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Cataloochee Campground: how hard is it to reserve?

Great Smoky Mountains National Park · National Park Service · Waynesville, NC

DifficultyVery hard90/100

Weekends booked (90d)96%

Weeknights booked (90d)94%

Dates with an open site (30d)7/30

As of Oct 10, 2026, 96% of Friday and Saturday site-nights at Cataloochee Campground over the next 90 days are already reserved, compared with 94% of weeknights. Demand is high all week, not just on weekends, so book as early as the reservation window allows. In the next 30 days, 7 of 30 dates have at least one open site (22 open site-nights in total; 22 over 90 days).

Upcoming weekends

Weekend (Fri–Sat)	Booked	Open sites Fri	Open sites Sat
Oct 16, 2026	100%	0	0
Oct 23, 2026	100%	0	0
Oct 30, 2026	n/a	0	0
Nov 6, 2026	n/a	0	0
Nov 13, 2026	n/a	0	0
Nov 20, 2026	n/a	0	0

Snapshot history

History accumulates daily from Oct 10, 2026. We have 1 daily snapshot so far; trend analysis (how far ahead weekends fill, cancellation patterns) will be added once enough history exists.

Snapshot date	Score	Weekends booked	Weeknights booked	Open dates 30d
Oct 10, 2026	90	96%	94%	7

About Cataloochee Campground

27 campsites (27 listed in availability data)
$30 per night
Recreation.gov rating 4.7/5 from 457 reviews
Equipment: Tent, RV, Trailer, Caravan/Camper Van, Pickup Camper, Fifth Wheel, Pop up
Activities: Wildlife Viewing, Hiking, Fishing, Camping, Historic & Cultural Site, Backpacking

Cataloochee campground is located in the historic Cataloochee Valley--a relatively remote part of Smoky Mountain National Park. The secluded setting offers visitors the ability to enjoy a multitude of recreational activities like hiking and fishing, without the crowds, which are sometimes common in other parts of the park.A number of the park's famous historical buildings, including the Steve Woody and Caldwell Houses, both built in the late 19th-century, are nearby the campground. The Steve Woody House, built in 1880, is located along the Rough Fork trail, an easy 2-mile roundtrip hike from t…

Description excerpt from Recreation.gov.

Check live availability and book on Recreation.gov →

Other campgrounds in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Campground	Difficulty	Weekends booked	Open dates (30d)
Elkmont Campground Great Smoky Mountains National Park	Moderate	82%	26
Cades Cove Campground Great Smoky Mountains National Park	Moderate	63%	26
Smokemont Campground Great Smoky Mountains National Park	Not measured yet	n/a	n/a
Cosby Campground Great Smoky Mountains National Park	Hard	91%	12
Deep Creek Campground (Nc) Great Smoky Mountains National Park	Hard	94%	13
Balsam Mountain Campground Great Smoky Mountains National Park	Not measured yet	n/a	n/a
Look Rock Campground Great Smoky Mountains National Park	Not measured yet	n/a	n/a
Big Creek Campground (Great Smoky Mountains National Park) Great Smoky Mountains National Park	Not measured yet	n/a	n/a
Abram'S Creek Campground Great Smoky Mountains National Park	Not measured yet	n/a	n/a

Nearby campgrounds

Campground	State	Difficulty	Weekends booked	Open dates (30d)
Mount Pisgah Campground Blue Ridge Parkway	NC	Very hard	99%	12
Lake Powhatan National Forests in North Carolina	NC	Easy	50%	26
North Mills River National Forests in North Carolina	NC	Not measured yet	n/a	n/a
Davidson River National Forests in North Carolina	NC	Easy	47%	27
Van Hook Glade National Forests in North Carolina	NC	Not measured yet	n/a	n/a
Standing Indian Campground National Forests in North Carolina	NC	Not measured yet	n/a	n/a

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