About Gatlinburg East / Smoky Mountain KOA Holiday
The campground still listed as Gatlinburg KOA Holiday now operates as Gatlinburg East / Smoky Mountain KOA Holiday, and its address is 4874 Hooper Highway in Cosby, Tennessee, not in Gatlinburg. KOA puts it about 17 miles from downtown Gatlinburg, on the quiet northeast side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is open all year.
What you will find
The KOA page lists RV sites with a KOA Patio, back-in and pull-through sites with full hookups, picnic tables and fire pits, premium tent sites and deluxe cabins with full baths. Amenities include 50-amp power, rigs up to 120 feet, Wi-Fi, cable TV, a pool listed for April 23 to October 1, a dog park, a pavilion, and propane and firewood for sale. Group meeting space is available.
Booking
Reserve through KOA online or by calling 423-532-7183. Rates vary by season, site type and event weekends. KOA's page advertises RV sites from about $60 a night, but prices change, so check the site. Ask about pets when you book, since KOA lists its own policy.
Getting there
KOA's directions flag a closed section of I-40 and give revised directions. The Pigeon River Gorge stretch of I-40 in North Carolina has run one lane each way since Hurricane Helene, so build in extra time if you are coming from Asheville or the east. The campground is on US-321 (Hooper Highway) near Cosby, which puts you close to the Cosby entrance and the quiet end of the park.
Nearby
- Cosby Campground and trails: The Park Service's Cosby area has the trail to Hen Wallow Falls, a 4.3-mile round trip.
- Gatlinburg: About 17 miles away on US-321 for restaurants and attractions.
- Big Creek: A drive east for Midnight Hole and Mouse Creek Falls.
A parking tag ($5 daily) is required anywhere in the national park outside your own campsite, and federal passes do not replace it.
Good to know
- 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.