Cataloochee Campground

I drove into the valley early in the morning to see a light mist over the meadow and a lone elk grazing with the sun coming over the mountain. It was amazing and like something out of National Geographic. The buildings are well kept and hold a lot of history of the people that once settled here. The trails are peaceful and there are some stream crossings without foot bridges but nothing that wasn't manageable because it had not rained in a bit. Chattahoochee is very underrated. There is beauty everywhere here.

A beautiful and quiet campground! Our first time in the Smokies. It's fun to be in a remote part of the park, and there are some great hikes around there (we especially enjoyed Boogerman - bring water shoes!). The stream passing right next to the campsite provided a wonderful lullaby through the days and nights. We had a few elk pass through the campsite one evening just to nose around, which was magical. Ginger, the site host, was an absolutely incredibly kind and knowledgeable host who offered us extra help when we needed a cell signal to address some car problems. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting her and our stay at Cataloochee.

Probably the best camping spot we’ve ever had! Right on the river, very spread apart, no noisy folks at all.
We went for a short drive and kind the elk herd at sundown. Very cool. The next morning, we had a young bull in our campsite! It hung around for two hours without a care in the world. Very cool!
Ginger, the camp host was great and personable. Excellent experience, if you don’t mind the 10 miles of mountain road leading to camp.

Large campsites, clean restrooms, friendly camp host. Very small and secluded campground but that kept things quiet. Hiked two days and didn’t run into anyone else on the trails. Saw plenty of Elk with some in the campground.

Quiet, relaxing time camping in nature. Elk even came up through the campgrounds, yet everyone remained safe as they kept their distance from the elk. Trails are great for kids with the small creeks for rock hopping.

Only wish day visitors to the area would respect the rules and the wildlife and not encourage the elk to come up to their cars. We saw a truck with the bed full of young kids encourage an elk to come to their truck so they could pet it. Another car did the same thing on a different day.

Other than that, family had a great time. The host was nice, neighboring campers were friendly. We’ll definitely be back.

The campground was clean, spacious, and in a great location! One thing we were definitely prepared for by reading other reviews is the complete lack of cell reception. A VERY nice thing to unplug and not worry about anything for the time we spent there. The drive in was challenging pulling a camper behind (even moreso on the way out as we climbed the mountain on a gravel road). There are many hairpin turns, and the road is very narrow, but overall in good condition. The Elk roaming around the site were amazing, and we saw some snakes as well. The volunteer Ranger (Ginger) was amazing, very informative, and as friendly as can be. The site itself was clean and well manicured. We had some friends meet us there, and the two sites we reserved were close enough to be together. There was a picnic table (very heavy and durable), a gravel pad for table or tent, a pole to hang trash on, and a fire ring. The bathrooms were cleaned every morning, and we were never concerned about a gross experience. There was a utility sink to clean dishes, and two spots to distribute potable water. Overall we were very impressed with the whole area and have no complaints!

Large campsites, clean restrooms, friendly camp host. Very small and secluded campground but that kept things quiet. Hiked two days and didn’t run into anyone else on the trails. Saw plenty of Elk with some in the campground.

Quiet, relaxing time camping in nature. Elk even came up through the campgrounds, yet everyone remained safe as they kept their distance from the elk. Trails are great for kids with the small creeks for rock hopping.

Only wish day visitors to the area would respect the rules and the wildlife and not encourage the elk to come up to their cars. We saw a truck with the bed full of young kids encourage an elk to come to their truck so they could pet it. Another car did the same thing on a different day.

Other than that, family had a great time. The host was nice, neighboring campers were friendly. We’ll definitely be back.

The campground was clean, spacious, and in a great location! One thing we were definitely prepared for by reading other reviews is the complete lack of cell reception. A VERY nice thing to unplug and not worry about anything for the time we spent there. The drive in was challenging pulling a camper behind (even moreso on the way out as we climbed the mountain on a gravel road). There are many hairpin turns, and the road is very narrow, but overall in good condition. The Elk roaming around the site were amazing, and we saw some snakes as well. The volunteer Ranger (Ginger) was amazing, very informative, and as friendly as can be. The site itself was clean and well manicured. We had some friends meet us there, and the two sites we reserved were close enough to be together. There was a picnic table (very heavy and durable), a gravel pad for table or tent, a pole to hang trash on, and a fire ring. The bathrooms were cleaned every morning, and we were never concerned about a gross experience. There was a utility sink to clean dishes, and two spots to distribute potable water. Overall we were very impressed with the whole area and have no complaints!

An amazing campsite in one of the most beautiful and secluded places in the Eastern U.S. The drive in is not easy from Asheville and you'll be on a single lane dirt road for a few miles. Pack all you need for the stay because once you're in, you're in. You'll also want to stay in as long as possible because it is beautiful!