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Great Smoky Mountains National ParkLight snowfalls typically occur several times each winter in the park.
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Camping
 
Campsite in Cades Cove

Amy Nichter Photo

Most frontcountry campsites in the park are wooded.

The park offers several different types of campsites:

Backcountry - for backpackers. Requires hiking several miles to a site located in the park's backcountry.

Frontcountry - camping near your car in a developed campground that has restrooms with cold running water and flush toilets. Each individual campsite has a fire grate and picnic table.

Group Campgrounds - large campsites suitable for groups of eight people or more. Located in frontcountry campgrounds.

Horse Camps - Small campgrounds, accessible by vehicle, that offer hitch racks for horses and primitive camping facilities.

Campground facilities and the procedures for obtaining a site in each type are different. Click on the titles above for additional information about facilities, reservations, and operating seasons.

 
Campground Rules and Regulations
Includes food storage regulations, generator use and quiet hours
 

Quarantine Notice: Firewood from the states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec can not be brought into the national park. The United States Department of Agriculture has quarantined firewood from these states to prevent the spread of highly destructive insects that may be living in the wood. more...

Download a Smokies Trip Planner
Download a Smokies Trip Planner
Information about favorite destinations, popular activities, and a park map
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Regulations Concerning Pets
Regulations Concerning Pets
Leashed pets are allowed in developed areas and along roads, but are not allowed on park trails.
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Click to access maps of the national park
Download Park Maps
Maps of trails and campgrounds as well as general park maps are available.
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Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Infestation
Hemlock Woolly Adelgids
Eastern hemlock trees are under attack from a non-native insect called the hemlock woolly adelgid.
more...
An experimental program to reintroduce elk to the park was begun in 2001.  

Did You Know?
An experimental program to reintroduce elk to the park was begun in 2001. Elk once roamed the Smokies, but were eliminated from the region in the mid 1800s by over-hunting and loss of habitat. Other animals successfully reintroduced to the park include river otters and barn owls.

Last Updated: March 05, 2007 at 09:42 EST