Gatlingburg - Tennessee

[Ronald & Stacey]

The Weeble Wagon and Weebles will be traveling to Gatlinburg in Mid-February.

We would love campsite recommendations

[Kevin B Tierney]

The Weeble Wagon and Weebles will be traveling to Gatlinburg in Mid-February.

We would love campsite recommendations

I travel to this quite bit but now I stay in Townsend very nice town and not far from Gatlinburg about 15 min. I would stay in Serville (spelling) You should have no problem with traffic in Feb

[jasoncarder]

Depends on what you are looking for. In Gatlinburg, most people around here swear by Jellystone or Smoky Bear. I've never stayed in either, but they both do look nice from what I've seen. If you want to stay in Townsend (about 30 miles west of Gatlinburg), Little River Village is one of the nicest campgrounds around. However, if you are self-contained, I would recommend staying in Cades Cove, a NPS campground with no hookups (though they do have a central dump/freshwater station and bathhouses with cold water). Traffic won't be as heavy in February, but will still be heavier than my liking. Even if you don't stay in the campground, I would strongly recommend driving through Cades Cove if you've never seen it before. I would also recommend taking the short hike to the top of Clingman's Dome (the highest point in TN), which is south of Gatlinburg on US 441. If it's not too foggy, the view is unbelievable.

[BOBSMITH]

When I was a kid, I loved Gatlinburg. Now that I'm a grouchy old man, I can't stand the place anymore. The traffic is hideous beyond belief--perpetual gridlock.

If I were you, I'd stay at the Elkmont Campground inside the park. No hookups, but there is a section where generators are allowed. If you really feel the need for a shower and you don't have a shower in your RV, there are some places in Gatlinburg where campers can shower for a nominal fee. Also, if you stay in Elkmont, there are Park Service shuttles that will take you into Gatlinburg rather cheaply (might even be free). These shuttles come and go all day long.

The Cades Cove Camground in the park is very nice, too. But it's very popular and the road into Cades Cove can also become gridlocked, as it's one of the most popular areas of the most popular park in the entire nation (two million+ visitors a year). If you try to go into Cades Cove at the wrong time, you will be very miserable indeed. I'm in favor of not allowing any private vehicles into Cades Cove at all, other than bicycles.

For a great experience, go to the Cataloochee Campground. It's tucked away in Cataloochee Valley and you will get to see the reintroduced herd of elk. And there will be no problems with crowds. However, the camnpground in Cataloochee is closed in February. Not so Elkmont.

[jasoncarder]

Bob, I'm in total agreement about Gatlinburg/Sevierville/Pigeon Forge. I avoid them if at all possible. I can remember when the area wasn't a tourist trap and didn't look like Vegas. Those days are long gone, though.

I also agree about traffic on the loop through the Cove; I've seen it when the road becomes a very long parking lot. However, in February, I don't think traffic should be a problem.

[Chris Z]

Mid Feb. in Gatlinburg should be real COOL. Make sure you have some heat. I read all the comments about all the people and that's true although in Feb. there shouldn't be any crowd at all. We have stayed at Riveredge RV park in Pigeon Forge if you like full hookups. Restroom/showers compare to the Hilton.
If you are coming from the south, make sure you keep an eye out for the road over the park. It could close for snow. I guess the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed by now for the winter in this area. It is even prettier in our opinion.
Have fun walking around looking at the junk. Sure beats staying at home no matter where you end up.