Big Creek Horse Camp
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The only horse camp in the Great Smoky Mountains with potable water and flushing toilets!
Pack up your horses for a getaway at Big Creek Horse Camp, located on far northeastern side of Smoky Mountains National Park, approximately 16 miles from Newport, Tennessee. This campsite sits along the gently rolling waters of Big Creek and offers miles of horse trails with breathtaking scenic backdrops.
You MUST have a HORSE to camp in Big Creek Horse Camp!
Big Creek Horse Camp is fairly primitive, providing only the basic amenities, but an unforgettable outdoors experience. The sites are large and the facility does offer flush toilets, drinking water and plenty of shade.
Since horses are not permitted in the camping area, horse stalls and hitching rails are provided to guests.
There are no hookups or showers at the campground, but water is available from the campground spigot.
You MUST have a HORSE to camp in Big Creek 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.
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.
- 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 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 prohibited between 8 PM and 8 AM
- Fires are allowed in fire rings only.
A reservation is required for all horse camps and you MUST have a horse to camp here. A maximum of 6 people and 4 horses may occupy a campsite. All horses must be accompanied by a negative Coggins test. The park stay limit is 14 consecutive days.
Stalls are provided but may not be directly next to your campsite. Check the site page for details. Horses may not be tied to trees.
- 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
At a 1,700 foot elevation, Big Creek provides a moderate climate, characterized by mild winters and hot, humid summers. The camp is surrounded by picturesque mountain ranges and pristine mountain streams.
Nearby Mouse Creek Falls, a 35 foot waterfall forming at the confluence of Mouse Creek and Big Creek, is reachable by horseback or on foot via the Big Creek trailhead located on-site.
The beautiful 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 Group Campground is located nearby, with plenty of space for larger groups.
Full service grocery stores and medical facilities are located 16 miles away in Newport, Tennessee.
Recreation
The rolling terrain surrounding the campsite makes for some of the best horseback riding trails in the park. Numerous trails are accessible from Big Creek and for riders looking for a little hiking, the Appalachian Trail can be easily reached via the 2.1 mile Chestnut Branch Trail, located within walking distance from the camp.
Day Use horse area- so invite your horse riding friends and family for a fun day even if they don't want to camp with you.
Campers can also enjoy high-quality backcountry fishing in the cool waters of the countless streams that snake through the mountains, with Rainbow and Brook trout available in abundance, particularly during spring months.
Contact Information
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NC
Phone Number
For campground inquiries, please call: 865-436-1261
Rental Options
Learn more about gear rental options for your trip
Driving Directions
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.
Drive up Big Creek Park Road. Shortly after passing the Ranger Station, take the first left turn into the horse camp.
Coordinates: 35°45'15.7"N 83°06'25.8"W
35.754361, -83.107167
Mailing Address: (Do not use GPS directions by name)
236 Big Creek Park Road
Newport, Tennessee, 37821
Available Campsites
- Site 4, Loop Horse Camp 1-5, Type Equestrian Nonelectric
- Site 1, Loop Horse Camp 1-5, Type Equestrian Nonelectric
- Site 2, Loop Horse Camp 1-5, Type Equestrian Nonelectric
- Site 3, Loop Horse Camp 1-5, Type Equestrian Nonelectric
- Site 5, Loop Horse Camp 1-5, Type Equestrian Nonelectric
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