Great Smoky Mountains National
Park officials announce the spring opening schedule for park facilities for the
2015 season. Campgrounds and secondary roads began opening Friday, March
13. The schedule follows:
Roads – Secondary
Roads are scheduled to open as follows: Forge Creek Road opened on March 6;
Clingmans Dome Road will open on April 1; Round Bottom/Straight Fork Road will
open April 3; Parson Branch, Rich Mountain Road, and Little Greenbrier will
open on April 10; Heintooga Ridge and Balsam Mountain roads will open on May 22.
Roaring Fork Nature Trail is scheduled to reopen May 1, pending completion of
bridge replacement project.
Cades Cove Loop Road will be
closed for bicycle use only on Wednesday and Saturday mornings until 10:00 a.m.
from May 6 through September 23.
Operating
Hours for Visitor Centers – The three visitor centers
are open daily and the operating hours through March are as follows: Sugarlands Visitor Center, near Gatlinburg,
TN, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Cades Cove Visitor Center, near Townsend, TN, 9:00
a.m.-6:30 p.m., and the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, NC, hours
will be 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Hours are extended for each location as the season
progresses. Clingmans Dome Visitor Information Center will open April 1.
Operating
Hours for Backcountry Office – The Backcountry Office
located at the Sugarlands Visitor Center, near Gatlinburg, TN, is open every
day from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Backcountry reservations and permits can be
obtained online at www.smokiespermits.nps.gov or by
calling 865-436-1297.
Recreation.gov
provides visitors an opportunity to make reservations to many federally-managed
recreation areas, including National Park Service areas, all across the
U.S. The park’s developed campgrounds of
Cataloochee, Elkmont, Cades Cove, Smokemont, and some sites at Cosby are on the
reservation system for at least a portion of their seasons. The system allows
campers to reserve specific campsites and to make reservations 6 months in
advance. Group campsites and picnic pavilions can be reserved up to 12 months in
advance. Visitors can make reservations at the five campgrounds, all group
campsites, horse camps, and picnic shelters
by booking sites online at www.Recreation.gov or by calling
877-444-6777.
.jpg) |
| Cades Cove Campground (NPS) |
Campgrounds will open on a staggered
schedule starting March 13. See the following schedule for exact dates. Reservations are recommended at Cades Cove,
Elkmont, and Smokemont for the period from May 15-October 31 (for other dates,
the three campgrounds are first come, first serve). Advance reservations are
required at Cataloochee Campground throughout the entire season. Cosby
Campground, which has mostly first-come, first-served campsites, has a limited
number of reservable sites during its season.
Camping fees range from $14 to $23 per site per night.
Campers have an opportunity to
camp in generator-free campsites at Cades Cove, Elkmont, and Smokemont
campgrounds. The generator-free loop sections of these campgrounds are
reservable through Recreation.gov.
Campground
|
Map
|
Number
of Sites
|
Fee
|
Elevation
|
2015 Open/Close
Dates
|
Maximum RV Length
|
Abrams Creek
|
|
16
|
$14
|
1,125'
|
5/22 - 10/13
|
12'
|
Balsam Mountain
|
|
46
|
$14
|
5,310'
|
5/22 - 10/13
|
30'
|
| Big Creek |
|
12
|
$14
|
1,700'
|
4/10- 10/31
|
No RVs
|
Cades Cove
See maintenance work advisory below. |
|
159
|
$17-$20
|
1,807'
|
Year Round
One dump station open
year-round
|
Trailers-35'
Motor Homes-40"
|
Cataloochee
Reservations REQUIRED
See entrance road advisory below. |
|
27
|
$20
|
2,610'
|
4/3 - 10/31
Advance reservations required entire season.
|
31'
|
| Cosby |
|
157
|
$14
|
2,459'
|
4/10- 10/31
|
25'
|
| Deep Creek |
|
92
|
$17
|
1,800'
|
4/10- 10/31
|
26'
|
| Elkmont |
|
220
|
$17-$23
|
2,150'
|
3/13 - 11/28
Dump station at Sugarlands Visitor Center open 3/28 - 11/5
|
Trailers-32'
Motor Homes-35'
|
| Look Rock |
|
68
|
$14
|
2,600'
|
Closed
|
No size limit
|
| Smokemont |
|
142
|
$17-$20
|
2,198'
|
Year Round
Dump station open year-round
|
Trailers-35'
Motor Homes-40"
|
Cataloochee Entrance Road Advisory: The entrance road to Cataloochee Valley is a winding, gravel road that has some steep drop offs with no guard rails. Horse trailer traffic may be encountered on the road. Because the road is narrow, it may be necessary to stop or back up to allow other vehicles to pass.
