Reviews of Under Canvas Great Smoky Mountains

Oasis in the Mountains

Great location in the mountains with no digital signal so peace and quiet

Go somewhere else

To say I was disappointed with our tent would be an understatement. We attended a wedding on the campsite, and as wedding guest the bride and groom were told that if the guests don't stay "on site" at the campsite, they were at risk of not being able to have their wedding there. So, reluctantly, I booked a tent. I paid almost $400 a night only to arrive and find that my tent was infested with mold. After reading through the reviews from previous guest, I read that not only was management aware of the mold problem, but that they were not very likely to do much except offer to move you to a different tent. The problem with that is that other guests from the wedding party also had mold in their tents, so I didn't feel like that moving to another tent would be a very good solution. I did not want to cause a scene during the wedding weekend, so we stuck it out for the two days we were there, although def a little worried for our health as I have asthma and the breathing in viable mold did make me slightly apprehensive. When we checked out on Sunday morning, I immediately emailed the manager, with pictures attached, asking if someone could please respond to discuss the matter at hand. I sent a follow up email a week later as no one got back to me. Shortly after my follow up email, somebody did get back to me, but they called the wrong phone number. I gave them the correct phone number to call, and an email that they can follow up with me at, and never heard from anybody again. After reading through the previous reviews, it seems as though management wouldn't have done much anyway; but for almost $400 a night to camp at these campsites (which is a FAR stretch from the "glamping" they advertise themselves as), I would think that the tents should at the very least not be infested with mold. I do not recommend this campsite for anybody. There are plenty of other beautiful places you can stay in the area to actually get what you pay for and enjoy your stay. And although this next comment is completely off topic, if you're thinking of camping here because you'll see beautiful views of the mountains, don't. I have better views of mountains in my backyard in the Pennsylvania Poconos (yes, I traveled all the way from PA to be this disappointed) than they do at this campsite.

Disappointing

This is our third Under Canvas as we’ve been to the locations at Arches and Acadia. Since those were great experiences, our bar was set high going into this one. It’s located about 15 minutes from Pigeon Forge. Unfortunately, our experience wasn’t that great. With the other two, we had wonderful views of things like the Arches National Park itself, or for Acadia it was alongside a river. Here, it’s just surrounded by some trees so nothing scenic or memorable at all. Also, each park had some other nice touches such as one had some hammocks to relax, and both had games like cornhole. This one had neither and it just seemed to have the minimum setup such as the restaurant and fire pits for smores. They also had a book of trails of the national park I was hoping to leverage but it was from 2003 so that’s laughable that they couldn’t get a more recent guide. It was a hot day and within the main tent/building, they did actually have air conditioning, but it was only in the check-in desk and in the kitchen area. However, the rest of the tent was pretty warm and thankfully since it wasn’t crowded, we were able to get a box fan and put it next to our table or it would have been miserable. For dinner, we looked at the menu in advance on the website and were looking forward to the Bison Chili since it’s a unique item. And of course, once we got a menu, it was crossed out. The servers were still very nice and the food was fine, but if we were staying more than one night we would have gone into Pigeon Forge for any other meals as the menu wasn’t that large. One thing I didn’t like was that unlike the other two camps, we couldn’t even get one bar of cell reception. I then asked the front desk person if they had wireless as I wanted to send some text messages and they said they no and you shouldn’t need it anyway as you should just enjoy the area. Sorry, I disagree. Yes, I agree that the point of the area is to relax and I wasn’t trying to download movies. However, the fact I can’t even send basic text messages to other family members is a possible safety issue. Even worse, after I left her, I checked and there indeed was a wireless network, but it was for staff only, so she wasn’t being honest. Since there is no electricity in the tents (and we had a deluxe one), we were assuming trying to sleep with the heat it would be miserable. Thankfully, it cooled down a little and surprisingly, the two small USB powered fans lasted through the night so that was a pleasant surprise. While nothing really went wrong, overall, we all agreed this was easily the worst of the three locations we have been to, and if we were ever back in the area we wouldn’t come back here.

Unhealthy Mold and Mildew!

