Full review
Elkmont Campground Review (2026): Prices, RV Sites & Best LoopsA current Elkmont Campground review for Great Smoky Mountains — $30 rate, RV-site limits, riverside choices, generator rules, and no-hookup logistics.
National park · Great Smoky Mountains · Tennessee
Elkmont Campground is the largest campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a national-park campground of 200 standard tent-and-RV sites plus 20 walk-in tent sites along the Little River in a deep hardwood cove on the Tennessee side, roughly eight miles from Gatlinburg. It suits self-contained RVers in rigs of 35 feet and under who want trails leaving straight from camp, a cool shaded riverside setting, and national-park pricing near the busiest gateway town in the Smokies. It is also the famous synchronous-firefly campground.
| Hookups | None |
|---|---|
| Max RV length | 35 ft campground maximum |
| Cost | $30 |
| Fees | No on-site dump/fill or showers; exact site controls. |
| Reservations | Recreation.gov; up to 6 months |
Source-backed: Recreation.gov (checked 2026-07-18). Rates and site details change — verify with the operator before you book. Compare it with every other park we track in the price index.
Elkmont Campground is the largest campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a national-park campground of 200 standard tent-and-RV sites plus 20 walk-in tent sites along the Little River in a deep hardwood cove on the Tennessee side, roughly eight miles from Gatlinburg. It suits self-contained RVers in rigs of 35 feet and under who want trails leaving straight from camp, a cool shaded riverside setting, and national-park pricing near the busiest gateway town in the Smokies. It is also the famous synchronous-firefly campground.
Practically it is dry camping at $30 a night: no electric, water or sewer, no showers, and, critically, no on-site dump or fill station; the nearest is about six miles away across from Sugarlands Visitor Center. The 35-foot maximum is a hard physical limit on narrow tree-lined loops, and individual sites are often shorter. Book on Recreation.gov up to six months ahead; the 2026 season runs April 3 through November 29. Cell service is poor to nonexistent, this is active bear country, and firefly-peak access in late May or early June runs through a separate lottery. The trade-off is that riverside sites and firefly dates go almost instantly.
Excerpts from the RV Parks Guide articles that cover this campground. Each links to the full guide.
Full review
Elkmont Campground Review (2026): Prices, RV Sites & Best LoopsA current Elkmont Campground review for Great Smoky Mountains — $30 rate, RV-site limits, riverside choices, generator rules, and no-hookup logistics.
Our verdict
Book Elkmont if you have a self-contained rig of 35 feet or under and want the best riverside base inside the Smokies. Skip it if you need hookups, showers, connectivity or a big-rig site, and look at the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge parks instead.
No. Standard sites have no electric, water or sewer, and there are no showers. Three ADA sites offer 5-amp service for medical equipment only. Potable water is at restroom spigots but hoses may not be attached.
$30 per night in 2026, bookable up to six months ahead on Recreation.gov.
35 feet, and it is a genuine physical limit on the narrow loops. Individual sites carry their own shorter maximums, so filter Recreation.gov by your true bumper-to-bumper length.
No. The nearest dump and fill station is about six miles away across from Sugarlands Visitor Center. Arrive with fresh water full and tanks empty.
The 2026 season runs April 3 through November 29.
The synchronous fireflies peak for about two weeks in late May or early June, and vehicle access at peak is controlled by a lottery on Recreation.gov. Confirm the current-year dates and how the rules treat registered campers.
Compare alternatives before you book — or browse the whole Tennessee hub.