Big Creek Horse Camp

Notice: There is ongoing construction near Exit 451. Big Creek Campground is accessed only via the Waterville Road exit.

How to Reach the Campground:

All I‑40 eastbound and westbound exit and entrance ramps for Exit 451 are open. When traveling eastbound toward Asheville , be aware that the temporary exit for Big Creek occurs about ½ mile before the usual Exit 451 location . GPS will incorrectly announce the exit as being 1 mile ahead, which may cause visitors to miss the temporary exit sign and assume the exit is closed. If the exit is passed, the next available exit is roughly 7 miles away in Clyde, NC to turn around.

The “closure” being reported via some GPS units is a construction-related reroute of the ramps.

2026 Trail Damage Closures : Big Creek closed from Mouse Creek Falls to Swallow Fork Trail (First 2 miles are open). Swallow Fork, Gunter Fork, & Caldwell Fork are closed. The bridge north of backcountry campsite 37 is out.

Enloe Creek, Hyatt Ridge, Camel Gap, Pretty Hollow Gap, Hemphill Bald, Rough Fork & the Lower Mount Cammerer Trails are closed to Equestrian traffic.

A 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.

Fires are allowed in fire rings only.

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

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