We stayed in Tent 20, a deluxe king tent with a private bathroom. This was our first time staying with Under Canvas and was very disappointed! The tent canvas was covered with mildew and mold. The sink had mold all around the drain. Management wouldn't refund our money for the unstayed night even though they weren't fully booked. We were only refunded half of the unstayed night. The manager said they were aware of the mold condition. This is such an unhealthy environment staying in a tent covered in mildew and mold spores. I would move recommend Under Canvas, TN.

Underwhelming.

Remote location.

Did not live up to expectations from videos and reviews for the price.

Peaceful getaway!

My adult daughter and I spent 3 nights here while visiting Great Smokey Mountains National Park. The staff was great. They had a delicious vegan bowl and avocado toast with plant based sausage for breakfast. We stayed in the back part of the park in tent 11. We enjoyed being in the trees. There was plenty of parking. The walk to our tent wasn't far and the path was well lit. They offered to use the golf cart to help us but we planned to bring bags to carry rather than a big suitcase to roll. We had no problems at all. Daughter really enjoyed managing the fire and kept us warm. They provided lots of firewood, kindling, starters and matches. The bed was very comfortable. Nice to have our own shower and toilet in our tent. Music that Saturday night (4/25) was enjoyable, not too loud that you could have a conversation. Nightly s'mores were a real treat. We enjoyed sitting by the wood fire on the hill and talking with other guests, sharing stories and relaxing. If you want to stay closer to the main tent you can make s'mores on the propane fire pits. There was a very loud bird each night which I was told was a whippoorwill. One night it rained and we enjoyed sleeping in our nice warm dry tent while listening to the rain. We brought a cooler and kept it on our porch which was very useful. I use a CPAP and they provided a battery adequate to run it each night, swapped it out with a recharged on before we returned from hiking. You want to make sure and read the Welcome Handbook they'll send you. Very important in formation. We knew there was no electricity in the tents or internet so came prepared with books and games. It was wonderful to sit at night all toasty warm in the tent while reading my book. I finished one and started another! No nightly scrolling on devices. A wonderful opportunity to disconnect! It was about 20 minutes to the park or 35 minutes to Newfound Gap or 1.5 hours to Cherokee. It was lovely to return home to our text after a day of sightseeing. We met some lovely guests while roasting s'mores and the staff was the best! Johnny in the kitchen, I think it was Kaitlyn (from FL) at the concierge desk and many more that took care of us. This was a different type of stay, no unlimited hot water or a thermostat to manage but a wonderful experience Glamping. We want to try Under the Canvas in other locations too! Highly recommend.

Luxury glamping experience

We had an amazing stay at Under Canvas Smoky Mountains and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a unique and elevated Smoky Mountains experience. From check-in, the staff stood out immediately everyone was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable. We really appreciated the orientation walkthrough of the property and our tent, which made everything easy to use and helped us fully enjoy the experience from the start. The property itself is beautifully designed and offers such a fun, social atmosphere without feeling crowded. The on-site food and drinks were excellent, and having live music in the evenings added a special touch. The complimentary s’mores were such a thoughtful detail and made the nights feel extra cozy. We stayed in a Stargazer tent, and it was absolutely stunning. The bed was very comfortable, and the tent had everything we needed while still allowing us to feel connected to the outdoors. It was the perfect balance of luxury and nature. Overall, this was a memorable stay and one of the best glamping experiences we’ve had. We would definitely return and recommend it to anyone visiting the Smoky Mountains.

1000% Book this! It was a gorgeous stay and I would highly recommend!

Gorgeous campsite. Staff were super friendly and couldn’t help enough. Tents were spacious, whole site is clean, safe and had great amenities. We were upgraded to a tent with a bathroom and it is absolutely worth it, so cosy and quiet. Perfect stay for us. Plenty of activities to do like sports, quizzes and smores. Our tent was up in the trees and it was incredible, lovely fire, shower etc was good, bed was super comfy. Honestly can’t recommend enough. Only a short drive back to the great smoky mountains NP.

Absolutely nothing!

Relax and recharge

I was so excited to go here, and my expectations were exceeded! Our space was so comfortable - from the bed to the fire, and the porch. The amenities were amazing. The nightly smores, activities, live music, and delicious dinners and breakfast made our visit seem like it checked every box and then some. The evenings and mornings were so quiet. Listening to the birds in the morning or the fire at night, does not get more relaxing. The thing that stands out the most is the service. The front desk could not be kinder or more helpful. I felt like I had a barrage of questions one morning and they answered them all patiently and knowledgeably. I highly recommend this experience and will seek out Under Canvas opportunities in our travel.

