Photo: Warren Bielenberg / National Park Service
Elkmont Campground
The national park’s largest campground, on the Little River in the woods between Gatlinburg and Townsend: $30 a night, no hookups, and trails, history and the river right outside your door.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee · on the Little River between Gatlinburg and Townsend
Season
Apr 3–Nov 29
2026 season; reservations required
Elevation
About 2,150 ft
On the Little River inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Hookups
None
Dry camping; 3 accessible sites have 5-amp medical power
Big rigs
Up to 35 ft
Most sites suit rigs under 30 ft; only a few take longer
Updated October 12, 2026 · Details checked against NPS and Recreation.gov
Inside the national park
The Elkmont experience
The largest campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with about 200 sites on the Little River between Gatlinburg and Townsend. It’s $30 a night with no hookups, and it puts you on the river, on the trails and right in the park.
No hookupsDry camping; bring full water and charged batteries
Flush toiletsIn each loop; no showers
Drinking waterCold-water spigots; no hoses
Accessible sitesThree with 5-amp medical power
Campground officeCheck in here on arrival
On the Little RiverRiverside forest setting
Trails nearbyLittle River and Jakes Creek trails
Generator hours8 a.m.–8 p.m.; some loops ban them in summer
Life at camp
What campers say
The campground report card
We don’t recycle other sites’ reviews, but the published scores tell a clear story: campers love the river, the shade and the location, and the usual gripes are tight sites for bigger rigs and no showers.
How RVers rate it
Category scores from Campendium reviewers, out of 5
Field notes from RVers
Longest rig RVers report31 ft Aug 2018
Cell signal reportedVerizon 4G/5GAT&T 4G/5GT-Mobile 5G
Last reported nightly rate$30 Oct 2026
As reported by Campendium users. The longest rig is from an August 2018 report and the $30 rate from an October 2026 stay. Check your site’s length on Recreation.gov before you book.
Off Little River Road
Getting there
Elkmont is 1.5 miles up Elkmont Road from Little River Road, about 6 miles from Sugarlands Visitor Center. Come in from Gatlinburg or Townsend; RVs and trailers can’t cross the Metcalf Bottoms bridge.
From Gatlinburg: US-441 into the park, right at Sugarlands Visitor Center onto Little River Rd for 4.5 miles, then left on Elkmont Rd 1.5 miles to the officeFrom Townsend: TN-73 into the park, then Little River Rd east about 12.5 miles (RVs and trailers can’t use the Metcalf Bottoms bridge)
LITTLE RIVER RD · ELKMONT
Set your GPS
Elkmont Rd, off Little River Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
To Laurel Falls trailhead*About 8 min
To Sugarlands Visitor CenterAbout 17 min
To downtown GatlinburgAbout 20 min
From KnoxvilleAbout 1 hr 20 min
Check in at the office first. The office is open 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (part-time in spring and late fall). If you haven’t checked in by noon the next day, you’re a no-show.
No hookups and no dump station. Fill your tank before you come; the nearest dump station is across from Sugarlands Visitor Center, about 6 miles away.
*Drive times are from OpenStreetMap routing and are approximate; Gatlinburg traffic in summer, October and on weekends can easily double them. Locator map is approximate, not for navigation.
Around the Smokies
Around the Smokies
Laurel Falls is about 8 minutes away, Sugarlands Visitor Center about 17, and downtown Gatlinburg about 20.
Photo thanks to Sarah Stierch (CC BY 4.0)
Sugarlands & Newfound Gap
Sugarlands Visitor Center is about 17 minutes away; from there Newfound Gap Road climbs to the state line. Parking tags are required at trailheads, though not at your own campsite.
Photo thanks to APK (CC BY 4.0)
Downtown Gatlinburg
The mountain town at the national park’s edge, with shops along the Parkway, the SkyLift and SkyBridge, and the Space Needle.
Photo thanks to NealVickers (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The Old Mill
An 1830 gristmill on the Little Pigeon River with a restaurant, pottery and shops, just off the Parkway in Pigeon Forge.
Photo thanks to Sarah Stierch (CC BY 4.0)
Dollywood
Dolly Parton’s theme park in the foothills, known for coasters, mountain crafts, music shows and big seasonal festivals.
More places to stay
Other parks worth a look
Three other top-rated RV parks nearby, by drive time.
Photo thanks to Camp Riverslanding
Camp Riverslanding
A family-run campground on the Little Pigeon River with riverside sites, a heated pool and trolley stops at the gate.
Photo thanks to Up the Creek RV Camp
Up the Creek RV Camp
Big, wooded sites between Walden Creek and Cove Creek west of town, with specialty sites and no bathhouse or pool.
Photo thanks to Creekside RV Park
Creekside RV Park
A shady 108-site park beside Walden Creek with a saltwater pool, creekside sites and some pull-thrus.
Before you book
Plan your stay
Everything that decides whether Elkmont fits your rig, your dates and your budget, in one place.
Our take: the classic Smokies campground: shaded sites on the Little River, trails and history right outside the tent or trailer door, and a $30 price. It’s dry camping with no showers or dump station, most sites suit rigs under 30 ft, and you must reserve ahead on Recreation.gov.
