cades cove campground

It's a slow drive through a scenic expanse. One sees mountains, a huge valley, woods, wildlife, and all that the Smokies has to offer.

The Smoky Mountain National Forest is the most visited National park in the US. (pssss: and it's free!!) The park offers so much beauty that you simply don't know where to look. There are streams and rivers, mountains and countless trails, sightseeing opportunities abound with deer, turkey, and black bear. We have camped here for 20 years and visit this park several times a year for picnics, bike rides, walks, hikes, or to drive the 11 mile scenic loop (you must not miss this). If you don't bring your own bikes, you can rent them and take a ride on the 11 mile loop. Now, here's the deal with that, and please take my advice. The loop is closed to cars on Saturday and Wednesday mornings until 10 am. That's when you want to plan your ride. After that time, the cars are allowed in. This is a one way loop and narrow. It's an amazing experience without the cars and the noise, but once they come, you are simply in survival mode and can't really enjoy the view. There are some steep hills, so wear your helmet and plan accordingly. It is suitable for kids who can ride well. This is not a ride for the training wheels. Back to the campground...they have three loops. You can fit your large RVs, pull behind trailers, or tents on any number of them. Tree's abound and you can walk to the stream where the kids can play in the shallow waters. Bring your folding chair and plant it in the middle as you watch them play. (Fun note, the rocks found in the waters can be rubbed on a wet rock to form "paint". The kids love painting themselves up and then you can just rinse them off). There are specific generator hours, on duty rangers, a store, ice cream, bike rentals and you can also buy firewood there. Which is important to know because there is a ban on bringing in wood from certain counties due to the Hemlock trees. Enjoy your fires and the sound of laughter, singing and even soft music from a guitar or yuke. There is a Sunday morning service at the amphitheater as well you like and during the summer there are Ranger programs for the kids. If you are adventurous don't miss the hikes. Abrams Falls is a 5 mile round trip hike. Parts are washed away, but still easily passable. Some sections are a bit steep, but I've passed many small children and even kids on dads shoulders. Once you reach the falls, you can wade in or swim. Just use caution as in any water environment because sadly, we have lost several people to drownings. When the moon is full, they also have night hikes which are pretty amazing. That's an easy walk and for kids and adults of any age. Enjoy my Smoky Mountains!!! I'll be camping, hiking, biking, visiting, and enjoying a picnic or two, multiple times in the coming year.

I take my Boy Scouts here every year during the Christmas break. We primitive camp in tents of course. The campground borders the Cade's Cove Loop.

camped there many times. Love the campground the Rangers and the loop. And yes the animals. Bathrooms are kept clean. Campsites are very well cared for. I really don't any negatives to say about. Love that area of the Smokey Mountains. Will continue going.

This was our first time camping here and our first boon docking experience. The campground is very clean and quiet, yes there is some generator noise if you stay in campground B. If you read on this campground you will already know generators are allowed in section B from 8am to 8pm. The staff was very friendly and helpful. They had presentations at the amphitheater at 8 o'clock at night that was very informative and helpful. Bathhouses were very clean! There are no shower facilities here so please take note of this. I was told if you want to shower you can go to Townsend and pay to shower. This wasn't a problem for us as we was in a travel trailer where we could shower. There was a mixture of tents and all kinds of RVs and everyone was very friendly. I would recommend this campground!

We are tent campers. If I wanted to bring all the comforts of home, I would stay home.Sleeping under the stars is they point of getting out in the great outdoors, and we sometimes leave the rain fly off so we can see constellations as they traverse the night sky. Cades cove offers decent sites, but most travellers arrived in RV's. However, there were several tent campers in our midst. even with all the RV's and their rumbling generators, we enjoyed the campground for its sense of community. The camp store sold excellent soft-serve ice cream, and I struck up a conversation with an old-timer working in the bicycle outfitter. I think his name was Melvin. Nice man.We met a few ladies staying in an RV next to us, sisters whose mother grew up in the valley that is now a National Park attraction. They told us of the days when corn grew in the area, and they would cart it down to the mill (still operating in the western end of the area).We were very fortunate to be leaving Saturday morning of Memorial Day. It would have been better to have left Friday morning, before the weekend traffic arrived like a deluge. The previously quiet and idyllic environs were thereafter recast in harsh light, and our departure was a relief.Highly recommended: take the Abrams Falls trail to the falls, about 4 km from the trailhead. The falls are especially dramatic after a good rain, and we were fortunate to have had this precise setup. It could not have been better.

Campground was OK. Nothing special. No showers & no place to wash dishes. Quite soms noise during the day from generators and people talking loud. We had 3 days with quote soms rain but our tent didn't flood. So soil is good.

It's been years since I camped in a tent or campground but after hearing so much of this place over the years, decided to take my son on our first camping trip. I cannot begin to express how grateful I was at the cleanliness of the entire grounds and the restrooms. The rangers were so nice and helpful that it just made the trip. In a nutshell, if I could turn a five star hotel (minus the showers and room service) inside out, then Cades Cove is what it would become. Beauty, tranquility, history, access, service, activity, and wildlife all at your front door! Don' take my word for it, visit yourself and see what you're missing. I can't even think of what to add or how to express the gratitude of this visit. Feel free to contact me with questions and just check out the pics. Oh, and they are MY pics. Not some I stole from some other website. This is what you can expect-

This is by far my favorite campground within the boundaries of the national park. If you're looking for electricity, cable TV and various other amenities, stay outside the park boundaries.I've seen complaints about the restrictions on firewood. Wood from other certain areas contains insects that are dangerous to the live trees in the national park. It really doesn't matter that you don't like the firewood at the store; there are options in Townsend (I believe wood from that area is allowed to be brought in).This campground, despite its popularity, is quite peaceful and relaxing. It's also a great location to get up early and take advantage of the Wednesday and Saturday mornings when the Cades Cove loop road is closed to motor vehicles (open to pedestrians and bicycles).

