Stayed here last week with a church group of about 50 people while doing some Mission work in Cherokee. My experience is from the perspective of the one in charge of cooking and meals for our group. Our group had rented their kitchen space and because we don't live in the area we relied on them to adequately convey the facilities which were woefully misrepresented. BEFORE ARRIVAL: Called 1 week prior to confirm space and storage availability as I was bringing as much food with us as possible. I was informed that from my original call several months prior some refrigerators were no longer working and that they would double check. She further stated that there was a Boy Scout troop coming in and that we would need to share the kitchen space and fridge/freezers. ARRIVAL: We arrive from VA one hour prior to dinner needing to be prepared and served due to traffic and walked into this kitchen area to a disgusting kitchen and dining space. The sink was full of ants and completely clogged, half of the gas stovetop burners would not work and one oven was not functional. There was a layer of filth on everything in there. Our group went to cleaning immediately before we could even prepare food and notified the office of our problems. DURING: Room flooded Two replacement stoves One significant gas leak (where I lost some cognitive function temporarily) Prolific ants Deep freezer full of unlabeled random items that had barely any space available. ..and my home for a week #20 RV...the trailer was cleanish but dilapidated, rusty and had no functioning outdoor lighting. The view off the deck was nice. I will never return or recommend this place to anyone. Ever. Ever. read more

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Great people. Awesome campsite on the river with clean bath house. Will be coming back!!! read more

Ela Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Bryson City, North Carolina

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At first sight I was a l ittle skeptical due to the layout and obvious permanent residents, but then when we saw that we could not get leveled on the assigned site and called the office in hopes someone would answer, Kristy , the owner came right down to the site and assigned us a another site that was large enough for our camper. The after hour customer service was awesome !!! Also, the day we left, I asked for late check-out and again, no problem here, and they didn't even charge us for it !!! Loved this campground and will be back !!! read more

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This is my second time staying at Ela Campground. Each stay was a week long and enjoyable. I resided in the cabins, which run around $300 for 7 days. The cabins have; two bunk beds, mini fridge/freezer, microwave, counter, DirecTV, A/C, heater, and many power outlets. The mattresses are relatively comfortable and the cabins have a decent view of mountain ranges. They're not by the river so no need for worrying about Mosquitos, nor are they by walnut trees so no need to fear loud thumps as one nature-hating reviewer posted. While I agree about the whole "trailer park vibe" somewhat, it's not as bad as another reviewer made it out to be. It's quiet out here and is not very far from the Smoky Mountain Park which is fantastic since that's probably why you're here to begin with. There is Wi-Fi, albeit not very good. It can handle very basic Internet surfing. Hopefully that will be rectified soon. Luckily there is excellent LTE service with AT&T (probably with Verizon too, don't know. Don't have them.) to help fix that darned slow Wi-Fi issue. Though honestly, epic Wi-Fi shouldn't be much of a concern considering you've got epic adventures & views to partake within the Smokies. All in all, very nice place with very nice cabins of which are maintained and kept up. You'll enjoy your stay here in the cabins. Lastly, the restroom/shower facilities are very close to the cabins and have been clean/operational both visits. Hot, consist water. Clean toilets. Always have toilet paper. And most importantly, the toilet paper is 2-ply, so no sandpaper butt napkins! (Whew!) read more

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Well...um I really like the direct tv that they give you. The price to stay here is very reasonable. However, my biggest complaint is the bathrooms. Especially the women's. You are very vulnerable. The door is not allowed to shut, and the showers are directly at the end where anyone that peeks in can see. They clearly do not clean them often, because the same bugs that were stuck to the shower floor yesterday, are now joined with new dead ones today. Also mud, mud everywhere. If you're using an RV, just be ready for a muddy experience. People live in this campsite, which usually is no big deal, but here it is very "rustic". To see broken down and falling apart RVs that are accompanied by a mildewed tent sitting outside of them is the norm. I'm not sure what else you could find around here, but that was my experience. read more

The location was great, close to activities. The campground needs a lot of maintenance done. The grounds need to be mowed, bushes and trees trimmed. The buildings need to be pressure washed and painted. Bath houses need to be totally re-done very old. Too bad it's not kept up has a lot of potential . Would probably not to choose to stay here again. read more

