Hey, thanks in advance for any help.

I am going on a week trip with my lady friend through Al, and TN.
We have our camping arrangements set up for Al but need a little help in TN.

We were hoping to stay in primitive spots with nice views.

Any tips would be great!

You want to stay in the Park?

If thats the case, register NOW. Unless it is a non reservation like Cosby, you have to reserve.

When you say view, of what? The streams? None of the campgrounds other than the backcountry ones (don't know which ones) have what I would call a view, makes sense as they are in the park. If you want a view of the mountains, you have to go outside the Park to get that.

The list of campgrounds are:

Cosby
Cades Cove
Elkmont
Smokemont
Catalooche

I think that gets them all. These are the ones vehicle accessible. There are dozens of backcountry sites, but you have to hike in and reserving them is tough unless you know months out when you want them.

To access the in Park campgrounds listed above, Google them to get to the reservations web site. Most are about $20 a night. Holidays and leaf time is hard to get unless you register waaaaay in advance.

My suggestion is to not go through Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg unless you like lots of bumper to bumper traffic.

There's more campgrounds than I thought.

Start here


http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/frontcountry-camping.htm

Thanks for the links, we have done some research over the past few days and are probably staying at Abrams and hiking to the falls.

Just looking for any hidden gems we need to hit.

That's a pretty well traveled trail.

Like I said on the reservations, do them asap.

Check out this web site as for hiking trails.

http://www.hikinginthesmokys.com

Already got our two nights or primitive booked luckily.
Ill look into that site, appreciate the link.

I was going to suggest this

Look Rock Campground

I've stayed here in the past.  While no direct views, you are a 10min hike to the top of the mountain where you can see, in one direction, the length of the Smokies, and in the other the entire Tennessee valley.  One of my favorite places to visit.

Cosby campground just got flooded out.  

I was there just the day before.

Hopefully, they will have it back up.

I believe they closed down Look Rock.

That's what I've heard/seen

Well shit, that was a great, quiet campground.

Hiked into litte bottoms (#17) by Abrams campsite and ran down to Abrams falls on the creek trail.

Had an amazing time.


Soooo things to do in Gatlinburg tonight?

Sunset from the ski lifts.  Yellow chairs going up the mountain, cant miss 'em.  Hurry up.

Or beers at Smoky Mountain Brewery.