Camping In Big South Fork – 5 Campgrounds To Choose From

Camping is one of my favorite ways to experience a park – I love waking up in a tent, listening to the sounds of morning in the woods. And camping in Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area doesn’t disappoint.

I really like the campgrounds of this park as I think they give a nice variety of options for campers – anything from dedicated tent-only loops to full set-ups for RVs to even accommodations for horse campers. You can easily find your perfect campground at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.

Big South Fork has 4 developed frontcountry campgrounds with modern bathhouses (free showers! dishwashing stations!) and 1 small primitive frontcountry campground. Two of those developed frontcountry campgrounds are horse camps, meaning there are tie-outs and even small corrals available, but non- horse people can also camp there.

Backcountry camping is allowed most anywhere in the park with a few regulations (I’ll go over those). I am a dedicated tent camper so I am a little biased towards those setups but I will include things important to RVers too, like electrical and water hookup availability.

There is also Charit Creek Lodge – a hike in, no electricity lodge with rustic beds and meals provided – a nice alternative for those not feeling like camping but still want to spend the night in Big South Fork. Read our blog about it for all the info – A Review of Charit Ceek Lodge | Find Out Why It’s An Unforgettable Family Adventure.

Big South Fork Campgrounds

All of the developed frontcountry campgrounds have modern bathhouses with flush toilets and free hot water showers. I can only dream of the day the Smokies gets such luxuries like hot showers (or any showers).

Bandy Creek is the largest campground with 181 campsites while Blue Heron Campground is much smaller with only 45 campsites. Station Camp Horse Camp (24 sites) and Bear Creek Horse Camp (23 sites) are both horse camps but non- equestrians can camp there too. Alum Ford is a very small primitive campground (6 campsites) with vault toilets and no running water.

Pro Tip – All of the campgrounds in Big South Fork are on EST (eastern time). The time zone line cuts thru the park just to the west of Bandy Creek, Charit Creek Lodge, and the Twin Arches trailhead.

Bandy Creek Campground

My #1 Choice

Bandy Creek Campground is the largest and most developed of the campgrounds in Big South Fork, with 181 total campsites including 49 just for tent camping, 96 campsites that have water/ electrical, and 35 group sites.

Bandy Creek is my favorite campground in Big South Fork and that’s saying something because I usually like much smaller and cosier campgrounds. It is because Bandy Creek has so much to offer amenity-wise while still having lots of good- sized campsites tucked away in the woods.

Next to the Bandy Creek Visitor Center, this campground has great amenities like a camp store, recycling bins, a volleyball court, several playgrounds, and even a pool. There are loads of hiking trails and mountain biking trails leading right from the campground so you could go days without having to get back in your car. It is centrally located in the park too, meaning you can get to the Twin Arches trail head on the western side in about 40 minutes or to Yahoo Falls at the northern end of the park in about an hour.

If you wanted to bring your horse, you can stable it at the Bandy Creek Stables next to the camp store. Like I said, this campground really tries to cover its bases with every type of camper!

About Each Campground Loop in Bandy Creek

There are 4 loops in Bandy Creek Campground (not including the group site loops) and they are labeled A, B, C, and D Loops. The group campsites are E-1 Loop and E-2 Loop.

Loop A is the dedicated tent- only loop from site A13 upwards. The first 12 campsites on A Loop are small and near the road so not great for tent campers I guess, so they made them accessible for small RVs as well. But there is no electrical or water hookups at A1-A12.

B Loop, C Loop, and D Loop are set-up for tent campers and RVs although it is mostly RVs on these loops. Tent campers do tend to stick to A Loop because it is so much quieter – no generators allowed.

B Loop does not have its own bathhouse although it isn’t a far walk to the one over on C Loop (there is a connecting path) or to the one at the entrance to D Loop. But if you have little kids that seem to pee every 20 minutes, this could be annoying.

D Loop and A Loop have two bathhouses but they are also the biggest loops with 52 campsites in D loop and 49 campsites in A Loop.

What Each Campsite In Bandy Creek Campground Has

• Fire ring with attached grill cover
• food storage box
• picnic table
• lantern post

Almost all of the campsites are well- shaded as the tree cover is good. Every campsite I saw had a storage box too – they take bear safety seriously out here.

My Favorite Campsites at Bandy Creek

I am a dedicated tent camper so obviously I am partial to A Loop since it is off limits to RVs and noisy generators from site A 13 and upwards. See the Bandy Creek Campground map above for reference.

I have camped in A30 and it was a great site for us, especially as no one was in A29 because those two sites are quite close together so that could have been a problem. Would be perfect if you had 2 families camping though.

