Smokey Mountains: Cades Cove vs Smokemont

My wife and I just drove over Newfound Gap in early June. the road is nothing that should bother an experienced driver with a properly set up unit. The people that burn up their brakes going through there are driving their rig like they would drive around town in a car. Mountain driving takes patience and thought. Don't get in a hurry, go down a hill (mountain) in one gear lower than you would use driving up Use your engine to slow you down, a proper truck will have a shiftable tranny so you can select what gear your are in. If you are passing semi's and straight trucks,l you are going to darned fast.
I drove my RV over Going to the Sun Road, The Beartooth Highway, over highway 14A in the Bighorn Mtns, and I have NEVER gotten my brakes hot. I sure didn't get ny truck brakes even warm going across Newfound Gap.

That's some beautiful country up there.

We love going to the Smoky Mtns NAtl Park... Our pick for Camp Ground is ELKMONT... It will handle your size trailer just fine. You do know there is no hookups inside the Smoky Mtns Natl park. Only water from a spigot in front of each of the many bath room buildings stationed about every three or so camp rolls... If you want hookups my best choice would be to get something in the TOWNSEND Area as this will keep you out of the tourist hoop-la in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge...

ELKMONT has a very good tree cover and you will be in the shade most of the time. Thats helps alot when camping with no A/C. There is also a very loud small river (I would call it a creek) that runs through the camp ground... When it rains at ELKMONT the heavy tree cover will drip rainwater for a few days after the rain storm. Lots of camp setups under a large tarp can be found all over ELKMONT Camp.

We love to do the CADES COVE motor trail but do not like camping at the camp ground at Cades Cove. Reminds me of a truck stop hehe...

The Natl Park and surrounding towns really gets crowded during the MAY-JUNE time frame when the special Synchronous Elkmont Fireflies Event in the Smoky Mountains. These special fireflies only happen here in ELKMONT and somewhere in South America I think it is. They all flash at the same time...

We always like to go to the Smokys in the SEP/OCT time frame...

Roy Ken

It would be easier for you to go to Cades Cove. I will assume that you will come down from Mass. on I-81. Smokemont is on the North Carolina side near Cherokee so you would need to enter the park from that side UNLESS your are experienced and brave enough to pull your trailer through Newfound Gap. Going over the mountain is steep and twisty. Every time I have gone through there I have seen class C's and A's with burned up brakes. Most of the trailers I see going thru the Gap are small ones, Pods, Casita's, Pop ups and most are less than 24 ft. long.

Cades Cove is on the West end of the park near Townsend and you could take 321 out of Pigeon Forge over to Townsend and the into the park. 321 has a short section of road that is steep down hill from that direction with a switchback turn but it is wide enough to handle it easilly. Keep your speed SLOW. Do NOT enter the park at the Gatlinburg entrance and think you can take Little River rd. through the park to get to Cades Cove. The road is narrow and has some tight turns and with all the traffic that road handles you would be facing a big challenge.


Both campgrounds have no hookups but they do have water and a dump station. A/C is not an option. It can still be pretty darned hot in both places. In August you never know. How uncomfortable are you willing to be? 35 ft. is going to be a challenge in my opinion. The sites are not big although some may be suitable. Townsend has some very nice campgrounds if the Cove doesn't work out so all will not be lost.

I commend you for wanting to enjoy being in the Park rather than some crowded, less natural town campground. You probably know that none of the Park campgrounds have any hook-ups(so no AC). No, 2000 ft. isn't really high enough to be cool in hot Aug. weather although a little cooler than in town. With a trailer that big I wouldn't want to commit to either of those campgrounds without looking at sites first. There would be sites that would work but many might not. It's not just the site but all the trees, curves, etc. We like both campgrounds; Cades Cove a little better. Got hung up once at Cades Cove with a 25 ft. 5th wheel. Got in the site but a heck of a time getting out. Now we have a 30 ft. MH. I would go but look carefully before parking.