About Cades Cove Campground
Number of accommodations: 160
Nearby Activities & Attractions
Fishing
Hiking
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Open year round
This campground is open year round, providing flexibility for your stay.
Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
General Store
Pet friendly
RV Utilities and Hookups
- Dump station on site
Water and Hygiene
- Potable Water
On Site Services
- General Store
Pets and Policies
- Pet friendly
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Rates, Sites & Availability
160 Sites Available
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Site Details
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160 Sites Available
No available sites
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Reviews (578)
What Guests Are Saying
Cades Cove Campground offers a beautiful and clean environment with friendly staff and excellent wildlife viewing opportunities, including bears. Many visitors appreciate the well-maintained facilities and the availability of nearby amenities like bike rentals and a camp store. While some reviews mention close proximity of campsites and occasional noise from generators, the overall experience is positive, with many campers expressing a desire to return.
What Guests Are Saying
Cades Cove Campground offers a beautiful and clean environment with friendly staff and excellent wildlife viewing opportunities, including bears. Many visitors appreciate the well-maintained facilities and the availability of nearby amenities like bike rentals and a camp store. While some reviews mention close proximity of campsites and occasional noise from generators, the overall experience is positive, with many campers expressing a desire to return.
Review Summary
Chris L
VerifiedDecember 22, 2024 • Stayed at: C41, Loop: Generator Free loop
I recently stayed at Cade’s Cove Campground and it was an absolute blast! The campground’s location right on the loop made it super easy to catch the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets. And guess what? There were even trails right from the campground, so I could explore the area without having to leave. Plus, each site was huge, which made it feel like I had my own little piece of paradise. Highly recommend it!
Jeffrey T
VerifiedDecember 18, 2024 • Stayed at: C56, Loop: Generator Free loop
The park rangers were attentive and nice and the site is easy to get to as every site is pull up. The downsides: Campgrounds are stacked on each other. During freezing weather the bear proof garbage cans are frozen shut. Rangers recommending keeping food, bath goods, smelly stuff in car and there is a bear box on site for those with soft convertibles or jeep soft tops. Would make sense to have more of these throughout camp (or each site to protect cars from aggressive bears as they do in Redwoods NP). Rangers do not patrol grounds during quiet hours as a few sites had generators running all night even though not allowed.
John T
VerifiedDecember 17, 2024 • Stayed at: C33, Loop: Generator Free loop
Well run campground and clean restrooms given the amount of usage. Enjoyed having the option of choosing a generator free area.
Shanna T
VerifiedDecember 13, 2024 • Stayed at: C47, Loop: Generator Free loop
I tried to cancel many times . the road was closed do to weather,
no one answered phone and online would Not let me do it.
Deborah B
VerifiedDecember 10, 2024 • Stayed at: C35, Loop: Generator Free loop
Love this campground! Nice driveways. Only complaint is that the bathroom is so dated and dirty and the door was partially off its hinge. But the heat worked well! It was cold!
Robert S
VerifiedDecember 7, 2024 • Stayed at: B12, Loop: B:Generator Use
In my opinion Cades Cove Campground is the best, from the Rangers who go out of their way to assist you in every way, to the beautiful scenery. The camp spots are paved which makes it so much better!!
kathleen h
VerifiedDecember 7, 2024 • Stayed at: C64, Loop: Generator Free loop
Beautiful campground. Sites not right next to each other. Peaceful winter camping
Steven C
VerifiedDecember 7, 2024 • Stayed at: B18, Loop: B:Generator Use
We used to always stay in Townsend campgrounds and use the full hookup campgrounds there, but everyday we’d be in Cades Cove. In Feb 24, we first camped in Cades Cove Campground,,B18, an awesome site close to the creek. Our 23ft camper is the ideal size for the campground and we have 12v frig, solar with lithium batteries, and 50gal fresh water capacity, also a small generator, which is perfect. In addition to our senior pass, so it only cost us $15 per night, AWESOME! We tried to stay a week every month in 24, but had to cancel a couple of times. Plan to stay a week every month month in 25. Always enjoyed riding our bikes, hiking trails, and the ranger led activities, love it all, and is almost in our backyard as we live in Lenoir City. One problem that prevented me from rating 5 stars is the dump station. The 3 dump stations are great but there’s only one workable faucet available for fresh water, the last station, which is ridiculous.the middle station has a spigot but you can’t hookup to it. The cost of having a workable faucet at all 3 stations would be minuscule compared to 99% of the cost of all other projects and the park has the personnel to do it. If cost to fix this is an issue, please let me know and I will personally provide the funding and contractor to do this little project. Thanks, and we love our park, Merry Christmas and we will see you in January
Melissa E
VerifiedDecember 7, 2024 • Stayed at: C44, Loop: Generator Free loop
Loved the location. Wish there was more of a published schedule of when the rangers station was open/closed.
