Our Review of Elkmont Campground in the Smokies

This blog was originally published in Aug 2020 but was updated and republished in July 2023 with new pictures and information.

Elkmont Campground is one of our personal go-to campgrounds in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park because of the great hiking trails you can walk to from your campsite, the picturesque Little River running through the campground, and decently large campsites (if you know which ones to go for).

Located on the Tennessee side of the park, Elkmont is within easy driving of some of the most popular park attractions like Laurel Falls (10 minutes), Alum Cave trail (30 min), and Clingmans Dome (50 min). It is also only 20 minutes from Gatlinburg, a kitschy mountain town loaded with family- friendly attractions.

Elkmont Campground is one of 10 campgrounds in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and one of the most popular, probably because it is one of the biggest and one of the most developed.

It has its drawbacks (it can get really crowded, no showers, some of the campsites are small) but its nice family friendly feel plus the great trails and the refreshing Little River on a hot summer’s day make it a campground we return to over and over again.

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How Elkmont Campground Is Set Up

East And West Sides With A River In The Middle

Elkmont is a large campground with 220 sites on either side of the Little River. In my head, I break it up into the east and west sides of the campground as it is split by the river.

Every time I explain it to people like that, I feel like I am setting up some sort of east side/ west side campground rap battle scenario, which to be fair, would be absolutely fantastic and we should make that happen.

East Side of the Little River

• The ranger station and campground store

• Campsite loops A- F.

• Trailheads for the Nature trail, Little River trail, and Jakes Creek trail.

• The Elkmont Historic District, which is a collection of old cabins built when this area was a vacation resort (before the formation of the national park). There are several sections to the historic district, the best known (and preserved) of which is Daisy Town, often called Elkmont’s “ghost town.” I wrote a whole section about the historic district at the end of this blog.

West Side of the Little River

• Campsite loops G & H are on the northern half and the loops J- N are on the southern half of this side. It is a pretty long walk between the two halves, at least 10 minutes.

• The group campsites and the amphitheater are in between the north and south half of the west side of Elkmont campground.

There are only 3 ways to get between the east and west sides of Elkmont Campground because of the river that separated the two sides.

1. The main bridge over the Little River near the ranger station. This is the only way for vehicles to cross.

2. A small walking trail over a second bridge that connects the end of Loop N to the Jakes Creek trailhead and the Elkmont Historic District.

3. Wading across the Little River (this is a cold and possibly very wet way).

FAQ About Elkmont Campground

When Is Elkmont Campground Open?

Late Spring- Late Fall

Elkmont used to be open year- round but is now only open spring thru late fall, ie opens around mid- March and closes mid- November. The exact season changes from year to year so check the NPS website to be sure. In 2023, the season was from March 10- Nov 26.

Does Elkmont Campground Have Electricity/ Water/ Sewer Hookups?

NO. I repeat- There is NO electricity/ water/ sewer hookups at any campsite in Elkmont. Or at any campground in the Smokies.

There are also no showers or laundry in the campground. The nearest dump station is at Sugarlands Visitor Center about 15 min away.

You will find a good number of flush bathrooms spaced around the campground with mens and womens sides that each have 3-4 stalls inside and sinks. A pretty basic dishwashing sink is on the outside of the bathroom, plus a potable water spigot.

*The Elkmont sewage treatment plant was undergoing maintenance in 2021 so the restrooms were closed. There were port-a-potties which were serviced almost daily while we were there and the water fountains and spigots outside the restroom buildings were still operational. The problem has been fixed for 2022 but it is possible more repairs in the future may happen (it is super old okay, give it a break).

How Many Campsites Does Elkmont Campground Have?

Elkmont Campground is big. It has 200 RV/ tent sites plus 2o “walk in” sites for tents only spread over 14 loops in the campground, labeled A-N. There is also a group section with 4 campsites for 7-30 people.

Does Elkmont Campground Have Tent Only Loops?

No but it does have specific sites that are restricted to “tent only.”

