North Carolina / Haywood County / Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Big Creek Group Camp

Closed — Closed for the season. Typically operates from early April through the end of October. Reservations required via Recreation.gov.

About

Big Creek Group Camp is located in the far northeastern corner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, near the Tennessee-North Carolina border. With the gentle waters of Big Creek running alongside the site and trailheads within walking distance, this campground offers an ideal setting for group camping excursions in a less-crowded section of the park. The camp is a walk-in, tents-only site that can accommodate groups of up to 25 people. Equipment must be carried from the parking lot to the camping area. Numerous hiking and horseback riding trails are accessible from the campground. The Appalachian Trail is easily reached via the Chestnut Branch Trail, a 2.1 mile hiker-only trail beginning down the road from the campground. Baxter Creek Trail meanders along the water, while the Big Creek Trail leads to Mouse Creek Falls, a scenic 35-foot waterfall that splits over moss-covered rocks, and Midnight Hole, where Big Creek squeezes between large boulders forming a deep, beautifully-colored pool. Big Creek is not as crowded with anglers as other areas of the park. Spring provides ideal conditions for fly fishing, with rainbow and brook trout actively feeding on aquatic insects. The area is covered in wildflowers during spring months. The Big Creek Horse Camp is located nearby with additional horse stables and riding trails.

Directions

From I-40, take Exit 451 (Waterville), 16 miles east of Newport, Tennessee. Follow Waterville Road, crossing the Pigeon River, past the Walters Power Generating Station, and continue one mile to the 4-way intersection at Mount Sterling Gap. Follow signs to Big Creek. Drive to the end of Big Creek Entrance Road, passing the Ranger Station and horse camp. The group camp is the last left turn immediately before hiker parking.

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