Cades Cove Campground Maintenance Work Advisory: Several periods of work are scheduled in the campground this winter and spring that will involve construction noise and equipment. During the construction periods, campers are encouraged to consider camping at Smokemont Campground on the North Carolina side of the park or in campgrounds in surrounding communities. Campers should expect extensive noise from sunrise to sunset, from chainsaws, construction machinery, and falling trees. Some campsites will have to be closed for the safety of visitors. Campers should also expect delays and detours along the campground roads. Intermittent work may be scheduled January through April. Specific dates will be posted once they are scheduled.
Smokemont Campground Powerline Maintenance Advisory: Work is scheduled on the powerline near campground during February and March. Campers should expect some noise from chainsaws and power equipment in the vicinity during daylight hours on Monday through Friday.
REMINDER ... Firewood Regulations: Beginning March 1, 2015 only heat-treated firewood that is bundled and certified by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) or a state Department of Agriculture may be brought into the park. Campers may also collect dead and down wood found in the park for campfires.
Group
Camping will be available at seven campgrounds (see schedule for
opening dates) and reservations must be made through Recreation.gov. Group camping is available at Big Creek,
Cataloochee, Cosby, Deep Creek, Elkmont, Cades Cove, and Smokemont. The cost for group camps ranges from $26 to
$65 per site per night.
Group
Campground
|
2015 Open/Close
Dates
|
Number
of Sites
|
Maximum
Number
of People
|
Cost
Per
Night
|
Big Creek
(423) 487-2683 |
April 10- Oct 31
|
1
|
25
|
$44
|
Cades Cove
Nov 1- May 14
(865) 448-4106
May 15 - Oct 31
(865) 448-4103 |
March 13 - Oct 31
|
2
1
1-with pavilion
|
20
30
30
|
$35
$53
$65
|
Cataloochee
(828) 497-1930 |
April 3 - Oct 31
|
3
|
25
|
$35
|
Cosby
(423) 487-2683 |
April 10- Oct 31
|
3
|
20
|
$26
|
Deep Creek
(828) 488-3184 |
April 10- Oct 31
|
3
|
20
|
$35
|
Elkmont
(865) 430-5560 |
April 24 - Oct 31
|
1
2
1
|
15
20
30
|
$26
$35
$53
|
Smokemont
Nov 1 - May 14
(828) 497-1940
May 15 - Oct 31
(828) 497-9270 |
May 15 - Oct 31
|
3
|
20
|
$35
|
Horse
Camps at Cataloochee, Round Bottom, and Tow String will open April
3. Anthony Creek will open on April 1
and Big Creek on April 11. Reservations are only available through
Recreation.gov. The horse site fees are
$20 at all horse camps except for Big Creek where it is $25.
Picnic
Areas at Cades Cove, Deep Creek, Greenbrier, and Metcalf Bottoms
picnic areas are open year round. Chimneys picnic area will open on March 14 and
Collins Creek picnic area will open on April 3. Big Creek and Cosby picnic areas
will open shortly after on April 10. Heintooga picnic area will open on May 22.
The opening of Look Rock picnic area is yet to be determined.
The park’s largest picnic
pavilion at Twin Creeks opens on April 1 and reservations are required through
Recreation.gov. Twin Creeks’ fees range from $35-$75 depending on the number of
people. In addition, picnickers can reserve five other picnic pavilions on
Recreation.gov. They are located at
Collins Creek, Cosby, Deep Creek, Metcalf Bottoms, and Greenbrier picnic areas. The cost is $20, except at Greenbrier where
it is $10.
Horseback
Riding - The opening dates for the three horseback concessions
located on the Tennessee side of the Park are:
Smoky Mountain Riding Stable on March 1; Sugarlands Riding Stable on
March 1; and Cades Cove on March 7. In
addition to horseback rides, Cades Cove Riding Stable will offer their
customary carriage rides and hay rides which are wheelchair accessible. The Smokemont Riding Stable in North Carolina
will open March 28 providing guided horseback rides along with horse-drawn
wagon rides along the route of the historic Oconaluftee Turnpike.
LeConte
Lodge, accessible only by trail, will open on March 23. Reservations are required and can be made by
calling 865/429-5704, fax 865/774-0045 or email:
reservations@lecontelodge.com. One night
at the lodge costs $136 per adult and $85 for children 10 and under (tax not
included). The price includes two meals--dinner and breakfast. Day hikers and backpackers can purchase a
prepared bag lunch and snacks/beverages at the lodge. Please note that Alum
Cave Trail will be closed Monday through Thursday beginning on May 3 through
November 19 for trail restoration. Hikers will need to choose one of the other
five trails to reach LeConte Lodge on those days.
Campground
Concessions – The Cades Cove Campground Store has been open
since March 13. The store provides
groceries, camping supplies, firewood, ice, vending, limited food service,
souvenirs, and bike rentals. The Cades Cove
Store has multi-speed comfort bikes, single speed cruisers, and electric assist
bikes for rent. The Elkmont Campground
concession opens on March 13. The
concession provides firewood, ice, limited camper convenience items, and
vending of soft drinks, newspapers, and snacks.
