Cades Cove Campground
Hosted by National Park Service
New listing
Over 2 million visitors annually come to enjoy the scenic beauty of Cades Cove and its many historic structures. Popular activities here include hiking, biking, touring the 11-mile Cades Cove loop road and observing wildlife. Whether blanketed in bright wildflowers in the spring or vivid colors in the fall, the scenery at Cades Cove never disappoints. The Great Smoky Mountains are a hiker's paradise, and campers here love the 5-mile roundtrip hike to Abrams Falls — follow the signage at the turnoff from Cades Cove Loop Road for the trailhead. Although Abrams Falls is only 20 feet high, the large volume of water rushing over it more than makes up for its lack of height, and the long, deep pool at its base is very picturesque. The trail traverses pine-oak forest on the ridges and hemlock and rhododendron forest along the creek. The waterfall and creek are named for Cherokee Chief Abram or Abraham, whose village once stood several miles downstream. A nearby horse stable provides one-hour horseback rides as well as hay rides and carriage rides from March through October, and campers can enjoy high-quality backcountry fishing in the cool waters of the countless streams and rivers that snake through the mountains, with trout in abundance. Cades Cove Campground is open year round and combines the feel of primitive camping with the modern convenience of flush toilets and drinking water. During the off season, only sites C1-12 and C26-61 are open to camping by reservation only. Once B Loop closes for the season, generators are allowed in Loop C with restricted hours until Loop B reopens. During peak season (May through October) a camp store provides basic necessities as well as bike rentals. Interpretive programs in the nearby amphitheater and Bicycle Only Days on the loop road round out the stay. Cades Cove is a broad, verdant valley surrounded by mountains and is one of the most popular destinations in the Great Smokies, offering some of the best opportunities for wildlife viewing in the park. Large numbers of white-tailed deer are frequently seen, and sightings of black bear, coyote, ground hog, turkey, raccoon, skunk and other animals are also possible. For hundreds of years Cherokee Indians hunted in Cades Cove, but archeologists have found no evidence of major settlements; the first Europeans settled in the cove sometime between 1818 and 1821, and by 1830 the population had already swelled to 271. The park holds one of the best collections of log buildings in the eastern United States. Over 90 historic structures — houses, barns, outbuildings, churches, schools and grist mills — have been preserved or rehabilitated, a few of which are easily accessible from the Cades Cove loop road. Townsend, about nine miles away, offers full service grocery stores and fuel. This location has limited staffing.
- Pet friendly
Location
A01
AccessibleB:Generator Use · STANDARD NONELECTRIC · Overnight
- Max Num of People
- 6
- Pets Allowed
- Yes
- Capacity/Size Rating
- Single
- Max Vehicle Length
- 42
- Campfire Allowed
- Yes
- Shade
- Yes
Campsites161
Townsend, TN
To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
Amenities
Accessible campsites
11 sites
BBQ
Campfires allowed
Drinking water
Dump station
Electric hookups
Fire pits
Flush toilets
Grills
Picnic tables
Shade
Site features
Driveway surface
Paved
Max vehicle length
Typically 29 ft, up to 35 ft
Site length
Typically 41 ft, up to 48 ft
Site width
Typically 12 ft, up to 14 ft
Hike-in distance
Typically 18 ft, up to 20 ft
Car
Up to 22 ft
Caravan / camper van
Fifth wheel
Up to 27 ft
Large tent, over 9x12
Pickup camper
Up to 21 ft
Pop up
Up to 15 ft
RV
Typically 31 ft, up to 35 ft
RV / motorhome
Small tent
Tent
Typically 24 ft, up to 35 ft
Trailer
Typically 29 ft, up to 35 ft
Camping
Day Use Area
Fishing
Hiking
Historic & Cultural Site
Horseback Riding
Interpretive Programs
Visitor Center
Wildlife Viewing
Rules & policies
Check-in
1:00 PM
Check-out
12:00 PM
People per site
Up to 6
Vehicles per site
Up to 2
Camping equipment required
Pets allowed
Quiet area
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