There aren’t any tent only loops at Elkmont much to my chagrin as a dedicated tent camper, but they do forbid generator use on loops A, B, L, M, and N.

There are 20 “walk in” campsites in Elkmont where the tent pad is located a short distance away or up/down a few stairs from the parking area. You can only use a tent in these sites, no RVs.

The “walk in” sites are grouped near each other- (B2, B3, and B4), (A5, A7, A9, and A11), and (B21- B36). None of the tent pads are particularly far from the parking so unless mobility is really an issue, then I would not let that deter you from these sites.

Besides the 20 “walk in” campsites at Elkmont, there are additional campsites scattered throughout the campground that are also restricted to tent only use. This is due to features of that specific campsite, such as steep or short driveways.

Are There ADA Sites At Elkmont Campground?

There are nine ADA sites at Elkmont. Three of those sites have 5 amp hook up available for medical devices such as a CPAP machine- A3, D9 and G6. You cannot get a generator waiver anymore, so if you need electricity overnight for a medical device, you need to reserve one of these sites. You will need a letter or some sort of prescription from your doctor to prove you have an actual need for the site and aren’t just using it to charge your phone.

Reservations And Fees At Elkmont Campground

RESERVATIONS ARE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! This is an extremely popular campground and is almost always completely booked. There are no FCFS sites (first come- first served). Book on the recreation.gov website for Elkmont.

Campsites are $25 per night unless you are lucky enough to get a riverfront site and then they are $27 per night. Prices are the same whether it is an RV or tent only site.

*DON’T FORGET YOUR PARKING PASS!* As of March 2023, you will need a parking pass to park anywhere in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for more than 15 minutes. Parking passes can be bought online, at all Visitor Centers, and at a few other places, like the Townsend Visitor Center. Passes are $5 for the day, $15 for the week, and $40 for a year. They are not transferable either, meaning you will need one for each car you plan on driving into the park. The GSMNP website has lots of details and FAQ about the new parking passes. These new passes will help pay for some much needed maintenance throughout the park, including at rest areas and campgrounds. You don’t actually need to pay for a parking pass for your campsite but you will if you want to take your car anywhere else in the park.

Is There WiFi/ Cell Service At Elkmont Campground In The Smokies?

Nope. You will not get cell service in most places in the Smokies.

Cell phone coverage is a no for any service I have tried over the years- Verizon, T Mobile, AT&T, and US Cellular. Nor is there WiFi anywhere at the campground. But you can drive to Gatlinburg (20 min away without traffic) and usually get a good signal, especially if you have Verizon. Wears Valley is 30 min away and sometimes is the better bet because of Gatlinburg traffic.

Gear the kids up for a real time- travel adventure and tell them you are headed back to the 1990s.

Can You Buy Supplies At Elkmont Campground?

Yes, there is a small campground store.

There is a “store” by the ranger station which I give quotation marks to because it is really not much more than a glorified walk in closet. It is amazingly well-stocked though considering its tiny size, with not just wood and fire starters, but also items such as ice, bread, peanut butter, s’more fixings, chili, bug spray, drinks (no alcohol), and basic camping equipment like tent pegs among lots of other things. Takes cash or credit card.

There are vending machines too by the campground store, in case you have a Snickers craving in the middle of the night. The ice cream vending machine is a perennial kid favorite.

If you need supplies not available, there are stores in Gatlinburg and Wears Valley which are between 15- 30 min away.

*A couple of notes from the past couple of years:

• The ice cream vending machine has been out of order in summer 2020, much to the dismay of kids who love watching its mechanical arm pick their treat out of the cooler.

• Elkmont has had trouble getting a regular vendor to run the store since the long-time concessionaire retired at the end of 2020. I have been able to buy wood sometimes and sometimes not. It appeared to be good for all of 2022. Hopefully, that is the case moving forward.

General Elkmont Campground Info

What Each Campsite At Elkmont Campground Has

Each campsite has a fire ring, picnic table, and tent pad. Most have a lantern post of some kind although I would not count on hanging anything heavy from some of them. The fire rings usually have a grill attached.

