Backcountry Campsite 74 in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

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Backcountry camping in the wilderness area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is permitted for hikers, horseback riders, and boaters (motorized or paddled). There are nearly 100 designated campsites and 15 shelters (no tent required), though some are for hikers only, hikers and horseback riders only, and boaters only. You must camp at a designated site and cannot just pitch a tent anywhere you end up at night. If you get caught doing so, you are subject to a $5,000 fine and / or six months in jail. For a complete list of regulations, see the National Park Service’s Backcountry Rules and Regulations web page for Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

To prevent too many people from showing up at any one backcountry campsite, reservations and permits are required. There is a small fee involved. You can make a reservation and obtain a permit at the Backcountry Office in the Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg (8 AM to 5 PM daily) or online at the park’s Backcountry Permit System web page up to 30 days in advance. If you have any questions about backcountry camping or how the reservation system works, call the Backcountry Office at (865) 436-1297.

If you plan on parking a vehicle within Great Smoky Mountains National Park during your overnight stay in the backcountry, you also need a parking permit (or tag, as the park calls them).  Daily, weekly, and annual permits are available. You can purchase one online in advance at Recreation.gov (daily and weekly permits you print at home) or Smokies Life (annual permits that are mailed to you), at one of the park Visitor Centers, and even at some of the local town visitor centers. There are also automated permit kiosks at various locations within the park that accept credit and debit cards. For more information and a list of locations where you can buy permits in person, visit the National Park Service’s Fees and Passes web page for the park.

Backcountry campsites hold anywhere from six to twelve people, so you and your group may not be the only ones at the campsite you choose to stay at. Campsites consist of a large, cleared area, a fire ring (the only place you can make a fire), and a system of pulleys and cables that allow you to hoist your food containers up to a cable running between two trees so that bears cannot get to it. Of course this is a great system for when you are out hiking, but I don’t know what you do if a bear shows up while you are sleeping. They may stare sad-eyed up into the trees until they realize that tasty hikers are sleeping nearby! I write this jokingly, but while bear attacks in the backcountry are rare, they do happen. Be sure you have bear spray when you sleep and know where it is. Firearms are allowed to be carried by anyone who can legally carry one, except where posted, which is mainly visitor centers and other buildings. I’m not sure what sort of trouble you would get in for shooting a bear that was attacking you, but I’d worry about that after the fact.