200+ mile; trail difficulty-beginner to advanced
Address: 6469 Old Mount Helen Rd Allardt TN 38504
Phone: 931 879 6469
Website: http://bigforkcampground.com/index.html
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/Big-Fork-Campground-669479499742903
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Getting here – mostly rural highways, do not use gorge in the middle park, use website for directions.
2. Parking & Trailers – ample parking on gravel pull through and back in sites on circle drive, mostly sun.
3. Family Friendly – yes
4. Trail Difficulty – intermediate to advanced.
5. Trail Info – hillside trails, rocky sandstone, big south fork trails o & w bridge, needles eye, laurel valley overlook.
6. Amenities – guide available, private showerhouse and restrooms, fire pits, wash bays, pavilion, wifi.
7. Events & entertainment – organized rides, poker run, holiday/weekend entertainment.
8. Lodging – 2 furnished rv rentals.
9. Hookups – 20 sites with water electric and some sewer, dump station, 30/50 amp, .
10. Stalls – 16-14 x14 covered stalls with lights and water, 9 uncovered pens, paddocks, and free sawdust bedding.
•More info from their site:
Welcome to Big Fork Campground, a 18-site campground in the park, offering personalized attention to its customers, new state-of-the-art facilities, with 14’x14’ and 12’x12’ and 10’x16’ bedded stalls. Rent one of two RV’s and ride, hike or hunt without pulling your own rig.
We abut the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, horse riding capital of the Southeast! Hikers and hunters welcome. We are ten minutes away from the Honey Creek Loop, which is ranked as one of the top 25 hiking trails in the USA. Escape to the mountains and enjoy over 120,000 acres of natural pristine beauty.
For your horses: Our main barn B: has a sun-lit 16′ center-aisle with 14’x14’ bedded stalls, (2) wash racks and a round pen.
Barn A: has (4) 12×12 stalls, each letting out into two different fenced paddocks, with an adjoining tack/hay room & (2) wash racks. To keep the grass in good condition, we request that you only turn your horse out after you arrive, and just one hour in the AM and PM. If the grass is growing well, please ask us if you can keep them in longer.
Our newest barn, Barn C, sits under the trees and has (4) 10’x16’ bedded stalls.
If your horse prefers to be out all the time, we have a 200’x300’ paddock (#5) that is available. You can also turn you horse out for a few hours in Paddock (#2).
We have two larger paddocks to share with rotating times for horses.
*** Please clean stalls and paddocks daily. We can happily clean them for you.
TRAILS
For the horseback riders: Big Fork Campground is located at the entrance of the Mount Helen Trailhead at Park Road, where there are several trail options for riding the Big South Fork Park. Ride through our hay field to the trailhead, where you can ride Long Ridge trail to Needles Eye, Jake’s Hole, Gun Rock, Double Arches & much more.
Or ride 30 minutes from the trailhead down to the O & W Railroad bed which runs alongside the North White Oak Creek, often referred to as the jewel of the park, giving riders magnificent views of the roaring creek & cliffs above. The O & W connects you to the park’s over 200 miles of trails that range from short, easy, day rides, to long, challenging loops. Color maps will be provided.
We highly recommend that horses have shoes, as some areas can be rocky.
For the hikers: We are ten minutes away from the Honey Creek Loop Trail that is ranked as one of the top 25 hiking trails in the USA. From Honey Creek Loop trail you can continue down to the Burnt Mill Bridge trail, which is the southern terminus of the Sheltowee Trace National Recreational Trail. Or you can go the other way on the Sheltowee where it now hooks into the John Muir National Recreation Trail.
Park maps can be found at: http://www.nps.gov/biso/planyourvisit/trailmaps.htm
AMENITIES
Men’s & women’s bathrooms with showers
Fire pits at each site
Covered insulated, gathering/eating area, with gas grill.
We have WIFI, TV, movies, games, table tennis, etc.
We recycle!
CAMPGROUND
We have (18) developed sites: (9) sites with sewer, water and electric and (8) with water and electric. All have 20, and 30-amp hookups, and there are (4) sites with 50 amp hookups.
Primitive sites have water nearby.
Fire rings and picnic tables at most sites.
There is a dump station for your use.
We encourage you to use our recycling cans.
BARNS
For You: Enclosed T.V. lounge/kitchenette/eating area, with pot bellied wood stove, a gas heater, gas grill, toaster oven, sink and microwave. The lounge area has a flat screen TV, with a VHS/DVD player. New men’s & women’s bath/showers.
WIFI
For your horses: Our main barn, Barn B: has a sun-lit 16′ center-aisle with 14’x14’ bedded stalls, (2) wash racks and a round pen.
The second barn, Barn A: has (4) 12×12 stalls, each letting out into two different fenced paddocks, with an adjoining tack/hay room & (2) wash racks. To keep the grass in good condition, we request that you only turn your horse out for an hour after you arrive, and just one hour in the AM and PM. If the grass is growing well, please ask us if you can keep them in longer.
Our newest third barn, Barn C: sits under the trees and has (4) 10’x16’ stalls next to a picket line.
If your horse prefers to be out all the time, we have a 200’x300’ paddock (#5) that is available. You can also turn you horse out for a few hours in Paddock (#2).
Sawdust bedding is free.
***Please clean stalls daily, or we will be happy to clean stalls while you are on the trail.
Please bring your own water/feed buckets and hay bags. We provide wheelbarrows and composting manure area. There are two wash racks next to the B and A barns, there is also hot water available inside the barn.
***Please clean stalls daily, or we will be happy to clean stalls while you are on the trail, which will be added to your bill.