You can put up hammocks as long as you stay within your campsite and don’t drill anything into the tree. Hammock camping is fairly popular at Elkmont.

Tent pads are 16 X 16 and you can usually fit 2 medium-sized tents on it. I can fit my 3+ person Mountain Hard Wear tent and a 2 person North Face no trouble but can’t do two, 4 person Coleman tents on one tent pad.

Tents must be pitched on the pad. This kinda depends on the rangers on duty as people definitely violate this rule all the time, but I have seen a ranger get upset about 2 massive tents in one campsite because one was nowhere near the tent pad. If you want to bring 2 large tents, then make it easier on yourself and reserve 2 campsites.

The recreation.gov website for Elkmont has decent descriptions of each campsite. If it says “RV/motorhome,” then there is room to park the big guys; if it says “RV”, then that usually means a smaller RV or pop-up is fine; and “Tent Only” is pretty self- explanatory. I included a sample from the website below so you can see what I mean by the specific campsite descriptions.

What Each Campsite At Elkmont Campground Doesn’t Have

There aren’t bear lockers at each campsite as you are expected to use your car. There is a food locker for motorcyclists to use at the ranger station.

There are no charcoal grills, only fire pits with grates.

Once more for the people in the back- There are no electric/ water/ sewer hookups at any campsite in any of the campgrounds in the Smokies so leave the electric kettle/ coffee maker/ phone charger at home. RVs should stop at Sugarlands before checking into their site to dump and to stock up on water. This is one of the big complaints on TripAdvisor so I thought I would keep mentioning it so people aren’t surprised when they get to the campground.

Which Campsites In Elkmont Campground Are The Best?

The River Front Sites Should Be Your First Choice

Any campsite along the Little River is hands down our favorite at Elkmont.

Our favorite campsites in Elkmont are the ones along the Little River because not only are they scenic, you get to sleep listening to the sounds of the rushing water (it is actually pretty loud). But these sites tend to book up immediately after opening up for reservations (6 months in advance of the day you are looking to reserve) so good luck. Or go in the shoulder months of April and November.

All of the river sites tend to be really close to each other but luckily the river is pretty loud, especially in spring, so can dampen noisy neighbors.

The riverfront “walk in” sites B2, B3, and B4 are grouped right next to each other and a little away from everyone else so get some friends and get these if you can. They are close to the vehicle bridge but they proximity to the river outweighs that for me.

The river sites in G and H loops (on the west side of the campground) can get some road noise from the Little River Road across the river from the campsites. The road leads not just to the campground but also to the trailheads for the popular Little River Trail and Jakes Creek trails so you can have lots of people during the day plus a surprising amount of early morning hikers.

But these G and H loop riverfront campsites also tend to have great access to the river whereas some of the ones on the K, L, M, and N loops can have steep drops down to the river. So if you have an opportunity for one, go for it.

Click on pictures below to enlarge

A-F Loops (East Side) Versus G-N Loops (West Side) At Elkmont Campground

Definitely go for the G- N loops on the west side of the campground if you can’t get a river front site.

The west side of the campground has fewer sites than the east side (by about 20) and the sites are a little more spread out (emphasis on “a little”). By far the biggest plus of the west side campsites though, is the distance from the Little River Road.

Besides just the normal amount of traffic for a campground of this size, you also get people heading to the popular trailheads of Little River and Jakes Creek trails so you get road noise from that too. A and B loops are the worst for road noise because they are by the entrance to the campground so get everyone exiting and entering plus the road noise from the adjacent Little River road. Campers come back surprisingly late, usually from a day out in nearby Gatlinburg, so road noise can last into the night.

Since the west side of the campground, especially the south end ( J- N loops), will only have traffic for people staying in this part of the campground, it is quieter and you have a lot less headlights spotlighting your tent, which can really ruin a trip for me.

*For the last 2 weeks in May and the first 2 weeks in June, people come from all over the world to see the synchronous fireflies at Elkmont. There is an official 8 day long festival during the peak of the mating season when trolleys bring loads of people in and the place is a zoo. Even outside of the official festival, people drive themselves to the Little River and Jakes Creek trailheads to see the fireflies so it can be surprisingly busy even late into the night on the Little River Road during these times.

