6
Pull-thru
NPSGreat Smoky Mountains National Park · Tennessee
Cades Cove Campground
Overview Over 2 million visitors annually come to enjoy the scenic beauty of Cades Cove and its many historic structures.
Sites164160 reservable
Elev.1,923ft
Comf.Feb-Dec11 months
Max rig42 ft6 pull-thru
Electric2sites
From Knoxville1h20real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 1,923 ft, Cades Cove Campground has a 11-month comfortable window (Feb-Dec). Winter nights average around 33°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 164 sites total: 160 reservable and 4 first-come, first-served. Of the sites, 6 pull-through, and the longest takes a 42-ft rig. Within about 4 miles: 2 named hiking routes, 12 peaks, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on reservability and shade. Softest on roomy sites.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Nov
Feb-Dec
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
66%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Apr 8
Last spring frost; first fall frost Nov 1.
68°F
Average July low.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Knoxville
42 mi
1h20
02
Chattanooga
136 mi
3h01
03
Nashville
209 mi
4h19
04
Memphis
421 mi
8h10
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 5 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 164 SITES
Color byShow only
162 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
11
Accessible
1
Prime
164
Sites
★ The standout
Site C31
Generator Free loop · prime location · shaded.
To neighbor
62 ft
Location
Prime
Max rig
42 ft
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Named hiking routes
2
Trail segments
46
Peaks
12
Viewpoints
4
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
5 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.