Judi A
VerifiedDecember 4, 2024 • Stayed at: B11, Loop: B:Generator Use
Was a good campground. We rode our e-bikes through Cade’s Cove and enjoyed the beautiful views. Had a fire ring at our site and used it every night.
Location Cades Cove Campground
Address:
10042 Campground Drive
Townsend, TN, 37882
United States
Latitude & Longitude: 35.6027 / -83.7763
Elevation: 579 feet
Nearby National Park
Arch Rock Entrance
Approximate driving time: 52 min
Policies & Rules
General
- A valid parking tag is required for any vehicle parking for more than 15 minutes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Front country campers parked at their designated campsite will not be required to have a parking tag. If they park elsewhere in the park, a parking tag will be required. Please note that parking tags will be required for vehicles in excess of what is allowable for each campsite. *For additional park information call 865-436-1200 or visit www.nps.gov/grsm
- Over the last 10 years, an average of 339 negative human-bear encounters have been reported each year; many more go unreported. Visitors should be aware that high bear activity can occur in any area, and that your safety is not guaranteed. To increase your odds for a safe visit, please follow best practices for living and recreating in bear habitat. Stay alert and be prepared to react appropriately during possible encounters, and always report any unusual bear interactions as soon as possible.
- Caution: Bear Habitat! Bears and other wildlife frequent the area. All food and equipment used to prepare and store food (even when empty, and even if certified as bear resistant) must be kept in a sealed vehicle or camping unit of solid, non-pliable material AT ALL TIMES when not in use. All scented items, as well as all water containers MUST be stored. Dispose of garbage promptly in dumpsters provided. Unattended or improperly stored coolers, food and/or scented items may be impounded by campground staff. Violators are subject to fines.
- Dispose of garbage promptly in bear-proof dumpsters. This rule is strictly enforced!
- Firewood Restriction: Only heat-treated firewood bundled in its original packing and bearing a certification seal from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) or a state department of agriculture may be brought into the park. This rule is strictly enforced. Campers may also collect dead and down wood in the park for campfires. Firewood Vendors. Heat-treated wood is available from a growing list of private businesses in communities around the park. Please visit firewoodscout.org for a list of available vendors near the park. Concessioners at Cades Cove, Elkmont, and Smokemont will provide heat-treated wood for sale during their operating season. Certified heat-treated firewood is packaged and clearly marked with a state or federal seal. For additional information about these firewood regulations, please visit the park website at http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/frontcountry-camping
- Do not occupy any vacant site. If you have a reservation you need to KNOW your campsite number prior to arrival. Fires are allowed in fire rings only!
- There are no showers or electric, water or sewer hook-ups in the park. Some accessible sites have a 5 amp electric hookup for medical equipment use only.
- Generator use is prohibited from 8PM-8AM. Generator use and the idling of engines to charge batteries is prohibited in C Loop whenever Loop B is open for camping. Once B Loop closes for the season then generators will be allowed in Loop C, with restricted hours, until Loop B reopens for camping.
- A maximum of 6 people may occupy a campsite. The park stay limit is 14 consecutive days. Reservations which exceed the 14 consecutive day limit may be cancelled and refunded.
- A Tennessee or North Carolina fishing license is required to fish in the park. Special regulations apply in the park.
- Pets are permitted but cannot be left unattended. All pets must be kept on a leash at all times. Pets are not allowed on trails.
- Cades Cove and Smokemont campgrounds are the only campgrounds open year round and require a reservation. Reservations may be made up to 6 months in advance.
- You must check-in with the campground office staff UPON ARRIVAL to complete your reservation. If you arrive after the office is CLOSED for the day then you must check-in with the campground staff the following day. Failure to check-in with the office staff by noon following the day of your arrival will be considered a no show. This may result in a forfeit of your reservation. From November -April the campground office is intermittently staffed. You must be able to provide proof of your reservation upon request by park staff.
- Vehicle Free Day runs from the first Wednesday in May through the last Wednesday in September. No motorized vehicles will be permitted to enter Cades Cove Loop from sunset on Tuesday until sunrise on Thursday.
- Cancellation Policy for Individual Campsites: A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee.
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Last updated: June 4, 2026