L Loop Sites Are Some Of The Best

Almost all of the campsites on the outside of the loops of the west side are pretty good but L1 is a fantastic site that is my favorite non-riverfront site. This section of the L loop (containing sites L1- L6) is located on a little rise and is slightly separated from the rest of the campground so it tends to be quieter.

L2 is another of my favorites as it has a ton of privacy even though it doesn’t look like it on the map. This site has a steep driveway so is tent only. It looks down on the K and L loops below which is nice and the driveway blocks the road so no headlights in your face. L4 and L5 are nice too, especially good if you need 2 together as they are pretty close to each other.

Click on pictures below to enlarge

J-N Loops Have Some Of The Quietest Sites

Campsites N2 and N3 at the far end of the N loop on the west side might look like they would have a lot of privacy but there is a cut through trail that leads to the Jakes Creek and Little River trailheads next to these 2 sites so they aren’t as quiet as you might think. Most people from the G- N loops use this trail to get to these trailheads. N2 and N3 are still nice campsites that I would stay in but just be prepared for early morning hikers.

In general, I like the south end of the west side of Elkmont best- I think it is the quietest and the campsites are the biggest. So look for available sites in the J, K, L, M, and N loops, especially if it is on the outer edge of those loops.

Campsites To Avoid At Elkmont

A and B loops are my least favorite

The campsites near the entrance to Elkmont get a lot of traffic as everybody from 200 campsites is entering/exiting. I am always amazed how late people return to this campground. I guess the close proximity to the attractions in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are to blame. The inner sites of Loop A are the worst for this.

Some of the “walk in” sites of B loop (sites B21-36) back up to the Little River Road which can be busy even into the night, especially in early June when people come to watch the fireflies on the Little River and Jakes Creek Trails.

B21, B22, B23, B24 are the best of the bunch here for shade and privacy, and I would skip all of the other B sites. Overall, the B sites are small and offer little privacy. I would take about any site on the western side of the campground over A or B loop campsites if I had a choice (excepting the river front campsites).

Group Campsites at Elkmont Campground

There are 4 group campsites for parties larger than 6 people (the max that can stay on one regular campsite). One group campsite holds 15 people, two hold 20 people, and one can sleep 30.

You need a minimum of 7 people to use any of the group sites.

The 4 group sites are all grouped together (ha!) on the west side of the campground just over the bridge from the ranger station and are right by the amphitheater.

The group campsites are maybe one of my best kept secrets for Elkmont and we often try to reserve these if we have at least 7 people, not hard to do in our large family that all live in the area. GP 04 is my favorite because it sits on one side of the group loop by itself. It has 2 tent areas on opposite sides of the picnic tables and tons of room. The only drawback to this site is it is up some stairs from the parking area which can be annoying for carrying coolers back and forth.

GP 03 is also good although smaller than GP 04 and a little closer to the other 2 group sites.

Click on images below to enlarge

Elkmont Campground Rules You Should Know

1. Food safety is strictly enforced-- no food or even water left at campsite or in tents when not actively cooking or eating. The rangers and the campground host do patrol around during the day and will write you up or even confiscate stuff if you are particularly egregious. Even non food items like candles and scented soaps count because bears think they smell super interesting and are curious to know if they are, in fact, food. Don’t be the reason why a bear has to get euthanized.

*Food safety has become a real problem in recent years, including in 2022 when a bear attacked people that had food in their tent at Elkmont. Unless you are making it or eating it, food should be in your car or an actual, certified bear proof container. Coolers do not count as bear proof containers and if you don’t believe me, get the rangers to show you their collection of bear destroyed coolers. They look like my dog’s chew toys.

2. Wood needs to be certified heat treated. You can buy it at the campground store, as well as kindling sticks. Most stores in the nearby towns of Gatlinburg, Townsend, and Wears Valley will also sell the correct wood and probably a little cheaper.

