Hiking

Fort Wilderness RV Park & Campground

27 RV Sites

Fort Wilderness RV Park and Campground in Whittier, North Carolina, offers 27 full-hookup RV sites across ten shaded acres just outside Cherokee, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 40 feet. Premium pull-through, small back-in, and amperage-specific pull-through categories join an outdoor pool, fitness center, game room, and lake. Twenty-seven sites span back-in, premium pull-thru, pull-thru 30/50-amp, pull-thru 30-amp, and small back-in categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 40 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. The small back-in category right-sizes for compact rigs rather than making them pay for space they cannot use; note the 40-foot cap before booking a larger coach. Cabins round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, dump station, restrooms, firewood, and RV storage handle the practical side. The pet fee is $2 per pet per day. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with a fitness center, game room, arcade, pavilion, playground, dog park, lake, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, and fishing filling the rest. Planned activities run through the season, and a golf course is nearby. Directions from the junction of US-74 and US-441 at exit 74: north 1.6 miles on US-441 to Shoal Creek Road, then west a half mile on the right. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park entrance at Cherokee is minutes away, with the Blue Ridge Parkway's southern terminus and Harrah's Cherokee close. Summer and fall foliage drive demand hard. Reserve well ahead for June through October.

from $48/night

Smoky Mountain Meadows Campground

1 Onsite RV/Trailer

Smoky Mountain Meadows Campground in Bryson City, North Carolina, offers full-hookup RV sites, tent camping and cabin rentals across an open meadow valley four miles from the Deep Creek entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Sites accommodate rigs up to 42 feet, and the campground's meadow setting — framed by forested ridgelines rather than enclosed by them — gives it a more open feel than most sites in the Tuckasegee drainage. Full-hookup RV sites take rigs to 42 feet, with a dump station available on the property. Tent sites serve campers who want the valley setting at a simpler price point, and cabins provide enclosed lodging with the same meadow outlook. A general store stocks camp basics and firewood, and bathrooms, showers and laundry cover the practical side of a longer stay. WiFi reaches the campground. On-site recreation centers on the meadow itself. A playground anchors the family end of the property, and basketball, volleyball, horseshoes and corn hole give guests something to do without leaving camp. A community fire pit provides the evening gathering point, and a covered pavilion handles group meals and rainy afternoons. Pets are welcome. Great Smoky Mountains National Park's Deep Creek entrance sits four miles north on Deep Creek Road and holds the most accessible waterfall cluster in the park — Tom Branch, Indian Creek and Juney Whank Falls all fall within a 2.5-mile walk of the trailhead, and the creek's calm Class I water makes Deep Creek the park's most family-friendly tubing run. Bryson City itself is the departure point for the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad through the Nantahala Gorge, and Harrah's Cherokee and the Museum of the Cherokee Indian are eight miles northwest on the Qualla Boundary. The campground runs April through October. Spring wildflowers peak from late March into May and fall color arrives in the Tuckasegee valley through October — the two busiest windows of the year alongside the summer national park season. Reserve early for October weekends, when Bryson City lodging fills across the board.

Great Outdoors RV Resort

54 RV Sites

Great Outdoors RV Resort in Franklin, North Carolina, offers 54 full-hookup back-in RV sites in Macon County's gem-rich valley, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 51 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. Premium and standard categories join a pool, fitness center, recreation center, and on-site dining in the southern Blue Ridge. Fifty-four back-in sites run in standard and premium categories, both carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 51 feet, with picnic tables. Two tiers keep booking straightforward. A general store, laundry, propane fills, dump station, restrooms, showers, firewood, and a pet washing station handle the practical side. One scheduling note: check-in runs 1pm to 5pm Eastern, and the resort cannot accommodate arrivals after 5pm because insurance requires all guests to be escorted to their site. An outdoor pool anchors the warm months, with a fitness center, recreation center, on-site dining, cabins, and a dog park filling the grounds. Hiking runs in every direction. Pets are welcome. Franklin has an international reputation for ruby, sapphire, and garnet mining — the corundum deposits in this valley have produced fine gem material for well over a century, and the mines welcome visitors. The Little Tennessee River runs through town, with the Appalachian Trail, Nantahala National Forest, and the Great Smokies all close. Summer and fall foliage drive the heaviest demand in the North Carolina mountains. Reserve well ahead for October, and plan your arrival to clear the 5pm check-in cutoff.

from $63/night

Nantahala Ridge Campground

3 RV Sites, 5 Cabins

Nantahala Ridge Campground in Bryson City, NC, offers 3 full-hookup RV sites and 5 cabins, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service. Sites come as back-ins and pull-thrus, each carrying water, sewer, and electric with site-delivered WiFi, a fire pit, and a picnic table. Maximum rig length isn't published, so call with your dimensions before booking — the roads in this canyon are narrow and it's worth the minute. Laundry is on site, and the five cabins give guests without a rig a place to stay. Pets are welcome. Three RV sites in a river canyon is the appeal: hiking from the property, dark-sky stargazing, and no crowd. Bryson City sits in Swain County where the Nantahala runs cold and clear through a corridor of rhododendron and hemlock, minutes from the Nantahala Outdoor Center and the southern entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Rates for sites and cabins are on the booking page. Confirm your rig's fit when you reserve, and book early for rafting season and fall color.

