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Great Smoky Mtn/Cades Cove
Overview
Located in the charming town of Townsend, Tennessee, the Great Smoky Mtn/Cades Cove KOA Holiday serves as a peaceful gateway to the most visited national park in the United States. Often referred to as the Quiet Side of the Smokies, this park offers a serene alternative to the bustling tourist hubs nearby. It provides a perfect balance of natural beauty and modern convenience, ensuring a comfortable stay while you immerse yourself in the rugged landscape of East Tennessee.
Location & Surroundings
The park is ideally positioned along the banks of the Little River, offering a tranquil soundtrack of flowing water to many campers. Its most significant advantage is the close proximity to the Cades Cove entrance of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This location allows travelers to avoid heavy traffic and enjoy a scenic drive into one of the park’s most historic and biodiverse valleys, surrounded by towering peaks and dense hardwood forests.
Amenities & Park Features
This park is well-equipped for modern RVers, featuring level, full-hookup sites that accommodate a variety of rig sizes. On-site facilities include a refreshing swimming pool, a well-stocked general store, and a dedicated KampK9 dog park for four-legged travelers. Guests can also enjoy community campfires or spend an afternoon tubing directly on the river. High-speed Wi-Fi and clean laundry facilities ensure that even the longest stays remain convenient and connected.
Nearby Attractions & Things to Do
Adventure is just minutes away, with the historic loop of Cades Cove offering premier wildlife viewing and pioneer-era cabins. For those interested in local history, the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center provides a deep dive into the region's Appalachian roots. Visitors can also explore the Tuckaleechee Caverns, known as the greatest caves in the Smokies, or spend a relaxing day fly fishing or kayaking in the crystal-clear mountain waters that run through the area.
Who This Park Is Best For
This destination is best suited for family vacationers and nature enthusiasts who prefer a quiet, community-oriented atmosphere over bright city lights. It is an excellent choice for big-rig owners looking for accessible sites and photographers wanting early access to the national park's morning mist. If you value a resort-style experience that emphasizes outdoor recreation and peaceful evenings by the river, this park will likely fit your travel style perfectly.
Amenities
- Recreational Facilities
- Policies
- Other Amenities & Services
- Recreation Nearby (within 10 miles)
- Facility
- On-Site Rentals
- Sites
User Reviews
Katherine Meeker
Absolutely beautiful country to camp in. The campground is very clean bathrooms are clean. We didn't see any bears this time but we did see wild turkeys and dear with the campgrounds. We would definitely like to to come back for a longer stay.
Jeannette GSnead
Love the location and the visitor area. We camped in our 27 foot travel trailer and the sites were nice. We were in the generator loop- there was definitely some obnoxious overuse of these when we were craving quiet time to sit out and enjoy our sites during the day. It was a hot and muggy few days. It is disappointing there are no showers to cool off- especially as there are no hookups in the campground.
Mark Slone
I've camped here a few times, great location, but zero for privacy. Tent pads are within 10 feet of your neighbor's picnic table/fire pit. Restrooms have flushing toilets, no showers. Awesome camp store, bike rentals a bonus.
Bill Ziegler
We stayed at Cades Cove Mar 10-Mar 17, 2025. This was our first time here and first time in the park itself. I will say, our first 24 hours were quite an adventure with the weather; we were predicted to have a violent windstorm and in Cades Cove everything is under tree cover. A Park Police officer came by and suggested we evacuate to the visitor center parking lot where there was no tree cover. The windstorm didn’t blow out to be as bad as they thought, but I greatly appreciated the caution they showed. For the site, we stayed a week in C48. The site was pretty level and wide & long enough to accommodate both our 35A and toad. It was an easy-angled back-in with tree cover. Of course the’re no hookups, so we ran our generator in the morning & night before quiet hours started. There’s the traditional fire-ring and picnic. The restroom was right in the middle of our loops it looked like the customary park buildings; we didn’t utilize it, so we couldn’t vouch for cleanliness. The visitor center/store that was near the entrance of the campground was nice and pretty well-stocked. They had some day programs for the children and rangers came through often. The CG has a very safe feel and very comfortable. Townsend is a winding 11 miles into town where there is a very nice IGA foods with friendly staff (They had good coffee too). There is also an excellent ACE hardware (propane) whose employees were fabulous, a laundromat that was clean and serviced and one of the three towns coffee shops (Artistic Bean, they had fabulous Almond Croissants) all in one central mini-mall; the other two of the three coffee shops is Towns End Coffee Co and The Dancing Bean. If there were others I didn’t find them. The visitor center there is very nice as well, it’s staff was friendly as well. Needless to say we didn’t have bad experiences in Cades Cove or Townsend. We already have our reservations for November 2025
Joshua Maples
I officiated a wedding here at Cades Cove and Gosh, it's so, beautiful. Sometimes, it's just an elopement but there's so many mountain back drops and photo opportunities at every turn and corner. I'm here about twice a week and usually catch site of a bear, wild horses, turkeys, or a deer. Even the empty churches and buildings have photo opportunities! Be aware that there's no cell reception, text, nothing, so huge tip... Carpool when you can and if meeting someone, correlate walkie talkies like I do between my couples, their photographer, and myself because you don't want to do the loop again just to be late to your own wedding! Don't forget your permit, your rings, and your Tennessee wedding license!