You can collect sticks and any branches, logs, etc on the ground at your campsite, but I would absolutely not count on this as Elkmont is a busy campground and the ground is usually picked clean.

3. Quiet hours are from 10 pm- 6 am and no generators between 8 pm and 8 am.

4. Check out time is 12 pm and you can check in after 1 pm. Check in is at the ranger station as you enter the campground. The campground gates do not lock at night. Please be really considerate if you arrive after 10 pm and try to set up camp. This is my biggest pet peeve of frontcountry camping.

5. Pets are allowed at Elkmont but must be on a physical, max 6 foot leash at all times. They are allowed anywhere cars can go so basically you can go all around the campground with your dog (or cat I guess- please send me a picture if you do this, I would love to see a cat camping in the Smokies!) and to the trailheads, but no animals on the trails themselves. And you can’t leave your pet unattended so don’t stash it in your RV while you go for a hike. This is the rule for all campgrounds in the Smokies.

*Please, please, please don’t take your dog hiking on trails in the Smokies. I see this more and more and it is a terrible idea for lots of reasons, all covered on this page on the Smokies NPS website.

6. You can drink alcohol at your campsite. Provided you are 21 years old and not being a nuisance (that means no keg stands), go ahead and crack open that craft beer by the campfire.

7. Kids must wear helmets on bikes. Bikes are an extremely common way to get around this super large campground so drive slowly and keep in mind kids under 16 must wear a helmet per TN law. No scooters or skateboards though.

Elkmont Campground Weather

What type of weather should we expect at Elkmont?

Check NOAA’s website for a detailed weather forecast before you go so you have an idea of what’s coming and then check the daily weather forecasts on the bulletin board outside the Ranger Station while you are at Elkmont and have absolutely zero cell service.

The climate in this part of the Smokies is not that different from most of East Tennessee, mostly because Elkmont is not at a particularly high elevation (only 2150 feet). That means it is often 5 -10 degrees cooler than in Knoxville for instance, but it is still hot during the middle of the day in the summer months when the sun is directly overhead.

It gets very chilly at night in the spring and fall, and freak April snowfall isn’t unheard of so bring bring a warm sleeping bag for camping in spring or fall.

Most importantly, please keep in mind that the Smokies is a temperate rain forest and gets as much rain as the Pacific Northwest. Basically, expect it to rain at least 1 out 3 days of your trip. Short but powerful afternoon thunderstorms in the summer are very common. To be safe, carry a rain jacket with you in your backpack at all times and don’t leave your rainfly off your tent if you leave the campground for a few hours and it’s completely sunny with 0% chain of rain in the forecast. That will end badly (personal experience talking here).

My Personal Tips For Camping At Elkmont

Bring soap and toilet paper.

The restrooms never have soap unless somebody spreads some campground magic by leaving a dispenser for everyone to share. You could be that person! Toilet paper is usually okay but I would bring a roll just in case.

Bring headlamps and a jacket even in summer.

Almost every campsite is well- shaded from the trees and the surrounding mountains which is nice in the summer and means it gets cold fast in the evening in the fall/ spring. It also means it gets dark before sunset. You need headlamps. Go for the newer lights with the red light option as it really saves your night vision and is way less annoying for your tent mates and campsite neighbours on that late night bathroom run. We have switched all of our headlamps to the red kind now and it was absolutely worth it. This is the kind we like.

Bug spray is necessary.

Elkmont gets buggy so bring bug spray and citronella candles May- Sept. But I am a bug magnet and always suffer from mosquitoes. Others say it isn’t bad at all but I would still err on the side of having deterrents.

Bring bathing suits, water shoes, and towels in the summer for the river.

The Little River is super cold, even in the summer, so rock hopping and wading are popular, but the kids will want towels as soon as they get out. (It is too cold for me at any time of year but the kids like it.)

I would bring real water shoes too as the river is rocky and not fun on bare feet. The river is often also moving fast and flip flops easily get swept away. Please don’t add to the growing collection of trash downriver and bring water shoes that fasten. PSA over now.

