Big South Fork NRRA, Tennessee - Practicalities
by Don Dennis
Visitor Centers | Transportation | Camping & Lodging
Horse Riding | Incidentals
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area
Rt. 3 Box 401
Oneida, TN 37841
(931) 879-3625 or (931) 879-4890
This is the office for the park rangers.They are very helpful and more than willing to answer your inquiries.
The best way to begin your exploration of The Big South Fork is at the visitor's center at Bandy Creek. Located ten miles outside Oneida, Tennessee, Bandy Creek is the hub of all activities for the Tennessee section of the park. There you will find restrooms, a visitor's center, books, maps of the park's area, and souvenirs. Bandy Creek also has RV hookups for electricity, water, individual camping sites, showers, a swimming pool, and horse stables. One loop of RV sites and campsites as well as the visitor's center are open year round. The only exception is for Christmas day and sometimes New Years day. This, however, applies only to the visitor's center not the camp grounds.
Kentucky is not yet as well developed. The Big South Fork office is presently in downtown Stearn . It will move to the train station at Blue Heron. Blue Heron is where most of the park activities presently take place for the Kentucky side.
Free permits are issued at Bandy Creek or Stearns Visitor Centers.
Transportation
The closest towns in Tennessee for accessing The Big South Fork are Oneida and Jamestown. Oneida offers fast food establishments, movie theaters, chain stores such as Wal-Mart, pharmacies, some accommodations, and the Scott County Hospital. For Kentucky, Whitley is the largest town and has the most services even though it is some distance to the activities of the Big South Fork.
You will find all of the roads in and around The Big South Fork composed of state highways and secondary paved roads. Most of the roads inside the park are dirt and gravel. Some of the dirt and gravel roads have pull-off areas since they are narrow allowing only one lane of traffic to pass at a time. Summer is the busiest time for this area.
Camping & Lodging
Camping is strictly prohibited at caves, cemeteries, grave sites, historic sites and structures, historic rock shelters, rim of gorge, on trail, & roadways. You must stay 200 feet and out of site at parking areas and 100 feet from roadways. Otherwise you may camp anywhere. Downed wood may be used for campfires and the use of stoves are encouraged. Do not make fires in the places mentioned above like the arches and other historic and natural sites.
Charit Creek Lodge
250 Apple Valley Road
Sevierville, TN 37862
(423) 429-5704
Charit Creek Lodge is a privately run primitive site with hearty meals and a quiet setting. Primitive lodging for groups and individuals (bunkhouse-style sleeping accommodations) with some meals. Reservations needed
Comfort Inn
Exit 141 & I-75
335 Howard Baker Highway
Pioneer, TN 37847
(423) 566-4400
There are other small privately owned places to stay in and around the Big South Fork. If I am not camping in the great outdoors, my personal preference is the Comfort Inn at exit 141. This is a fast growing area and a lot will change in the next few years.
Horse Riding
Bandy Creek Stables
P.O. Box 191
Huntsville, TN 37756
(931) 879-4013
Short term horse boarding and tack shop.
Station Camp Equestrian Area & Bear Creek Horse Camp
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P.O. Box 4411)
Oneida, TN 37841
(423) 569-3321
Developed equestrian facilities. Reservations recommended.
Incidentals
Warm spring and summer days will bring out the gnats and mosquitoes. Deer ticks are also prevalent. Poison Ivy is present and more abundant in the gorge areas. Hunters are allowed to hunt the Big South Fork. The most dangerous time is in the Fall from October through December.
Hospital: Scott County Hospital, Oneida, TN.(423) 569-8521
Cellular Phones have weak signals at best within the forest areas. Stronger signals can be had at gorge rim and open areas with few trees. The signal is from Knoxville, TN.
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