Big Creek Group Camp — Hotel in Newport

What a gem this campground is! From the tree canopy that creates a cool, dewy environment to the moss covered rocks and trees to the gorgeous river nearby, you can’t beat it! We stayed at Campsite #3 and it was perfect. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire ring with a grate for cooking. The campground has only 12 campsites, drinking water and restrooms.

We hiked two days from the campground, 5 miles to Walnut Bottoms and 6 miles to the Mt. Cammerer overlook. Walnut Bottoms is underwhelming but we ended up eating lunch at a little spot by the river close to it and enjoyed it a lot. The hike to the Mt. Cammerer overlook was steep and difficult but that was to be expected. Both hikes were 99% shaded which makes for a good temperatures on a hot July day.

The river water is COLD but very refreshing! Midnight Hole was great but VERY COLD. We crossed the river and jumped off the rock which was fun.

The only drawback is it is about an hour from the main part of GSMNP so those hikes aren’t easily accessible. Overall, we LOVED this campsite and will...

This has been my favorite spot for the past 22 years. What I love is that everything is the same. Picnic tables, fire rings, other amenitie things do change, but things like Night hole (I don't call it midnight hole) has always been worth the hike. The hidden chimney across the creek. Rock in the tree. Even the old rail pieces are still around.

What has happened is now it is reservation only. Part of the excitement was making the trip to get your spot. If I didn't get it, I'd just run up to cosby for a night or two. There is also no rangers,camp host presence anymore. So people are starting to leave trash and have fires outside of the rings. There was just a random firepit in the middle...

I loved this campground! No RV's! It's small so never too crowded. It's also very well-maintained. The picnic area on Big Creek is a great little place to swim if you don't want to hike to Midnight Hole. Our kids had a blast there. Didn't see any bears though we heard it's a high bear activity area and I do believe I smelled the musky wet-dog scent of a young male bear when I went to the bathroom late at night. I also saw a fledgling black-throated green warbler and both of its parents, along with a bunch of Northern waterthrush. Neat little spot. Loved this little gem of a campground and we will camp there...