If you want to camp in Great Smoky Mountains National Park after October 24, you are down to three campgrounds, and after November 28 you are down to two. The park lists Cosby, Abrams Creek, Big Creek, Cataloochee, Deep Creek and Look Rock as closed from October 25, 2026. Balsam Mountain already closed October 12. Cades Cove and Smokemont are the only ones open all winter, and only parts of them.
The dates
These come from the park’s campground information, which fills the “Operating Hours & Seasons” section of each campground page on nps.gov. We read it October 15, 2026.
| Campground | Closed from | Closed through |
|---|---|---|
| Balsam Mountain | October 12, 2026 | May 15, 2027 |
| Abrams Creek | October 25, 2026 | May 8, 2027 |
| Big Creek | October 25, 2026 | May 15, 2027 |
| Cataloochee | October 25, 2026 | May 1, 2027 |
| Cosby | October 25, 2026 | May 15, 2027 |
| Deep Creek | October 25, 2026 | May 1, 2027 |
| Look Rock | October 25, 2026 | May 8, 2027 |
| Elkmont | November 29, 2026 | April 3, 2027 |
“Closed from” is the first closed date, so plan on October 24 as the last night at the six.
What stays open, and which loops
The frontcountry camping page says Cades Cove and Smokemont are open year-round and everything else is seasonal. Year-round does not mean the whole campground.
At Cades Cove, Loop B and parts of Loop C stay open through November 30. In winter, only sites C1 to C12 and C26 to C61 are open, reservations required.
At Smokemont, Loops A and B are open year-round. Loop C and Loops D and F run through the end of October. The dump station stays open year-round.
The rules that do not change in winter
Reservations are still required. The park’s page says “Advance reservations are required,” and the Cades Cove and Smokemont listings on Recreation.gov repeat that both “require a reservation.” From November to April, the campground offices are staffed only part of the time, and the listings say campers must be able to show proof of occupancy when park staff ask.
The parkwide limit is 14 consecutive days and 60 total days in a calendar year. Camping is allowed in designated sites only, “NOT in pull outs or parking lots.” If you park anywhere in the park other than your own campsite, you need a parking tag.
One more thing from the Smokemont listing: the campground is reached by Newfound Gap Road (US 441), 6 miles from Cherokee and 27 from Gatlinburg, and the stretch of US 441 through the park “may close due to snow, wind, or other severe conditions.” The listing adds: “Refund requests due to 441 closures are not approved.”
What to do
If you had planned on Cosby or Deep Creek after the 24th, move the trip to Cades Cove or Smokemont and book it now. Check the campground page the week you go, because the park can change these dates, and the sign at the gate beats any website, ours included.
For free options outside the park, see our Tennessee and North Carolina free camping pages. Our piece on how national parks cap your total nights shows how other parks set their caps.
Sources
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Frontcountry Camping (NPS)
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cades Cove Campground (NPS)
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Smokemont Campground (NPS)
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Elkmont Campground (NPS)
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cosby Campground (NPS)
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cataloochee Campground (NPS)
- Recreation.gov, Cades Cove Campground
- Recreation.gov, Smokemont Campground