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The Elkmont area of the Great Smoky Mountains national park is located in the Tennessee Smokies between the Gatlinburg / Sugarlands area and the Townsend / Tremont area of the GSMNP at 2,220 feet of elevation. You gain access to the Elkmont Entrance Road via Little River Road.


Elkmont is an extremely popular part of the Great Smoky Mountains national park to hike, ride horses and camp in either the large developed campgrounds or the backcountry primitive sites close by. Fishing is also very popular in Elkmont.

Elkmont has become even more popular due to the discovery of the rare synchronous fireflies that flash in unison during the mating season. Every spring more than 1,000 people a day come to Elkmont to see the miracle of this beautiful natural phenomenon. Read more about synchronous fireflies in GSMNP and shuttle transportation to the firefly event.

The front country campgrounds and the campground store are open most of the year but do close during part of the winter. The Cades Cove campgrounds about 1/2 hour away are more popular and parts of it remain open all years long.

Elkmont has no developed picnic areas with tables and grills for people not camping, and there is no Visitor Center, however there is a seldom used amphitheater where some programs take place and the unique distinction of having 2 restored historic buildings that can be rented by the public for events.

Though fishing is enormously popular along the Little River, other branches and creeks in Elkmont such as Lost creek, Fish Camp Prong, ash Camp Prong, Rich Branch, Meigs Post Prong, Sweet Creek, Rough Creek, Goshin Prong, Silers Creek and Buckeye Gap Prong can also be very productive.

Elkmont History and Historical District

Originally heavily logged by the Little River Lumber Company, Elkmont later become and enormously popular tourist destination before the park was formed.

Many dilapidated abandoned vacation homes remain in Elkmont, though most of these are slated for destruction and removal other than the most approximately 20 that are deemed worthy of restoration due to their cultural and historic significance as well as their condition.

It is a crime to trespass in and around the deserted buildings in the historic district as these building not only pose a significant danger of collapsing, they also have lead paint and in some cases asbestos building materials posing further health risks to those exposed to the buildings.

It is also a crime to remove or damage any material in the park. Broken glass bottles, pieces of rusted bard wire fencing, wood from a building, bricks, hardware, stones and even common outdoor plants are all protected by federal law. Other than fruit, nuts, berries, edible mushrooms and fish with a fishing license, nothing is allowed to leave the park.