Fantastic Staff and Cozy Glamping

My 13-year old son, another mom and her teen son, and I just returned from a wonderful 4-night stay at Under Canvas! This was our second time experiencing Under Canvas, so we knew what to expect in terms of the unique glamping experience. We opted for the deluxe tent with the separate kids' tent, which gave us plenty of room for everyone to spread out. While it was chilly at night, the extra provided blankets were ample, and we brought our own hot water bottles which we filled each night to ensure toasty warm sheets. However, the lodging was only part of the story. I really want to rave about the amazing staff at this location! We had a blast participating in a cornhole tournament one evening in the common area, and the moms actually won (much to the disappointment of our teenage sons!). But the real highlight was when Victoria, who oversaw the tournament, came back the next day, on her day off, with three other staff members (Holly, Devante, and Austin) to challenge us to a rematch! It was so much fun, and we truly enjoyed getting to know these fantastic individuals. That kind of personal touch and genuine enthusiasm made our trip extra special. We also absolutely loved the food and the on-site activities. We would head out each day for hikes and adventures in the surrounding area, but it was always a pleasure to come "home" to Under Canvas, sit by the fire, mingle with other guests, and enjoy some s'mores. Overall, we had an unforgettable experience and highly recommend Under Canvas to anyone looking for a unique and comfortable outdoor adventure. P.S. Under Canvas, if you're reading this, you really need to add Skillet Cookies to the menu at UC Smoky Mountain! 😉 You know what I'm talking about!

Under Canvas at Smoky Mountains was amazing!

What an amazing experience! We stayed Fri to Sun. We booked the Deluxe Tent and it was wonderful. Own bathroom (toilet and hot shower) in your tent is great, especially because one of the nights it rained heavily. The food was excellent, with variety. The service was excellent. On Sat night, there was live music from Tennessee Rose - and they were fantastic! The included smores were a special touch. You will love it. Great for groups, couples, families and extended families.

The whole staff made the trip extremely special. They were very helpful and professional

All the surroundings smell to dog’s poop, is more like a dog place than a family place. Showers with the one hand faucet is the worst! Come on , if you are saving a lot of money on other things and charging the same of more as the inn Christmas hotel (breakfast included) consider to allow guests to take a normal shower and brush the teeth normal! This is the second time we tried the place because of my Son, but to be honest is not worth the high price for that kind of experience, I know you want to make it look like a camping but for 350+ a night, at least we deserve to take a decent shower, and should place signs everywhere to make people to pick up after their dogs.

A great stay on the beautiful Smoky Mountains

We spent 3 fabulous nights at Under Canvas in August, the 2nd stop of 7 on our Tennessee and Kentucky roadtrip. We are a family of five and had two tents - a Safari one for us and a triple for our 3 kids (18,17&14). The beds were really comfy and the bathrooms in the tent and outside were great. I am not a natural camper and loved the experience. The UC team organised two activities for us - River Snokelling on Greenbrier River (cold but brilliant) and White Water Rafting on Pigeon River (great fun). We loved driving around the area. The team on-site were so helpful with tips and recommendations and looked after us really well at breakfast and dinner. Being able to grab tea and coffee at anytime was really handy too. We really enjoyed sitting around the fire in the evening playing games and eating s’mores too. The night skies and sunrises/sunsets were breathtaking. We would 100% go back and I would love to stay at some of the other sites too.

Great “glamping” experience!!

Great place to disconnect from technology and connect with nature

Great experience but won’t do it again

I have never done any camping or glamping before, but after this, I don’t think I will be able to do it again. It wasn’t that under canvas is not nice, it’s me! I’ve stayed at airstream before where there was AC, running water and electricity. But I was just not able to live without these. I used my phone for navigation from charlotte to Pigeon Forge where my phone was nearly 2% when we got to the camp and found there’s nowhere to charge the phone in type c charger. We asked the front desk if we can borrow one and they couldn’t provide it. There is no WiFi at ground which is kinda frustrated. But that’s the experience of camping/glamping No? Overall I think I had a fun time.

Exceptional

Great place ! Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable.

Superb

Able to fully emerge in nature while staying very comfortable