Cades Cove Campground Map (click to view or download PDF)

TYPE OF CAMPGING

The Cades Cove Group Campground at Great Smoky Mountains National Park is for tents only. The campground is accessed via a road that runs through Loop C of the main Cades Cove Campground. Parking is done in a common lot next to the campsite, and all gear must be carried to the actual camping area.

CAMPING SEASON

Unlike the main campground, which is open year-round, the Cades Cove Group Campground is only open from early March until the end of October. The exact opening and closing dates change each year, so be sure to visit the National Park Service’s Group Campgrounds web page for the latest schedule.

CAMPSITE DETAILS

The Cades Cove Group Campground has four campsites. Campsites G1 and G2 can accommodate up to 20 people, while sites G3 and G4 can hold up to 30. You need a minimum of seven people to camp at a group site. The 20-person sites have room for 4 large or 8 small tents, while the 30-person sites can hold 5 large or 10 small tents. All have shade trees, though G4 is a little more out in the open than the other three sites.

There is parking for four vehicles at campsites G1, G2, and G3, and seven vehicles at G4.

Campsite G1 has five picnic tables, one standard grill, and two grills / fire pits.

Campsite G1 at Cades Cove Group Campground

Campsite G2 has five picnic tables, three small grills / fire pits, and a large grill / fire pit situated in the center of the camping area.

Campsite G2 at Cades Cove Group Campground

Campsite G3 is accessible for disabled campers. A gravel path leads from the parking area to the picnic tables and continues all the way to the restroom building. The camping areas are also located along this path. The grills / fire pits are taller than standard ones, which is good for cooking if you are in a wheelchair, but it sucks for sitting around a campfire because the fire is down at the bottom of the metal container.

Campsite G3 at Cades Cove Group Campground

Picnic tables and grill / fire pit at campsite G3

For an extra charge per night, those camping at G3 can have use of a covered pavilion (only those camping at G3 can reserve it). There are a dozen picnic tables and a large grill with three cooking grates. The pavilion is connected to the rest of the G3 campsite by the same gravel path.

Covered pavilion at campsite G3

Campsite G4 has seven picnic tables and four grills / fire pits. One is a little larger than the others, making it the choice for the main campfire.

Campsite G4 at Cades Cove Group Campground

AMENITIES

Like all campgrounds at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there are no showers at Cades Cove Group Campground, but there are private companies that offer fee-based shower facilities outside of the park. Ask the campground host for directions to the closest one. There is a modern restroom with cold water.

Restroom building at the Cades Cove Group Campground

The Cades Cove Campground Store is located near the entrance to the main campground. The store has a deli where you can buy hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, pizza, ice cream, and beverages. You can also rent bikes and purchase souvenirs, firewood, and other camping supplies. See the Cades Cove Trading Company website for operating hours and fees.

There is an emergency phone available at the main campground.

RESERVATIONS

Campsites at the Cades Cove Group Campground must be reserved, and you can do so up to one year in advance at Recreation.gov or by calling (877) 444-6777. If using the online system, when navigating to the proper campground reservation page, search for Cades Cove Group Campground, not Cades Cove Campground. The main and group campgrounds have separate reservation pages.

Sites G1 and G2 are $40 / night; sites G4 and G3 (without the pavilion) are $60 / night; and G3 with the pavilion is $75 / night. Prices can always change. Recreation.gov lists the current fees.

CAMPGROUND RULES

• Check out time is noon. Check in is 1 PM.

• All food must be stored in food storage boxes (if provided) or in your vehicle.

• Stays within Great Smokey Mountains National Park are limited to 14 consecutive days at any one campground, and no more than 60 total camping days in a year. If you wish to camp more than 14 days at a particular campground, you must leave that campground for at least one day before returning. To do this, you can return home or simply switch to another campground for a day.

• Park on the pavement only and/or in designated spaces.

• Do not bring your own firewood to Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Firewood is available for sale at the Cades Cove Camp Store. You can also gather wood inside the park that is on the ground and dead.

• Pets are allowed as long as they stay on a leash no longer than six feet. However, no pets are allowed on the hiking trails, other than horses, and you cannot leave them unattended at your campsite.

• Alcohol is permitted in the campground as long as the people drinking are at least 21-years-old, which goes without saying.

• Quiet hours are in effect from 10 pm to 6 am.

• Hammocks are allowed in the campground with the following guidelines: Must be over the footprint of the campsite, limited to trees 10 inches in diameter with adequate padding around the tree and only 2 hammocks are allowed to be suspended from the same tree.

For more information on camping in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, see the National Park Service’s Frontcountry Camping web page. This lists all the rules and regulations, opening and closing dates, and the latest camping fees.

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