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I already have a week long camping trip and two weekends planned.
I am kicking myself because there was a tent I was stalking but didn't want to buy it without being able to test it out right after (not going camping for months from now) and now it's sold out with no plans to return.
Has anyone camped in the Great Smoky Mountains?
I have booked sites for Memorial day and 4th of July weekends. Yes, I have camped in the Smoky mountains and recommend Clabough's campground Sevierville TN. Close to everything.
For the smokies, timing is everything. For the big campgrounds, show up on a Sunday night or Monday morning to gage where others are camping and try for a spot without immediate neighbors. I think you'll find the most privacy at Elkmont, it is popular but expands as the season progresses. There is more ground level vegetation than Cades Cove. All the reserved spots are right next to each other, that's why I recommend winging it. The Cosby campground is never full, your privacy will depend on how close are the neighbors. Cosby could be a fallback if elkmont is full. Big creek is unique because you camp 50 - 100 yards from the parking area. It is one of my favorite spots. Reservations are required so I'll PM you the most secluded site if you go that route.
I need to mention if your trip is planned for late may/ early june when the fireflies are in season you won't find a campsite at Elkmont. You need to enter a lottery just to buy a parking spot at the visitor center and ride to the area in a van.
I love tent camping. I used to do it a lot in the years after college. My girlfriend at the time was an avid outdoor person, and we hiked a lot. I bought one of those 3 pole dome tents from Walmart. We slept on blankets and sleeping bags. We carried our own water and camped out of a car. A few years ago, I took the tent out of storage and set it up. There, on the wall, was my ex-gf's dusty footprint. Lots of good memories in that tent....er, with that tent, lol.
My husband and I are in our 70s and we still camp in a tent. We travel all over the country every summer, and do a mixture of camping and staying in motels.
We still use our very old Eureka canvas 12' x 12' tent that goes up fairly easily with two people. Sometimes its hard to find a campground with tent sites big enough for our tent. Plenty of room inside for our king size air mattress and I like the fact that we can stand up inside.
And we still use our Coleman cook stove from the 1980s!
I need to mention if your trip is planned for late may/ early june when the fireflies are in season you won't find a campsite at Elkmont. You need to enter a lottery just to buy a parking spot at the visitor center and ride to the area in a van.
We ended up camping in Shenandoah, which was nice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dreaming of Hawaii
My husband and I are in our 70s and we still camp in a tent. We travel all over the country every summer, and do a mixture of camping and staying in motels.
We still use our very old Eureka canvas 12' x 12' tent that goes up fairly easily with two people. Sometimes its hard to find a campground with tent sites big enough for our tent. Plenty of room inside for our king size air mattress and I like the fact that we can stand up inside.
And we still use our Coleman cook stove from the 1980s!
We just bought a new tent and it's replacing our cheap pop-up from Walmart that we've been using for the past six years. Honestly it isn't a bad tent and she held up very well. (Little things here and there aren't great but overall, not bad!) If I had the room, I would probably keep it for the short trips because pop-ups are so easy.
I saw recently that the newer version of the Coleman stove we have has little flaps so that it keeps the wind from killing your flame. Would've been nice with the windy weather we had recently camping!
I saw recently that the newer version of the Coleman stove we have has little flaps so that it keeps the wind from killing your flame. Would've been nice with the windy weather we had recently camping!
Our old Coleman stove has those flaps. Every time we use it, I'm glad the flaps are there.
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