Campsite #23 at Cataloochee Campground, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC

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Campsite #23

10 reviews
Drive-In 6 people
36 ft Back-in
2 weak
23
5/29
5/30
Campsite #23 Features: Drive-In access, Back-in parking, 36ft driveway, RV Site, Tent Site, Trailer Site

Campsite Reviews (9)

5.0 out of 5

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@GlenSF15CA9FA2 · Camped on Sep 17, 2023 at Campsite #23
We love our camping trips to Cataloouchee! The camp ground is always full of wonderful folks easily making friends with. The Elk was bugling and the weather was perfect. There did seem to not be as many elk as in past years. On a positive note we got to see the new baby elk with its Mom! That was the first little one we have ever seen at Cataloouchee! See ya again soon!!!!!
@PatriciaB22981 · Camped on May 8, 2023 at Campsite #23
We enjoyed being just a short walk from the campsite to the bridge and the boogerman trail. The sound of the generators detracted from the peacefulness of the woods. There wasn't much privacy because the camp sites are close together.
@MargitB4404726 · Camped on Oct 23, 2022 at Campsite #23
Great base for watching elk. The center campsites can get noisy (generators) and don't much privacy. Trails were better maintained than a few years ago.
@CarolynN311 · Camped on Oct 29, 2021 at Campsite #23
The camp hostess was very sociable and helpful and the bathroom was exceptionally clean. The fall colors were fantastic, campsites comfortable and our fellow campers quiet and respectful of privacy. It was a great weekend!
@JaneS504 · Camped on Oct 6, 2021 at Campsite #23
We checked it out in person before we made our reservation and it looks great for camping. There is a dirt road to get there, a little rough. But there are flush toilets and nicely shady campsites. The camp host was very nice and answered all our questions. BUT we never got to camp because it was so rainy, we decided not to go. Will try again someday
@AnneMarieW940 · Camped on Aug 21, 2021 at Campsite #23
What a surprise! Beautiful campground (we were tent camping), lots of nice walks, well kept grounds, and bathrooms were well-maintained. John, the host, was helpful with hiking tips.
@ZoeH316 · Camped on Jun 1, 2021 at Campsite #23
I am so glad that we chose to stay at Cataloochee Campground while we were visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Cataloochee is a bit off the beaten trail, something we absolutely loved. It is relatively private, quiet, and well-maintained. The road to get into Cataloochee was its own scenic adventure, as it winds in and out of the bluffs and down into the Cataloochee Valley. We really enjoyed driving further along the road past the campground to explore the trailheads there, as well as some of the historical buildings scattered throughout the valley. There are also large open meadows where we were able to quietly observe herds of elk grazing and even a small black bear digging for ants. Although the road to Cataloochee Campground is a dead-end and doesn't connect to other areas of the park, we didn't find this to be a nuisance -- getting to either the Oconoluftee Visitor Center (via Hwy-276 and the Blue Ridge Parkway) or the Sugarlands Visitor Center (via I-40 and Hwy-321) took only 50min to 1hr 15min, respectively. I would definitely recommend Cataloochee Campground and look forward to coming back!
@ChrisP915 · Camped on May 2, 2021 at Campsite #23
This is a small, remote campground, and the narrow winding access road limits the number and size of RVs. A lot of campers are in tents, and everyone honored the time restrictions on generators and just noise in general. That plus the lack of people driving through makes for a very quiet camping experience.
@PaulJ679 · Camped on Apr 5, 2021 at Campsite #23
Quiet, relaxing time camping in nature. Elk even came up through the campgrounds, yet everyone remained safe as they kept their distance from the elk. Trails are great for kids with the small creeks for rock hopping.

Only wish day visitors to the area would respect the rules and the wildlife and not encourage the elk to come up to their cars. We saw a truck with the bed full of young kids encourage an elk to come to their truck so they could pet it. Another car did the same thing on a different day.

Other than that, family had a great time. The host was nice, neighboring campers were friendly. We’ll definitely be back.

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