Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina
- Fee per night$30
- SeasonSee dates below
- RV length (some sites)Up to 34 ft
- Drinking wateryes
- Electricno
Also: Confirmed: flush toilets and online reservations. No showers or a dump station.
When do reservations open? the exact day and time to book
Pick your arrival date to see the day and time it can be booked.
Most Recreation.gov campgrounds release each date 6 months ahead at 10:00 a.m. Eastern. Some use another window - check the booking window on its Recreation.gov page and change it above. Popular dates can be gone within minutes.
No photo of this campground yet. Been here? Add the first one.
Does this fit my trip?
Tell us about your trip once - every campground page then checks it against the official data.
Set up my trip
Packing list for this campground First time camping? Step-by-step plan Towing? Check your truck's weights
Get updates when fees or status change
Amenities
“Not listed” means the official sources don’t say - it does not mean “no”.
- Electric hookups No
- Drinking water Yes
- Flush toilets Yes
- Showers No
- Dump station No
- Water hookups at sites No
- Sewer hookups Not listed
- 50 amp sites Not listed
- Pull-through sites Yes
- Accessible sites Not listed
- Pets allowed Yes
- Tent sites Yes
- RV / trailer sites Yes
- Reservable online Yes
Sites, fees and season
- Campsites
- 27
- Longest RV / trailer listed
- Up to 34 ft at selected sites (not every site; check access and your site)
- Elevation
- 2,627 ft
- Open season
- Cataloochee Campground closes seasonally. See exceptions for exact dates of operation. (as listed by National Park Service, Oct 27, 2026)
Check current dates and closures on the official page. - Phone
- (828) 497-9270 (campground or managing office)
- Listed fees
- $30.00 per site per night - Camping Fee
- At the sites
- Of 27 sites: 1 pull-through, 27 with shade. Usual check-in 1:00 PM, check-out 12:00 PM. (official campsite list; check your own site when you book)
Official fee information
Camping Fee: $30.00 - Camping Fee is per site, per night. Reservations are required.
The listed length is the longest site; not every site fits that size. Confirm your site on the official reservation page.
Location and nearby campgrounds
Location on the map · Driving directions · 35.63119, -83.08554 (the official listing point; check the access road for large rigs)
Cataloochee Group Camp1.5 mi straight-line · 3 sites
Cataloochee Horse Camp1.7 mi straight-line · 7 sites
Balsam Mountain Campground6.7 mi straight-line · From $30 / night
See 2 more nearby
- Round Bottom Horse Camp 7.2 mi straight-line
- Big Creek Campground (Great Smoky Mountains National Park) 8.4 mi straight-line
Distances are straight lines, not driving routes or times.
Nearby services propane, EV charging, dump station, water
Propane
- Blossman Gas Inc 8.5 mi · Waynesville, NC · propane fuelingMap · 828-926-1537
- Blossman Gas Inc 19.2 mi · Sylva, NC · propane fuelingMap · 828-586-1588
- Ace Hardware 29.6 mi · Weaverville, NC · propane fuelingMap · 828-645-8811
Vehicle propane stations; many hardware stores, RV parks and campground stores also refill tanks - call first.
EV charging
- LOCAL MARKET #204 5.0 mi · Waynesville, NC · 1 fast, ChargePoint NetworkMap · 888-758-4389
- HAYWOOD EMC STATION1 5.1 mi · Waynesville, NC · 1 fast, ChargePoint NetworkMap · 888-758-4389
- HAYWOOD EMC HEMC LEVEL 2 A 5.7 mi · Waynesville, NC · 2 Level 2, ChargePoint NetworkMap · 888-758-4389
Public chargers; check the network app for hours and prices.
Dump station
- Cosby Campground 11.0 mi
- Smokemont Group Camp 13.7 mi
- Smokemont Campground 13.7 mi
At these campgrounds - ask whether non-campers may use it and what it costs.
Drinking water
- Cataloochee Group Camp 1.5 mi
- Balsam Mountain Campground 6.7 mi
- Big Creek Campground (Great Smoky Mountains National Park) 8.4 mi
At these campgrounds - bring your own hose for filling tanks.
Straight-line distances, up to 40 miles. Propane and EV charging: NLR Alternative Fuel Stations (U.S. Department of Energy). Dump station and water: the official data of nearby campgrounds.
