Cataloochee Campground

Cataloochee campground is located in the historic Cataloochee Valley, a relatively remote part of Smoky Mountain National Park. The secluded setting offers visitors the ability to enjoy a multitude of recreational activities like hiking and fishing, without the crowds that are sometimes common in other parts of the park. Cataloochee offers a traditional outdoor camping experience with the added convenience of flush toilets and drinking water. There are no hookups or showers. Hiking trails and fishing streams are easily accessible from the site, the nearby Cataloochee Group Camp can accommodate larger parties, and the Cataloochee Horse Camp provides camping for horseback riding enthusiasts. The valley features an extensive trail system that is less heavily used than other areas of the park. The two main trails, Caldwell Fork and nearby Rough Fork, run mostly parallel to one another through the central valley, extending alongside scenic creeks and streams and supporting both hikers and horseback riders. For hikers only, the 3.9-mile Boogerman Trail forms a nice loop off the Caldwell Fork Trail, less than a mile's walk from the campground. Anglers will agree that some of the best Rainbow and Brook trout fishing in the area can be found in the Cataloochee Basin, and fly fishing is particularly good during spring months when aquatic insects hatch in large numbers. The park holds one of the best collections of log buildings in the eastern United States, with over 90 historic structures preserved or rehabilitated. A handful are in the Cataloochee Valley, including the Palmer House, built in 1869, which contains a self-guided museum, and the Steve Woody and Caldwell Houses. The Steve Woody House, built in 1880, sits along the Rough Fork trail, an easy 2-mile roundtrip hike from the parking lot at the end of Ranger Station Road. The campground is surrounded by picturesque mountain ranges and pristine mountain streams, like nearby Cataloochee Creek. Elk are common in this part of the park during the spring and fall. At a 2,600 foot elevation, Cataloochee has a moderate climate of mild winters and hot, humid summers. Whether blanketed in bright spring wildflowers or exploding with vivid fall colors, the scenery never disappoints.