Tow String Horse Camp
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Saddle up your horses for a camping trip in the stunning Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Located in the North Carolina portion of the park, this campsite offers miles of horse trails with a breathtaking scenic backdrop.
World-renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, Great Smoky Mountains is America's most visited national park.
You MUST have a HORSE to camp at Tow String Horse Camp!
Tow String offers traditional woods camping, perfect for a getaway trip.
You MUST have a HORSE to camp at Tow String Horse Camp!
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.
- Caution: Bears and other wildlife frequent the area. All food and equipment used to prepare and store food 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. This rule is strictly enforced!
- 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.
- Heat-treated wood is available from a growing list of private businesses in communities around the park. Please visit www.nature.org/firewoodmap for a list of available 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.
- There are no showers or electric, water or sewer hook-ups in the park.
- Quiet hours are in effect from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Generator use is restricted from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Fires are allowed in fire rings only.
You MUST have a horse to camp in a horse camp. There is a maximum of 4 horses and 6 people per campsite. Stay limit is 14 consecutive days. All horses must have a current Coggins test. Campers are responsible for cleaning their stalls before departure and placing waste in a manure trailer. Fires are allowed in fire rings only. Important Information: Food storage regulations are strictly enforced. Horse feed is also covered by food storage regulations. Pets are allowed in the horse camp but must be on a leash at all times and not left unattended. Pets are not allowed on trails.
Stalls and hitching posts are not provided at the Tow String Horse Camp location. Horses may not be tied to trees. Please only tie horses to horse trailer.
- With the exception of Big Creek, horse camps do not have potable water.
- 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
Tow String Horse Camp is surrounded by picturesque mountain ranges, with a moderate climate characterized by mild winters and hot, humid summers.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park preserves a rich cultural history of Southern Appalachia. From the prehistoric Paleo Indians to early 19th century European settlers, the park strives to protect the historic structures, landscapes and artifacts that tell the stories of the people who once called these mountains home.
Nearby Attractions
The campsite is located just four miles from Cherokee, North Carolina, which offers groceries and fuel.
Recreation
With access to several of the Smokies' popular horseback riding trails, equestrians will never be bored.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is also a hiker's paradise, with over 800 miles of maintained trails ranging from short, leg-stretchers to strenuous treks, with a number of those trails easily accessible from Tow String Camp. But hiking is not the only reason for visiting the Smokies: Fishing, picnicking, wildlife viewing and auto touring are also popular activities.
Campers can enjoy high-quality backcountry fishing in the cool waters of the countless streams and rivers that snake through the mountains, with trout available in abundance.
Wildlife viewing is a popular pastime, and with around 1,500 bears living in the park, it's not uncommon for visitors to spot one. From the big animals like bears, deer, and elk, down to microscopic organisms, the Smokies have the most biological diversity of any area in the world's temperate zone. The park is a sanctuary for a magnificent array of animal and plant life, all of which is protected for future generations to enjoy.
The park also holds one of the best collections of log buildings in the eastern United States. Over 90 historic structures, including houses, barns, outbuildings, churches, schools and grist mills, have been preserved or rehabilitated in the park.
Contact Information
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Mailing address is c/o Oconaluftee Ranger Station, 60 Enloe-Floyd Bottoms Road Cherokee NC 28719
Phone Number
For campground inquiries, please call: 828-497-9270
Rental Options
Learn more about gear rental options for your trip
Driving Directions
There is no street address for the horse camp.
Tow String horse camp is located 4 miles north of Cherokee, NC off Newfound Gap Road (aka U.S. 441). Turn right at sign for Tow String. Turn left after crossing bridge.
Available Campsites
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