Elkmont Campground
I just tried to make reservations at Elkmont, inside the Smokies. Even though the dates I want are almost 6 months out, no river sites are available. Have they made those walk up sites or am I just too late to get a river site?
Forum Discussion
- The Sisters on the Fly have an event at Elkmont during the fireflies viewing, and for 2016 that event begins June 9. We always call 6 months in advance for sites, so that would be December 9.
beemerphile1 wrote:
RoyB wrote:
...NOTE: just checked google, Apr 24, 2015 - Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced the dates for the firefly viewing event in Elkmont.
Just so people are aware that the dates are an estimate. The bugs don't follow our schedule. :B
I was wondering who told the bugs when to show up :DRoyB wrote:
...NOTE: just checked google, Apr 24, 2015 - Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced the dates for the firefly viewing event in Elkmont.
Just so people are aware that the dates are an estimate. The bugs don't follow our schedule. :B- We have done Smokemont a number of times. Never reserved but have always been shoulder season. Nice CG with a creek running through it. All dry camping. No cell service.
- You are plain lucky to get in at all. GSMNP is the most visited national park with nearly 10 million people annually. The other option is Cades Cove campground. If you can't get in there then try Townsend. There are plenty of campgrounds outside of Gatlinburg too. The fire flys are a huge event too, usually mid June to end June. Tickets are sold and shuttles are used for the throngs of people that attend. There is also Smokemont on the North Carolina side near Cherokee.
- If you are going to reserve a really popular federal government campground, you have to know when the booking window starts, and book on that day.
Being one day late will almost always put you in the 'less popular' sites. - If you haven't seen the fireflies, I highly recommend it. Beautiful!
- ELKMONT is a pretty popular camping place for sure...
I don't know the weekend for the Synchronized Fireflys which is in the spring and finding availabale site then is a hard trick...
The sites at TOWNSEND near the entrance to the Natl Park was always our backup sites. These all have hookups where ELKMONT does not...
Roy Ken
NOTE: just checked google... Apr 24, 2015 - Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced the dates for the firefly viewing event in Elkmont. - The river sites are just popular sites. the only walk up sites at Elkmont are A003, D009 and G006. Also, don't know what kind of rig you have, but most of the sites are short. We have had a hard time finding a good site every time we have gone. Great campground, though other than that.
