Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and its fellow resort towns bordering the Great Smoky Mountains provide a wide variety of camping options for pet owners. In addition to Gatlinburg, the towns of Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and Townsend host people and their pets in national and private parks and RV facilities.
State Pet Rules
Tennessee requires dogs, cats and other pets be leashed or crated while on state property. State campgrounds with cabins provide one cabin at each park that allows pets, so if you're cabin-bound, make your reservation early to secure the single cabin in the park you choose.
A $15 per night charge applies to each pet in a state park, and the state can levy additional fees for dogs or cats that bother other visitors and draw complaints. Other basic rules apply to dogs and cats visiting state parks: current vaccinations and owner cleanup of waste.
Gatlinburg
As the most popular camping destination in the Gatlinburg area, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park features more than 800 miles of trails for hiking. Leashed dogs are permitted on the campgrounds and in picnic areas, but only the 1.9-mile Gatlinburg Trail and the 1.5-mile Oconaluftee River Trail allow dogs. Prompt cleanup of waste is expected everywhere in the park.
If you're looking for cabins that accept dogs, the Arrow Creek Campground, also in Gatlinburg, permits two dogs of any size in each cabin. Dogs also are allowed in all tent and RV sites, and no additional fees are levied for pets. Dogs must be attended at all times, leashed, well-behaved and quiet. Owner cleanup is expected on the campground but not along the paved road behind the campground. Unruly pets that are left unattended can be removed by management.
Pigeon Forge
In nearby Pigeon Forge, the Riveredge RV Park offers 175 campsites, plus camping and log cabins. Leashed dogs of all sizes are welcome with no pet fees. Owners must keep dogs inside their RVs when animals are unattended, and there is a dog-walk area for well-behaved dogs to enjoy.
Sevierville
At the River Plantation RV Park in Sevierville, dogs of all sizes are welcome without pet fees. Leashes and cleanup are required, and a dog-walk area at the campground provides extra exercise for animals. Offering mountain views all around, the River Plantation RV Park lies in a valley on the Little Pigeon River and is a short drive from several theaters, an aquarium and other attractions.
Townsend
Situated in the Cades Cove area at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains, Tremont Hills Campground and Log Cabins outside Townsend permits dogs in RV, tent camping and dog-walk areas. There are no dog size limitations and no pet fees. Management requires dogs be attended and leashed at all times. Tremont offers 20 acres of shaded land and a walk along the Little River.
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