The best “beachy” area is next to the vehicle bridge leading from the ranger station to the west side of the campground (loops G- N and group sites).

How To Reserve A Campsite At Elkmont Campground in the Smokies

Go to recreation.gov website for Elkmont- https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232487

Elkmont has one of the more thorough recreation.gov websites. When you click on a specific campsite, you will find multiple pictures and the boxes at the top will tell you max length of RV/motorhome that can be parked at that site or if it is for tent only.

Scroll all the way down and at the bottom of the “Need To Know” section and it will tell you about any restrictions or specifics for that individual site as well as the campground in general.

The Elkmont season is generally spring to late fall (March/ April thru Oct/ Nov) and you can reserve sites 6 months in advance. The only hiccup to this is that they sometimes don’t release next year’s reservations until January or even later. Lately though, meaning in 2022 and 2023, the recreation.gov website had availability for May the next year in Nov of the previous year so it looks like the 6 month release is working.

Things To Do At Elkmont Campground in the GSMNP Besides Camp

1. Explore the Historic District and Elkmont’s “ghost town.”

2. Go hiking without getting in your car

3. Fish the Little River

4. Drive to nearby interesting sites in the national park or in Gatlinburg/ Pigeon Forge.

Elkmont’s “Ghost Town”

The Elkmont Historic District is a collection of preserved and not so preserved cabins leftover from Elkmont’s early days in the early 1900s as a logging town and a resort for well- heeled Knoxvillians. The logging train brought tourists and vacationers to the station in Elkmont which was a decent sized town back in the hey day of logging.

The Appalachian Club was a private club with a clubhouse and cabins for its members and its remnants are what you see today in this area. Even after the park was created, some families kept their cabin leases until 1992 when the park ceased renewing them. After that many of the cabins fell into disrepair.

The National Park has a great section on Elkmont’s history and it is well worth a read to understand why the buildings are there and why some only have chimneys and foundations left.

There are a couple of different sections in the Elkmont Historic District:

• Daisy Town- by the campground

• Society Hill- Jakes Creek

• Millionaire’s Row- Little River

• Wonderland Hotel- near the entrance to Elkmont campground

*Pro Tip- Wear real shoes when exploring. The Elkmont Historic District is a fun place to let the kids explore but be careful as one of ours caught a piece of glass in her Chacos and cut her foot a few years ago. So there is still some demolition debris around. We always make sure everyone is wearing hiking shoes now.

Daisy Town is the small collection of cabins and the Appalachian Club that are the closest to the campground. Most have been restored by the park service in recent years. Daisy Town is by far the most preserved and complete part of Elkmont’s Historic District. The restored buildings are lots of fun to explore and to imagine people staying here. Have younger kids look for #5 as it was built as little girl’s playhouse. For older kids, it is super fun to walk through in the evening because it does definitely feel like a “ghost town.”

Society Hill was what the cabins around Jakes Creek were called and Millionaire’s Row referred to the cabins around the Little River. If you walk a little ways up Jakes Creek trail and the Little River trail, you can find the remnants of these vacation cabins that were dismantled by the park in recent years. All that’s left now is some stacked stone chimneys and foundations. except for the restored Spence Cabin on the Little River Trail.

The Wonderland Hotel was actually separate from the Appalachian Club and was a competing private club intitially that eventually became a public hotel until its lease also ran out in 1992. It then suffered a series of fires and is now almost completely gone except for the chimney and some foundations. Fun fact- I was eating at the Wonderland Hotel in 1992 watching UT lose in the final moments to South Carolina. I will forever remember that moment of heartbreak on that dining porch.

Click on images below to enlarge

Trails You Can Walk To From Elkmont Campground

Nature Trail

0.8 mile Loop Trail

This is a short but pretty (and often overlooked) loop trail adjacent to the eastern half of the campground. You can walk to it along the Little River Road or take a cut through path between campsites C11 and C12.

At the trailhead, look for the box containing brochures containing all the information that corresponds to the numbered signs along the trail (or ask for one at the ranger station). The kids enjoy finding each sign and reading the associated blurb.