from $49/night

Creekwood Farm RV Park

Creekwood Farm RV Park in Waynesville, NC, offers full-hookup RV sites carrying water, sewer, and electric, with site-delivered WiFi, a fire pit, and a picnic table at each site. Both pull-thru and back-in layouts are available. The park is open all year, with laundry, a bathhouse with showers, a general store, firewood, propane fills, a clubhouse, a recreation center, a pavilion, and a community fire pit. Cabins are available for guests without a rig. Contact the park for site count, amp service, and maximum rig length, since those specifics aren't published here — worth a call before committing a long coach to a mountain road. Jonathan Creek runs alongside the property, and that's the draw: creek-side sites good for fishing and tubing, with a barn, a dog park, corn hole, birding, and planned activities on the grounds. The park sits on Jonathan Creek Road one mile off Interstate 40 at Exit 20 in Haywood County, 30 minutes from both Asheville and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with Maggie Valley, whitewater rafting, and the Haywood Arts Theater close by. Skiing is nearby in winter. Rates and availability are on the booking page. Fall foliage weeks in these mountains book furthest ahead.

from $48/night

Camp Leconte Luxury Outdoor Resort

18 RV Sites, 5 Tent Sites, 7 Glamping Sites, 2 Treehouses, 3 Vintage RV Rentals

Camp LeConte Luxury Outdoor Resort in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, offers 21 RV sites, two treehouses, seven glamping sites, and five tent sites four miles from downtown, with 20, 30, and 50-amp full hookups, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 42 feet. Named retro campers — Glamping at Tiffany's, Miss Daisy, and The Ruby Slipper — join European safari tents in a curated lodging mix. Twenty-one sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp in back-in and pull-through configurations, sized to 42 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, BBQ pits, cable TV, and site WiFi. Note the 42-foot cap before booking a larger rig. The lodging is the distinguishing feature: two treehouses, seven glamping units including European safari tents, and the three named retro campers give guests genuinely unusual options in a corridor where most properties offer standard cabins. An outdoor pool and hot tub anchor the warm months, with a playground, pavilion, and ping pong on the grounds. The mountain setting and creek nearby round it out, with birding productive across the property. Pets are welcome. Gatlinburg's downtown Parkway is four miles away, with Great Smoky Mountains National Park access adjacent and the full Smoky Mountain entertainment and dining infrastructure within minutes. An amusement park and wine tasting are nearby. The resort has run since 2013 as a family-owned boutique property. Summer and October foliage drive the heaviest demand in one of the most visited tourist corridors in the country — reserve well ahead for both.

from $35/night

Roamstead

27 RV Sites, 21 Cabins, 6 Tent Sites, 9 Yurts, 1 Airstream

Roamstead in Cosby, TN, offers 27 full-hookup RV sites, 21 cabins, 6 tent sites, and 10 Airstream and yurt rentals, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 44 feet. RV sites break into four categories — deluxe, standard on-stream, standard off-stream, and water-and-electric — with full-hookup sites carrying water, sewer, and electric plus site-delivered WiFi, a fire pit, and a picnic table. The on-stream sites put running water a few steps from the door. EV charging is available on the property, still uncommon in this corner of Tennessee. Laundry, a bathhouse, a general store, firewood, a dump station, and on-site dining round it out. Pets are welcome, with a dog park. An outdoor pool, a spa, a pavilion, a community fire pit, and a playground fill the grounds, with hiking and creek fishing from the property. Cosby sits on the eastern edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park — the quiet side, well away from the Gatlinburg corridor, with Clingmans Dome and Abrams Falls a drive away and less-trafficked trails much closer. Rates for every accommodation type are on the booking page. On-stream sites and the Airstreams book earliest.

from $34/night

Appalachian Springs Outdoor Resort

69 RV Sites

Appalachian Springs Outdoor Resort in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, offers 69 full-hookup RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 74 feet, near Dollywood in the heart of the Smoky Mountain corridor. Small and large basic and premium back-ins join pull-throughs, with an outdoor pool, clubhouse, and creek on the property. Sixty-nine sites span small basic back-in, small premium back-in, large basic back-in, large premium back-in, and pull-through categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp, sized to 74 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and site WiFi. Sizing sites by both rig length and premium tier is genuinely useful — you pay for the space you need rather than a flat category. Cabins round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. An outdoor pool anchors the warm months, with a clubhouse, pavilion, walking trails, and dog park across the grounds and a creek running the property. The resort also serves as a wedding venue. Pets must be leashed or penned when outside your camper, and guests are asked to be considerate of neighbors. Pets are welcome. Pigeon Forge offers the most activity-dense day-trip range of any campground corridor in the eastern United States. Great Smoky Mountains National Park's trails, Dollywood's rides and festival programming, and the Parkway's entertainment and dining strip are all minutes away. Summer and October foliage drive the heaviest demand in one of the country's busiest tourist corridors. Reserve well ahead for both.

