Blog for Zipline Attraction in the Smoky Mountains
Located in Pigeon Forge, TN and near Gatlinburg and Sevierville.
Your Guide To RV-ing In The Smokies
By Ross Bodhi Ogle
Posted on June 29, 2021
As more and more folks are hitting the highway this summer, you may be noticing a lot more recreational vehicles on the road than in years past. During the height of the pandemic, lots of folks turned to camping as a safe way to travel while still enjoying the country. These days, RVs seem to be continuing that popularity streak, whether it's a full-size motorhome, a fifth wheel or an economy-sized trailer.
This week, Smoky Mountain Ziplines will introduce you to a sampling of some places where you can set up camp with your recreational vehicle while enjoying all that the Great Smoky Mountains region has in store.
We'll start with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is a terrific option for those who are looking to fully immerse themselves in a nature experience. Not all campgrounds in the national park accommodate RVs. Some of the ones that do include Smokemont, Elkmont, Cades Cove and Cosby. At RV sites, only one motorcoach or trailer is allowed per campsite, and none of the individual sites offer electric, water or sewer service. However, there are dump stations with potable water at Cades Cove, Cosby, Deep Creek, Look Rock and Smokemont. There is also a dump station across the road from Sugarlands Visitor Center. So if you do plan to stay inside the national park, be prepared to boondock for the most part during your visit.
Staying inside the park gives you immediate access to some of the area's most scenic areas, including the Cades Cove Loop and the Cosby area. Note that many of the secondary roads do not accommodate larger RVs, so if you really want to explore the nooks and crannies of the national park, we recommend traveling with a trailer and leaving it at the campground while you go exploring in your regular vehicle.
However, the national park isn't the only option for RV-ers in the Smokies. There are some two-dozen privately owned RV campgrounds and resorts throughout the area that offer a wide variety of locations and amenities to choose from. Here is just a sampling of what's available.
Creekside RV Park, Pigeon Forge
Located on Waldens Creek in the Pigeon Forge/Wears Valley area, Creekside offers amenities like a saltwater swimming pool, a bathhouse, camp store, full cable TV hookup, private campfires, self-service laundry facilities and easy access to a Pigeon Forge trolley stop. Rates include full hookups and cable TV. This is a handy option if you plan to visit our Pigeon Forge zip line attraction.
Sun Outdoors, Sevierville
You'll find this RV resort pretty close to the Pigeon Forge border. The slate of amenities is wide-ranging and includes a playground, lazy river, swimming pools, aerial adventure park, fitness center, pickleball, a game room, restroom and shower facilities and laundry facilities, just to mention a few. RV sites come with full hookups with 30- or 50-amp electric. They have standard back-in sites as well as signature pull-through sites with a concrete pad and patio plus a brick paver fire pit.
Riveredge RV Park, Pigeon Forge
This park features 175 sites, all with full hookups for satellite HDTV, water, electric and sewer. They also have free WiFi, and sites come with fire rings with a cooking grate. Other features include a five-star bathhouse, swimming pool, kiddie pool, hot tub and an 1,800-square-foot arcade.
Duvall in the Smokies RV Campground
Look for this campground on Dolly Parton Parkway in Sevierville. This offers handy back-road access to both Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Most sites are leveled and paved and well shaded. There's 30- and 50-amp service as well as water and sewer hookups and campfire rings. Sites can accommodate motorhomes as long as 45 feet.
