The Smokey Mountains are the most visited national park in the US. As a result of this, RV park prices are sky high here. Smokey Mountain KOA (Also known as Smokey Mountain Premiere RV Resort) proved to be a nice choice and a better value than offerings a bit closer to the national park.
We Paid: $47 per night for 14 nights
Discounts Used: KOA Membership
Address (GPS Link): 4874 Hooper Highway Cosby, TN 37722
Website: koa.com/campgrounds/gatlinburg/
Amenities List: Power, Water, Sewer, Camp Store, Games Room, Rec Room, Pool, Playground, Field Games, Wireless, Cable TV, Bathrooms, Showers, Laundry, Cabins, Tent Camping, Propane
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Best Features
- Quiet Location
- Nice Clubhouse
- Perfect Bathrooms
Worst Features
- Sloped and bumpy roads
Gravel and trees are the order of the day at Smokey Mountain KOA.
The Details
To fully enjoy the Smokey Mountains we booked two weeks at Smokey Mountain KOA. According to the signs, they had only recently joined the KOA network and indeed, they had a different vibe than the usual KOA. Unlike most of the chain, they didn’t have a jumping pillow or extensive playgrounds for the kids. This park is located on a wooded hillside about 20-30 minutes from the national park.
All the lots and roads are course gravel. The lots themselves are good and level, but the roads are all uphill and have a fair number of humps in them. Talking with the proprietor, these are necessary to channel rainwater so that it doesn’t build up on the sites or wash away the road beds. This is a park where you really want to follow the suggested speed limit or risk bouncing your RV on your way in and out of the park.
We enjoyed the large and comfy clubhouse which is attached to the camp store and office. It wasn’t fancy but it felt like a big living room and campers could be found hanging out there more often than in most parks we have visited. The bathrooms were great. They had 10 private rooms with toilets and showers, all kept very clean and with modern fixtures. The laundry was small but it is in the same building as the clubhouse so there is a nice place to hang out while washing and drying.
You get Cable and Wireless internet for free and there is a pool available seasonally. The staff was very friendly and helpful while we were here, often offering to take firewood up to our site and inquire to our comfort whenever they saw us.
While Smokey Mountain had less playground equipment than most KOA parks, what they did have was very nice.
And then this happened
We had something of a harrowing experience here. On our third day, a serious wind storm swept through. Before long, trees started snapping and toppling over in and around the campground. Hundred-year-old oaks toppled over as guests hit up to 80 miles per hour. Thankfully they had recently had tree trimmers in to take out much of the dead wood. As a result, while there were many close calls, only one trailer in the park suffered any damage, and it was fairly minor. The park staff wasted no time in getting things cleaned up and ensuring the safety of their guests.
I can’t quite give Smokey Mountain KOA 5 stars due to the price, but I do recommend it if you are in the area and don’t mind a little bit of a drive to get out to the park. The setting is nice, quiet, and the staff clearly cares about their park and their customers.
One site over and we’d have had some serious trouble. This was one of the smaller trees that came down in and around the park.
