Spivey Cove Campground

Great Smoky Mountains

Great Smoky Mountains

About this campsite

Overview

This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature.

If this option is available, you will need to first download the free Recreation.gov mobile app https://www.recreation.gov/mobile-app prior to your arrival as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service.

Location

Spivey Cove Campground•TN

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Common questions about Spivey Cove Campground

Is Spivey Cove Campground free to camp at?

Yes. Spivey Cove Campground in TN is a free camp, so there is no nightly fee to stay. There is no booking system for it, so plan on first in, best dressed, especially on long weekends. We hold no facilities list for it, so go in self sufficient with your own water and a way to deal with rubbish.

Can you book Spivey Cove Campground online?

We hold no online booking link for Spivey Cove Campground, so it is not bookable through this page. For sites like this, turning up early in the day is the surest way to get a spot, particularly in peak season.

Where is Spivey Cove Campground?

Spivey Cove Campground sits in TN. The map on this page shows the exact spot, and the coordinates travel straight into your navigation app. Check road conditions before you set out if you are towing, since access tracks can change with the weather.

Nearby Campsites

within 50km

1.0 km away

Dam Creek Walk-In Campground and Picnic Area

This Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) site offers a quiet retreat for picnicking and camping.

2.0 km away

North River Campground

Overview This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature. If this option is available, you will need to first download the free Recreation.gov mobile app https://www.recreation.gov/mobile-app prior to your arrival as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service.

2.5 km away

DONLEY CABIN

Overview Donley Cabin is a primitive and historic structure in the heart of the Cherokee National Forest, offering visitors a glimpse of the past. The cabin does not have electricity, running water or locks on the door. Guests should be aware that visitors often frequent the cabin during tours of the area. It predates the Civil War and is among the oldest cabins available for rental in the Forest Service system. The cabin offers access to a variety of recreational activities, including numerous trails and streams. Visitors must walk a quarter-mile from the parking area, along a slight grade and over a bridge on the North River, to the cabin. All equipment must be carried in. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring many of their own amenities. No pets are allowed except for service animals. The cabin is available by RESERVATION ONLY. Walk-ins are not allowed. Recreation The one-room cabin contains a full-size metal bed and two bunk beds that can accommodate up to six people. All beds have bed frames but NO mattresses. There are hiking trails and fishing streams in close proximity to the cabin. The nearby Sycamore Creek Trail is a short drive north on Tellico River Road. The 2-mile trail starts near a picnic area and a fish hatchery and follows an old logging road and railroad bed along Sycamore Creek. Big Cove Branch, a tributary to the North River that contains two distinctive waterfalls and trout-fishing opportunities, is also not far from the cabin. Hunting is also a popular activity enjoyed by visitors to the area from September through December. Hunters and their dogs may frequent the nearby trails during that time. Facilities The one-room cabin contains a full-size metal bed and two bunk beds that can accommodate up to six people. There is a rustic fireplace, kitchen table and chairs as well as rocking chairs available to sit on the cabin's front porch. An outhouse with a vault toilet, campfire ring and grill are available outside the cabin. Guests must bring their own water for drinking, cooking and cleaning purposes, as well as lanterns or flashlights, bedding, towels, cooking and eating gear, food, garbage bags, toilet paper and other necessities. Firewood that is dead and down may be obtained from the surrounding forest. Natural Features The restored cabin sits in a wooded area of the forest's Tellico River area, at an elevation of 2,000 feet. This part of the forest is known for its three rivers, their tributaries and waterfalls. The cabin is several miles north the 90-foot Bald River Falls. A variety of wildlife make its home in the area. The area is also known for its abundant brown, rainbow and book trout. Snakes and mice can be seen in the area as well. The surrounding foliage is beautiful in the fall. Nearby Attractions Driving in or out, guests can visit the mountain town of Tellico Plains, which is known for its arts and crafts. Guest can also enjoy the Cherohala Skyway, the 43-mile National Scenic Byway that stretches from Tellico Plains, Tennessee, to Robbinsville, North Carolina.

2.6 km away

Birch Branch Campground

3.1 km away

MCNABB CREEK GROUP

Overview McNabb Creek Group Campground is located on the North River in the Tellico River area. Fishing, swimming, hiking and hunting are popular activities. Recreation The North River offers plenty of fishing and swimming opportunities. Visitors also enjoy hiking local trails and seasonal hunting. Facilities The campground offers one group site that can accommodate from 10 to 60 people. It is equipped with picnic tables, grills and portable toilets. Natural Features The campground sits along the North River, a major tributary of the Tellico River, in the Smokey Mountains of the Cherokee National Forest in eastern Tennessee. Cherokee is Tennessee's only national forest, covering 650,000 acres from Chattanooga to Bristol along the North Carolina border. The forest is in the heart of the Southern Appalachians and is home to more than 20,000 species of plants and animals, as well as many rivers, creeks and lakes. Elevations range from 750 to 5,500 feet. Nearby Attractions The mountain town of Tellico Plains, less than 20 miles away, is known for its arts and crafts. The campground is 18 miles off the Cherohala Skyway, a 43-mile National Scenic Byway stretching from Tellico Plains, Tennessee, to Robbinsville, North Carolina.