What an excellent park. The bathrooms were very clean and cleaned at least twice per day. The staff was very helpful and friendly. They gave us several sites to choose from and directed us to some we may like better. The store was nicely stocked and staffed by some of the nicest ladies we've dealt with. Our site was level with plenty of gravel and nice shade trees. There was some kind of truck show being hosted there and we were invited to join in the festivities which included breakfast, lunch and a bon fire and beer later in the evening. This is not the first time we have stayed here, and it won't be the last. I understand there was a management change a year or so ago. These folks that are running it now are doing a great job. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This campground has really gone down hill over the years thru change of ownership being now corporate. We had a family reunion using 3 cabins and 4 campsites. The campsites were not close to level--the fire pits were filthy but my main complaint was our children and their families staying in the 3 cabins. At $100+ per night they were best classified as the pits. Plumbing that didn't work, refrigerators that didn't operated properly. Cleaning between guest occupancy's was pathetic---2 towels were furnished for a 4 person cabin---same sheets all week long-----this is not acceptable. The workers there have been decreased at least 70%--and they know that the lake has not been stocked with trout in years and they continue to rip people off for $6.50 each to through the line in the water and catch nothing. I saw 4 trout caught in the lake in 5 days. It used to be that every time practically you casted a line you caught a trout. The campground was about 20% occupied all the time we were there, which only means---price up, services down--means they lose. We will never return there again after staying there on 4 or 5 other occasions. Sorry We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We stayed here from July 1st through 8th. The bathhouse we used was not the cleanest of places we have stayed but no where near the worst. Was not bad enough I had a problem with it, and I know it was cleaned very well at least once daily everyday we were there. People just made no effort to help keep it clean. We had the AC in our pop-up running non-stop, along with an extra refrig., fan outside, tv, dvd, etc. etc. and never had any problem with the power. The power did go off to the whole campground for a couple of hours one day, but it was off to the whole surrounding area as well so I didn't fault the campground for it. The water slide was just fast enough to be fun, but expect a scrape or two. The pool is nice & big especially for a campground, and was clean for most of our stay. Towards the end it seemed they got slack on vacuuming, cleaning. (grass, etc.) Our site was right next to the stream and trout pond and during certain times had a lot of flying insects around which was annoying but if you have a bug zapper take it and you won't be bothered. I was very impressed with the quantity and size of fish caught from the trout pond and how anyone who wanted to fish could catch one. The campground store is stocked very well and reasonably priced on everything I saw except beer which was outrageous. To sum it up this is a very nice campground and great for kids and adults alike. My only reasons for not giving it a 10 (perfect)are that camping and all the extras are expensive and things like the pool, bathhouses, campsites could be better maintained from a maintenance standpoint and also the staff could have been friendlier. They weren't rude or un-friendly but didn't seem to really enjoy what they were doing either. They should also consider spraying for insects like other campgrounds do. Just for the money there is definate room for improvement. We all had a good overall experience and I would recommend it over others in the area. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
If you're looking for a campground with enough amenities to keep the children occupied, then this may be the place for you. If, however, you prefer a campground with clean restrooms and enough electricity to power a small pop-up trailer, then beware! The sites are mostly shady, there's a water slide and pool, as well as a trout pond and gameroom. The camp store was well-stocked, and the ice cream there was pretty good, too. Unfortunately, during our mandatory 4-night minimum stay, the bath houses were never cleaned (as evidenced by the excrement that remained on the toilet seats the entire time, the burned out light bulb in the bath house that was never replaced, the leaky shower that ran non-stop during our entire stay, and the wet, muddy floors surrounding the toilets). This is definitely a place where you want to keep water shoes on your feet while you shower! Also, we experienced a complete power outage one afternoon that lasted almost 2 hours, and we had surges of electricity the rest of the time. We did not have enough power to run the A/C in our pop-up, and our neighbors at the next site had the same problem. Unfortunately, while the neighbors were successful in receiving a partial refund, we were denied any, even though we wound up leaving early. (Please understand that I'm not one who usually demands air conditioning while camping, but we had a newborn with us and the temperatures were dangerously high for him.) With all this said, if you asked our other kids (ages 7,9,and 11), then they would have told you this place was great! Be forewarned though, the pool water was very cloudy, two of my three children were injured on the water slide, and the $6.50 "daily campground fishing license fee" does not guarantee that you'll catch any fish. By the time we paid $9.00/day/family for the water slide and $6.50/day/child for fishing, this was an expensive venture! Overall, for the price we were charged, I expected a whole lot more. I was really disappointed that the manager was not more understanding and refused to discuss the problems with us. It's unlikely that we would return. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Our site was quite large. We had a stream site and was next to the fishing pond. The campground overall was excellent for us. The pool and water slide were in great shape and handled all of the guest on the Labor Day weekend that we stayed. I did not use the rest rooms but my wife and children did, they explained that they were OK, but not the greatest. The showers were clean. Some of the sites in the back of the campground were smaller, but the ones in the front and stream side were a nice size. Great campground if you like to be out away from the hustle of the attractions. Overall, A very good experience. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
September 2005
$??
