Horse Camps

Valid Parking Tags Required

Registered campers parked at their designated parking area will not be required to have a parking tag. If parked elsewhere in the park, a parking tag is required.

 

Firewood Regulations: Only heat-treated firewood that is bundled and certified by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) or a state agency may be brought into the park. Campers may also collect dead and downed wood found in the park for campfires.

Certified heat-treated firewood is packaged and clearly marked with a state or federal seal. Heat-treated wood is available from a growing list of private businesses in communities around the park. View an online map to find stores and businesses that sell certified firewood.

Concessioners at Cades Cove, Smokemont, and Elkmont will provide heat-treated wood for sale during their operating season (typically March through November at Smokemont and Elkmont, and through December at Cades Cove). Additional information about this regulation.

 

Reservations and permits are required for all overnight stays in the backcountry. To make reservations, please visit the backcountry reservation website. Before planning your backcountry trip, please read the trail closures and warnings.

 

Warren Bielenberg

 

Drive-in Horse Camps

Five drive-in horse camps provide ready access to backcountry trails within the park.

These horse camps have picnic tables, fire rings, designated parking spaces (usually gravel), refuse containers, and tent pads. Four horse hitch racks are located at each site in Anthony Creek and Cataloochee; other camps have central hitch racks. Big Creek has flush toilets with cold water. Anthony Creek and Catalooche have vault toilets; Round Bottom and Tow String have portable toilets. There is no drinking water except at Big Creek. Water is available for horses, either in the campground or at a nearby stream.

 

Horse Camp	2025 Dates	Number of Sites	Accessible Sites	Potable Water	Toilets	Fee
Anthony Creek	3/28–11/8	3	No	No	Pit	$30
Big Creek	Closed	5	Yes (1)	Yes	Flush	$36
Cataloochee	5/23-10/26	7	No	No	Pit	$30
Round Bottom	Closed	5	No	No	Pit	$30
Tow String	5/19-10/26	3	No	No	Pit	$30

 

 

Horse Camp Directions

Anthony Creek

Thirty miles southeast of Maryville, TN on U.S. Highway 321. Take U.S. 321 to Townsend, TN. Take Highway 73 to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Follow signs for Cades Cove Campground. The horse camp is in the back of picnic area, through the gate to the Anthony Creek Trail.

Big Creek

Sixteen miles east of Newport, TN on I-40. Exit I-40 at exit 451. Follow road past Walters Power Generating Station to 4-way intersection. Follow signs to Big Creek.

Cataloochee

Exit I-40 at exit 20, 25 miles west (north) of Asheville, NC (87 miles east of Knoxville, TN). Turn right onto Cove Creek Road 0.1 mile from I-40. Follow Cove Creek Road approximately 11 miles to Cataloochee horse camp.

Round Bottom

Just north of Cherokee, NC turn off U.S. 441 onto Big Cove Road. Go 0.2 mile to the stop sign and turn left. Go 8.8 miles to a "T" intersection. Turn right and go 0.9 mile to end of pavement. Take a gravel road (adjacent to trout rearing facility) 3.5 miles to horse camp.

Tow String

Located 4 miles north of Cherokee, NC off U.S. 441. Turn right at sign for Tow String Road and horse camp.

 

Reservations

All of the park’s horse camps are on a nationwide reservation service. Advance reservations are required and can be made by calling [phone] between 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. You may also make a reservation online. Additional information about advance reservations. Please write down your reservation number—you will need it when you register at the horse camp.

You must have a horse to camp at a horse camp. Each campsite has a limit of six people and four horses. If you have more than six people or four horses, you will need to reserve another site. Sites vary in the number of vehicles that can be accommodated. Some allow only for one vehicle and trailer, others allow for two vehicles and two trailers (horse or camping). Please check the reservation website for details.

A cancellation fee will be charged if you cancel your reservation or if we cancel your reservation because you fail to show up. You will also be charged for one night’s camping fee if you cancel on or after the day your reservation begins or you fail to show up.

To make changes to your reservation or to cancel, please call 1-888-448-1474. If you are going to be arriving late (i.e. after noon of the second day), please phone [phone] to hold your reservation.

 

Horse Camp Rules and Regulations

• Horses must be kept in stalls and not at the campsite. Clean stalls out when leaving. Discard old and unwanted hay in designated areas.
• Keep horses out of campsites. Future campers will appreciate it.
• Tie horses only to hitching racks and stalls. Do not tie horses to trees.
• Stall spaces are limited. Bring only the number of horses for which you have reservations.
• Do not leave stock unattended.
• Never leave feed where wildlife can get to it—wildlife attracted to feed can come into conflict with people.
• All equine brought to or kept at any park horse camp or ridden on any park trail shall be accompanied by either the original or a copy of an official negative test for equine infectious anemia.

Please Observe the Following

• Avoid thawing or frozen trails—save them for dry times. Soil is easily damaged when it is soft. Stay on the trails. Do not use shortcuts. Walk or ride single-file down the center of trails. When crossing roads and paved areas, dismount and lead your horse.
• Pack out what you pack in. Littering is illegal. Leave a campsite cleaner than you found it.
• Know which trails are open to horses. Check the current Trail Map for up-to-date information.
• Keep horses away from springs. Carry and use a collapsible bucket to water your horse.
• Use processed feed to eliminate introducing weed seeds into the park—hay may contain seeds of non-native plants that can take over and destroy habitat for native species.
• Avoid disturbing wildlife by observing them from a distance. Bears are dangerous—do not feed them or other wildlife.
• Pets are not allowed on trails or in backcountry areas. Pets are only allowed in developed areas and must be on a leash at all times.
• Do not pick, dig, or remove any plant, flower, or natural object. This includes antlers and rocks. The same applies to cultural and historical artifacts, including arrowheads, pottery or pottery pieces and other household items. It is illegal to remove any of these items from the park.

 

Food Storage Regulations

All food and equipment used to prepare and store food (stoves, pots, coolers, etc.) must be kept sealed in a vehicle (preferably the trunk) or in a camping unit constructed of solid, non-pliable material or as otherwise directed at all times when not in use.

Dispose of garbage promptly in dumpsters provided. Unattended or improperly stored coolers and food may be impounded by campground staff and stored at the campground office. This regulation will be strictly enforced and violators are subject to fines.