Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg - Spring Break

[cavie]

Originally Posted by aeblank

Hate to start a new thread just for this, so I'll tack it on to my existing one......

Where to stay around Toledo for one night?
I guess it "can't" be a Walmart that night. So an easy in/out campground that's perhaps even cheap that we can roll into late.......

This is for the first night (after work) on the way to Pigeon Forge. So it is related!

Truckstop. A friend of mine pulls a fiver. Uses them all the time. He's cheap.

[Brother Les]

Originally Posted by cavie

Truckstop. A friend of mine pulls a fiver. Uses them all the time. He's cheap.

I have had overnight 'stop overs' going across country, 100s of times at rest areas, and dozens of times at truck stops....

As with rest areas... at truck stops be situationally aware of where you are and what you are doing. Do not get in the way of these big rigs. 'they' own the place and 'you' are a usually unwanted 'guest'. Park way off to the side and out of everyones way. The fastest way to have some damage to your unit, is to peeve some Big Rig driver off. Most do not own their rigs and 'nick' any pee-on that is in the way. Respect 'their home'.... and 'their place'.... they are working... you are not....

[aeblank]

Certainly aware of the truckstop / reststop / Walmart route. We walmarted all the way to montana on one trip and utah on another, both from Michigan.

This time though, looking for/at actual campgrounds.

[Jperry]

We were there just before Christmas - no prettier place at Christmas IMHO! Stayed at Smokey Bear Campground about 12-15 miles out of Gatlinburg. Not the cheapest one we could find, but it is a great park rated 10/10/10 Good Sam. https://www.smokybearcampground.com/

[merrykalia]

There are so many different options in the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area, so it depends on what you are wanting.

If you want to be in among the action of Pigeon Forge, Pine Mtn. RV Park is a block off of the Parkway, so you are right there, but it is behind a knoll, so you don't get all the noise off the parkway.

If you want to be out among nature, but within a 30 minute drive, Douglas Dam Headwater or Tailwater campgrounds are cheap ($25 per night) and have water/electric. They have a dump station and they have shower houses.

If you want to be on the quiet side, try Smoky Bear in Cosby, TN. It is a great little park and the owners are on-site and they really take care of the place. It's about a 25 minute drive into Gatlinburg, then depending on the traffic, another 15-60 minutes into Pigeon Forge. (Yes, it can take that long during high traffic times and spring break will be one of those).

I have never been, but someone suggested Duvall of the Smokies. We saw it the last time we were there, but we weren't camping, just spending a day there. It is on the back side of Sevierville, so traffic will only be local folks. It is about 15 minutes into Dollywood and another 5 into Pigeon Forge. It's another 10-15 or up to 60 into Gatlinburg, depending on traffic. We will try this place out the next visit since it's been getting some good reviews and is on the smaller side.

Good luck. Check out a good map of the area so you don't have to sit on the Parkway when there are good roads that will bypass most of them, if you use a map.

[aeblank]

My thread revival was for one night along the way, specifically Toledo area.....

[spock123]

Originally Posted by aeblank

Hate to start a new thread just for this, so I'll tack it on to my existing one......

Where to stay around Toledo for one night?
I guess it "can't" be a Walmart that night. So an easy in/out campground that's perhaps even cheap that we can roll into late.......

This is for the first night (after work) on the way to Pigeon Forge. So it is related!

Check out rvparksandcampgrounds, it’s a apps that show all the towns and roads. Another one is rv parky.

[ben31]

campgroundreviews.com for anywhere in the country. Honest reviews and easy to use.

[spock123]

Originally Posted by ben31

campgroundreviews.com for anywhere in the country. Honest reviews and easy to use.

rvparksandcampgrounds and rv parky shows the road you are traveling on plus how far it is to the campground you choose along the way. Both have reviews. You can check the campgrounds up head, they have the phone numbers. Or you can check the campgrounds three thousand miles away.