Up the Creek RV Camp in Pigeon Forge, TN: A Review
Up the Creek RV Camp is just minutes from the heart of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, but it feels as if it is a million miles away due to the lush trees and quite location.
In the review below, you’ll find everything you need to know about this campground from site photos to an overview of the property’s amenities.
We go to Pigeon Forge regularly to explore the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and beyond, and this is one of the many campgrounds in the area that we’ve tried out.
We loved the convenience to the Parkway, the large lots, and private feel of the entire property, all of which are great reasons to give this cute campground a try.
If you’re looking for a quiet place that’s just minutes from everything in Pigeon Forge, you should consider Up the Creek RV Park!
The Up the Creek RV Camp has antiques throughout, adding to the homey, relaxed feel of the campground.
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Camping in Pigeon Forge, TN: What to Consider
Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg make up a major vacation destination in the Smoky Mountains, and millions of people visit each year. They come for the shopping, seemingly endless activities, Dollywood theme park, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The park alone last year saw over 12 million visitors, if that gives you any idea of how many people contribute to the hustle and bustle of these 2 towns that border the park.
All that being said, you probably associate Pigeon Forge with places like MagiQuest, mountain coaster rides, tribute shows, and shopping at the Island. The Parkway through town is often gridlocked with traffic as families run from one activity to another before they have to make it to the Paula Deen Lumberjack Feud Show for dinner.
It is NOT the place you’d associate with quiet camping.
So, if you’re coming to Pigeon Forge with your family and want to get away from the intense hustle and bustle of the Parkway, you might think you’d need to camp far outside of town.
But that’s not always the case!
Like with just about everything in Pigeon Forge, there’s something for everyone, and that includes campgrounds.
At the very end of our 8-week road trip through Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, and South Dakota, we came through Pigeon Forge on the way back to our home in South Carolina.
We met up with my husband’s side of the family for a fun day out at Dollywood, and we wanted a campground that was close to their rental cabin off of Waldens Creek Road.
That’s what led me to pick Up the Creek RV Camp rather than returning to one of the many campgrounds we’d already stayed at in the area.
Find more campground reviews from across the United States, all of which have been tried and tested by my family!
Other Camping Options Nearby
If you count the number of campgrounds in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, and all of those within a 30 minute drive of both downtowns, you’ve got dozens of potential options.
So, rather than detail each one of those (because, really, who has time for that?!), I’m sharing the other campgrounds we’ve stayed at in Pigeon Forge and how they compare to Up the Creek RV Camp.
Clabough’s Campground was our first experience camping in Pigeon Forge, and we picked it because it is very close to the Parkway and has 2 pools. We stayed here in our pop-up camper and went with my parents, who also brought along their pop-up.
We appreciated the convenience of the campground, the pools, and the on-site store (the breakfast biscuits are SO good). It’s a larger campground, which meant a lot of kids for my kids to play with.
However, the lots here were small, and many were unshaded. Plus, the police visited the campground twice during our long weekend there to deal with some disorderly visitors in the tent section. The other RV campers were friendly and quiet.
I doubt that I’d return here, as I liked both Up the Creek RV Camp and Foothills RV Park (mentioned below) much better.
Foothills RV Park is very close to the Parkway, but, thanks to its position up on a hill, you’re removed from a lot of the noise of being in town.
It’s a small campground with only about 2 dozen sites, so it doesn’t have the activities and bustling feel of Clabough’s. However, we loved the quiet feel of the place, along with the pool and large, clean bathrooms.
We stayed here with my parents in their pop-up trailer, and enjoyed it enough that I wouldn’t hestitate to go back.
Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg KOA is where many families go since it has all of the usual KOA activities and amenities. Kids tend to really like this campground since there’s never a dull moment from splashing in the lazy river to bouncing on the jump pillow.
Honestly, you don’t have to do anything else in Pigeon Forge because there’s so much to do at the campground! If you do want to venture out, it’s within walking distance of the Parkway and just a few minutes’ drive from Dollywood.
The trade off here is that it is very busy during weekends, holidays, school breaks, and summertime, and the lots are tiny.
Up the Creek RV Camp Review
I settled on the Up the Creek RV Camp for this visit to Pigeon Forge thanks to its location near my in-laws’ rental cabin, and the beautiful photos I’d found online of the campground’s wide, tree lined sites.
As I mentioned before, this was our very last stop on a 56 day road trip out west, and I was honestly exhausted by the time we got here.
During our trip, we’d stayed in some great campgrounds like Zion Canyon Campground and RV Park in Springdale, Utah, and Goodland KOA in Kansas, but also some disappointing ones like the Colorado Springs KOA in Colorado.
I really wanted to end our trip on a good note, and having a clean, comfortable campground was important to me.
Thankfully, Up the Creek RV Camp was exactly as described on their website, and I can see why people come back year after year.
The campground is 4 miles from the Pigeon Forge Parkway, but, because it is located down 2 side streets, the property is so quiet and private feeling.
I stayed here for 3 nights in my Winnebago Micro Minnie 1800BH travel trailer.
Check-in Process
We had a very long travel day coming into Pigeon Forge, having traveled from Benton, Illinois, and the Benton KOA to get to the Up the Creek RV Camp.
Despite our 6 AM departure from Benton, we didn’t get to Pigeon Forge until after the campground’s office had closed for the day.
However, the after hours materials were nicely labeled and organized on a bulletin board near the campground’s entrance.
I’d gotten an email earlier that day letting me know what to do if the office was closed during our arrival since it seems like the office has limited hours.