We stayed here over the Labor Day weekend in a popup and found the stream close to the site we had reserved was about 40 yards away from the site. Not a big deal, as we could still hear the water and it was a level site once we got the pup backed down the hill! Showers were clean and had hot water everyday, although we only went in the mornings. Bathrooms were semi-clean and got cleaned sometimes more than once a day. Many activities provided by the campground daily, mostly for kids. Overall, after driving by a few other campgrounds in the general area, we were extemely happy with our choice! We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
I am new to this site and reviewing places where we have camped. 2005 was the first year of camping for our family. We stayed at the Crazy Horse Campground in August 2005. We found a coupon at the visitor’s center that got us 3 nights for the price of 2! We wanted to be away from the hustle and bustle of Gatlinburg but close enough to drive in. Crazy Horse was 12 miles away. There were places to grocery shop within just a few miles. When we arrived we asked if we could look at the available sites and the kind staff members accommodated our request (they were great the entire stay!). We chose a site beside the stocked trout pond. It had a beautiful view but a lot of flying insects. We had free use of the waterslide but had to pay to fish and were limited to 2 fish. After I saw the trout coming out of the pond I understood why. The camp store was very nice and well stocked. The bathrooms were clean and there were individual shower rooms. The young man that held the Sunday Worship Service was awesome! Overall it was a great experience and we had some quality family time. We camped here in a Tent.
The expense was not worth the stay. Sites are very small and campground seems overly crowded. Showers and bathhouses were filthy every day. Extra charge for pond use. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
We camped here over Memorial Day weekend (2004). This is definitely a family-type
campground...lots of kids running around (including my 3). The campground was crowded (it was a holiday weekend) and the pool seemed a little small for all the kids in it. I don't believe the pool is heated, because it was awfully cold. The water slide is very nice and my kids loved it (the line was never long....maybe a 1 minute wait at most). We were disappointed in the playground. It is very small and quickly became a mud pit with all the rain. Speaking of mud, it did rain quite a bit over the weekend and parts of the campground were muddy. Our site (159) could have used a little more gravel. Most of the sites have plenty of shade. They are kinda small, but still bearable. The sewer connection for our site was quite a bit off and I wound up buying a 15' sewer hose at the campground store ($15). Sites 171 through 177 are very nice and have a concrete patio. Sites 227 through 222 are also nice. They seemed a little larger than all the other sites. We didn't have any problems with the staff. All were very helpful. We would camp here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 1 / 10 ]
2003
$48
Beware of Crazy Horse Campground. They stung me for over $200.00. I made reservations several months ahead and told them the size of my rig only to arrive and find out the site was too small. They do not give refunds. I repeat THEY DO NOT GIVE REFUNDS. I tried to negotiate with a very rude manager to no avail. I was eventually offered one of two available sites. One had wild chickens running
though the site and the other was our original site but I would have to park my truck in an overflow lot by the maint. shed. I'm still in the process of fighting to get even a portion of my money back. This is a corporate campground at it's worst. Smoky Bear campground is right down the street. They have large sites, very clean facilities and excellent service. Even better, the owners are on site. Oh, and they're a lot cheaper to boot! RIPOFF! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 1 / 10 ]
2003
$35
I recently took my family to Gatlinburg for the weekend and we stayed at the Crazyhorse. I
made reservations for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. We set up Thursday and spent the night. It rained hard that night and the first thing we all needed was a hot shower. There are three bathrooms on the campground. We didn't realize the first one didn't have any hot water until everyone was in the showers. We had to put our clothes back on and take all our shower stuff back out to the truck. (It's still pouring buckets and the wife and kids were sure letting me know how pissed they were.) We journeyed to the back of the campground to bathroom number two which was closed. The final bathroom was up near the office. When we attempted to park by the bathroom we were told we could not park there. There was no parking around the bathroom for forty or so yards (Still raining buckets). This would be fine for me but not for the wife and kids who are trying to get ready to go to downtown Gatlinburg. When I went to complain about the bathrooms there was an older man in front of me complaining that the heated pool advertised on the internet wasn't really heated at all the day before. They lady's response was that the heat in the pool depended on how hot it was outside. (Guess it was solar powered!) I told the receptionist that I wanted to withdraw my reservation for the next two nights based on the lack of services at the campground. She told me it would be o.k. I packed up our tent in the downpour and gathered all our belongings. On the way out I went to settle up and get my receipt. The manager came to the window and told me she wasn't allowed to give refunds. I asked her who was and she told me that she was the highest authority I could speak to. I would understand her position if the campground was full but it was only about twenty-five percent full. I didn't need reservations after all. I was charged for the remaining two nights but refused to stay there. I'll never consider it as a possible location to camp again. The management and employees were very rude to me and made me wonder where all the southern hospitality had gone. You can still find it in Tennessee just not at the Crazyhorse. They're right it is Loco there. We camped here in a Tent.