Big Creek Horse Camp
Big Creek Horse Camp is a national park campground in North Carolina. Hookups: no hookups.
- Type
- National park campground
- Location
- North Carolina
- Coordinates
- 35.75427, -83.10734
- Hookups
- No hookups
- Activities
- Backpacking, Camping, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Wilderness, Wildlife Viewing
- Map
- Open in OpenStreetMap
- Phone
- 865-436-1261
Amenities
- Reservable sites
Only amenities a source confirms are listed; an amenity missing here is unknown, not absent.
About Big Creek Horse Camp
Overview 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! 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. Facilities 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. Th
Cell coverage
No coverage data for this location yet.
Nearby RV services
- Dump station
- NPS · 18 mi
- Water fill
- None mapped within 50 mi
- Propane
- Freeman Gas Waynesville Office · 20 mi
- Low clearances
- None mapped within 10 mi
- Off-road routes
- 36 designated routes (87 mi) within 10 mi
Other places to stay nearby
| Name | Type | Distance | Fee | Hookups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Creek Group Camp | National park campground | 0.2 mi | — | No hookups |
| Big Creek Campground | Private campground | 0.3 mi | $30 | — |
| Big Creek Campground (Great Smoky Mountains National Park) | National park campground | 0.4 mi | — | No hookups |
| Big Creek Campground | National park campground | 0.4 mi | $30 | — |
| Davenport Gap Shelter | Free campsite | 1.4 mi | Free | — |
| Mount Sterling #38 | Free campsite | 3.7 mi | Free | — |
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Sources. Recreation.gov (RIDB). Updated June 2026. Facility facts only; DryRig does not publish ratings or reviews on this page.