Big Creek Group Camp
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Big Creek Group Camp is located in the far northeastern corner of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, near the Tennessee-North Carolina border.
With the gentle waters of Big Creek running alongside the site, and a handful of trailheads within walking distance, this campsite offers an ideal setting for group camping excursions.
Big Creek Group Camp offers an unforgettable outdoor experience combined with the convenience of flush toilets, drinking water and sinks.
The campsite can accommodate up to 25 guests and tent pads, grills and fire rings are provided. The site is surrounded by a heavy canopy of towering forest, providing plenty of shade for guests.
Notifications and Alerts
Abrams Creek, Big Creek, Balsam Mountain, Cataloochee, Cosby, and Look Rock campgrounds are closed. We regret any inconvenience. The park’s largest campgrounds are currently open: Cades Cove, Elkmont, and Smokemont. Deep Creek will open as planned on April 18.
Need to Know
Beginning March 1, valid parking tag is required for any vehicle parking for more than 15 minutes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Front country campers parked at their designated campsite will not be required to have a parking tag. If they park elsewhere in the park, a parking tag will be required. Please note that parking tags will be required for vehicles in excess of what is allowable for each campsite.
Over the last 10 years, an average of 339 negative human-bear encounters have been reported each year; many more go unreported. Visitors should be aware that high bear activity can occur in any area, and that your safety is not guaranteed. To increase your odds for a safe visit, please follow best practices for living and recreating in bear habitat. Stay alert and be prepared to react appropriately during possible encounters, and always report any unusual bear interactions as soon as possible.
Caution: Bear Habitat! Bears and other wildlife frequent the area. All food and equipment used to prepare and store food (even when empty, and even if certified as bear resistant) must be kept in a sealed vehicle or camping unit of solid, non-pliable material AT ALL TIMES when not in use. All scented items, as well as all water containers MUST be stored. Dispose of garbage promptly in dumpsters provided. Unattended or improperly stored coolers, food and/or scented items may be impounded by campground staff. Violators are subject to fines.
- Dispose of garbage promptly in bear-proof dumpsters.
- Firewood Restriction: Only heat-treated firewood bundled in its original packing and bearing a certification seal from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) or a state department of agriculture may be brought into the park. This rule is strictly enforced. Campers may also collect dead and down wood in the park for campfires.
Firewood Vendors. Heat-treated wood is available from a growing list of private businesses in communities around the park. Please visit firewoodscout.org for a list of av ailable vendors near the park. Concessioners at Cades Cove, Elkmont, and Smokemont will provide heat-treated wood for sale during their operating season. Certified heat-treated firewood is packaged and clearly marked with a state or federal seal.
- For additional information about these firewood regulations, please visit the park website at http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/frontcountry-camping.
- A reservation is required to use a group camp.
- There are no showers or electric, water or sewer hook-ups in the park. Some group sites are accessible.
- Quiet hours are in effect from 10 PM to 6 AM. Generator use is prohibited in group camps.
- Fires are allowed in fire rings only!
- A minimum of 7 people is required for group site use. Maximum site capacity is 25 people. The park stay limit is 14 consecutive days.
- A Tennessee or North Carolina fishing license is required to fish in the park. Special regulations apply in the park.
- Pets are permitted but cannot be left unattended. All pets must be kept on a leash at all times. Pets are not allowed on trails.
- For additional park information call 865-436-1200 or visit www.nps.gov/grsm
Natural Features
Big Creek Group Camp is nestled among the scenic mountains and pristine streams surrounding the big creek section of the North Carolina Smokies.
Nearby Mouse Creek Falls, a 35 foot waterfall forming at the confluence of Mouse Creek and Big Creek, is a stunning geological feature of the area.
The falls splits over moss covered rocks and falls about 20 ft. before pooling and falling another 15 ft. into Big Creek. The falls can be reached via the Big Creek Trail, which is covered in wildflowers during spring months.
Nearby Attractions
The Big Creek Horse Camp is located nearby, with horse stables and riding trails available.
Full service grocery stores and medical facilities are located 16 miles away in Newport, Tennessee.
Recreation
Numerous hiking and horseback riding trails are accessible from the campground and in the surrounding areas. Most notably, the Appalachian Trail is easily reached via the Chestnut Branch Trail, a 2.1 mile trail for hikers only, beginning down the road from the campground.
Nearby Baxter Creek Trail meanders along the water, while equestrian campers might enjoy taking the Big Creek Trail to Mouse Creek Falls or Midnight Hole, an area where Big Creek squeezes between large boulders, forming a deep, beautifully-colored pool.
Compared to some other areas of the park, Big Creek is not crowded with anglers. Spring provides ideal conditions for fly fishing on Big Creek, with Rainbow and Brook trout looking for the aquatic insects which hatch during this time.
Changes & Cancellations
Customers who cancel a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee.
Contact Information
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NC
Phone Number
For campground inquiries, please call: 423-487-2683
Rental Options
Learn more about gear rental options for your trip
Driving Directions
Campground is at the end of Big Creek Entrance Rd. Waterville, NC, 28785 (Haywood County) Very close to the NC-TN State line.
The campground is located off I-40 Exit 451 (Waterville). It sixteen miles east of Newport, TN. Follow Waterville road, crossing over the Pigeon River, past the Walters Power Generating Station and continue one mile to the 4-way intersection at Mt Sterling Gap.
Follow the signs to Big Creek.
The 4 way intersection is composed of Big Creek Campground Road and Waterville Rd (from I-40) + Mt. Sterling Road (from Cataloochee) + Hwy 32 (from Cosby)
Drive up to the end of Big Creek Entrance Road. You will pass the Ranger Station and horse camp. Group camp will be the last left turn immediately before hiker parking.
Use Mailing Address or coordinates if you're using GPS :
236 Big Creek Park Road
Newport, Tennessee, 37821
GPS coordinates are 35°45'08.4"N 83°06'33.4"W
35.752328, -83.109287
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