Cataloochee Campground

None

If you think you're getting away from crowds here, you're mistaken. Beautiful area but very hard to photograph with teeming tourists crawling all over everything. There were near 100 cars in the valley and a steady stream of exits at sunset. Although the reservations online indicated there was no room in the campground there were no less than 8 vacant sites overnight. They were mostly the best larger sites that back against the forest. Generators are allowed and easily ruin the tranquility. Steady stream of entering traffic pre dawn gates open 6 am. Road in was well maintained but dangerous insofar as a great many drivers didn't feel it necessary to stay to their own side of the road. Bathrooms nice but smelly and shine a godforsaken bright light all night. Reservations only campground management is flawed and unethical.

This is a great and small remote national park campground reached via several miles of a narrow gravel mountain road with blind curves. Sure am glad I didn't meet one of the few campers coming head on while on that road. As such, the campground is quiet and the sites are spaced apart from another. In this valley, the sun can rise late and set early with temperatures doing the same. It was great to be able to drive down the valley early in the mornings to see the elk herd. Lots of nice trails in the vicinity. Quite a few rock walls, small cemeteries, etc., left from the old Cataloochee communities along the trails. We hiked the Caldwell Fork/Boogerman 8-mile loop in late October and there were six times we had to wade a knee-deep stream. If you do this loop, go prepared and take some sandals. We found an AT&T cell signal up the road about a mile east of the campground.

I hate to tell the internet how much fun we had there b/c I don't want it to get too crowded. It is quiet, far removed from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the GSM. That it is a long ways from stores and restaurants surely helps. Looking forward to visiting again. Bring a book and your binoculars. Its that kind of quiet place.

We enjoyed our time here. The campsites are quite close together, but it was quiet anyway. We saw elk Bugling at each other, went on beautiful hikes, played in the water and even had a bull walk through the campsite. (October)

None

If you think you're getting away from crowds here, you're mistaken. Beautiful area but very hard to photograph with teeming tourists crawling all over everything. There were near 100 cars in the valley and a steady stream of exits at sunset. Although the reservations online indicated there was no room in the campground there were no less than 8 vacant sites overnight. They were mostly the best larger sites that back against the forest. Generators are allowed and easily ruin the tranquility. Steady stream of entering traffic pre dawn gates open 6 am. Road in was well maintained but dangerous insofar as a great many drivers didn't feel it necessary to stay to their own side of the road. Bathrooms nice but smelly and shine a godforsaken bright light all night. Reservations only campground management is flawed and unethical.

I've camped here since high school, almost 50 years ago. The campground has always been a great location, the valley itself a spectacular destination. The more recent addition of the toilet facility is a nice plus for the campground. Cataloochee offers a variety of hiking experiences, long and short, easy to difficult. Mt. Sterling, Boogerman, and the hike through Little Cataloochee are among my favorites. If you only stick to the Cataloochee valley and do short hikes, or bring bikes to ride, you'll find the valley a wonderful place. The elk who call this place home have become the stars of the valley for many visitors. And they don't disappoint. Know that the road in from Waynesville is long and rough, narrow in spots, not a place for long trailers, or people in a hurry. Even longer going toward Big Creek/Cosby. In the Big Creek area are other great hikes and a nice campground.

Campground was excellent. Bathrooms were clean. Scenery was beautiful. And the elk were amazing!!

I've camped here since high school, almost 50 years ago. The campground has always been a great location, the valley itself a spectacular destination. The more recent addition of the toilet facility is a nice plus for the campground. Cataloochee offers a variety of hiking experiences, long and short, easy to difficult. Mt. Sterling, Boogerman, and the hike through Little Cataloochee are among my favorites. If you only stick to the Cataloochee valley and do short hikes, or bring bikes to ride, you'll find the valley a wonderful place. The elk who call this place home have become the stars of the valley for many visitors. And they don't disappoint. Know that the road in from Waynesville is long and rough, narrow in spots, not a place for long trailers, or people in a hurry. Even longer going toward Big Creek/Cosby. In the Big Creek area are other great hikes and a nice campground.