Best Tent Camping: Southern Appalachian and Smoky Mountains. Johnny Molloy

      You can hike to Mount Cammerer via Low Gap from Cosby Campground.

      Set on a slight incline in what once was pioneer farmland, this attractive terraced campground is surrounded on three sides by mountains. The large camping area is situated between the confluence of Rock and Cosby Creeks. On my trips to the area I have rarely seen Cosby Campground crowded, whereas other equally large Smokies campgrounds are sometimes cramped, noisy, and overflowing. Several loops expand the campground, and bathrooms are conveniently located throughout the site.

      Now beautifully reforested, this area is rich in Smoky Mountain history. Cosby was one of the most heavily settled areas in the Smokies before Uncle Sam began buying up land for a national park in the East. The farmland was marginal anyway, so, in order to supplement their income, Cosby residents set up moonshine stills in the remote hollows of this rugged country. As a result, Cosby became known as the “moonshine capital of the world.”

      In remote brush-choked hollows along little streamlets, “blockaders”—as moonshiners were known—established stills. Before too long they had clear whiskey, or “mountain dew,” ready for consumption. Government agents known as revenuers, who were determined to stop the production and sale of “corn likker,” battled the moonshiners throughout the hills. It is doubtful that any stills operate within the park boundaries today; however, in other areas of Cocke County, someone is surely practicing the art of “feeding the furnace, stirring the mash, and judging the bead.”

      Its past is what makes Cosby so interesting. Trails split off in every direction, allowing campers to explore the human and natural history of this area. Follow the Lower Mount Cammerer Trail 1.5 mile to Sutton Ridge Overlook. On the way to the overlook, watch for signs of homesteaders from bygone days: rock walls, springs, and old chimneys. At the overlook you’ll get a good lay of the land: Gabes Mountain to your east, the main crest of the Smokies to your south, the Cosby Valley below, and the hills of East Tennessee on the horizon.

      Another hiking option is the Gabes Mountain Trail. Along its 6.6-mile length, this trail passes picturesque Hen Wallow Falls and meanders through huge old-growth hemlock and tulip trees and scattered old homesites. Turn around at the Sugar Cove backcountry campsite.

      Don’t forget to explore nearby Greenbrier. The 4-mile Ramsay Cascades Trail traverses virgin forest and ends at a picturesque waterfall that showers hikers with a fine mist. The Brushy Mountain Trail winds its way through several vegetation zones to an impressive view of the looming mass of Mount LeConte above and Gatlinburg below. Grapeyard Ridge Trail is the area’s most historical and secluded hike. Walk old country paths along Rhododendron Creek and count the homesites amid fields slowly being obscured by the forest. At 3 miles, just before the Injun Creek backcountry campsite, look for the old tractor that made its last turn in these Smoky Mountains.

      The crown jewel trek from Cosby Campground is the 6-mile hike to the restored Mount Cammerer fire tower. Built on a rock outcrop, it was formerly called White Rock by Tennesseans and Sharp Top by Carolinians. It has since been renamed Mount Cammerer, after Arno B. Cammerer, the former director of the National Park Service. Restored by a philanthropic outfit called Friends of the Smokies, the squat, wood-and-stone tower was originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Depression. The 360° view is well worth the climb. To the north is the Cosby Valley and the rock cut of I-40. Mount Sterling and its fire tower are to the south. The main crest of the Smokies stands to the west, and a wave of mountains fades away on the eastern horizon.

      Cosby Campground is a real winner. Where else can you set up your tent in the middle of history? In the summer, naturalist programs in the campground amphitheater offer campers a chance to learn more about the area from rangers and other park personnel. The campground’s size allows campers to set up near or away from others to achieve their perfect degree of solitude. If you are in the mood for company, however, the tourist mecca of Gatlinburg is nearby. There, you can visit an Elvis museum, see a musical revue, stock up on souvenirs, and stuff yourself with taffy—and even get some locally made legal moonshine.

      GETTING THERE

      From Gatlinburg, take US 321 North for 18.1 miles, until it comes to a T-intersection with TN 32. Turn right onto TN 32 South, and drive 1.2 miles; then turn right into the signed Cosby section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Drive 2.1 miles to the campground registration hut.

      From I-40, take Exit 447 (Hartford Road). From westbound I-40, turn left onto Big Creek Road and then immediately right onto Hartford Road, or, from eastbound I-40, turn right onto Hartford Road. Drive about 2.1 miles; then turn left onto Lindsey Gap Road, and drive 1.3 miles. Turn left onto Ground Hog Road, and drive 1.2 miles; then turn right onto TN 32 North, and drive 1.6 miles. Turn left into the signed Cosby section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and drive 2.1 miles to the campground registration hut.

      GPS COORDINATES N35° 45.300' W83° 12.474'

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