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Balsam Mountain Campground
107 Park Headquarters Rd, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN 37738-4102
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4.5
#3 of 4 campsites in Great Smoky Mountains National ParkLocation
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Mountain View
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Free parking
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107 Park Headquarters Rd, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN 37738-4102
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Mc Ghee Tyson Airport
43.4 km•
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Balsam Mountain Campground is a nice campground for the following reasons: 1) At over 5000 elevation it is the highest campground in Smokey Mountain National Park which means that it stays nice and cool even in the summer time. 2) Because you can only get to the campground off of the Blue Ridge Parkway it's a bit out of the way and thus far less crowded and much quiter than other campgrounds in the park. 3) it's also a great place to see wildlife. I have regularly seen deer, elk, bear and turkey in or near this campground.
Now for the negative: 1) The layout of the campground isn't very private. There are several of the camping spots are right next to the road which means anybody driving by will be able to look into your tent. There are other spots that require to to walk through another camping spot to get yo your own. 2) The showers are cold water showers only (and boy is that water cold in the morning at 5000 feet elevation). 3) The camp spots are really very small.
If you continue on the road past the campground there are a couple of my absolute favorite spots in the Smokeys. Take the paved road till it ends. Park along the edge of the turnaround and you will find two trails heading away from the road. One of the two trails takes you a couple of hundred yards to a couple of park benches at one of the prettiest places to see a sunset on the planet. At dusk there will usually be six to ten people at those benches watching the sun as it sets into the smokies. This sunset location provides you with that classic stacked mountain ridges with "smoke" and mist views. The second trail leads slightly uphill for a couple of hundred yards to a restroom and a series of large stone slab picnic tables built by the WPA back the the depression. I love bringing a picnic lunch up to one of these tables and spend the afternoon reading a good book (suggestion would be The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe, for the stone table scene). Also at the end of the paved road is gravel road heading one way only down hill. I absolutely love this road as it winds down from the very tops of the mountains all the way to the town of Cherokee. I have seen bear along this road many times and at the lower end of the road it wanders along a nice stream which offers a refreshing but cold swimming opportunity.
As the title of this review states Balsam Mountain Campground is very nice option just a few miles away on the same road. As you are driving up to Balsam Mountain Campground you pass Mile High Campground on the left hand side of the road. Over the years we have found Mile High to be a much nicer option because the campsites are far larger and more private and the shower has hot water. Plus they have more restroom facilities scattered around the campground.
Now for the negative: 1) The layout of the campground isn't very private. There are several of the camping spots are right next to the road which means anybody driving by will be able to look into your tent. There are other spots that require to to walk through another camping spot to get yo your own. 2) The showers are cold water showers only (and boy is that water cold in the morning at 5000 feet elevation). 3) The camp spots are really very small.
If you continue on the road past the campground there are a couple of my absolute favorite spots in the Smokeys. Take the paved road till it ends. Park along the edge of the turnaround and you will find two trails heading away from the road. One of the two trails takes you a couple of hundred yards to a couple of park benches at one of the prettiest places to see a sunset on the planet. At dusk there will usually be six to ten people at those benches watching the sun as it sets into the smokies. This sunset location provides you with that classic stacked mountain ridges with "smoke" and mist views. The second trail leads slightly uphill for a couple of hundred yards to a restroom and a series of large stone slab picnic tables built by the WPA back the the depression. I love bringing a picnic lunch up to one of these tables and spend the afternoon reading a good book (suggestion would be The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe, for the stone table scene). Also at the end of the paved road is gravel road heading one way only down hill. I absolutely love this road as it winds down from the very tops of the mountains all the way to the town of Cherokee. I have seen bear along this road many times and at the lower end of the road it wanders along a nice stream which offers a refreshing but cold swimming opportunity.
As the title of this review states Balsam Mountain Campground is very nice option just a few miles away on the same road. As you are driving up to Balsam Mountain Campground you pass Mile High Campground on the left hand side of the road. Over the years we have found Mile High to be a much nicer option because the campsites are far larger and more private and the shower has hot water. Plus they have more restroom facilities scattered around the campground.
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Date of stay: May 2014Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pros:
Setting: This campground is a nice campground in a beautiful setting. The drive up to the campground is beautiful. Take advantage of the pull-offs on the way up. The views are incredible.
Wildlife: During our particular trip, the Elk were very active along Heintooga Ridge Rd. We saw elk on multiple occasions. If you've not witnessed this massive animals, they alone are worth the trip up. We also saw multiple birds, including many hummingbirds on the grounds of the campground.