from $57 $50/night

Mountaineer Campground

42 RV Sites, 3 Cabins

Mountaineer Campground in Townsend, Tennessee, offers 42 RV sites and three cabins along the Little River, with 30 and 50-amp full hookups, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 50 feet. Off-river categories run from 30-amp through deluxe 50-amp, with dedicated van, pop-up, and tent sites, on the quiet western approach to the Smokies. Forty-two sites span off-river 30-amp, off-river 50-amp, off-river deluxe 50-amp, and dedicated van, pop-up, and tent categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric, sized to 50 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, BBQ pits, cable TV, and site WiFi. Having a separate category for vans and pop-ups is genuinely useful — small rigs are not charged for space they do not need. Three cabins round out the accommodations. Restrooms and showers handle the practical side. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with a playground, pavilion, and walking trails on the grounds. The Little River runs the property, giving guests fishing, swimming, and the constant sound of clear mountain water over river stones — the sensory backdrop that distinguishes Townsend camping from the commercial experience in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Hiking, biking, and birding run from camp. Townsend bills itself as the Peaceful Side of the Smokies, and the description holds. Little River Outfitters on Highway 321 and The Backcountry on State Highway 73 can help plan fishing in the park. Summer and October foliage drive demand. Reserve well ahead.

from $37/night

Pigeon Forge RV Resort

182 RV Sites

Pigeon Forge RV Resort in Tennessee offers 182 RV sites in the heart of the Sevier County resort corridor, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service, cable TV, ADA-accessible sites, and rigs accepted to 65 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, open all year. Signature, Deluxe, Deluxe Micro, and creekfront partial-hookup categories join a pool, mini-golf, and 13 private bathrooms. One hundred eighty-two sites span creekfront grass partial hookup, deluxe back-in full hookup, deluxe micro back-in full hookup, deluxe pull-through full hookup, and Signature back-in full hookup categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 65 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Two things worth knowing: the creekfront category is partial hookup rather than full, and the Deluxe Micro tier right-sizes for compact rigs. Accessible sites are available. A general store, laundry, dump station, and firewood handle the practical side. The bathhouse has 13 private bathrooms, each with its own shower. Four people are included per site, each additional person is $7 per day, and eight is the maximum. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with mini-golf, volleyball, golf cart rentals, a pond, creek, playground, pavilion, community fire pit, dog park, and snack bar filling the grounds. Fishing, hiking, biking, and live music round it out. Dollywood, the Parkway, and the park's busiest entrance are all at hand. Summer and fall foliage drive demand hard. Reserve well ahead.

from $51/night

Holy Smokies RV Park and Glamping

14 RV Sites

Holy Smokies RV Park and Glamping in Pigeon Forge, TN, offers 14 full-hookup back-in RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 45 feet. Every site is a standard back-in carrying water, sewer, and electric, with WiFi across the property. The park is open all year. Laundry, a bathhouse with showers, and cabins for guests without a rig cover the rest, and pets are welcome with a dog park and a playground. Walden's Creek runs alongside the property, and the setting is the pitch: a tucked-away, creek-side spot with mountain views, fishing and picnicking on the grounds, and the national park close by — all while staying walkable to the Pigeon Forge entertainment corridor. Pigeon Forge sits at the northern gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with Dollywood, the parkway, and Gatlinburg all within a short drive. Rates for sites and cabins are on the booking page. With 14 sites in one of the busiest camping markets in the country, this park books far ahead — reserve early for summer and foliage weeks.

from $36/night

Creekside RV Park - TN

106 RV Sites

Creekside RV Park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, offers 106 full-hookup RV sites along Walden's Creek, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 45 feet behind a gated entrance. Creekside categories at both amperages join standard full-hookup and pull-through tiers, with a lazy river, outdoor pool, zip line, and mini-golf. One hundred six sites span 30-amp full hookup, 30-amp creekside full hookup, 50/30-amp full hookup, creekside full hookup 30/50-amp, and pull-thru full hookup categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. The creekside categories put you on the water and are worth requesting early. A general store, laundry, dump station, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. Rates run by season — roughly $55 for 30-amp and $60 for 50-amp in early spring, rising to $60 and $65 through the summer, with separate fall pricing. A lazy river and outdoor pool anchor the summer, with a zip line, mini-golf, pavilion, walking trails, and on-site dining filling the grounds. The creek supports fishing, canoeing, and kayaking, with hiking, biking, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, live music, and productive birding nearby. A golf course and skiing are close. Four miles from Dollywood puts the resort inside the most entertainment-dense corridor in the southern Appalachians, with the national park's 521,000 acres just beyond. Summer and fall foliage drive demand hard. Reserve well ahead.

from $55/night