limit is 35 people, making it ideal for intimate events

Located near Elkmont Campground on Little River Road, 6.7 miles south of Gatlinburg on Newfound Gap Road

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally during these months only

Best: September-October

Multiple verified reviews highlight September and fall as beautiful times for events at the cabin

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 ↗
865-436-1261· Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Getting there →

Spence Cabin is located near Elkmont Campground. Drive south from Gatlinburg, TN on Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) for 1.7 miles and turn right onto Little River Road toward Cades Cove. Proceed 5 miles to Elkmont Campground road and turn left. Go 1.4 miles and turn left just before the campground office (sign says Elkmont Nature Trail 0.3, Little River Trail 0.6 and Jakes Creek Trail). After crossing the bridge, take the second left into the parking lot. Parking for Spence Cabin will be on your ri

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 Spence Cabin cost per night?+
Spence Cabin costs $200 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Spence Cabin open?+
Spence Cabin is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Spence Cabin have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Spence Cabin?+
Spence Cabin is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Spence Cabin?+
Spence Cabin 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 Spence Cabin?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Spence Cabin is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Spence Cabin open, and what are check-in times?+
Spence Cabin 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.

$200 /night★ 4.6 (41)
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 Spence Cabin cost per night?+
What season is Spence Cabin open?+
Does Spence Cabin have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Appalachian Clubhouse

Gatlinburg, TN

From $300/night

Elkmont Group Camp

Gatlinburg, TN

From $38/night

Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Pavilion

GATLINBURG, TN

From $32/night

Twin Creeks Picnic Pavilion

GATLINBURG, TN

From $75/night

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