Facilities: The bathrooms, while they do not have showers, are some of the cleanest bathroom facilities you'll find in any campground in the country. The staff clearly take pride in keeping the facilities clean.
The campground hosts were also extremely friendly and knowledgeable.
Nearby: During our trip, we visited some stops on this quieter side of the Smokies, including the newly opened Oconaluftee Visitor Center.
We also hiked the Flat Creek Trail. This is an extremely beautiful hike through the Flat Creek watershed. In July, the rhododendron were blooming and made for a nice hike. An extremely nice, fellow camper offered to drive us to the start of the trail and we left our car at the end. If done as a loop, you must walk more than 3 miles on the road, so this save us time and we didn't miss anything.
Cons:
We found Balsam Mountain Campground in Johnny Molloy's book The Best in Tent Camping: Smoky Mountains and Southern Appalachians. Molloy's books are written for those hoping to find sites away from RVs. The book suggests that RVs won't make the trek up the mountain to this site. We found that wasn't quite true.
In July 2011, the average high temps in the East Tn valley were in the high 90's. On Balsam Mountain, the temps were in the low 80s. Anybody, RVs or not will seek higher ground with that kind of difference. The campground is small, so any RVs cause for a tight squeeze.
We're told that this site does not typically fill up throughout the year. However, the campground was full on Friday night and only had 4 vacant sites on Saturday night.
Overall, I would recommend this campground to any camper looking for a nice campground in a beautiful setting. While a little out of the way, it's beautiful drive.
Setting: This campground is a nice campground in a beautiful setting. The drive up to the campground is beautiful. Take advantage of the pull-offs on the way up. The views are incredible.
Wildlife: During our particular trip, the Elk were very active along Heintooga Ridge Rd. We saw elk on multiple occasions. If you've not witnessed this massive animals, they alone are worth the trip up. We also saw multiple birds, including many hummingbirds on the grounds of the campground.
Facilities: The bathrooms, while they do not have showers, are some of the cleanest bathroom facilities you'll find in any campground in the country. The staff clearly take pride in keeping the facilities clean.
The campground hosts were also extremely friendly and knowledgeable.
Nearby: During our trip, we visited some stops on this quieter side of the Smokies, including the newly opened Oconaluftee Visitor Center.
We also hiked the Flat Creek Trail. This is an extremely beautiful hike through the Flat Creek watershed. In July, the rhododendron were blooming and made for a nice hike. An extremely nice, fellow camper offered to drive us to the start of the trail and we left our car at the end. If done as a loop, you must walk more than 3 miles on the road, so this save us time and we didn't miss anything.
Cons:
We found Balsam Mountain Campground in Johnny Molloy's book The Best in Tent Camping: Smoky Mountains and Southern Appalachians. Molloy's books are written for those hoping to find sites away from RVs. The book suggests that RVs won't make the trek up the mountain to this site. We found that wasn't quite true.
In July 2011, the average high temps in the East Tn valley were in the high 90's. On Balsam Mountain, the temps were in the low 80s. Anybody, RVs or not will seek higher ground with that kind of difference. The campground is small, so any RVs cause for a tight squeeze.
We're told that this site does not typically fill up throughout the year. However, the campground was full on Friday night and only had 4 vacant sites on Saturday night.
Overall, I would recommend this campground to any camper looking for a nice campground in a beautiful setting. While a little out of the way, it's beautiful drive.
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Date of stay: July 2011Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Cleanliness
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I just visited Balsam Mountain for the day with my husband and 20 month old daughter. We recently moved to the region and are scouting out places to camp with our kiddo in a tent for the first time. It was very beautiful and secluded. The campsites are very tight, as others mentioned, but there was NO ONE camping there besides the host. We would consider camping there on a weekday once the summer months heat up. The views are unmatched. The picnic area is very beautiful, and is right in a tall stand of Balsam Firs, with many picnic tables and charcoal grills. It was a cool spring day today--temps were around 70 when we left home, but once we reached that elevation, the temp dropped down to a chilly 49 around 2 p.m.! I had to fashion some mittens out of socks for my baby!
We were walking on the 2.5 mile trail between the picnic area and the campground and we saw a huge pile of bear poop right in the middle of the trail! It was a fresh one, and there was no mistaking it. I just wanted to point that out because another reviewer adamantly stated that there are no bears in Balsam. That seemed ridiculous to me once we were there because there are bear boxes and bear proof trashcans everywhere, along with bear warnings, just like everywhere else we have been in GSMNP. This is not a huge deal to us--we know bears live here, but for folks from out of town who are not used to the idea of camping in bear country, it would be an annoyance to travel all this way to avoid bears only to find out that they are indeed here. it would be a long hike to anywhere else to camp, or really anything else at all.
