0
Pull-thru
NPSGreat Smoky Mountains National Park · Tennessee
Spence Cabin
Overview Spence Cabin is an ideal place to hold a small family gathering or family reunion away from the hustle and bustle of nearby towns.
Sites1all reservable
Elev.2,283ft
Comf.Feb-Dec11 months
Max rigtents
Electric1sites
From Knoxville1h12real 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 2,283 ft, Spence Cabin has a 11-month comfortable window (Feb-Dec). Winter nights average around 33°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. All 1 sites are reservable in advance, so plan ahead. Popular weekends book out. Within about 4 miles: 12 named hiking routes, 10 peaks, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on shade and reservability. Softest on quiet.
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.
60%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Apr 12
Last spring frost; first fall frost Nov 1.
68°F
Average July low.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Knoxville
42 mi
1h12
02
Chattanooga
141 mi
3h13
03
Nashville
221 mi
4h31
04
Memphis
433 mi
8h21
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 2.9 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 1 SITES
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
1
Accessible
1
Prime
1
Sites
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Named hiking routes
12
Trail segments
73
Peaks
10
Viewpoints
4
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
2.9 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.