Tennessee
Big South Fork Ride
Around here
Around Big South Fork Ride
Data Source: Recreation.gov · Source: USGS GNIS · Public land: USGS PAD-US · Forest roads: USDA Forest Service MVUM · BLM routes and areas: Bureau of Land Management (simplified for web display)
About this riding route
Big South Fork is one of the few National Park Service units built around horse use, with roughly 180 miles of designated horse trail and stables and camps to match. Bandy Creek is the main hub on the Tennessee side. The ride out to Station Camp drops off the plateau into the Big South Fork river gorge, which is the part that separates it from ordinary rolling-hills riding.
Premier backcountry horse country, Bandy Creek out to the Station Camp river bottoms.
Highlights
What earns the trip
- Around 180 miles of horse trail inside one park unit
- Bandy Creek has a horse camp with stalls, water and hookups
- The descent to Station Camp reaches the river bottoms in the gorge
- Sandstone arches and rock houses are scattered through the trail system
Stops
- 1
Bandy Creek
Main horse camp and trailhead on the Tennessee side.
- 2
Station Camp
River bottom access in the Big South Fork gorge.
When to go
Best time to go
April through June and September through November. Summer on the plateau is humid.
Planner estimate for the mapped line: 2h 32m
Before you go
Know before you go
- Current negative Coggins paperwork is required for horses in the park.
- Certified weed-free feed is required. Bring it with you.
- River crossings run high after rain and the gorge trails get slick.
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