My family stayed in an rv so I can't comment on the bathrooms but the campground area itself was well maintained and plenty of room for everyone. We saw everything from tents to pop ups to rv ' s. The general store is convenient and you can also rent bikes while there. We rented bikes and rode around the campground. The bikes with gears were $6 per hour and you could pay the $50 refundable deposit when renting or leave your car keys. The staff was very helpful as were the Rangers. The cades cove loop is just around the corner from the campground with parking lot at the beginning. Everyone was quiet and respectful of the quiet time hours and we did see the local police Patrol around as well. A great place even without wifi or cell service.

I have to admit I haven't pitched a tent in a very long time and was skeptical about the fact that there is no electricity. This site is so far into the mountains that there is no cellular signal which means no phone calls or mobile internet. There are no showers on site. Those concerns were quickly erased when I realized that this is a great place to forget about your everyday life and spend quality time with your family in the great outdoors. My family enjoyed playing in the nearby streams during the day and catching fireflies in the evening. The kids chased tons of squirrels around and we saw several deer. The hiking trail near the generator free zone was a great workout. The layout for each campsite is well maintained and include a parking area, a tent pad, a fire pit, and a picnic table. Although there is no electricity at the campsite they do have nice clean bathrooms with running water and a general store in the front that has food and necessities. There is a large sink outside of the bathrooms with a spicket. I recommend bringing a garden hose and using that to clean off. I would like to see them turn that area into a public shower instead though.

Stayed here for 2 nights in June' 14. Campsite was nice (flat tent pad, picnic table, fire ring). The actual experience around Cade's Cove will be in another review….this is simply the campground and stores that support it on the grounds.The problem I had were the services. For example, the Park Rangers prohibit firewood being brought in from certain states/counties. We didn't bring our firewood, but instead chose to buy from the campground. Could it be any greener? The firewood literally took about 4 days worth of fire starter to light. It was horrible. My campground neighbors also struggled…they resorted to the gasoline method to light (yeah, not a good idea in a Nat'l Park). The packaged firewood came from a place in TN called 'McCoys'…..and it sucks. Sorry, rangers…..I'll be bringing my firewood in until you get another vendor…and I won't be telling you I have it. Back to the review. The camp store was ok…basic things. The kids that work there are a bit slow and not friendly, but it didn't bother me. The ice cream was good, too.I would stay here again b/c it's in a great Nat'l Park. However, I think the Park Service should look for another vendor to supply the services.

This is a wonderful campground for family camping trips. We camp in the generator- free "C" Loop with our daughter and three grand children. The campground is very clean, and each site is furnished with a large tent pad, a fire ring, and a picnic table. There is no electricity or water hook-ups, so you actually can experience the feeling of "camping" and not being at home. The bathrooms tend to be clean and have flush toilets and a designated dish-washing sink area. There are no showers. Showers are available in Townshend, a 20-minute drive right outside the park, for $5.00. Strict bear precautions are enforced, and no coolers or food can be left out of your vehicle, if you are not eating.The campground, itself is very bike friendly for young kids. My grandkids, ages 4 and 6 spent lots of time just riding around the camp ground with us adults. There are also short nature trails, and a wonderful creek for the kids to ride in. You may very well see wildlife such as deer, squirrels, and chipmonks in the campground. The previous time we camped there, my wife saw a bear on the edge of the campground at sunset. The kids love it.There is a campground store where you can buy firewood, ice, and groceries. Everybody enjoys the giant soft-serve ice cream cones, served there. There is also a bike rental. That brings me to the Cades Cove Loop ride. On Wednesday and Saturday mornings the 11 mile loop is closed to car traffic (yay!) until 10 am, so you can ride bikes and hike through the loop and enjoy the peace of the valley without all the traffic-choked car congestion that takes so much away from the experience. My grandkids were able to ride the short loop (4 mile) during this time and we all got to see plenty of bear, deer, horse, and turkeys along the way. To say the least, they were thrilled. We have now camped with the family twice in Cades Cove. I can easily see how this could become an annual event.

This is our second stay at the campground and we LOVE it!! Plenty of room between the sites. Great place to ride bikes, not a lot of steep hills. Everybody is very friendly. The only thing is we left on Monday and that morning at 7:15-7:30 they starting cutting trees down right over from us. I understand the need to do things like that but to be woke up to the sound of a chain saw at 7:15. Oh well we will go back!

Loved camping here! The only downfalls- there is no showers and you can't use your generators after 8pm. There is a great creek within a short walking distance. The ice cream at the store is only 2.75 and a HUGE amount!!! It was great to leave the campground and turn left and be right on the loop. They also have some great programs. While we were there, they put on a show in their amphitheater that went over the different animals in the park, passed around the skins, and provided some great facts. One piece of advice get the booklet for the loop - I believe it was a $1. It provides more information on the homes, churches, etc. If you want to hike to Abrahams Falls it is 5 miles total.