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
2003
$35
Stayed several nights with 3 kids (ages 2, 3, 6). This is an A+ for the kids because they can play all day wading in the streams, going down the waterslide, swimming in the pool, and romping around (only kid complaint was old playground equipment and over-rated fishing pond). We'd highly recommend a stream site --anything from 207-212 (best 209) for rustic and 171-177 for concrete pads across from bathrooms. All beautiful tree-covered sites, but some can be muddy. Pretty level. Mostly gravel roads. Staff was very nice to us, despite some of the other reviews. Picked up trash in front of sites all day long and were always nice to the kids. Location is a bit far but away from hussle of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Minor negatives: a few ugly pipes across the streams, some rental cabins are not too pretty along the streams, some dangerously high banks on parts of streams, could use a little better up-keep overall. Still, we had a ball and would definitely stay here again, especially after seeing for ourselves that Twin Creeks and Outdoor Resorts were basically overrated parking lots. Even worse was Camping in the Smokeys, which was basically a football field next to the highway. We were very pleased to see that we picked the best one for our taste. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 2 / 10 ]
2003
$48
We had a horrible experience at this campground. We were assigned a site that could not accomodate our rig. We were told to park our truck in the overflow lot. When we asked for another site we were told the park was full. The Manager was very rude and when we checked out we asked for a refund for all but that first day and were rebuffed with "we don't give refunds". This is an example of a corporate campground that does not care. Stay away. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
2003
$50
I was very impressed with this campground. We were in site 176 against the creek and the sites were quite large for a private campground. I needed a new sewer hose and bought a 20' one in the campstore for under $10. Less than it was at Wal-mart. Great staff and the water slide is great for all. Can't wait to go back. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
2003
$40
Our family has camped at Crazy Horse for several years each Memorial Day weekend. While my kids love it because of the pool, waterslide, and Jack Tails theater, our last trip was somewhat unpleasant. The main bathouse was out of order and we had to walk several hundred yards to the big rig section to shower. The poolside restroom was very dirty/muddy. Sites at Crazy Horse offer little privacy, are way too close to each other, and are in desperate need of new gravel to avoid a muddy mess after a rain shower. The campground is far from quiet, however I have camped here off-season and found it to be much more tranquil. The new ownership has upped nightly rates to $40+ in season and seems a bit much. On the bright side, Crazy Horse offers mostly shaded sites, a nice trout fishing pond, and is kid friendly. Avoid Crazy Horse on a holiday weekend and you'll probably fare much better. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
2003
$30
Water Slide We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
2002
$39
Great park, a lot out of the way if you like Pigeon Forge. If you like Gatlinburg, like we did than it's no
more out of the way than the Pigeon Forge campgrounds. Park is clean, quiet nice atmosphere. I liked the stream sites at the back of the park where we were. We also had a bear visit us, but it gave us no trouble. The kids loved the water slide as well. I would definitely go back if I would visit the area. We camped here in a camper.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
2002
$37
Although, it's a little out of the way, Crazyhorse is worth a stay if your looking for a nice quiet atmosphere. The park is very laid back with friendly staff and plenty for the kids to do. The only concern was from a regular who said the campground had been sold and staff had been cut recently. However, my families first experience was positive. We camped here in a camper.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
1999
$25
Great park, the staff is unbelieveable, very very helpful. The park is so kid friendly that my daughter wanted to live there. I would highly recommend this park for any stay in the Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge area. Only drawback is that they are kinda far out from everything and we did have a bear visit us one night, but that was our fault because we left food outside on the table overnight. We camped here in a camper.
