A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

National Park Service campground

Look Rock Campground

National Park Service campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Blount County, Tennessee. 2,562 feet. 8.1 miles from Maryville.

Managed by
National Park Service Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Elevation
2,562 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
68 53 standard non-electric, 6 standard electric, 5 tent only non-electric
Longest rig
48 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
Electric, Water
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Blount County

Overview

Look Rock Campground is located along the beautiful Foothills Parkway West. The campground offers 68 campsites in a high country wooded landscape. It offers a traditional outdoor camping experience with the added convenience of flush toilets, drinking water, and a dump station. There are 10 sites with electric hookups. There are no shower facilities at the campground. Avoid GPS directions leading you along Montavale Rd, Happy Valley Rd, or Flats Rd if you are towing a trailer or vehicle.

Recreation

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a hikers paradise. Visitors to Look Rock Campground love the opportunity to enjoy day hiking and backpacking the parks 802 miles of trails. There are abundant opportunities for wildlife viewing as well as birding. The park is also a fisheman's paradise. While there are no fishing opportunities at the campground itself, it is just a short drive to several lakes and many streams where trout are abundant. Many visitors enjoy the scenic views that the Look Rock observation tower offers. There is a beautiful picnic area nearby for day use. Visitor looking for scenic roadways will not be disappointed. The Foothills Parkway West offers a relaxing drive through the high country, with many scenic pulloffs along the way. Nearby is the section of State Route 129 know as "The Tail of the Dragon". This unique section of roadway offers scenic views and features 318 curves in 11 miles.

Facilities

The campground offers 68 campsites in a high country wooded landscape. It offers a traditional outdoor camping experience with the added convenience of flush toilets, drinking water, and a dump station. Each campsite has a picnic table, tent pad, and fire ring. Some sites will accommodate tents only, while other sites will accommodate large camper trailers. There are 10 sites with electric hookups. Be sure to reserve a site that will accommodate the type of equipment you plan to bring. There are no shower facilities at the campground.

Natural Features

Look Rock sits at a higher elevation than most of the other campgrounds in Great Smoky Mountains. It features a wooded, high country landscape. There is a nearby picnic area for day use, and the Look Rock observation tower offering panoramic views of the park. The campground is just a short drive to Chilhowee, Cadlerwood, and Cheoah Lakes, providing ample fishing and boating recreation. There are many opportunites for unique and scenic drives in the area. Wildlife viewing opportunities abound. While hiking is limited from the campground itself, the nearby main section of the park offers over 802 miles of hiking trails. A hikers paradise.

Nearby Attractions

Look Rock Observation Tower

State Route 129 (Tail of the Dragon)

Calderwood Lake

Cheoah Lake

Chilhowee Lake

Look Rock Picnic Area

Little River

Abrams Creek

Cades Cove

Twenty Mile

Appalachian Trail

The description, directions and fees are the National Park Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • birding
  • camping
  • hiking
  • lookout tower
  • photography
  • picnicking
  • scenic drive
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Look Rock Campground

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated August 14, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.