The best campsites in A Loop (IMHO) are the campsites in the mini-loop at the far end of A Loop – sites A37-A43. These sites are a little separated from the rest of the loop but still a quick walk to the bathhouse.

The other sites I like in A Loop are A13-16 because they are close to a bathroom and they are only campsites on one side of the road in this section.

As far as best campsites in the other loops in Bandy Creek Campground, I would stick to the campsites on the outer edges of the loops as opposed to the interior campsites or right next to the bathroom. D33-D40 are on their own little spur road so they tend to be pretty quiet while still near the bathhouse on D Loop.

D13- D23 are also on their own little spur but it is a far haul to either of the nearest bathhouses from these sites and some of these sites back up to the main road in and out of Bandy Creek. While that main road isn’t terribly busy after dark (there is nowhere nearby to go really), it is a big enough campground that you will get traffic from people arriving late. More annoyingly as a tent camper though, is you start getting a lot of traffic early in the morning as people head out for a long day hiking. The kids will definitely be woken up.

The Pool At Bandy Creek Campground

The pool at Bandy Creek is open 11am – 6 pm on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from Memorial Day until Labor Day. You need a wristband to enter ($3 for anyone 13 and older, $2 for 6- 12 year olds) and you can get these wristbands online or at the campground registration kiosk.

Bandy Creek Camp Store And Stables

Located over near the Visitor Center, the camp store and stables are super convenient for campers. The camp store has been seriously upgraded in recent years and has more than just the basic camping supplies and first-aid items you might expect, it also has cold drinks (including a pretty decent craft beer selection and wine), ice cream, and locally roasted coffee.

The camp store does close for the offseason (generally Dec- March), but ice and firewood are always available for purchase through an honor system. (Remember – you can’t bring in outside firewood to the park unless it is certified kiln-dried.) Check their website or their facebook page (probably more accurate) to see their current hours as they change throughout the year. They might only be open on weekends in spring and late fall but generally are open 7 days a week in the summer.

Cell Phone Service/ WiFi At Bandy Creek Campground

I get decent service with Verizon and with T-Mobile. Not enough to stream a show but enough to text and send pictures to people not lucky enough to be camping with us.

You can get free WiFi at the Bandy Creek Visitor Center.

Prices And Reservations For Bandy Creek Campground

• Nonelectric Campsite – $25
• Standard Campsite 30 amp electric – $30
• Standard Campsite 50 amp electric – $35
• Group site – $140 + $3 per person over 26 people

All reservations are done through the recreation.gov website. You can pick your campsite from a list or from the map and click on “Details” to see some pictures. They aren’t great pictures so don’t get too excited. You can book up to 6 months ahead of time (1 year for the group sites).

Reservations are limited to 14 consecutive days for each stay and 30 nights total in one year. It is a $10 fee to cancel your reservation (as long it isn’t day of) but it is free to add/subtract a day or change to a different campsite.

The check-in time for Bandy Creek is 2pm and check-out time is noon. This is different from the rest of the campgrounds in Big South Fork which use just noon for check-in and check-out.

Things to do at Bandy Creek Campground – Hiking Trails/ Mountain Biking

There are several trails you can get to without having to drive, another reason I love Bandy Creek Campground. You can also reach quite a few mountain bike trails from here as well.

Oscar Blevins Farm Loop is a nice trail that starts at the Bandy Creek trailhead. Check out My 12 Favorite Hiking Trails in Big South Fork for more info.

For mountain bikers, the nearby Grand Gap Loop is a popular one and you can bike along Duncan Hollow Rd to reach it (although lots of people drive to it as well). Collier Ridge Bike Loop can be reached from the campground. Check with the rangers at the Visitor Center for more bike trail suggestions.

If you want more suggestions on what to do in Big South Fork, including a sample 3- day itinerary and kid- specific suggestions, check out 11 Things To Do In Big South Fork | Ultimate Guide

Blue Heron Campground

good for RVs, visiting Kentucky side of park

Blue Heron Campground is the second largest campground in Big South Fork and is located near Blue Heron Mining Camp in Kentucky. This is a nice campground that is definitely smaller than Bandy Creek with only 45 campsites, all with electrical and water hook-ups.

There are no tent-only sections in the Blue Heron Campground. There is also only one main bathhouse (with a dishwashing station and free hot showers) and it can be kind of a hike from some of the campsites to the bathhouse. For these reasons, I don’t love it as much Bandy Creek Campground. But if you are planning on spending the majority of your time in the northern, Kentucky side of Big South Fork, then Blue Heron is a great choice.

