This was our first trip to the Smokies and wow, it was really beautiful! We stayed in Abrams Creek Campground. This is an off-grid campground with bathrooms and a water refilling station. There is no electricity or showers or wifi or cell service. The 2-lane mountain road leading into the campground is full of switchbacks and while they technically allow trailers under 20 feet long, be prepared to hold your breath and cross your fingers if you’re pulling a tiny trailer. The campground is located on Abrams Creek and is really beautiful and yes, you can dip in the creek, but it’s chilly and refreshing without showers available.
We stayed at campsite #13. My advice would be to get any campsite along the creek if available. If those aren’t available then the interior spots are fine. I would avoid our site #13 and site #12 if possible because they are right next to the sidewalk that leads to the bathrooms. While we still had a great time and if those were the only sites available, I would still definitely go, the other sites are more private with fewer people walking by.
The sidewalk between sites 13 & 12 
Looking towards sites 7,8, & 9 
Tiny trailer that made it, Site 11 
Creekside Site 4 or 5 
Water filling station 
Creekside Site 4 or 5 
Trash Cans are Bear Proof 
Looking towards site 12 
Site 13 
Site 13 
Site 13
We only had a couple of days to get in some day hikes. There are a few trails leaving out of the Abrams Creek Campground. The first day we explored a bit of the 0.9-mile area that leads to the beginning of the Cooper Rd Trail. While you can hike to Abrams Falls from the campground, we had read that it is double in length (10-miles instead of 5) and much more strenuous. We opted to hike to Abrams Falls from Cades Cove. From Cades Cove, the Abrams Falls trail is considered moderate and is 5 miles roundtrip and is about 4 hours roundtrip with a pause at the falls to rest, have a snack, and take pictures.
Abrams Falls Trail 
One of several creek crossings 
Abrams Falls 
Trailhead 
Abrams Falls Trail
We also hiked from Abrams Creek Campground to where Cooper Road Trail meets up with the Gold Mine Trail. It is 0.9 miles to Cooper Road and then 1.7 miles from Cooper Road to Gold Mine Trail, so about 3.58 miles roundtrip. This is all uphill on the way there and all downhill on the way back. We did see an elk on this trail and also passed a few thru-hikers on their way to our campground for a rinse-off in the bathroom sink. This trail is quite rocky and there are several places where you have to cross feeder creeks. We were able to stay mostly dry on top of the rocks because none were deep.
Looking up for elk 
Cooper Road Trail 
Backcountry Campsite #1 
Trail Head of Cooper Road to Goldmine 
Creek crossing on the Cooper Road Trail
We also spent half a day traversing the Foothills Parkway. It is currently about 38 miles long and offers amazing views. A lot of motorcycle enthusiasts are on the parkway. It’s best to check the weather conditions as well because there is a haze in the sky from pollution on some days. There are plenty of places to pull off, take pictures, and have a picnic.
Foothills Parkway views 
Foothills Parkway views 
No crowds on the Foothills Parkway 
Foothills Parkway views 
Wildflowers on the Foothills Parkway
Let’s talk about Cades Cove. It’s an 11-mile loop that has many popular hikes and old homesteads to stop at along the way. Yes, it is packed, with traffic. I wouldn’t let that stop you, just bring patience. It will take several hours to get through the loop, however you can pull off at many places along the loop and do day hikes and visit old churches and homesteads.
We did the Abrams Falls hike from here, but we got into the loop early and were parked and ready for our hike by around 9 AM.
We hiked to Elijah Oliver Place (an old homestead) and did the Wet Bottom Trail to the Abrams Falls trail head as well and we even spotted a bear while stuck in traffic in the loop. He was the only bear we saw while in the Smokies. We also had a makeshift picnic in the parking lot of the old church to get out of the traffic loop for awhile.
Amazing views from Cade Cove 
An old barn 
Elijah Oliver Place 
A bear! 
Old Church 
A picnic in the old church parking lot
Final thoughts. I highly recommend the Abrams Creek Campground for a restful, relaxing getaway. Be prepared to have zero service and download both google maps and hikes before you leave. We only had cell service in Maryville, TN. There was zero cell service anywhere within the park grounds. Foothills Parkway is worth a drive and Cades Cove while crowded is worth it. We are already planning our next trip back because it was just so beautiful.