The trail isn’t always wonderfully maintained so be prepared to go over fallen trees. Definitely not for strollers but fine for toddlers due to its short length and minimal elevation gain.

Little River Trail

6.1 miles long but most people hike 2.5 miles up to intersection with Cucumber Gap and then return

One of the most popular trails in the park, this is an old logging road/railroad bed so it is wide and fairly flat, at least for the first few miles. And since it follows along the river, it is quite scenic too. Otters were released here in the 1990s so keep an eye for them. An awesome place to stretch your legs for a long or short while, whatever you feel like.

You will see the remnants of the cabins that wealthy people from Knoxville once had in this area and one, Spence Cabin, has been fully restored. This section of the Elkmont Historic District was called Millionaire’s Row.

Hiking In The Smokies has an excellent write-up of the trail and several loop options you can do from here back to Elkmont. The Little River to Cucumber Gap to Jakes Creek back to Elkmont is a popular 5.6 mile loop trail for longer day hikes without too much elevation change (830 ft).

Jakes Creek Trail

3.3 miles long

Mostly used as a connecting trail to other trails (Meigs Mountain or Cucumber Gap), this trail is worth an exploration, especially for the first mile. You will find more remnants of the cabins that once stood here, leftover from a resort community at Elkmont founded in 1910. This section was known as Society Hill.

A mile or so up Jakes Creek Trail takes you an unmarked spur trail to Avent Cabin, one of the oldest in the park and built in 1845. It is 1.3 from trailhead to cabin and doable for most mobile kids although the spur trail has a high log bridge crossing so be careful. It is a bit hard to find so read this excellent write up by Hiking In The Smokies.

Fishing

The Little River is a great place to fish for trout and smallmouth bass. You will need a permit if you are over 13 years old and you can buy those in Townsend, Gatlinburg, or Wears Valley. They don’t sell them in the park. The NPS website has more info about fishing in the park.

Nearby Fun Stuff

Metcalf Bottoms, Little Greenbrier School, and the Walker Sisters Cabin

Metcalf Bottoms is an excellent picnic area and has a trailhead to one of our favorite trails in the park, Little Brier Gap trail. This is an awesome hike with kids because it takes you from Little Greenbrier School to the Walker Sisters Cabin.

These two historic structures have been restored and are kid favorites, especially the old schoolhouse). Little Brier Gap trail is wide, has a very slow gradual incline, and is pretty short at 1.1 miles long between the Little Greenbrier School and the Walker Sisters Cabin.

You can drive to Little Greenbrier School when the Wear Cove Gap Rd is open; from Metcalf Bottoms, you cross the wooden bridge over the river and drive about 0.5 miles until you see a gravel road on your right and a sign for Little Greenbrier School. The school is another 0.5 miles up this one lane gravel road that you should drive really slow on because there are only a couple of passing spots.

Or you can park at the picnic area at Metcalf Bottoms and walk the 0.7 mile long Metcalf Bottoms Trail to Little Grienbrier School. We like this trail and makes your whole journey 3.6 miles RT from Metcalf Bottoms to the Walker Sisters Cabin and back.

These are popular trails in the park and Metcalf Bottoms is an extremely popular picnic area but you can get an early start because Elkmont Campground is only 5 miles away. I would hike the trails first and then come back to Metcalf Bottoms for a picnic while the kids splash in the river.

See our blog about this hike for more pictures and info about the fascinating history of these two places- “You Go Sister! My Family’s Favorite Historic Site In The Smokies" 

Clingmans Dome/ Kuwohi

*There is a concerted push to revert the name of Clingmans Dome back to Kuwohi, meaning “mulberry place,” the original name the Cherokee had for this mountain. The change is being promoted by the Eastern Band of Cherokee and has the support of many of the town councils and county commissions of the surrounding areas. The tribe is hoping to submit an official name change proposal to the US Board of Geographic Changes in the summer of 2023.

