Cades Cove late arrival

[chriscowles]

I have confirmed reservations for a site in Cades Cove, GSMNP. It will be a long driving day for us. Does the NP campground close for arrivals at night, as some state parks do? As we have an assigned site I don't have to talk to the staff on my arrival date, as long as I can get to it.

No, I won't arrive at 2 AM and disturb everybody. I don't have to do much on my hybrid besides put chocks under the wheels and open the bed ends. I can leave it connected to the TV and do the rest of the camp prep (leveling, etc.) in the AM.

Thanks for the help.

[WrongWayRandall]

The last time I looked there was a check-in station for when the office was not staffed, and all you needed to do was stop there, do a bit of simple paperwork, and then head to your spot. We have not arrived late before, when staying there, so I can't say with %100 certainty from personal experience. And, since we have not been there in the last few years so this may have changed. It's never a bad idea to give them a call to verify - the number should be on the recreation.gov website, or the park website.

- R

[geotex1]

When we stayed two seasons ago, we also were arriving late. Called ahead and we were told just to occupy our reserved site and check in between 8-9am the following morning. That was their normal procedure.

[chriscowles]

Thanks for everybody's contribution. I tried calling the campground office but got voicemail and left my number. I haven't gotten a return call and don't expect to.

In addition to being able to occupy the site and check in the next day, we revised our itinerary a little. We're stopping overnight at Hungry Mother in Virginia.

That shortens that driving day and puts us within a few hours of Cades Cove. We'll still have time to do things in the campground on our arrival day and I delayed our return to home by one day.

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[WrongWayRandall]

Originally Posted by chriscowles

.. I tried calling the campground office but got voicemail and left my number. I haven't gotten a return call and don't expect to...

I was hiking in the park this past weekend and hardly saw any Park Rangers anywhere outside the visitor center. Given the level of funding they get (not a lot) its not surprising that this early in the season you got their voicemail. The visitors centers are staffed by the same people who work the campgrounds (only the concessionary is private) so you might at least be able to get the ground rules over the phone if you called the Sugarlands Visitor Center. That said, when you can get a human they are always polite and helpful (at least in my experience.)

- R

[chriscowles]

That's my experience as well but, at this point, I don't need to waste their precious time.

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[chriscowles]

Just to clarify, I did get a return call. Somebody in my household neglected to inform me of the message.

[dannyabear]

No firewood allowed to be brought it..

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by dannyabear

No firewood allowed to be brought it..

That's becoming common in all parks.

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