Pigeon Forge, Tn area Camping

[2goofycampers]

Which RV Park do you like or not like?

 

[ChrisinNJ]

We are heading there in August. After reading many many reviews on irv2.com, we booked River Plantation. It seemed to have all good reviews and many groups have used it for their rallies. It is also pretty centrally located to the tourist areas.

A new park opened just this month called Anchor Down RV resort. It looks beautiful! http://www.anchordownrvresort.com/ It is a little farther out from the touristy areas and I have heard that traffic is crazy there.

We are considering splitting our stay between the 2 resorts so we have some time that we are close to the action, and some time to just relax in a beautiful setting.

Hopefully someone who has actually been there will chime in with recommendations.

 

[tiggerdad]

Riversedge on the left just as you are leaving Pigeon Forge heading to Gatlinburg. Very nice and very good bath houses. Has a gameroom for kids, and one of the channels on your cable hookup is a live camera feed from the gameroom. The trolley also stops there too so if you prefer to use it instead of driving it really helps.

 

[iheartpeterpan]

We always camp inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, our strong preference is Elkmont Campground. You are dry camping here though, so no hookups at all. You are a very short hop into both Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, but staying out of the craziness.

If I HAD to be out of the park, I would go to the Townsend KOA, about a mile from the entrance to the park between Cades Cove and the Sugarlands Visitor Center. If you stay here you are away from Gatlingburg and Pigeon Forge, and all the touristy stuff there. Full hookups and right on the river.

Our family much prefers the activities inside the park to anything in Pigeon Forge, though. We spend about 15 total camping days there every year.

 

[photogal06]

We liked Riveredge RV Park. The trolley comes right into the campground, but it's also walking distance to much of PF. It's sort of cut into the mountain, so you can get sites right next to the mountain or further down on the river. Very nice, quiet place.

 

[tina.tina]

If you stay (or venture into the national park) in the night/evenings, it will be cooler there than in town where the elevation is lower. I checked the other day and Elkmont is already pretty much booked up for the synchronous firefly time period.

There are lots of very nice campgrounds in the area. We have never camped in Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg but we visit there several times a year sometimes. We are looking at the Gatlinburg Jellystone which is out of town near the national park but it has hookups. They seem to have a lot of activities for the kids and a picturesque creek running through the park.

I'm not sure I would like staying at the KOA in Pigeon Forge. It is in the center of town and looks absolutely packed but people decorate their campers with lights and I always like to drive by there and see them. If you went over the 4th of July, you might have a pretty good view of the fireworks from your campsite.

Traffic can get pretty bad there sometimes. The worst time is the car shows. Unless we were going specifically for the car show, I wouldn't want to go during that time period again. People try to cruise, but it seems more like they should call it park!

 

[iheartpeterpan]

I checked the other day and Elkmont is already pretty much booked up for the synchronous firefly time period.

We will be there! It is such a cool experience. But if you are there when the fireflies are there (in June) and can't stay at Elkmont the trolley will take you up.

Didn't mention but the trolley does run out of Elkmont for free several times a day, into and out of Gatlinburg. So you can go without driving.

 

[North of Mouse]

We always camp inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, our strong preference is Elkmont Campground. You are dry camping here though, so no hookups at all. You are a very short hop into both Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, but staying out of the craziness.

If I HAD to be out of the park, I would go to the Townsend KOA, about a mile from the entrance to the park between Cades Cove and the Sugarlands Visitor Center. If you stay here you are away from Gatlingburg and Pigeon Forge, and all the touristy stuff there. Full hookups and right on the river.

Our family much prefers the activities inside the park to anything in Pigeon Forge, though. We spend about 15 total camping days there every year.

This! We have always camped at Elkmont - one of the most relaxing places 'ever' to camp - no hook ups, it's true, but we have never felt like we needed AC anytime during the summer.

We've also been there several times during the firefly (lightning bugs to us LOL) showings even before it became so 'touristy'!!

As for the trolley, we've never been there when it was free - used to be about $3 one way into Gatlinburg.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

another family for Riveredge and yes traffic is bad esp in mornings and late afternoons. Oct is a busy month, also as bad as summer. we will be heading down either July or Aug this year

 

[rsbwjohnson]

we stayed 7 nights this past new years at Pine Mountain resort in PF. There were 6 rv's in our group and we all agreed we will stay there again. it was first class

 

[whitney37354]

We've stayed at KOA in both Townsend & Pigeon Forge. Depending on where they put you in Pigeon Forge, you might be on top of your neighbors. If you are near the road, it's not as crowded. We're interested in other Pigeon Forge campgrounds too, so keep the suggestions coming! We live two hours from there.

 

[rox]

we stayed 7 nights this past new years at Pine Mountain resort in PF. There were 6 rv's in our group and we all agreed we will stay there again. it was first class

I have seen this campground it is very nice. We had reservations last summer but had to cancel to work conflicts. I would love to get the opportunity to stay at this campground.

 

[Rland8228]

I'm so excited I found this thread, we are planning a trip to PF next year just not sure when!