A very good campground near Gatlinburg near the Arts and Craft Community. Clean everything and very friendly staff. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This campground has serious management problems. The manager will cuss out a camper without trying to find out the real problem. He screams at them at the top of his lungs with cuss words. He and his wife are not manager material for working with the public. They pick and choose who gets discounts and who don't. If you are friends or campers the managers like they will give them discounts such as not charging for extra people. Some will get Good Sam discounts when they were admittedly not members. A very nice family came with children. The children were told they could not ride their small 2 wheeled motor scooters. One week later other children were allowed too. They were very rude to some of the campers. The campground has some serious sewer problems. The managers were hateful to a camper who complained that he had raw sewage backing up onto the ground beside his camper. This camper tolerated that for at least 3 days. When he complained they just got hateful with him. The managers do not care about the campers. When we left the campground the mens bathroom had mildew 3" high on the shower curtain. The bathrooms were disgusting. There is nothing for the children to do. No playground or volleyball,etc. We would not recommend this campground to anyone. We know all this because we worked there for 5 months. We are not saying all this because of our problems with the managers but because we do not feel this is a good campground to be in. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stopped by this campground thinking it might be a possibility for our group to camp. This was very off-season (one camper in campground.) We did not drive by a gate or a sign asking us to check in. We drove slowly through campground, stopping to look more closely at site and my husband checked for 50 amp. The manager roared up to us in his SUV. We said hello and told him why we were there. He said quite rudely "this is private property and you have to leave!" We expected him to say "would you like a brochure?!" Driving off, we saw (presumably) his wife. We stupidly tried again saying we were looking at campground but are leaving because of rudeness. She waved her hand toward ground in dismissal and said "good enough for you!" Strange, hostile people. I'm glad we saw the attitude here before arriving with a group of campers! PS: Technically we did not stay at this campground, so particulars above are left at default. Nightly rate is required so guessed. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Nice enough. Staff worked well with us picking out a site. Camp sewer system not working well. Water was leaking like a fountain out of the sewer drain the day we left. Was not able to dump black water. Site flat. Easy to take back roads to Pigeon Forge for shopping and Dollywood and miss the traffic. Gatlingburg trolley system was unpredictable as usual. Rest rooms clean. Could hear traffic all night. Will probably stay there again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This campground was very well maintained and an overall great place to camp. The owners are very nice and helpful and allowed us to change sites since our water hook up was on the other side of our trailer. I would recommend this campground to anyone considering staying in Gatlinburg. It was very affordable compared to others and well worth the money. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2006
$35
I disagree with some of the below posts regarding a low rating for this campground. We camped here in May 2006 over Memorial weekend as a family unit occupying 2 different sites. The management was friendly, but yes they enforce rules. We had a pet and they were friendly to my pet when we were out on walks. We have a child, although the campground does not have a playground on site, there was plenty of areas where we could play and this did not pose any problems either. The lack of a playground is the only reason that I do not rate this campground a 10. When I am camping, I personally do not like to camp at a place where they let everyone drive through just to look and I feel that the management has the responsibility to their other campers to question any such activities. The showers and bathhouses were very clean, sites were level and quite large for campgrounds in this area, they were shaded and kept clean. The trolley goes by at scheduled intervals, it sometimes is a little late, but this is not the campgrounds fault. I personally find the trolley to be quite convenient as we do not have to worry about parking a large pickup in Gatlinburg. I would definitely stay at this campground again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This year we spent our Memorial Day weekend at Camping in the Smokies near Gatlinburg, TN. We have been camping for 29 years and have never had an experience quite as bad as this one. The campground is located along a very busy and noisy two-lane (soon to be four-lane) highway. The insects (especially the gnats and mesquitoes) were plentiful. The campsites were small and very close (no privacy), most had maybe 10 feet of grass between the graveled sites. Other amenities, such as the pool, bathhouse, laundry area were outdated and small. The picture which appears on the website is very deceiving!! But most disturbing was the manager of the park, he was very rude and unfriendly - what happened to "southern hospitality"?! Needless to say, I would not recommend this campground to a family of groundhogs much less fellow campers. I should have known something was wrong when the campground was not sold out on Friday of a holiday weekend!!! We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2005
$30