Blue Heron Mining Community, a historic mining camp that has been recreated, is a fascinating place to visit and the kids really enjoyed it. It is just down the road from the Blue Heron Campground. Read more about it here – Exploring Echoes Of The Past In Blue Heron, Kentucky.

Blue Heron Campground is closed December- March.

What Each Campsite Has

• fire ring with attached grill
• food storage box
• picnic table with lantern pole
• electrical hookup (either 30 amp or 50 amp)
• water hookup

The campsites at Blue Heron are often not as shaded as at Bandy Creek so if you are here in summer, look closely at the pictures when you are reserving sites. The ones toward the outer edge of the back of the campground, roughly sites #20-30 tend to be the best for shade while the sites along the entrance road, sites #1-5, are some of the least shaded.

My Favorite Campsites At Blue Heron Campground

I like the campsites #11-16 as they are on their own little loop of road so are a little more private but aren’t too far of a walk to the bathhouse.

The campsites at Blue Heron tend to be a little closer together than I like but it is also not generally a super busy campground, especially mid- week.

Prices And Reservations For Blue Heron Campground

• Standard campsite with 30 amp electric/ water – $30
• Standard campsite with 50 amp electric/ water – $35

Reserve campsites online at recreation.gov. You can pick from a list or from the map- just click on a campsite and it will show you more details, like a specific size of RV it can accommodate and usually a picture too.

Like Bandy Creek, the campsites at Blue Heron can be reserved up to 6 months ahead of time (just remember that the campground is only open from April 1- Nov 30). You can reserve for up to 14 days consecutively and up to 30 days within a year.

You can cancel a reservation for $10 up to the day before, and add/subtract a day or switch campsites for no charge.

Check- in/ check-out time for Blue Heron Campground is noon.

Cell Phone/ WiFi at Blue Heron Campground

You supposedly can get free WiFi near the bathhouse at Blue Heron but I couldn’t really get that to work for me. Verizon service also didn’t work great for me here, enough to text but that was it.

If you are looking for suggestions of where to go and what to see in Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, read 11 Things To Do In Big South Fork. I include my favorite activities, plus a specific list of kid- friendly activities, and a sample 3 day itinerary.

Alum Ford Campground

A peaceful primitive campground

Alum Ford Campground is at the far northern tip of Big South Fork National River And Recreation Area, near the Yahoo Falls trailhead in Kentucky. There is a boat launch right by the campground and people bring canoes, kayaks, and motorized boats here to enjoy this very peaceful section of the river.

Alum Ford Campground is tiny with only 6 campsites. You get a picnic table with lantern post, fire ring with attached grill cover, and a food storage box. There is a vault toilet building at the parking area as well as bear-proof trash cans.

There are no reservations at Alum Ford – it is a first- come, first- served campground and you pay on the honor system. It costs $15 a night to camp here.

If you have 2 groups, then definitely take campsites 5 & 6 as they are super close together; otherwise I would avoid these two. There are stairs up to campsite #1 and #4 but they aren’t terrible and does mean you are situated up and a little away from everyone else. They don’t show stairs down to campsites #2 and #3 on the map but I am pretty sure I remember a couple of stairs as the campsites are a little below where you park.

If you find Alum Ford Campground on Google Maps, there are surprisingly good pictures of the campsites #5, #6, and #4.

This campground is near one of my favorite hiking trails in Big South Fork – Yahoo Falls/ Yahoo Arch. Read more about it here – My 12 Favorite Hiking Trails In Big South Fork.

Cell Service/ WIFi At Alum Ford Campground

There is no WiFi provided at Alum Ford and I would not count on cell service. Unlike the previous two campgrounds listed, Alum Ford is not up on a plateau but tucked down in the gorge by the river so cell service is unlikely, no matter who you have.

*Tip – There is no drinking water provided at Alum Ford so bring plenty with you.

Not sure camping is for you? Check out the vacation rentals in the area around Big South Fork. Lots to choose from and they typically rent for far less than you might find near the Smokies.

Horse Camps In Big South Fork

There are 2 horse camps in Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, meaning campgrounds that also have facilities for horses such as tie outs. Even though each campsite in these horse camps is set up for horses, they are available for regular campers as well.

Each campsite in these two horse camps has water and electrical hook-ups, picnic tables, lantern poles, fire rings with attached grill covers, and food storage boxes. Each campground has a dump station and one bathhouse with hot showers and a dishwashing facilities.

