Smokey Mountains campground question

lushy wrote:

nickthehunter wrote:
The best campgrounds in the smokies don't meet your first two requirements and I won't make suggestions that would be second rate at best and down right obnoxious at worst.

Ok then??? Thanks?

Just my opinion, but as long as you continue to look for FHU and swimming pools, you're overlooking real hidden gems and settling for lumps of coal. And this is nowhere more self evident then in the smokies. Most RV's are self contained. If you're are going to go to the smokies....... Let me put it this way, you wouldn't drive to the black hills and not stop and see Mt. Rushmore would you?

nickthehunter wrote:

lushy wrote:

nickthehunter wrote:
The best campgrounds in the smokies don't meet your first two requirements and I won't make suggestions that would be second rate at best and down right obnoxious at worst.

Ok then??? Thanks?

Just my opinion, but as long as you continue to look for FHU and swimming pools, you're overlooking real hidden gems and settling for lumps of coal. And this is nowhere more self evident then in the smokies. Most RV's are self contained. If you're are going to go to the smokies....... Let me put it this way, you wouldn't drive to the black hills and not stop and see Mt. Rushmore would you?

I sure hope that you aren't equating PF with Mt. Rushmore.

Water-Bug wrote:

nickthehunter wrote:

lushy wrote:

nickthehunter wrote:
The best campgrounds in the smokies don't meet your first two requirements and I won't make suggestions that would be second rate at best and down right obnoxious at worst.

Ok then??? Thanks?

Just my opinion, but as long as you continue to look for FHU and swimming pools, you're overlooking real hidden gems and settling for lumps of coal. And this is nowhere more self evident then in the smokies. Most RV's are self contained. If you're are going to go to the smokies....... Let me put it this way, you wouldn't drive to the black hills and not stop and see Mt. Rushmore would you?

I sure hope that you aren't equating PF with Mt. Rushmore.

I think he is saying that by staying in a campground with FHU and pools that we are missing out on staying in the Smoky's itself!
Yes my TT is self contained but i need A/C when the outside temps hit 103deg!!!! I'll gladly drive into the mountains to see them instead of staying in them and sweating!

Riverbend Campground in PF - right on the river, nice and quiet, and only $35/night. Not many amenities, but clean and well kept, large sites, all concrete, great staff, etc. Only half mile from parkway and right on the river, walking distance to the trolley, etc.

Have been to Pine Mountain as well - sites are a bit smaller, and not as many trees for shade and such as Riverbend. Sites are a bit smaller as well. Like both of them, but my nod goes to riverbend for the bang for the buck.

During summer months they have nightly singing under the pavilion on almost every weekend, plus church services on Sunday mornig.

noe-place wrote:
Jellystone is 11 miles from town though but if you want to be that far out it's fine. If the guy above says PF is a zoo you should be there in the summer when school's out!! His error is not realizing PF/G'burg is so popular with so many people the place is always crowded. That's why it's good to know the streets so you can take shortcuts to get around. It's still a fun place no matter what you like to do. :C

We're driving 600 miles just to get there, so another 11 to get into town is no big deal for us. I know that the kids will want to visit the city, but I don't want to spend all of my time there.
Is it really crowded in April as well? We are going in the second week and will spend most of the weekend traveling, so we will have the week to check everything out.

Here is a pic of our site at the jellystone!



Very nice!

And the drive into town wasn`t that bad. we were there in early Aug. it was OK, I can definitely see it being busy, but not when we were there!
It was 103deg. when we were there. on that day we drove up to Clingmans dome and enjoyed the 63deg misty air, it was still clear enough to see all around!

I know the OP has already checked this buuuuut, the CG's in the NP rarely se over 80 in the day and often in the hottest time of summer you will need to cover up at night with temps dipping down in the low 60's in july, aug, this is one of the reasons we love the smoky mountains so much.

down there twice this year...June, Oct, that makes 26 times in our 27 yrs of marriage.

on the morning of the Oct 25th it was 14* and snowing.

dodge guy wrote:
Here is a pic of our site at the jellystone!



Very nice!

And the drive into town wasn`t that bad. we were there in early Aug. it was OK, I can definitely see it being busy, but not when we were there!
It was 103deg. when we were there. on that day we drove up to Clingmans dome and enjoyed the 63deg misty air, it was still clear enough to see all around!

Very nice! Thanks.

Pictures of Pine Mountain:



This is the stream that runs behind the sites.



And thought I would add a few more snowy pictures of Pine Mountain.





Happy Winter Camping!!!!!

Thank you everyone for the info and pictures, that really helps.