Memorial Day — Great Smoky Mountains
Memorial Day in the Smokies — summer-season opener at America's most-visited park.
Days to go
636days · May 27–29, 2028
Where to sleep near Gatlinburg
Verified campgrounds whose own nearest town is Gatlinburg — rig limits, fees and booking windows straight from the operator. Book these directly; they are not PickRV rentals.
- Elkmont Campground (Great Smoky Mountains NP)Nearest town: Gatlinburg · National Park Service$30/nightRigs to 40 ftBooks 6 months ahead via recreation.gov
Elsewhere in Tennessee
Cades Cove Campground (Great Smoky Mountains NP)Nearest town: Townsend · National Park Service$30/nightRigs to 35 ftBooks 6 months ahead via recreation.gov- Fall Creek Falls State Park CampgroundNearest town: Spencer · State Park / State Forest$25–$50/nightRigs to 50 ftBooks 12 months ahead via tn state parks portal
- Cumberland Mountain State Park CampgroundNearest town: Crossville · State Park / State Forest$22–$45/nightRigs to 45 ftBooks 12 months ahead via tn state parks portal
Going to Memorial Day — Great Smoky Mountains? Tell us the nights.
Local owners list their own rigs here. You get a single email when one is listed for your window.
What you need to know
Memorial Day opens the busy Smokies summer. Townsend and Gatlinburg-gateway RV parks fill as the season's first major holiday brings family travelers to the park.
Safety + legal
Cades Cove loop traffic backs up for hours on holiday weekends — go at dawn, and never approach bears or elk along the road.
Insider tip
Townsend (the 'quiet side') sits minutes from Cades Cove with calmer RV parks than the Gatlinburg strip — a smarter holiday basecamp.
Plan your trip · May 27–29, 2028 · Townsend / Gatlinburg gateway
Rent an RV near Memorial Day — Great Smoky Mountains
Search runs on your May 27–29, 2028 window with a one-day buffer on each side — arrive early, leave late. Whether an RV is listed for those dates depends on what Tennessee hosts have posted, so the campsite plan below is worth locking either way.
- Dates
- May 27–29, 2028
- Days away
- 636
- Location
- Townsend / Gatlinburg gateway
- Book ahead
- 10+ weeks
- Planning window
- Start early
Hosting near Townsend / Gatlinburg gateway? List your rig and put your calendar in front of event travellers.
List your rig →Start early, arrive easy — the whole runway
The honest runway from start-looking to head-home, with a one-day buffer on each end.
Start
~10 weeks out
Give yourself ~10 weeks to line up a rig and a campsite.
Arrive
May 26
Roll in a day early and set up camp.
Event
May 27–29
Memorial Day — Great Smoky Mountains
Head home
May 30
Leave a day late and skip the exodus.
Best rigs for Memorial Day — Great Smoky Mountains
First pick first — each row opens a search for May 27-29, already filtered to the class.
Plan it by rig
Each class above has its own planning page for Memorial Day — Great Smoky Mountains — class fit and booking guidance in one place.
Frequently asked about Memorial Day — Great Smoky Mountains
When is Memorial Day — Great Smoky Mountains?
Memorial Day — Great Smoky Mountains runs May 27–29, 2028 in Townsend / Gatlinburg gateway, Tennessee.
Where is Memorial Day — Great Smoky Mountains held?
Townsend / Gatlinburg gateway, Tennessee.
What are the exact 2028 dates?
May 27–29, 2028.
What RV should I rent for Memorial Day — Great Smoky Mountains?
Best categories: rv, trucks-vans. Memorial Day opens the busy Smokies summer. Townsend and Gatlinburg-gateway RV parks fill as the season's first major holiday brings family travelers to the park.
How early should I book an RV?
Recommended lead time: 10 weeks. Event windows book up early, so search and lock your dates as soon as your plans firm up.
What safety and legal guidance applies?
Cades Cove loop traffic backs up for hours on holiday weekends — go at dawn, and never approach bears or elk along the road.
What's an insider tip?
Townsend (the 'quiet side') sits minutes from Cades Cove with calmer RV parks than the Gatlinburg strip — a smarter holiday basecamp.
Ready to roll?
Tennessee is waiting.
Complete nightly price on every listing — your exact total itemized before you pay · 48h free cancel. Every rig near you, one checkout.
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Cross-discover same-state events you can stack with your trip, plus promo events in other states.
PickRV is an independent RV-rental marketplace and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the NFL, FIFA, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, the International Olympic Committee, or any event organizer. All event names and marks are the property of their respective owners and are used here only for factual, descriptive reference.
Plan around the event · 4
Hub state · nearest city · nearest park · recommended rig category — one click each.
State rules, safety and legalLicence + towing rules, insurance basics and the non-affiliation notice.
Important: travel + safety + insurance disclaimer
This guide is provided for general informational purposes only. PickRV is not an insurer, legal advisor, or vehicle-safety authority. Trip planning, route selection, rig suitability, weather, and emergency decisions are the renter's responsibility. Always consult the rig manufacturer's owner's manual, your insurance provider, the U.S. National Park Service (nps.gov), NOAA / NWS weather alerts (weather.gov), state and local emergency-management agencies, and current local regulations before and during travel. Cost figures, season windows, road conditions, and fee references on this page are estimates as of May 2026 and vary by season, location, rig, carrier, and operator. Mentions of brand names, state-tourism marks, national-park feature names, or third-party programs are informational only and do not imply affiliation, sponsorship, or endorsement.
Before you rent in Tennessee — key local rules
CDL rules start at 26,001 lbs — below that the standard license applies — TN Driver Services
Boating Safety Certificate required for operators born after 1988 — TWRA — Boating Safety
Royal Blue OHV + Brimstone Recreation: per-area permits — TWRA — OHV/ATV Recreation
0.08% BAC; the open container ban applies to the driver only — TN Department of Safety — Public Safety
Editorial summary, not legal advice. Verify with TN Driver Services before relying. Reviewed in the last 3 months (as of 2026-05-24).
Tennessee rules · last verified 2026-05-10
- State rental tax
- 7% · not collected by PickRV
- Min driver age
- 21+ std · 25+ Class A
- Gravel roads
- Allowed — disclosure required
- Generator quiet
- 22:00-07:00