This should not discourage you if you are considering camping here. It is a unique place and so beautiful. However, there is less to do here than other areas of GSMNP, and fewer hiking trails (that we found.) If I camped here, it would be mid week and I would anticipate lots of lounging around the campsite and chasing bugs with my daughter, rather than visiting historical sites (there are none that we found,) or playing in the water, (none of that, either!)
We were walking on the 2.5 mile trail between the picnic area and the campground and we saw a huge pile of bear poop right in the middle of the trail! It was a fresh one, and there was no mistaking it. I just wanted to point that out because another reviewer adamantly stated that there are no bears in Balsam. That seemed ridiculous to me once we were there because there are bear boxes and bear proof trashcans everywhere, along with bear warnings, just like everywhere else we have been in GSMNP. This is not a huge deal to us--we know bears live here, but for folks from out of town who are not used to the idea of camping in bear country, it would be an annoyance to travel all this way to avoid bears only to find out that they are indeed here. it would be a long hike to anywhere else to camp, or really anything else at all.
This should not discourage you if you are considering camping here. It is a unique place and so beautiful. However, there is less to do here than other areas of GSMNP, and fewer hiking trails (that we found.) If I camped here, it would be mid week and I would anticipate lots of lounging around the campsite and chasing bugs with my daughter, rather than visiting historical sites (there are none that we found,) or playing in the water, (none of that, either!)
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Date of stay: May 2011Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The campground is clean, the sites are very tight and on top of each other - there is NO privacy. There are no views to speak of and the camp hosts were a bit over the top with the bear scare…yes it’s real but why terrify campers before they unpack a single item. I won’t stay at this campground again! I’ve made a reservation in a different campground with AMAZING views just up the road.
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Date of stay: August 2021
Room Tip: Camp sites on top of each other - no privacy
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Camp host has asked to have this one child to stay out of our camp site,I was told by female host this is a park kids can do what they want.This child threw rocks at our dog,would stand at edge of campsite and stomp his feet to make the dog bark!The child was allowed to draw all over the road with caulk,looked like some type graffiti you would see on NY train! Park host followed us to near by area that a12 point bull elk,the host told my 70 year old mother she could walk right up to him with in 10 feet to get a picture.WE did not, we used telephoto lens,worked great!Host and kid made for a bad trip!
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Date of stay: August 2012Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Rooms
Location
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Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Balsam Mountain is great! Sites are so well kept and the bathrooms are the cleanest I've ever seen at a campground. I love how this site is set away from other more "touristy" areas of the park. Of course, this means you have to drive a ways to get there. But rest assured you will see the most beautiful overlooks in the park and the most wildlife along the drive. The camp hosts are very friendly and knowledgeable. They will help you with anything you need. Just ask! Hike the 1/2 mile nature trail from the campground to the Heintooga overlook. Talk about a gorgeous view that you can't see by driving! Then the picnic area at the end of Heintooga road is a must see even if you're not hungry. These rock slab picnic tables date back to before the park was a park. You've gotta see it! So much to do around this campground. Some of the sites are more secluded than others but the campground is so quiet you won't need to fret about being close. Love the tent slabs set up to provide level ground for your tent.
Only downfall...no showers in the bathrooms. That would be nice.
Bottom line...A#1 campground!
Only downfall...no showers in the bathrooms. That would be nice.
Bottom line...A#1 campground!
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Date of stay: August 2011Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The elevation makes this a fantastic spot if you want too enjoy a cool night camping. We camped here in early June with a 30' airstream travel trailer and the night temp was probably in the mid fourties. The trailer camping is not that scenic because you basically just park on the side of the road through this small campground, no pull in or back-in sites here. It is very wooded so you should not expect sweeping vistas. it is remote and quite, great starting point for hikes in the area. The bathrooms very clean and the ranger was super friendly. Only 5 other people were camping when we were there on a Monday night. The tent sites looked good
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Date of stay: June 2012Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Balsam Mountain campground was beautiful, remote, clean, and just lovely. We stayed 3 nights. The bathrooms were clean (BYO soap), the dishwashing facility was great, and the camp hosts were very nice. Our only regret is that we didn't know about the sunset overlook that is 1/4-1/2 mile from the campground. It's a beautiful spot to camp, and quite cool in the summertime. You should know that it's a good 30+ min drive from Blue Ridge Parkway, so be sure you have all of your supplies before you start up the mountain! (Although Mile High Campground is 10-15 min away and sells firewood.)