Campground feesFrom the National Park Service · checked Oct 12, 2026
Standard site$30 /night
Stay limit14 days
Book aheadUp to 6 months
HookupsNone dry camping
Elkmont is a national park campground: every site is $30 a night, reserved on Recreation.gov up to six months ahead, with a 14-consecutive-day limit and up to six people per site. There are no hookups, showers or dump station.
Prices are subject to change at any time and may vary by date, season and availability. For the latest pricing, check the park’s booking page or call (865) 430-5560.
Typical July afternoon
Gatlinburg83°
Phoenix107°
Mild summers: 24° cooler than Phoenix in July at the Gatlinburg station; January highs average about 47°. Elkmont sits about 700 ft higher, so nights run cooler still.
Is it right for you?
Who it suits, what to consider, and why campers keep coming back.
Open
Site types
$30 a night; no hookups.
Open
Rates & policies
Check-in, generators, pets, food storage and firewood rules.
Open
Before you book
Questions to ask before you reserve.
Open
Elkmont Campground is run by the National Park Service inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, beside the Little River and the old Elkmont resort community. It suits self-contained RVers and tent campers who want to be in the park more than near the Parkway.
Best for
- Hikers: the Little River and Jakes Creek trails start nearby, and Laurel Falls is about 8 minutes away.
- River lovers: many sites are near the Little River.
- Budget campers: $30 a night inside the national park.
- Smaller rigs: most sites suit trailers and motorhomes under 30 ft.
Consider this
- No hookups, showers or dump station; the nearest dump is near Sugarlands.
- Most sites are under 30 ft; only a few take rigs up to 35 ft.
- Generators are limited to 8 a.m.–8 p.m. and banned May 15–Oct 31 in loops A, B, L, M and N.
- Reservations are required, and summer and October fill fast.
Summer in the Smokies
Typical July afternoon
83°
Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg 2 SW station
107°
Phoenix
Phoenix Sky Harbor
24 degrees cooler than Phoenix, with nights near 63°. Normal July highs, 1991–2020.
Elkmont has about 200 tent and RV sites plus 20 walk-in tent sites. There are no hookups at any site; three accessible sites have 5-amp power for medical equipment. Every site is $30 a night.
RV & tent sites $30/night
The standard sites, in loops through the forest near the Little River.
Longer sites $30/night
Only a handful of sites take rigs over 30 ft; check lengths on Recreation.gov.
Accessible sites $30/night
Three accessible sites have 5-amp power for medical equipment only.
Walk-in tent sites $30/night
Tent sites a short walk from parking, for tent campers only.
Fee$30/nightReserve on Recreation.gov
SeasonApr 3–Nov 292026 dates
Check-inAt the officeNo-show if not checked in by noon next day
Stay limit14 daysConsecutive nights
PeopleUp to 6Per site
Generators8 a.m.–8 p.m.Banned May 15–Oct 31 in loops A, B, L, M, N
Quiet hours10 p.m.–6 a.m.Campground-wide
Pets6-ft leashNot on most park trails
FirewoodHeat-treated onlyCertified, bundled firewood
FoodStore it safelyBear country: follow the food-storage rules
Checked against nps.gov and Recreation.gov on October 12, 2026. Sites are reserved on Recreation.gov (877-444-6777) up to six months ahead; the campground office is (865) 430-5560.
Good to know before you pull in
Five things that change your booking
Ask these on the phone before you reserve.
- Is my site long enough? Check each site’s length on Recreation.gov before you book.
- Can I run a generator? Not in loops A, B, L, M or N from May 15 to Oct 31.
- Where do I dump and fill? Across from Sugarlands Visitor Center, about 6 miles away.
- When does the office open? You must check in there; hours are shorter in spring and late fall.
- Which way do I drive in? Use the Gatlinburg or Townsend entrances; RVs and trailers can’t cross the Metcalf Bottoms bridge.
Know before you go
Frequently asked questions
A few details before you hit the road.
Season: Apr 3–Nov 29
Ready to camp inside the Smokies?
Fall asleep to the Little River and start your hikes from camp. Reserve your Elkmont site on Recreation.gov, up to six months ahead.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and this video. Please support them by giving their work a look. The campground photos are from the National Park Service via Recreation.gov (public domain), including two by Warren Bielenberg. Video: Friday’s Forever on YouTube. Area photos via Wikimedia Commons: Sarah Stierch (Dollywood and Newfound Gap; CC BY 4.0), NealVickers (the Old Mill dam; CC BY-SA 4.0) and APK (Gatlinburg; CC BY 4.0); the images were resized. Other-park photos: Camp Riverslanding, Up the Creek RV Camp and Creekside RV Park. Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the parks we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with Elkmont Campground unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including the National Park Service’s published materials and publicly available sources. Pricing, availability, rules, policies, regulations, amenities and other details are set by the National Park Service and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel or book, please confirm all details directly with Elkmont Campground at nps.gov or (865) 430-5560. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
We will always do our best to keep this page up to date. Thank you to everyone who contributes; we truly appreciate your help and support.