We stayed here 10 nights and were completely satisfied in every way. This is a quiet, family oriented campground without alot of frills which add to the cost. It is on the Gatlinburg trolley route which offers many attractions in addition to being the gateway to the Smokey Mountain National Park. The campground was very clean and the staff was always friendly and helpful. The murmer of the nearby stream lulled us to sleep each night. We didn't want to leave! We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We loved our stay here. The sound of the Little River was a gentle, constant presence at our site. One afternoon we spent three hours on the 5-mile hiking loop that starts on one corner of the campground up the Little River Trail, to the Cucumber Gap Trail, then back on the Jake Creek Trail. In early April, wildflowers were profuse and the river beautiful. One note: we would classify the hike as 'moderate' rather than 'easy' as listed in the park's day hike brochure. The big downside was that we couldn't get any cell signal whatsoever (even with a booster) which meant we cut our stay short, as I work from our RV. One day we drove the RV to the Sugarland visitor's center, which is about 8 miles away, and I was able to work from the parking lot as that is one of the very few spots within the park that gets a cell signal...but with snow in the forecast, we decided to move to a campground outside the park to conclude our visit to the Great Smoky National Park. Also, a trip to the visitor's center is required to use the dump station and/or fill your water tanks. Despite the lack of cell signal and hookups, it's the prettiest RV campground within the park as far as we're concerned, and we look forward to returning soon. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Primitive if you are used to resort class campgrounds,but lots of peace and quiet. Plenty of room for the kids to ride bikes and play in the river. Great area to commute to hiking trails, Gatlinburg, and Cades Cove. Sites clean and wide. Can be a little noisy if you are next to a generator site, but they still have certain hours of operation. Have pay phones for use, since no cell phone service is available. Store has plenty of firewood and supplies available if needed. Campground hosts accessible and very knowledgable. A peaceful place to relax and look for firefly sitings. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
No hookups, no showers, in the beautiful Smoky Mt. National Park campgrounds, and if you don't mind "roughing it", an area you must see.. Close to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Very wooded, some sites on creek. We saw the firefly synchronization (a phenomena where hundreds of fireflies light up in synchronization) the ranger said the only other place to see that was in Asia. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Even though there are no hookups available or showers, this National Park campground 7 miles from Gatlinbug was the best "non hookup" campground we've ever stayed at. The sites are big, woodsy and many are on the river. Our river site was so very peaceful and relaxing. Fly fisherman, the sound of the roaring river and a campfire at night. We camped here in a Motorhome.
There are no water, electric, or sewer hook-ups and the nearest dump station is 6 miles away. The sites are spacious, heavily wooded, and mostly level. The campground is relatively convenient to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge but still retains a secluded feel as it is within the confines of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and additionally is 2 miles off the main park road. It is a beautiful campground with the Little Pigeon River running through it, lots of trails to explore, old growth forest, and outcroppings of massive rocks. It's good for a weekend get-away (being there are no hook-ups or even showers available) or for those who like to "rough it". If your kids are outdoorsy, they will certainly love the hiking, fishing, biking (bring your own), exploring, swimming, and innertubing. As these are all weather-dependent, be sure to bring some indoor diversions in case it rains. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is a great park with great owners. These are some of the nicest host's you will run in to. The park was spotless. The game room was great. The pool was nice. We had a site on the stream. The site wasn't huge, but we were happy with it. The only downside to this place was that it was a 20-30 minute drive any time you wanted to go somewhere. It is a bit out of the way. I would stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Just got back from Gatlinburg and our stay at Great Smokey Jellystone Resort. This was our first stay and will not be our last. The bathrooms, facilities and campground are immaculate. I am giving the campground a 9+ because the sites are a little close together but if we as fellow campers are respectful it should not and was not a problem. We camped right on the stream and what a good nights' sleep you will get. The owner of the park escorted us to our site, helped guide me back in and offered any help we would need. Staff was friendly and even moved some firewood over to our site left by the site next to ours. Activities for kids everyday keeps them as active as they want to be. Saw a previous report about "a RV over 28ft", I saw a lot of vehicles; motorhomes and fifth wheels over that length and they fit just fine into the sites. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
I was a bit concerned after reading a couple of the negative comments posted. However, I was very happy with the campground. Our site was wonderful. It backed up to a rushing stream. A canopy of trees left our site shady and cool. Having stayed at quite a few campgrounds in the area many times, I know that large sites are hard to come by. We were more than pleased with our site here. Our 33' Travel Trailer and Truck fit just fine. We were a very comfortable distance from our neighbors. However, a few of the sites in the campground are tight. Unfortunately, that is typical for campgrounds in the area. We love the shadiness of the campground. Some campgrounds in the area are more like concrete parking lots with no shade. So, this campground was a welcome relief. Bathhouses and grounds are kept immaculate. Wifi and cable tv worked great. The owners escort you and help you in to your site. Nice playground, pool and miniature golf course. There were lots of planned activities including a hayride for the families along with a band Saturday night. Dave, the park owner, brought out his drum set and played along and he is quite impressive. All in all a super campground. I can't imagine the family being rude to anyone. They were never anything but nice and polite to us. Maybe the previous reviewer had a run in with a workcamper? As for the stream, I was happy to see some water in it. Drought has really effected the area. We hiked to a couple of waterfalls that, while still pretty, were considerably smaller. We had a very nice camping experience and made reservations to return. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is one of those parks that you will either love or hate. The staff is probably the most helpful of any campground I have ever stayed in. Every camper, whether staying in a tent or the largest of motorhomes is escorted to their site and if needed helped to park and even set up. The campground has lots of activities for the kids including hayrides and visits from Yogi. The pool was very clean. All restroom and shower facilities were clean. The part that you might not like are the many small sites, especially in the tent area. Although advertized as big rig friendly, many sites would be very hard to get in to without the help of the staff. A lot of the sites are also not very level and none have concrete pads or patios. The park has a very "woodsy" atmosphere, much like a National Forest or state park, which I do prefer but lots of users of these sites don't, since it interferes with their satellite dish and wifi. Overall a nice park that I would not mind staying in again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
I agree with the other reviews that indicate that there are; clean bathrooms and kids activities. However, our campsite, and many of the campsites, that we saw, were so small that we were too uncomfortable to enjoy those aspects. When we set up our campsite, we set up our pop-up and a screen room. The site was so small that when the screen room was set up, it was touching both our camper and the camper next to ours. On the first day of our trip, we had planned to fish in the streams around the campground as the web site clearly indicates that fishing is an activity available at the campground. Unfortunately, there were very few places where the stream was deeper than ankle deep - we didn't fish because any fish in that water would have had their fins sticking out. When we went to the office to ask if there was the possibility of switching to a bigger site, and to see if there was a fishing section that we had overlooked. Opening with, " 'We have 2 questions for you", and before waiting for the questions, we received a response of, " and I have 2 answers for you, no and no", in a tone that did not appear to be taken as joke. While the rest of the staff was friendly, in the end, no other site was available, no fishing, and the "no refund for any reason policy" held out. We were so disappointed that we ended up leaving 3 days early, even though we had already paid for the full amount of time. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This was not our first stay at Jellystone. However, it keeps getting better and better. It is a wonderful campground. Great activities for the kids. Bathhouses, laundry and grounds kept immaculately clean. The office/store was redone over the winter making check-in during busy times easier. We love the location. And, we love the owners. They do everything possible to ensure that you have a wonderful stay at the campground. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
The other reviews say it all. We just got home and we had a great time. The best things about this campground are the owners, family atmosphere, location and service. This is what we think of when we look for an RV park. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We are currently staying here at the park and are having an excellent time. The creek that runs through the campground is beautiful. The noise from the rushing water helps drown out any outside noise and noise from campers around you. The campground was smaller than I originally thought from looking at the website, but it is still very nice. I noticed some people commented on the lots being close together, but having stayed in other campgrounds near resort type areas, these sites were actually larger than the average. We passed many other campgrounds on our way into Gatlinburg today and talked about how Jellystone seemed to be the best out of all of them. All the lots are very shaded and the campground is well maintained and landscaped. The bathrooms and showers are cleaned 3 times a day and the staff here prides themselves on the cleanliness of their facilities. The owner and staff are super-friendly and very helpful. We had a speedy check-in and were unloaded and set-up, ready to relax in an hour's time. The campground is 10-15 minutes away from downtown Gatlinburg - which we love because we wanted to be removed from all the hustle and bustle of that area. This park just recently reopened after being closed for the winter so there aren't too many other campers here. It certainly is very nice and relaxing! We would definitely come again! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
October 2006
$40
An earlier review said, “If you have a RV over 28 ft. forget this park“. I completely disagree. I don’t know what problems they had but we stayed in 2 sites (45 one night and 47 two nights) with our 35’ Fifth Wheel with no problem at all. The owner takes you to and directs you into the site. A beginner with absolutely no backing experience could put a large rig in there with no problem. There are some sites that a large trailer would not fit into but they asked how long our trailer was when we registered and gave us an appropriate site. I recommend this campground to anyone, especially families. Yogi came around and entertained the kids one night and the next night there was a hayride with Yogi. My kids loved the trip. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
August 2006
$43
This was our very first camping experience. We couldn't have picked a better site. The kids (ages 6, 8, and 10) loved it. They especially liked the hayrides with Yogi. The owners were friendly and helpful. The sites were gravel and we had a bit of trouble leveling (probably because we are newbies). We enjoyed having a campfire beside the stream, it made for a relaxing evening of s'mores and ghost stories. Because we had such a great experience, we can hardly wait to go again! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Very nice owners. The sites were close together, but the streamside sites are great. My kids loved playing in the stream. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2006
