About Cataloochee Campground
Cataloochee Campground puts 27 sites in the Cataloochee Valley, a remote, historic valley on the North Carolina side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park that is also the best place in the park to see elk. At 2,610 feet, it has flush toilets and drinking water but no hookups, showers or dump station.
2026 season
The Park Service lists the campground as closed from October 25, 2026 to May 1, 2027. Reservations are required and open up to six months ahead on recreation.gov, at $30 per site per night. Cataloochee has no timed-entry or reservation system for entering the valley; the reservation is for the campsite. RVs and trailers up to 31 feet fit, but the approach is a winding, gravel road with steep drop-offs and no guardrails, and horse-trailer traffic. The Park Service advises that you may need to stop or back up for oncoming vehicles.
The valley
Cataloochee has preserved barns, a church and a school from the settlement era, plus elk grazing the meadows at dawn and dusk. Give elk at least 50 yards, and expect them to move through the campground area. Several trails in this area are damaged from Hurricane Helene; the closures page lists Caldwell Fork and Boogerman closures or cautions. Check before you hike.
Getting there
From Maggie Valley, follow signs to Cove Creek Road and Cataloochee Road, then continue to the campground. Plan on 45 minutes or more from Maggie Valley on a winding, partly gravel road. The nearest groceries and gas are in Maggie Valley and Waynesville, so stock up. Parking at your site is included; a parking tag is required anywhere else in the park, and federal passes do not replace it.
Rules
Check-in is at 1 p.m. and check-out at noon, with quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Pets on a leash no longer than 6 feet are allowed in the campground and on roads, not on trails. Keep food stored away from bears.
Good to know
- How many sites does Cataloochee Campground have?
- 27 sites. Season: Seasonal. Closes Oct 25, 2026; reopens May 1, 2027..
- How do I reserve a site?
- Reservations for national park campgrounds are made on recreation.gov. Summer and October weekends book up early.
- Do I need a parking tag?
- A Park It Forward parking tag ($5 a day, $15 a week or $40 a year) is required for any vehicle parked more than 15 minutes inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Entry is free, and federal passes such as America the Beautiful do not replace the tag.