Fall Tent Camping in the Smokies

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Earlier this month, we braved the forecast and met up with some of our Kentucky friends for a weekend of tent camping in Tennessee’s beautiful Smoky Mountains. It is so nice to live within driving distance of friends and family, definitely one of the perks of leaving NYC. We may have kinda sorta been waterboarded the first night when our tent leaked but Darrell saved the weekend (and our sanity) by going out as soon as Walmart opened and buying the largest tarp for sale! Read more about our camping adventure in this post!

I’m not an outdoorsy girl. My idea of outdoor fun is usually something like those memes say about sipping something refreshing on a patio. LOL. For reals, as a child I enjoyed playing outside but I didn’t like getting sweaty or dirty. As an avid 4-Her I didn’t go to camp until they paid me to go. Literally, the only week I spent at actual “4-H Camp” (not a weekend at a conference held at a camp in pleasant weather) was the year I interned for 4-H and therefore was being paid to work. Super funny when you consider Dr. 4-H Camp himself, the former principal specialist for the Kentucky 4-H Camping Program!! He literally grew up obsessed with camp. So to say opposites attract is pretty true, in that regard.

While it wasn’t a fully unplugged weekend, I did manage to avoid my phone for an entire day and it was so rejuvenating. Being in nature, experiencing God’s beautiful creation, chowing down on yummy food and catching up with dear friends is refreshing unlike any other weekend getaway.

Where We Camped

We stayed at the Pigeon River Campground. Darrell found this campground online. (As the expert on this topic I deferred to him on campground selection!) It was super cute, we were able to bring Penny and the other couple brought their two dogs. We were right beside the river and the sounds and sights were so beautiful in mid-October! The trees still held a lot of their green but many leaves had begun to change and fall. It was like confetti everywhere. We reserved two adjacent campsites so each couple’s tent would have it’s own pad.

Details on Our Tent

Here’s our tent if you’re looking to purchase one. It did leak, (just so ya know) we’re still unclear on how, but it is a couple years old and has been used a handful of times so who knows. It’s an 8 person tent, so definitely spacious for just us and Penny. The awning was great for coming in and out of the rain, but also to cover our shoes in a space that kept them from bringing mud and rain into the tent. It’s pretty simple to assemble and goes up quickly, even in the dark… yeah we weren’t able to arrive as early as we planned and ended up setting up camp after the sun had gone down. We keep the tent and now the tarp as well, in a large plastic tote for easy storage.

Our “Campfire” Meals

Due to so much rain, we weren’t able to cook all of our meals over the campfire. Thankfully there was a grill on our campsite and Courtney brought a camp stove. On the first night, we had steak, potatoes and veggies over the campfire. The next morning we had a breakfast casserole/bake. For lunch, we had some good ole fashion hot dogs and brats, along with lots of chips haha. For dinner on the second night we had “Campfire Queso” pictured below. I found the recipe on Pinterest and I’ve linked it here if you wanna check it out. For breakfast the final morning, we (well everyone else) enjoyed some biscuits (a little burnt haha) and cinnamon rolls. We also had some fruit, sausage and gluten free pumpkin muffins. I couldn’t eat the biscuits or cinnamon rolls but I was pretty happy about the muffins!!

This campfire queso was delicious! I actually made it again the following week just in the oven. It was so tasty and a fun appetizer-style meal. It was also great for camping because I was able to prepare the pans prior to the trip. I used disposable cake tins as individual pans and filled each pan with the ingredients based on preference and allergies. Then I wrapped each with foil and labeled them with a Sharpie. I placed each pan in a gallon size ziploc bag to seal and store in a cooler until time to cook. If making at home, I think rice would be a nice addition to these yummy bowls!

Penny of course had to have a photoshoot with the leaves. Basic girl loving fall haha.

Oh and side note, believe it or not, we got all of our camp gear, food, extra bedding/towels in case of rain (which ended up being very needed) anddd Penny’s crate all in my tiny car!! It was not pretty and we definitely have some ideas for lighter packing on future camping weekend trips, but it worked!!

Gluten Free S’more’s and S’more’s Cones

We (of course) had s’more’s! For the graham cracker part, I used Schar Gluten Free Honeygrams and everyone else used sugar cones. They stuffed the cones with chocolate and marshmallow and then wrapped the cone in foil and placed on the fire. They were a huge hit, however apparently an art skill to master in cooking. I was unaware that Amazon now sells Joy Gluten Free Sugar Cones now, so if I had known, I would have ordered some for the trip, but I’ve linked them below for those who can’t go to a Kroger to find them in stores!! (If they’re available in other stores, I have not found them yet!)

Enjoy additional photos from our weekend below!! I’ve also linked our tent and a few related items below the photo slideshow!

Disclaimer: I am not a dietitian or medical professional and while I share what ingredients work for me or what I choose to eat (at my own risk) while dining out, I advise you do your homework when choosing ingredients and places to eat. I highly encourage everyone to do their own research when it comes to the products they cook with or restaurant’s procedures. I do not have celiac disease but rather a gluten-intolerance and I’m not an expert on gluten or other food intolerances, autoimmune diseases, or food allergies. I simply share the ingredients I have found work for me, the places where I’ve dined and my personal experiences.