Campground · Great Smoky Mountains National Park
A shady, tent-heavy base with hiking routes nearby.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Great Smoky Mountains audio tourRecorded for this place
Cosby Picnic Area and Hen Wallow Falls“Up ahead is Cosby Picnic Area, a shady place for lunch beside Cosby Creek. Bring your own picnic; the tables have charcoal grills. The picnic area is seasonal, generally spring through fall.”
Plays as you drive up to Cosby Campground in the Parkwolf Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Cosby is a wooded frontcountry campground at 2,459 feet. It has 157 reservable sites, 134 of them tent-only. This suits campers looking for a shaded base and nearby hiking rather than hookups or a camp store; campers mention routes toward Hen Wallow Falls and Mount Cammerer.
Each campsite has a picnic table and fire ring, with paved roads and driveways through the campground. Campers often praise the shade and clean restrooms; others find some loops tight or sites close together, so the layout varies. RVs and trailers are limited to 25 feet.
Reservations are required and can be made up to six months ahead. Flush toilets, drinking water and the dump station are seasonal, and the campground closes for part of the year; check current dates and services before booking. There are two accessible campsites, accessible restrooms and paved paths to the restrooms and parking. There are no showers, electric hookups, camp store, on-site food or firewood sales. Keep food and food-preparation and storage gear sealed in a vehicle or solid-sided camper when not in use, and use only the provided fire rings. Dogs must be on a leash no longer than six feet; pet hiking in the park is restricted to roads and two trails.
Wildlife
1,569 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
900 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
13 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
142 sightingsTimber RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
26 sightingsBobcatMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
42 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Great Smoky Mountains. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyCosby Nature Trail1.3 mi · 45 min · 0.1 mi awayA wooded creek loop with log bridges and rocky crossings.
ChallengingSnake Den Ridge Trail10.6 mi · 8 hr · 0.2 mi awayA steep 10.6-mile out-and-back to the Appalachian Trail.
ModerateSutton Ridge Overlook Trail3.5 mi · 2 hr · 0.2 mi awayA short, steep spur reaches a north-facing view over Riding Fork.
ChallengingMount Cammerer Trail11.1 mi · 7 hr · 0.2 mi awayA steep climb to a historic tower above the Smokies.
ChallengingLow Gap Trail5.4 mi · 5 hr · 0.2 mi awayCreek crossings and a steep climb to the remote Walnut Bottom junction.ChallengingLow Gap, Appalachian Trail and Snake Den Ridge Loop Trail13.1 mi · 9 hr · 0.2 mi awayA full-day loop links Low Gap, the AT, and Snake Den Ridge.
ModerateCosby Horse Trail0.3 mi · 10 min · 0.2 mi awayA short, steep path near Cosby Campground.
ChallengingLower Mount Cammerer Trail14.8 mi · 8 hr · 0.2 mi awayA long day of creek crossings and ridge climbing to the AT.
Picnic area · 0.3 mi awayCosby Picnic AreaA shady 35-site picnic stop beside Cosby Creek
Sight · 1.8 mi awayHen Wallow FallsA 90-foot cascade makes the rooted climb worthwhile.
Sight · 2.7 mi awayMount Cammerer Lookout TowerA rock summit and a 1930s fire tower reward a big climb.
Scenic pullout · 4 mi awayCosby OverlookA short pullout with a southwest view over Cosby Valley.
Scenic pullout · 4.2 mi awayGreen Mountain OverlookA southeast-facing view worth timing for sunrise.
Sight · 4.2 mi awayAlbright GroveA long hike through one of the Smokies’ finest old-growth forests.
Sight · 4.4 mi awayMouse Creek FallsA 41-foot waterfall with Midnight Hole along the way.
Sight · 4.6 mi awayMidnight HoleA shaded Big Creek pool reached by a steep, rocky scramble.Parkwolf’s Great Smoky Mountains ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
