Pigeon Forge is a gorgeous little town nestled within the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains and along the Little Pigeon River, a river that forms a picturesque valley here perfect for settlement. The town was founded centuries ago as a waystation town for those traveling across the mountains. Today, it remains an important stopover spot for travelers, only now, instead of the goal being to cross over the mountains, the goal for many travelers is to explore within the mountains! what better way to make your travels with natural exploration begin than with a campground base camp? Being such a premier outdoor destination, Pigeon Forge boasts a myriad of excellent campgrounds that offer a variety of experiences ranging from more primitive, wilderness focused, to more luxury backwoods retreats that can very accurately be called glamping experiences. Continue reading to see the very best campgrounds in our Pigeon Forge Campground Guide and what each of them has to offer.

Ultimate Pigeon Forge RV Campground Guide

Clabough’s Campground

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Clabough’s Campground is practically a Pigeon Forge institution now, having offered campsites on the once-family farm property since 1981. Still owned and operated by the Clabough family, this is an incredibly multi-faceted campground that spans 50 acres and features a whole host of amenities.

This Pigeon Forge campground is very family-focused. They have about ten tent-only campsites along their river and hundreds of RV campsites at the center of the property, most with full hookup options. You can also rent cabins and cottages if you don’t have your own camping gear. Amenities at Clabough’s Campground include laundry rooms, heated bathhouses, and two swimming pools, and they even have an upcoming lazy river swimming area they’re set to open later this year.

You’ll find Clabough Campground just a few miles from downtown Pigeon Forge and some of its most popular attractions. In fact, there’s a Pigeon Forge trolley that stops right within the campground and will take guests on to the mountain town and different attractions for under a dollar a person. This convenient facet makes the Clabough Campground a fantastic choice for RVers who aren’t bringing a secondary car.

Camp Riverslanding

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Camp Riverslanding is a picturesque RV campground that has 36 RV campsites right on the Little Pigeon River, as well as over 60 RV campsites on shaded inner tracts. They, unfortunately, are not equipped for tent camping but do offer a nice array of events and attractions for those families traveling by RV. They also have two pretty luxurious vacation rentals on-site. One is the Riverslanding Farmhouse that sleeps up to 12 with four bedrooms and three full bathrooms (and a theater room with stadium seating!) and the other is the Milkhouse Vacation Rental that sleeps up to six.

Camp Riverslanding gets a lot of repeat customers because of its clean and complete amenities and its regular series of events, especially during the summer. These events include things like community movie nights, jambalaya community dinners, and holiday barbecues. Their location fully along the river also makes it possible to tube from one end to the other (tubes are available on-site) and they even have a pet-friendly doggy camp collaboration for those who camp with dogs but don’t want to leave them alone when they check out non-dog friendly Pigeon Forge attractions.

Up the Creek RV Camp

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As you may have noticed, the above two campgrounds are large and very family-focused — which is ideal for those traveling with families or who otherwise desire to be around a lot of amenities. However, if you don’t want to be around a lot of boisterous kids and rather prefer to park your RV where there’s is lots of quiet and nature, then you want Up the Creek RV Camp.

Up the Creek RV Camp lies several miles outside of town on a gorgeous tree-filled property that features mountain creeks along two of its borders. The owners of this campground pride themselves on offering the largest RV sites of any Pigeon Forge campground. So, when you camp here, you can enjoy a calmer, more nature-focused stay. They even have some pretty nice upgraded sites featuring patios with tables and chairs and outdoor stone fireplaces.

Riveredge RV Park and Log Cabin Rentals

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Riveredge RV Park and Log Cabin Rentals is a good value choice for RVers that is located very close to downtown Pigeon Forge. This location features a little over a dozen river campsites and a nice mix of standard and premium RV camps within its center. Amenities in the campground itself include an arcade, refurbished bathhouses, a playground with a splash pad, a pool with paired hot tub, and access to that aforementioned Pigeon Forge trolley.

But while the RV campsites are nice and a good value for the area, where this campground really excels is with its log cabin rentals. These are brand-new park cabins that look and feel like luxury tiny homes. Each comes with a fully equipped kitchen inside and a nice outdoor patio featuring a wood-burning fireplace and gas grill for cooking.

Riverbend Campground

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Riverbend Campground is an RV-only campground that is located at one of the large bends of the West Prong Little Pigeon River. This Pigeon Forge campground has a very community feel as they offer on-site Saturday evening singing and Sunday church services (a preacher comes on-site for Christian worship services each week). This location is exceptionally dog friendly and its location along a long bend of the water means more tubing and fishing opportunities (as well as more riverside campsite options).

Find the Best Outdoor Experiences in Pigeon Forge

We hope our Pigeon Forge campground guide helps you to determine where to stay during your upcoming travels to the area. Now, to answer where to dine and what to do during your stay? Make sure to check out our other Pigeon Forge guides and reviews to learn more about this beautiful part of Appalachia and to put together your perfect vacationing itinerary.