From the official listing description, directions and rules
Cataloochee campground is located in the historic Cataloochee Valley--a relatively remote part of Smoky Mountain National Park. The secluded setting offers visitors the ability to enjoy a multitude of recreational activities like hiking and fishing, without the crowds, which are sometimes common in other parts of the park.
Recreation
The Cataloochee Valley features an extensive trail system that is less heavily used compared to other areas of the park. The two main trails, Caldwell Fork and nearby Rough Fork Trail, run mostly parallel to one another in the central portion of the valley. Either of these trails extend alongside scenic creeks and streams and support both hikers and horeseback riders.
For hikers only, the 3.9-mile Boogerman Trail forms a nice loop off the Caldwell Fork Trail and is less than a mile walk from the campground.
Anglers will agree that some of the best Rainbow and Brook trout fishing in the area can be found in the Cataloochee Basin, one of the most remote sections of the park. Fly fishing is particularly good during spring months when aquatic insects hatch in large numbers.
Facilities
Cataloochee offers a traditional outdoor camping experience with the added convenience of flush toilets and drinking water. There are no hookups or showers at the campground.
Weather forecast - next 7 days
Loading the National Weather Service forecast...
Climate by month
Average daily high and low and monthly precipitation, 1991-2020 normals from the NOAA station Cataloochee - 0.7 mi away, station at 2,650 ft - about the same height as the campground. Long-term averages, not a forecast; the open season is listed separately above.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 23 | - |
| Feb | 51 | 26 | - |
| Mar | 58 | 31 | - |
| Apr | 68 | 38 | - |
| May | 74 | 47 | - |
| Jun | 78 | 54 | - |
| Jul | 80 | 58 | - |
| Aug | 80 | 57 | - |
| Sep | 75 | 52 | - |
| Oct | 67 | 38 | - |
| Nov | 58 | 31 | - |
| Dec | 50 | 27 | - |
Highlight months with an average high between and °F:
Propane for heat how long a tank lasts here
Sleeping bag and pad what rating you need here
Photos, reviews and questions
No visitor photos, reviews or questions yet. Have you stayed here? Add photos of the sites and restrooms, write a review or ask about arrival, parking and rules - it helps the next camper.
Log in to shareCreate a free account
Visitor photos, reviews and answers never change the official facts above.
Estimate your trip cost
Sources and data dates where every fact comes from
| Fact | Source | Fetched from the source |
|---|---|---|
| Campsites | Recreation.gov (RIDB) | Oct 27, 2026 source updated Aug 14, 2026 |
| Reservable online | Recreation.gov (RIDB) | Oct 27, 2026 source updated Aug 14, 2026 |
| Tent sites | Recreation.gov (RIDB) | Oct 27, 2026 source updated Aug 14, 2026 |
| RV / trailer sites | Recreation.gov (RIDB) | Oct 27, 2026 source updated Aug 14, 2026 |
| Electric hookups | Recreation.gov (RIDB) | Oct 27, 2026 source updated Aug 14, 2026 |
| Water hookups at sites | Recreation.gov (RIDB) | Oct 27, 2026 source updated Aug 14, 2026 |
| Drinking water | National Park Service | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Flush toilets | National Park Service | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Showers | National Park Service | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Dump station | National Park Service | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Pull-through sites | Recreation.gov (RIDB) | Oct 27, 2026 source updated Aug 14, 2026 |
| Pets allowed | Recreation.gov (RIDB) | Oct 27, 2026 source updated Aug 14, 2026 |
| Longest RV / trailer listed | Recreation.gov (RIDB) | Oct 27, 2026 source updated Aug 14, 2026 |
| Elevation | USGS elevation (EPQS) | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Lowest listed fee | National Park Service | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Highest listed fee | National Park Service | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Open season | National Park Service | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Official page | National Park Service | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Official reservations | Recreation.gov (RIDB) | Oct 27, 2026 source updated Aug 14, 2026 |
| Phone | Recreation.gov (RIDB) | Oct 27, 2026 source updated Aug 14, 2026 |
Last successful data update for this page: Oct 27, 2026. That is when we last read the official sources - not a personal visit, and not the date the source itself changed (shown per fact above). Found something wrong? Report an error.