500+ miles; trail difficulty – Advanced
Address: BIA Highway 425 Cherokee, NC 28719
Website: https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/horsecamps.htm
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Getting here – mostly rural highways through mountain terrain. Have good brakes and don’t overload.
2. Parking & Trailers – very little parking at campground. Roadside parking big enough for large trailers, sun and shade, creek water only.
3. Family Friendly – yes
4. Trail Difficulty – advanced.
5. Trail Info – advanced mountain trails in the smoky mountains. shoes or boots necessary.
6. Amenities – portable toilet, horse stocks, fire pit, primitive sites, water at nearby creek, trash cans, firewood, ice and snacks at nearby smokemont riding stables.
7. Events & entertainment – n/a
8. Lodging – 3 primitive tent campsites.
9. Hookups – n/a.
10. Stalls – 12 wooden horse stocks, hitching rails.
Other/notable:
Reservations
All of the park’s horse camps are on a nationwide reservation service. Advance reservations are required and can be made by calling (877) 444-6777 between 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. You may also make a reservation online. Additional information about advance reservations. Please write down your reservation number—you will need it when you register at the horse camp.
Fees are $23 per site, except for Big Creek, which is $29 per site. You must pay for the site when you make your reservation. Fees are not accepted at the horse camp. Payment can be made by credit card. Personal checks are accepted only if the reservation is made at least 20 days in advance.
You must have a horse to camp at a horse camp. Each campsite has a limit of six people and four horses. If you have more than six people or four horses, you will need to reserve another site. Sites vary in the number of vehicles that can be accommodated. Some allow only for one vehicle and trailer, others allow for two vehicles and two trailers (horse or camping). Please check the reservation website for details.
A cancellation fee will be charged if you cancel your reservation or if we cancel your reservation because you fail to show up. You will also be charged for one night’s camping fee if you cancel on or after the day your reservation begins or you fail to show up.
To make changes to your reservation or to cancel, please call 1-888-448-1474. If you are going to be arriving late (i.e. after noon of the second day), please phone 865-436-1230 to hold your reservation.
Horse Camp Rules and Regulations
• Horses must be kept in stalls and not at the campsite. Clean stalls out when leaving. Discard old and unwanted hay in designated areas.
• Keep horses out of campsites. Future campers will appreciate it.
• Tie horses only to hitching racks and stalls. Do not tie horses to trees.
• Stall spaces are limited. Bring only the number of horses for which you have reservations.
• Do not leave stock unattended.
• Never leave feed where wildlife can get to it—wildlife attracted to feed can come into conflict with people.
• All equine brought to or kept at any park horse camp or ridden on any park trail shall be accompanied by either the original or a copy of an official negative test for equine infectious anemia.
Please Observe the Following
• Avoid thawing or frozen trails—save them for dry times. Soil is easily damaged when it is soft. Stay on the trails. Do not use shortcuts. Walk or ride single-file down the center of trails. When crossing roads and paved areas, dismount and lead your horse.
• Pack out what you pack in. Littering is illegal. Leave a campsite cleaner than you found it.
• Know which trails are open to horses. Check the current Trail Map for up-to-date information.
• Keep horses away from springs. Carry and use a collapsible bucket to water your horse.
• Use processed feed to eliminate introducing weed seeds into the park—hay may contain seeds of non-native plants that can take over and destroy habitat for native species.
• Avoid disturbing wildlife by observing them from a distance. Bears are dangerous—do not feed them or other wildlife.
• Pets are not allowed on trails or in backcountry areas. Pets are only allowed in developed areas and must be on a leash at all times.