Horse Creek Recreation Area
Horse Creek Recreation Area is located eight miles from Greeneville, off TN 107 north. This recreation area is nestled into a hardwood cove beside its namesake, Horse Creek. Horse Creek is located in the Chuckey area of Greeneville, TN. The campground is primarily walk-in, tent camping only. With plenty of forest-related activities to do around the campground and being located right outside the city of Greeneville, Horse Creek is the perfect place to stay! Numerous hiking trails, picnic areas, and swimming spots are located within Horse Creek.
More like this: reservable in Tennessee · pets allowed in Tennessee
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Site mix
| Walk-in | 13 |
| Standard, no hookups | 1 |
| Host/management | 4 |
Amenities & rules
| Hookups | None |
| Equipment | RVs & trailers, Tents |
| Pets | Allowed |
| Campfires | Allowed, subject to restrictions |
Horse Creek Recreation Area offers a bathhouse for campers use. The bathhouse includes hot showers, flushable toilets, and sinks.
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Season & status
| Status | Closed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date. |
| Forest | Cherokee National Forest |
| Booking | Campsites are first come, first serve and non-reservable. Reservations for the pavilion are made at https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/122990 online or call 1-877-444-6777. |
| Fees | Camping fee is $10 per night. Recreation.gov either online or call 1-877-444-6777. No fee for Day Use. |
| Rules | Camping and picnicking are on a first-come, first-served basis. Group size is 5 people, 2 vehicles per site. No alcoholic beverages are allowed in the area. Food storage restrictions apply at all areas on the Cherokee National Forest. |
Weather by month
Getting there
| Nearest town | Greeneville, Tennessee |
| Coordinates | 36.1083° N, 82.6568° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- PrescribedRx - Stone Mountain
24 mi from the campground
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| Outdoor gear | Bluff Mountain Outfitters ↗ | 17.7 mi |
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 39.3 mi |
| RV sales & service | Blue Ridge Adventure Vehicles Inc. ↗ | 43 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Video
Horse Creek Campground Aerial View w/ Site reference [Feb 2026]
Trails nearby
- under 0.1 miScarlet Oak Trail0.5 mi trail
- 0.2 miLower Horse Creek Trail0.5 mi trail
- 0.4 miSquibb Creek Trail2 mi trail
- 0.7 miTurkey Pen Cove Trail2 mi trail
- 0.8 miMiddle Spring Ridge Trail2.7 mi trail
- 0.9 miPoplar Cove Horse Trail1.5 mi trail
Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.
Public land it sits in
Sampson Mountain Wilderness begins about 1.6 miles away, and it is the closest of these.
- 1.6 miSampson Mountain Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 10,895 acres
- 3.5 miCherokee National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 1,228,298 acres
Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.
Other campgrounds nearby
On the National Register nearby
- Brown-Neas HouseBuilding · Afton · 6.8 mi
- Ripley Stone HouseBuilding · Afton · 6.8 mi
- Mauris-Earnest Fort HouseBuilding · Chuckey · 6.9 mi
Natural features
- Squibb Creek Falls: Get your feet wet on this 4-mile (round trip) trail on your way to see the 25-foot tall Squibb Creek Falls. This trail lies almost entirely in the Congressionally designated Sampson Mountain Wilderness. Please take extra caution when hiking this trail, as trails are not blazed and stream crossings may be difficult to negotiate.
- Pete's Branch Falls: This short, easy trail starts to the left of Poplar Cove trailhead after the first creek crossing. The trail follows the creek with 5 creek crossings to a 45-foot waterfall. It is recommended to come during the wet spring and fall months, where the abundance of water makes for optimal viewing. During the dry months, you can expect just a trickle coming over the falls. Please n
Recreation
- There are several native trout streams within and nearby Horse Creek Recreation Area. See Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency for permits as well as rules and regulations on fishing.
- There are two areas for picnicking in the Horse Creek Recreation Area, one upstream and one downstream of the campground.
- Multiple hiking trails can be accessed from Horse Creek.
Guidebooks for Cherokee National Forest and Tennessee
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
- Cherokee National Forest hiking guideWilliam H. Skelton and Lamar Alexander, 2024Find at Bookshop.org
- Campgrounds in and Around the Great Smoky Mountains National ParkGrueen Huffman, 2010Find at Bookshop.org
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Horse Creek Recreation Area?
Sites at Horse Creek Recreation Area are reservable on Recreation.gov. Campsites are first come, first serve and non-reservable. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.
Source: Recreation.gov
How much does it cost to camp at Horse Creek Recreation Area?
Camping fee is $10 per night. Recreation.gov either online or call 1-877-444-6777. No fee for Day Use.
Source: Recreation.gov
What time is check-in at Horse Creek Recreation Area?
Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.
Source: Recreation.gov
Is Horse Creek Recreation Area open right now?
Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026.
Source: Forest Service status
How many sites does Horse Creek Recreation Area have?
18 sites, including 13 walk-in sites and 1 standard site without power.
Source: Recreation.gov
Can I bring an RV to Horse Creek Recreation Area?
Horse Creek Recreation Area is listed for tents only.
Source: Recreation.gov
Are there showers or a dump station at Horse Creek Recreation Area?
The bathhouse includes hot showers, flushable toilets, and sinks.
Source: Recreation.gov
Are pets allowed at Horse Creek Recreation Area?
Yes, pets are allowed at Horse Creek Recreation Area. Leash rules apply.
Source: Recreation.gov
Can I have a campfire at Horse Creek Recreation Area?
Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there is 1 active fire within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one. Camping and picnicking are on a first-come, first-served basis.
Source: Fire nearby
Is there cell service at Horse Creek Recreation Area?
FCC coverage maps show AT&T 4G LTE and T-Mobile 5G at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is there to do at Horse Creek Recreation Area?
There are several native trout streams within and nearby Horse Creek Recreation Area. See Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency for permits as well as rules and regulations on fishing. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Horse Creek Recreation Area?
Greeneville, Tennessee.
Source: Getting there