Warren Mary Ellen
Ranger
If you don't like rain, you probably won't like this place. Smokemont is near Cherokee, NC about 8 miles or so from town. This is one of the large campgrounds in the park and does take reservations. We camped on the non-generator loop so we were mostly around tent campers. There are a few pull throughs but mostly back ins in the A & B loops. If you go to the other loops they will be pull throughs but you will be around large campers with folks who use tarps to make huge shelters for the big number of families back there.
We camped here a lot in our tent days and like the area. The campground was at one time a logging community and is mildly sloping piece of land between two mountains. It narrows as you go to the rear of the Campground. On one side is the Bradley Fork River which you can hear from site. The long loop to the back means you will see a lot of kids and adults on Bikes riding the loop. Runners too.
The sites are paved so we used the pvc frame with the side tent. You will have a picnic table, fire ring and lantern post. Bathrooms with flush toilets and a dish washing sink for emptying your gray water. There are no showers here and none of the sites of electricty. A lot of hiking trails you can access from the campground, both difficult and easy. The Bradley Fork River is pretty tame with plenty of spots to hang out in. You are close to Cherokee, NC and the Qualla Boundary Reservation where you can learn about the Cherokee or go visit their casino to contribute to the local economy.
It is good place to camp, my family has used this campground almost from the time it started. My Great-Grandmother, 2 of my Aunts and several others had their tent attacked by a bear here in the '40s or '50s. We like the historic sites within the park, the old houses, grist mills, old churches and even some of the abandoned sites like an old CCC campsite and WPA fish hatchery.
We like the NC side of park better for a lot reasons. It is a shorter drive for us to get to. The Tennessee side is beautiful inside the park but you have to go through the very touristy Gatlinburg area to get to it. It is cooler on the NC side since it is higher elevation, but it does rain more on the NC side. No electricity so we could not use the AC but we did not need it.
We camped here a lot in our tent days and like the area. The campground was at one time a logging community and is mildly sloping piece of land between two mountains. It narrows as you go to the rear of the Campground. On one side is the Bradley Fork River which you can hear from site. The long loop to the back means you will see a lot of kids and adults on Bikes riding the loop. Runners too.
The sites are paved so we used the pvc frame with the side tent. You will have a picnic table, fire ring and lantern post. Bathrooms with flush toilets and a dish washing sink for emptying your gray water. There are no showers here and none of the sites of electricty. A lot of hiking trails you can access from the campground, both difficult and easy. The Bradley Fork River is pretty tame with plenty of spots to hang out in. You are close to Cherokee, NC and the Qualla Boundary Reservation where you can learn about the Cherokee or go visit their casino to contribute to the local economy.
It is good place to camp, my family has used this campground almost from the time it started. My Great-Grandmother, 2 of my Aunts and several others had their tent attacked by a bear here in the '40s or '50s. We like the historic sites within the park, the old houses, grist mills, old churches and even some of the abandoned sites like an old CCC campsite and WPA fish hatchery.
We like the NC side of park better for a lot reasons. It is a shorter drive for us to get to. The Tennessee side is beautiful inside the park but you have to go through the very touristy Gatlinburg area to get to it. It is cooler on the NC side since it is higher elevation, but it does rain more on the NC side. No electricity so we could not use the AC but we did not need it.