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Date of stay: July 2011Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am 53 and have been journeying to the Smokies since I was 5 years old. I have stayed at most of the other campgrounds frequented by tourists in the park through the years and found this one to be the best so far. The campground is small, but aside from the folks walking by on the paved road, most of the time you feel like you have privacy. There were RV's, but nobody ever ran their generators. Ranger Jack is a great guy. Loves his job, loves talking to everybody, and is knowledgeable about the flora and fauna. BM had a tradition in past years of almost being overrun by bears, but according to Jack, most of them were moved. However, our family hiked the little interpretive trail on day at around 1pm and learned earlier that day another camper had a bear sighting on that trail. Though we never saw a bear near BM, it added to the excitement and anticipation for our 8 year old boy and 7 year old girl. While everyone sweated in near 100 degree temps down below, we enjoyed temps that were 10-15 degrees cooler at 5300 feet. There is a cool, gravel road (14 miles long) that winds down the mountains, leaving from the end of the paved road beyond the campground and exiting near Cherokee. I had never been able to take a vehicle on a road like this in the Smokies before. Now that our family lives only a two-hour drive from Cherokee, and after having stayed at BM, we are already planning our next trip back. Ranger Jack even told us of another area not too far from BM that he said he liked about as much as BM, but you'll have to wait for that review to know what it is, unless you go ask him yourself. So happy I decided to explore this little explored area of the park. Can't wait to go back! You won't see all the typical tourists at this location, only the die-hard Smoky lovers who didn't fear to go where others won't. And for those who don't know about this area, so much the better for those of us who do. Lots of beautiful flowers around the campground with zillions of beautiful butterflies. Saw lots of Turkeys, a beaver, bats, and birds. Many plant species I had never seen before.
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Date of stay: July 2010Trip type: Travelled with family
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Everyone that goes here either loves it or dislikes it. You will love it if you want to be away from tourist traps and enjoy being in the woods. Wonderful views and lots of hiking. Overlook has best sunsets in the Smokies. Downside is small sites, no showers and 40 minutes to town. If you like tent camping and love to cook outdoors, it's for you!
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Date of stay: June 2015Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This a very old campground. The layout is some isolated spots and some spots up against each other. There is actually a reason for the seemingly odd layout. An engineer made the layout so people who tent camp could be social with fellow campers without intruding on their camp simply because they were just right there due to the proximity.
Some people love this, I do. Others feel they don't have privacy.
The sites are all for "tents". However the hosts and rangers will permit small campers to pull up next to the site except for 26 27 28 29 30 and 31 that are walk up tent sites. But these sites have bear boxes so you don't need to store food in the car.
This place is a must do if you tent camp. No power, narrow road so the large campers and motor homes stay away. Cool always because you are at 5300 feet. In late May is still hovers at 35 to 45 at night.
Nights in July and August are 48 to 58 at night and 58 to 68 in the day.
Do try it, you'll be back.
There are a lot of trees around the campground so view is limited. You can see to the west at the sites 14 15 16 26 and 31 there are nice. There is a nice overlook about 1/2 mile away. If you want a nice view but you will be in the sun more there is Mile High Campground at the turn off on the parkway.
I would bring baby wipes to use at night before bedtime or in morning and then once or twice we boiled a bucket of hot water and did a sponge bath. I would wash my hair in bathroom over sink. It was cold. It totally doable
"Bring firewood before you come or plan accordingly. They do not have any available for sale as in the distant past. Also plan on it storming at least half the time since the campground is so high (5300 feet)."Read full review
ALSO KNOWN AS
balsam mountain campground hotel great smoky mountains national park
LOCATION
United StatesTennesseeGreat Smoky Mountains National Park
NUMBER OF ROOMS
46
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Frequently Asked Questions about Balsam Mountain Campground
Which popular attractions are close to Balsam Mountain Campground?
Nearby attractions include Gatlin's Escape Games (3.2 km), Impossibilities Magic, Mindreading and Mayhem! (3.0 km), and Smoky Tours (3.1 km).
Is parking available at Balsam Mountain Campground?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Balsam Mountain Campground?
Conveniently located restaurants include Tennessee Jed’s, Chesapeake's Seafood and Raw Bar, and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co..
Are pets allowed at Balsam Mountain Campground?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.
Are there any historical sites close to Balsam Mountain Campground?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Noah Bud Ogle Cabin (4.4 km) and Historic Ogle Log Cabin (3.5 km).