Everything was exactly as the email said it would be, including a map with our site highlighted. Despite it being our first time staying here and being very close to dusk, we were able to find our site easily.
The packet also included pamphlets for Dollywood, the Pigeon Forge trolley map, Anakeesta, Tuckaleechee Caverns, and the Comedy Barn, as well as a large booklet from the Pigeon Forge Tourism Bureau.
While we already had plans for this visit to Pigeon Forge, I appreciate when campgrounds have this sort of information readily available for guests. I have changed my plans at a destination completely thanks to reading through these types of pamphlets (like when I threw out my plans for Colorado Springs in order to go find Rita the Rock Planter troll in Victor, Colorado!).
Individual Campsite Review
Our little Minnie Winnie camper in site 51
We stayed in a back-in lot near the front front of the campground, number 51. This is what they call a “classic” site. It is a site with water, electric, and sewer hook-ups nestled into the trees.
This is the least expensive site type here, but I knew I would be really busy with our extended family during our short stay and wouldn’t have much time at the campground.
Even with getting the cheapest lot, I was amazed at how much room we had. The asphalt pad was smooth with no grade, and I barely needed to level my travel trailer.
My camper is 22’, but we would’ve been able to fit a camper at least a few feet longer in the site (if not more).
The site included a picnic area, fire pit, and excellent privacy, thanks to to the abundant trees on all three sides of the campsite.
The site price includes 2 people, and you have to pay $3 extra per night for each child. The sites here already come at a premium, and I thought it felt like being a bit nickel-and-dimed to have to pay separately for each child when they were just staying in the same camper as I was.
There aren’t any bath houses, playgrounds, or pools here, so I’m not sure what costs the campground is trying to cover by charging extra per night per child.
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Campground Layout
Small metal sign between campsites
The campground is medium sized, but it feels much smaller than it is. There are about 60 sites here spread across two loops.
All of them are well labeled, so you don’t ever have to wonder if you’re pulling into the wrong site.
We stayed in the first loop, which is where most of the Classic sites are.
There are 4 other site types, which are more expensive than the Classic: Deluxe Creek, Deluxe Creek with fireplace, Creek, and Deluxe Pull-Through.
The Creek sites are the same as the Classic sites, but have a direct water view.
The Deluxe Creek sites are also on the creek, but have a bigger patio and a full patio set instead of a picnic table.
The Deluxe Creek with fireplace is pretty self-explanatory, but note that the fireplace is more of an upgraded stone fire pit than a fireplace with chimney.
An antique tractor near deluxe creek site 25 (with fireplace)
Finally, the Deluxe Pull-Throughs are not on the creek, but they are very long sites for the biggest Class A motorhomes and travel trailers.
The small office is directly next to the entrance from Little Valley Road, and the trolley stop, dumpster, and dog park are in the small strip of land between the 2 loops. (Don’t get lot 43: it’s right next to the dumpster.)
The campground is nearly completely surrounded by water: Walden Creek on one side, and Cove Creek wraps around 2 of the other sides.
NOTE: Because of the demand during the fall/ leaf peeping season, prices for all site types are more expensive in October.
Site 27 waiting for its next visitor
Campground Amenities
It’s important to note that you do NOT have any bath houses here, so you’ll need to be able to take showers and use the toilet in your own camper for the duration of your stay.
There are water, electric, and sewer hook-ups at each site to offset this lack of bath houses.
It’s also a campground for those who don’t need much entertainment on-site. After all, Pigeon Forge and its many dinner shows, go-kart tracks, outlets, and parks are just around the corner.
Paved roads
The well kept roads in the first loop in the campground
There are paved roads throughout the campground, and they were extremely well maintained.
The asphalt looked as if it had recently been refreshed, and there wasn’t a pot hole or rough spot on the entire property.
Paved roads do make it easier to pull the travel trailer around, and my kids loved when campgrounds have paved roads as they can ride their bikes and scooters.
Trolley stop
A pretty spot to wait for the trolley
Pigeon Forge traffic is legendarily bad, thanks to the many stop lights, a single main road, and literally hundreds of attractions off of that one road.
If you can avoid driving in Pigeon Forge, you’ll come away less stressed about the entire experience.
Thankfully, the Pigeon Forge area has a reliable and cheap trolley system that will carry you just about anywhere you need to go, including Dollywood and Gatlinburg. An all day pass is only $3 per person, while a single ticket along the Wears Valley Route is just $1 per person. Kids 3 and under are free.
There are 6 routes with the ability to transfer at major areas like the Historic Old Mill.
The Wears Valley Route (also known as the Orange Route) makes one of its stops inside the campground for the ultimate in convenience. On this route, you can stop at the Island in Pigeon Forge, Mountain Mile Mall, the LeConte Center, and the Historic Old Mill.
At the Old Mill, you can transfer to head into Gatlinburg, or catch a bus to Dollywood or Dollywood’s Splash Country.
Final Thoughts on Up the Creek RV Camp
The quiet campground in the early morning hours
While I loved the big lots and quiet feel of the campground, the lack of bath houses, playground or pool would probably prevent us from returning.
If we hadn’t had a family reunion to attend, it would’ve been nice to have something for the kids to do around the campground at night.
That being said, it is an extremely well kept and beautiful campground, and the staff was organized and responsive throughout our stay.
For campers with older kids, empty nesters, or couples, this campground is perfect with a convenient location and pastoral setting.
It truly is the best of the city and the country, all within a 10 minute drive of restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and theme parks.
