A New Campground Just Opened Outside One of the Country's Best National Parks — With a Heated Pool and Fire Pits

Just outside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Roamstead campground caters to seasoned outdoor enthusiasts and newcomers alike.

In 2021, when Shannon Connolly and her husband decided to take their kids on a month-long road trip through Utah and Colorado's national parks in their family camper, they were disappointed with the camping options along the way.

"We love camping and traveling in our camper, but we also really love staying in cool boutique hotels," Shannon Connolly told Travel + Leisure. "We wanted to bridge that gap between the traditional campground as it has always existed and the boutique hotel experience."

So, after a long search for the perfect location, Connolly, who grew up in the Great Smoky National Park area, and her husband founded Roamstead, a company specializing in "modernized campgrounds," as she calls it. Their first outpost just opened on July 25.

Located in Cosby, Tennessee, in a lush, wooded area on the northeastern border of America's most visited national park, Roamstead Smoky Mountains offers a collection of accommodations that run the gamut, from cabins in five different layouts to yurts and lodge rooms. All have waterfront and forest views, immersing guests in nature without sacrificing luxe comforts like an outdoor heated swimming pool, a coffee shop and bar, and a restaurant offering breakfast pastries, pizzas, and craft brews, with a curated menu of craft cocktails also in the works.

"Another thing that we love about campgrounds is their communal nature. So, we have shared campfires in our communal area. We turn them on at night, and people just come up, gather, and sit at the campfire with strangers and share about their day," Connolly explained. She also added that the campground provides guests with complimentary cereal and coffee in the morning. Another useful amenity to parents? Roamstead Smoky Mountains has a playground to keep younger travelers occupied.

The cabins have living room areas with seating and coffee tables, outdoor patios, kitchenettes, and private bathrooms, while the yurts are equipped with queen-size beds, mini-fridges, small decks, and access to a shared bathroom with skin and hair products. All are stocked with bed linens and AC units (the campground will be open year-round).

"The purpose for Roamstead is to be that jumping-off point to the outdoors for any type of camper," Connolly said. "If you've got an RV and a tent and you camp all the time, we've got a place for you. But if you are just getting into that outdoor activity life, and you want to stay in a cabin because that's where you feel more comfortable, then that's good, too. It's much easier to relax, rest, feel rejuvenated, and connect with nature when you feel comfortable in it."

For out-of-state visitors, Roamstead Smoky Mountains is about an hour away from Knoxville, Tennessee's McGee Tyson Airport and Asheville, North Carolina, as well as about four hours from Nashville and Atlanta.

Nightly rates for September at Roamstead start from $60 for tents, $80 for RV sites, $145 for yurts and lodge rooms, and $170 for cabins. You can book your stay at roamstead.com.

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