$50
One of the best campgrounds we have stayed at. Our site was right on the rushing stream. Plenty of room between us and our neighbor. Pool was great. Playground was great; a very good experience for us and our children. The hayride with Yogi was quite an experience for my youngest. The man that owns the campground escorted us to our site. Very very nice guy! Sons and other workers were great as well. Did not care for the showers... it is timed so you must keep pushing the button to make it start up again and we could not adjust the water temperature. (too hot for me) This is a MINOR detail for us, however. Bath houses were always immaculate as were the sites. Lots of activities for the kids. Just a really great campground!! This is our favorite campground ever. Unfortunately, we came home and called to make reservations for the future and were told they will not guarantee sites. We preferred certain sites over others. So, it looks like we will stick with the other campgrounds we like that allow us to know what site we have before driving several hour to get there. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is an outstanding little park. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The sites along the stream are very peaceful. The lots have plenty of gravel so when it rained be were not tromping through mud. The showerhouse was always clean and very modern. The pool is very nice and there is also a 9 hole miniature golf course which is well maintained. This is now our favorite campground. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This campground was excellent. I have 3 kids ages 5 to 11 and they loved all the activities available. The owners worked extremely hard to ensure that each camper has a great vacation as they are on site. The campground was kept extremely clean. All sites are gravel and a tent area is available. We will definitely be back in the future. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2006
$33
Wow! What a great park! This is a very small park and their sites are very close to each other, almost on top of each other and their roads are gravel. But, the staff more than makes up for all that, what a great staff! When we stayed here it was a holiday and it was full, there was a line to register and the staff didn't want us to wait so they went ahead and brought us into the campground and told us to register later. This was only our second camping trip so here is another example of what makes this place great, they drove a golf cart in front of us and took us directly to our site, this is a small campground and I know we would have eventually got backed in but the owner and about 3 other guys helped us get into our tight spot. They were Great. They came by everyday and picked up garbage. Yogi Bear was out every evening, the kids could have their pictures taken with him. The kids loved the playground and you could hear the stream when you were outside. The park showed movies every night which were free, that was nice. Miniature golf, pool, ice creams, arcade, it was all great. Gift shop was nice, registration was quick, very close to town without having to always deal with all the Gatlinburg traffic. We will go back! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This campground is beautiful! The owners are new and are very dedicated to making your stay enjoyable. Majority of the sites are on the water and the whole place is very well landscaped. Lots of activities for the kids, very clean restrooms, nice laundry facility, convenient location...I could go on and on! We will definitely be back! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
The park is really nice. The sites are a little close but we had no trouble with our 32' trailer. The owners are awesome and will help you in any way possible. The activities for the kids made the stay that much more enjoyable. The bathrooms are also the cleanest I have ever seen at a campground. We will visit this campground again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2005
$34
This is one of the nicest Yogi's we've stopped at yet! Very friendly staff! Wondeful store, pool and game room. We camped here in a Motorhome.
If you have a RV over 28ft forget this park!! This sites are very, very small. I had to park my truck and walk back to my site because the site was so small. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The river front sites are very peaceful. If you have a pop up or small trailer this is a nice park, but not for any unit of any size. Close to town but away enough to be quite and relaxing. This is another one of those campgrounds that claims to family loving but want to charge extra for everything and everyone. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is a very nice campground. It is small and the sites are a little close together. For the area, this is one of the nicest rv parks that we found. The owners are very nice and will go out of their way to help. We were greated when we arrived. They led us to our site and helped us set up. This is a great place if you have children. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This is a fantastic campground. Plenty of shade, sites were large and level. Most back up to one of the several streams that run through the CG. Owner escorted us to the site, helped us back in and level the TT. Actually he told me if I parked the TT where he directed to I would be level side to side and I was. Sites and road are gravel but even after 2 1/2 inches of rain overnight they were never muddy or was any standing water noticed. Playground, game room, carpet golf and pool for the kiddies. Fishing from stream is free and no license is required. CG was nice and quite even with a good number of children playing. Stream noise was pleasant and helped drown out other noises. Store was adequately stocked and staff were extremely pleasant. We will definitely return, if not this fall, next spring. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We really enjoyed our week long stay here. We had a site right on the river/stream. The campground staff were very friendly and helpful. The campground is not large but they make use of their space, nestled into the Smoky Mountains. There were campground activities for the kids and lots of nature to explore. It's about 20 minutes from downtown Gatlinburg, which some might not like if they enjoy being closer to the hustle and bustle. We thought it was wonderful and would definitely return. Be aware, though, the weather in the spring in unpredictable. During our trip we experienced temperatures in the 80's one day to snow flurries by the end of the week. But, that's what makes camping fun! We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