Both of the horse camps are a little more difficult to reach than the other Big South Fork campgrounds as they are located down gravel roads.

Station Camp Horse Camp

Station Camp Campground has 24 campsites, each with water hook-up and 30 amp electrical. It has one bathhouse with hot showers, dishwashing station, and WiFi.

Station Camp is located 25 minutes away from Oneida, TN but the last couple of miles are on a well- maintained gravel road so be ready for that.

It costs $30 a night to camp here whether you have horses or not. Each campsite has 4 metal, open back stalls as well as the standard fire ring with attached grill, lantern pole, picnic table, plus water and 30 amp electrical at each site.

The big selling point of Station Camp Campground for horse people is that there are quite a few equine trails that you can reach right from the campsite.

For non-horse people, I think there are better campgrounds and this wouldn’t be my first choice. It can have a reputation for having large groups of horse campers that can be a little noisy, like any other large group of campers.

Reserve a campsite online on the recreation.gov website.

Bear Creek Horse Camp

Bear Creek Campground has 23 campsites and one bathhouse with hot showers and dishwashing station. Besides the standard fire ring with attached grill, picnic table, and lantern pole, each campsite also comes with water and electrical hook-up (30 amp or 50 amp). You also get tie- outs for 4 horses and the campground has 2 small, metal round pens.

Bear Creek is located south of Blue Heron on the Kentucky side of the park and has several horse trails you can do from the campsite.

You can camp there without horses as well, and it may be a good choice for those wanting to spend some time on the Kentucky side of the park, especially if you are wanting to see Blue Heron which is only 20 minutes away. Bear Creek Overlook and Split Bow Arch are 2 trails nearby that are also some of my favorites.

You are also just 15 minutes from the town of Stearns if you need supplies but do keep in mind that the campground itself is located on a well- maintained gravel road so it takes longer to get there than you might think looking at the map.

Campsites cost $30 per night for a 30 amp site and $35 per night for a 50 amp hook-up. Reserve online at the recreation.gov website.

The campground is closed December thru March.

There is no WiFi availability at Bear Creek Horse Camp and cell service is spotty.

Backcountry Camping In Big South Fork

One of the differences between a national park and a national river and recreation area is that the restrictions on backcountry camping are a lot less outside of a national park. You can basically backcountry camp anywhere in Big South Fork, within a couple of general guidelines.

I would absolutely talk to a ranger if you don’t know the area as they can probably tell you where there are good, already existing backcountry campsites along your planned hike.

1) You Need A Backcountry Permit.

Like basically any other park, you must get a backcountry permit. They range from $5-$20 depending on how many people in your group and be bought at a Visitor Center or online.

2) Don’t Camp Within 100ft Of A Trail, Road, Or Parking Area.

3) Don’t Camp Within 100ft Of An Arch, Rock Shelter, Historic Cabin, Or Gravesite.

Basically stay away from any geologic formation or cultural site. Remember, super rare species like glow worms and some plants are only found in the rock formations on the Cumberland Plateau and nowhere else.

4) Try To Use Already Established Campsites.

The park asks that you try to resuse previously established campsites and not make new campsites if you can help it. Talk to a ranger about your hike and they can probably tell you where a good campsite is located.

5) Pay Attention To Fire Bans And Only Use Downed Trees.

You can’t cut down a tree for firewood even if it is dead as they are home to a variety of birds and other animals. Use existing fire rings if you can. Prolonged dry weather (common in the fall) can mean park- wide fire bans.

6) You Camp By The River.

The floodplain of the Big South Fork is fine for camping and is a popular option with kayakers and rafters paddling through the park on a multi-day trip. Just remember that river levels can change overnight.

My Favorite Backcountry Campsite In Big South Fork

Along the creek just up the trail from Charit Creek Lodge are some sweet backcountry campsites. They are near the junction of the Charit Creek trail and the Twin Arches Lower Loop.

This site has a peaceful setting along the creek and the best part is that you can pay a reduced rate to use the bathrooms and showers at Charit Creek Lodge. Pay a little more and you can eat their wonderfully delicious breakfast and dinner too. Backcountry camping without having to carry ALL the food? Sign me up!

If you aren’t familiar with Charit Creek Lodge, the only lodging available within the park, read my blog A Review Of Charit Creek Lodge| Find Out Why It Is An Unforgettable Family Adventure to find out everything you need to know and why I love this place.

Also on the Twin Arches Lower Loop trail, there are some more great backcountry campsites at Jakes Place. A little far away to use the facilities at Charit Creek but good access to water and some fabulous hiking trails right there.