I called to make a reservation for the 4th of July weekend. When I was quoted a rate of $35 for a tent site I asked why they were charging double the going rate in the area. Her answer was "Well, I don't know". Great. Thanks for the info. But since I was trying to put a last minute trip together I figured that I had better just play it safe and book something. The website is Very misleading. As soon as I pulled in and found my "campsite" I was shocked and pretty irritated by the exceptionally low quality of the campground. The campsite was right next to the road and was crammed in between other tent sites. There was no space and no privacy of any kind. The grounds are packed with decrepit old RVs. The entire place has a very run down and nasty vibe to it. I went to check out the facilities and that was the last straw. The bathrooms were revolting! There was actually feces on the floor! I wanted to take a dump on Ela too but my excrement would likely have improved the aroma and appearance of this run down redneck haven! I told them that I was leaving and they refused to refund any of my money. Given how completely misleading the website was I found this to be very dishonest. They basically stole $70. But there was no way that I was going to stay there. I'd much rather sleep in the back of my SUV than stay at this dump. I found an infinitely superior campground just a few miles away for half of the price. If you want to waste your money, ruin your vacation, deal with dishonest and rude staff, and stay in a filthy rotting dump, then by all means book a stay at Ela! read more

My husband and I needed a quick getaway...we loved Ela Campground. We stayed in a RV for two nights. It was super clean and everything in working order. We only had to bring a change of clothes and toiletries. It was so fun fishing off the deck from our RV. The staff was friendly and the bathrooms were super clean. read more

Ela Campground - RV rental at Ela Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Bryson City, North Carolina

This campground is budget friendly, clean and quiet. I was actually very surprised it was so quite because it's very small. Good thing is everything is very easy to walk to the pool, the shower, the river access the camper sites the people there were flat out amazing helpful and sweet. We stayed in a small cabin, I mean small but the 3 of us fit for a two night stay fine. So why not 5 stars???? This place obviously has some seriously tall people installing things I'm only 5'1 but I couldn't reach the lights, AC controls, hooks in the bathroom it was like I was in a world built for people over 6ft. And tho the bathrooms/shower house was clean it had no fan nothing moving air which meant it was very wet and a touch slippery every time I was in there. I had to risk my life to hang up my shower bag by standing on a wet stool!!!! Otherwise great place I'd go again read more

Staff is so friendly and willing to help with anything. We stayed in one of the cabins on the river and loved it. We could fish off the deck. Very nice, clean cabin. My in-laws stayed in their RV just a few sites down and loved their spot on the river, too. We will definitely go back. read more

They really should just take the word "campground" out of their name. As an rv Park they would probably be OK at least 2,maybe even 3 star. How ever for tent camping this is by far the most ridiculous place I've ever seen. The only designated tent sites they have are either right on the pool in a small grassy area, or wedged up against the road. All the camp sites are extremely close together. Due to the river the mosquitos here were HORRIBLE. I got half a dozen bites before I was able to open the trunk and get the spray. The worst part about our experience was the walnut tree almost directly above our campsite. All night long walnuts fell and woke us up. They hit and bounced against our tent, the landed on tables, at one point one hit the window of our car and bounced into me. Even when they landed on the grass they made a loud thump noise that kept us awake at all hours of the night. Also don't be fooled by their no fishing permits necessary statement. Sure you don't need a permit... But Thats because there are no fish in the river to fish for. I was told this by a longtime resident. If you're looking for an actual campground check out Indian Creek campground. It's about half hour away and was VERY nice. That is where we relocated to. read more

Employees very friendly. Location/facilities are old but clean. Do not expect a campsite for tents - this is basically an RV park with a lot of permanent residents that has small slots between the RV's to set up a tent. Located along busy highway, so it is neither private nor quiet. read more

Are you gonna just stand there & whistle Dixie or Go to Ela Campground and have some fun? Best Camping anywhere in the Smokies! If you will forget a few who say this Camp is not their cup of tea, take it from a former BSA Scoutmaster (Eagle Scout) / Royal Ranger Commander, " Best darn Camping & Fun for the whole family" Simply the Best Campground Owners in the Smoky Mountains. My hats off to Gary & Paula Bishop ! Hi to Garth & Buddy, hard working fellows keeping the camp running smooth with maintenance upgrades, repairs & improvements . And Hi to Ken & Kristy, their helpful and friendly complementing the owners & staff with hard work, event planning, & the everyday needs of the campers, and you really cheer up the place with your polite, courteous & fun kids, Brett & Emily. And we can never forget Nick, the fun loving kid we all wish we had....he is one heck of a fisherman, & hunter....Gary has taught him well....We remember couples Keith & Lovey, James & Carolyn, more nice folks to make this camp ground the best family atmosphere in the Smokies...And if you still believe in ol fashion, down to earth folks who love God, love their neighbors, this is the Camp for all Campers who enjoy a good clean, Christian atmosphere....Don't pay any attention to a hand full of negative comments! Take it from an expert woodsmen, this Campground is great for all Campers. God Bless this very special place in the Beautiful North Carolina/Tennessee Mountains. Blessings to the nice church on the hill...And Blessings to Paula's Mom & Dad, who welcomed us into their home with love and some good home cooking.....and I almost forgot Bob!.....GO TO ELA CAMPGROUND AND YOU WILL MAKE MEMORIES THAT WILL BE WONDERFUL & LAST A LIFE TIME......................... I GUARANTEE IT..... read more