We went camping this time to get away from the kids and ironically chose a CG that was tailored toward children. They had a smallish putt-putt course, average pool, nightly movies for kids, and a smallish gameroom. It is nicely shaded and the owners were very nice. Two small streams run through the CG. The sites were too close together for us and afforded very little privacy. We didn't hate it, but we wouldn't go back because we only live 45 minutes away and wouldn't be interested in anything other than just hanging around camp and doing nothing. If you are looking for a small, kid friendly CG near enough to Gatlinburg, this would be a good choice. A plus for us was the cable T.V. hook-up. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This campground was one of the best we have ever stayed in. The staff is wonderful. The
campgrounds were very clean and well kept. Clean restrooms and showers. The sites are big enough accomodate a large rv with slides and still extend the awning. Very nice and well stocked camp store.The stream side camp sites have the stream running right through the back of the site with the fire rings on the bank. Makes for a relaxing evening. Planned activities for kids. Movies nightly. Pool was under construction at the time. The campground host not only shows you to your site, but helps you to back in and level your rv. Wonderful place and i can't say enough good things about this campground. We will definatly stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
2003
$32
12 miles from G'burg on US-321. Seemed longer, but drive was OK. Park easy to get to from I-40 @ Newport, TN. Very nice owners and staff. Very quiet when we were there, even though half full. Nightly movies for kids, daily kids activities, and a nice playground and pool. Didn't use bathhouse, but laundry room was A+ clean. Gravelled dirt interior roads and sites. Did not get sloppy in rain. Heavily wooded overhead, open at ground level. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
The Park name has changed to Smoky Bear Campground. We started off planning on spending a week and ended up spending almost two. The park is very well kept up. The owners are extremely friendly and we found the park quiet and peaceful even when it was completely full. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Very clean sites and park. Very friendly and helpful staff. Sites are very close together. Quiet and very well run park. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
2002
$30
What a wonderful place to stay! Paved roads and the 50 amp. pull thru's are also paved. Absolutely spotless groundskeeping and spotless restrooms. The staff are very nice and helpfull at all times. Cable tv only has limited channels. VERY, VERY clean campground. I would love to own a small campground like this!!! Approximately 15-20 minute drive to Gatlinburg but roads are very good. Use caution when exiting campground
(busy highway). For directions, see any campground directory. We camped here in a camper.
This site is not well kept. It was dumpy, worn out and the hostess was completely awful. It took me 15 minutes to make a reservation on the phone. I spoke to Marie. This person could care less about being customer oriented. Our cableTV jack did not work, I went to have it fixed and they said the person would come by in 1/2 hr., they never showed. The sewer wasnt flowing correctly and almost resulted in a big "mess". I was able to get it to flow by dumping slowly. ONLY stay here if you want a place to sleep and then be on your way. This site is not a place I would want to stay for several days. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We also were surprised to find this campground had openings during the peak fall season when no other area campground had a site available for just a Friday night. The reasons became obvious once we got there. The campground was 90% empty. No credit cards, only cash. A recent heavy rain left the campground with a lot of standing water and mud. The pool was partially drained and the water that remained had a nice green color. The cable TV at the site we picked was not working. We did find cables run between trees split numerous times ending with a bundle of cable hanging from a tree at the next site over that we could connect to. Needless to say the picture quality was not great. The real excitement started once we were setup and ready to catch the trolley into Gatlinburg. The manager/owner of the campground was threatening to beat-up and kill an elderly man who was giving him some sort of trouble. A minute later the police pulled in and got involved. We watched this all unfold as we were waiting for the trolley and wondered if we dared to leave our RV there unattended or even to spend the night there. Being the slightly adventurous types we decided to stay. Our sleep was interrupted a couple times with sirens stopping in front of the campground and what sounded like a gunshot later on. The reviews we've read on this forum have been very helpful and pretty accurate. If we had checked this campground out before our stay we could have avoided paying the going rate for a one night stay in a run down and scary campground. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Do not go here unless you are looking only for a place to park. The campground is for sale and has been neglected for quite some time it seems. I have stayed here twice and would not return. The campers next door had problems with their sewer hook up and my site was flooded with the overflow. Both times I have stayed, the campground has had water and sewer problems with plumber