The panoramic vistas from the viewing platform atop the tallest peak in the Smokies are undeniably spectacular but the traffic getting there is undeniably awful. On a weekend in the fall, it can be stop-and-go all the way from Sugarlands Visitor Center up to Clingmans, which is 20 miles. Then you have to circle the parking lot up there for an hour or more until a parking spot opens up. I have actually turned around on the Newfound Gap road and given up because it was so terrible. It was a long time before I tried again.

If you would love to see Clingmans without sacrificing your sanity, then take advantage of the relative nearness of Elkmont Campground and plan an early morning start.

We left the campground at 7am on a July morning, only taking enough time to make coffee, use the restroom, and throw a bunch of granola bars and fruit in the car. After a 55 minute car drive, blessedly traffic free, we arrived at Clingmans Dome and were able to hike the trail and enjoy the viewing platform with about 5 other early birds. Best pictures I have ever gotten from Clingmans. By the time we left at 9am, the parking lot was filling up and the crowds were starting up the trail.

We enjoyed a leisurely drive back to Elkmont where we made pancakes and enjoyed a lazy morning around the campsite because, hey, we already accomplished something that day!

Laurel Falls

One of the most popular trails in the park due to its convenient location near Gatlinburg and the picturesque, 80 ft falls, I never hike this trail any more because it is usually a zoo. But Elkmont is only 2.5 miles from the trailhead so it is a little easier to get here early in the morning.

Aim for an 8am arrival at the trailhead at the very latest. The park service is finally starting to enforce parking regulations at Laurel Falls to prevent people from parking all over the road anymore. Which means you can only park in the designated parking area which is actually pretty small. So it fills up fast. The early morning also ups your chances of seeing wildlife, such as bears. See the NPS website for more info about Laurel Falls.

Gatlinburg

Gatlinburg is not my favorite place due to my lack of interest in crowds or more knick-knacks to clutter up my house more than it already is. But is does have plenty of decent chain restaurants like Mellow Mushroom or Calhoun’s, plus the closest grocery store and outdoor outfitters. And it can be a great option for that rainy/overly cold day when you need something to entertain the kids.

Gatlinburg’s Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is worth a visit, especially for a rainy day activity. Younger kids seem to get more out of it than older but everyone likes the underwater shark tunnel.

If you are an “est” person, ie like to do the highest, longest, fastest, etc, then check out the SkyBridge at SkyLift Park as it is the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America. It has a glass bottom section at the highest point that reinforces all my instincts that people were not meant to be this high up.

You can easily drive to Gatlinburg in under 30 minutes from Elkmont but expect to pay about $20 for parking. And on some busy weekends in the late afternoon you can hit heavy traffic as people are returning to their hotels from the park so the drive can be an hour or more.

*There used to be a free trolley that ran from Gatlinburg to Elkmont Campground, stopping at Laurel Falls along the way. They eliminated the route in 2020 but I hope they bring it back some day.

Other Helpful Resources

Websites

The National Park Service website for the Smokies is the place to start. Has good general information on the park and decent campground and picnic area info, but does not have a comprehensive list of trails. It does however have the most reliable information about road and trail closures on this page, Current Delay and Closures- Great Smoky Mountains NPS.

For good info on trails not mentioned on the NPS website, you will need to depend on crowd sourced sites like All Trails. One of my favorites is a local one called Hiking In The Smokies and it has excellent descriptions and mileage for all of the trails they have hiked in the park (and they have hiked a lot).

Guidebooks

An easy downloadable, 5- day itinerary in pdf form. It has our favorite hikes and places to see as well our favorite camping spots and best restaurants. And, as locals, we know how to see the best while missing the worst crowds and overpriced tourist traps. This is our Smokies.

If you want more info about the Tennessee side of the Smokies and especially about our favorite family-friendly trails, check out our Great Smoky Mountains National Park Guidebook available on Amazon. It lists recommended lodging options if you are not camping as well as activities and restaurants in nearby Townsend, TN.

We give you a detailed, 5 day itinerary that hits the highlights of the park while missing the crowds and introduces you to the Smokies we know and love as locals.

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