• Angel Falls Rapid on the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River

    Big South Fork

    National River & Recreation Area KY,TN

  • Whitewater

    Big South Fork of the Cumberland River is free-flowing with no dam controls. Check the river gauge readings before your river trip. Heavy rains can cause flooding and make river use dangerous. Always use a personal flotation device when on the river. More »

  • Steep Road Grade

    There is a 13% grade for an approximate 5 mile stretch on Highway 297 between Bandy Creek Road on the west of the river and Headquarters on the east side. This is called the gorge. Use caution when traveling with recreational campers or horse trailers. More »

  • Firewood Quarantine

    Firewood Ban is in effect for the park. Only firewood from the surrounding counties of Scott, Morgan, Pickett, and Fentress in Tennessee and McCreary in Kentucky can be brought into the park. Firewood is for sale or you may use dead and down wood. More »

  • Black Bears

    Black bears are found within this area. Store all food, cooking items, feed, cosmetics and coolers properly when in the campgrounds or when using the backcountry. More »

Interpretive Programs for Fourth of July Weekend

Subscribe RSS Icon | What is RSS
Date: June 28, 2011
Contact: Howard Duncan, 423-569-9778

The Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area will host a series of day and evening programs during the July 4th weekend. Park rangers will present a variety of programs in both Tennessee and Kentucky. The programs in Tennessee will be held at the Bandy Creek Visitor Center or nearby Leatherwood Ford. Programs in Kentucky will be at the Blue Heron Campground or the McCreary County Museum in Stearns. In addition to these programs, park rangers will present short talks at the Blue Heron Mining Camp during scheduled trips by the Big South Fork Scenic Railway. All programs are presented on Eastern Time.

Saturday, July 2
10:30 a.m. – My Trail Pack - Junior Ranger Program – Bandy Creek Visitor Center back porch - Learn how you can be a junior ranger and what you should take with you when you are on a hike in the park. Come see what park rangers take in their day packs.

1:00 p.m. – Wet & Wild—Join Ranger Brenda Deaver to discover what creek critters tell us about the quality of water in our streams and rivers. We will take a close look at some of the benthic macro invertebrates found in the Big South Fork River. Meet in the gazebo at Leatherwood Ford off Highway 297. Wear creek shoes and plan on wading in the river if you would like to fully participate in this program. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

2:00 p.m. – Scrip - McCreary County Museum, Stearns, Kentucky - Did the coal miner really “owe his soul to the company store”? Come find out at this afternoon program with Park Ranger Lynn Thornton. Original pieces of scrip will be on display including Stearns Coal Company pieces. This program is being given in cooperation with the Stearns Museum.

4:00 p.m. - It Started with the Gum Tree - McCreary County Museum, Stearns, Kentucky - Join Ranger Lynn Thornton as she tells the story of how the town of Stearns, Kentucky, developed when the Stearns company began. Original photographs will show the history of the town as it grew.

9:30 p.m. – Astronomy - Join Paul Lewis from the University of Tennessee Department of Physics and Astronomy along with National Park Service astronomy volunteers for an opportunity to view the wonders of the night sky. Telescopes will be set up in the parking lot just across from the Bandy Creek Visitor Center for night sky observation.

Did You Know?

Angle Falls Rapids on the Big South Fork River

The Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area protects only 14% of its watershed.  Unfortunately it is the lower end of the watershed, so that everything which happens outside the park, impacts the parks water quality.