big south fork national river & recreation area

If you want to experience breathtaking beauty without all the traffic and hoopla of Gatlinburg, the Big South Fork is an adventure you don't need to pass up. Hiking, 4-wheeling, rafting, fishing, and southern hospitality will beckon you to visit again and again. Be sure to include the Big South Fork Scenic Railway in your adventure as it goes into this National Park also.

Big South Fork is a beautiful area with geologically interesting features and clear water. We got a late start today and went for a relatively short (3 mile) hike. It was in the 40's when we started, and by the time we got back to the car, temperatures were in the 30's. Nonetheless I found a tick crawling on me at the end of the hike. It is December and we have had freezing weather. In August and September consecutively, we managed to get into seed ticks, first at Obed, then at Haw Ridge. A ranger told us at a trip to Big South Fork a couple of weeks ago that this was a bad year for seed ticks. I guess be aware that even in December there are still ticks out there this year. We are hoping and praying for no seed ticks this time (Misery neither of us would wish on our worst enemies). The first time we got them they were not visible (I had 150+bites), and the second time, only visible the next day (60+ bites), husband not quite as eaten up by them. It's hard to imagine wearing repellant in December, in Tennessee... Seed ticks are a little like chigger bites but form blisters and it is a painful itch.Other than that we have enjoyed Big South Fork so far.

The Honey Creek Loop was such a challenging trail! Climbing up ropes; hiking through a creekbed; up and down... A lot of fun, even though the trail was not marked the best. Had to really search for signs at times. An enjoyable hike, nonetheless.

There are miles of great trails with overlooks, caves, rock ledges, arches and a river running through it. The camping areas are very well kept and monitored by park rangers. The group camping loops have clean restroom and shower facilities with heat and warm water. There is also a huge screened porch-like pavilion with a fireplace on each group loop. Campsites have a picnic table, lantern hook and fire ring. No water, sewer or electric hookups on the group loops, but I am told the individual campsites in the regular campground have those extra features.

Wow!! The walk is not for the faint of heart. It's a five mile hike to get to this place. There are hills,rocks, and snakes in the hills! Honestly, it is so peaceful and serene. There is a log fence on the property and I do plan on returning to get more fall pics.

They tell us the locals don't want this to get around but we found it and it's a lovely remote area. Quiet and great camping and nice hiking trails. In Sept. enjoy the music and story telling festival, lots of fun but that weekend and holiday weekends are the only time you might find a lot of people here.

There are not too many people that seem to visit this place. Went July 24th and 25th. Looked like a ghost town and a little creepy. Guess people thought it was too hot to hike, trail ride or camp. Temperatures were not bad at all.

Have been going here since I was a child. My father was born at the site of Jakes Place, he was his grandfather. We hiked it may times before it even became a Park. It is beautiful! I hated to see some of the damage done to the area by hikers and campers. I miss the old chimney, which was all that was left of the old house. The Lodge Hostel was built with wood from the old barn and other buildings on the old homestead. One year my father hiked down with us and we actually found his and his cousins initials in one the siding boards of the hostile. It is as beautiful as we found it when we were young and played in the creek that ran by the house. He moved his mother, my grandmother off the property once everyone had moved away, in the mid 50's not wanting her there by herself. Took a lot to get her to leave!! They are gone now but we still come to visit every year. My Grand and Great Grandparents are buried in the Katy Blevins Cemetery just down from the Bandy Creek site.

I have lived in Kentucky my entire life and visited the BSFNRRA for the the first time recently. All I can say is WOW. I had no idea there was a place like this in the beautiful Bluegrass State. The gorges, arches and waterfalls are just a few of the attractions of this gorgeous area. We camped and stayed mostly in the KY area of the park so we only saw a small portion of the 125,000 acres but what we saw was amazing. The views and vistas are complemented by the numerous forms of wildlife and plants. Keep in mind this is a recreation area for hiking, camping, and outdoors activities so it takes some effort to get to some of the attractions, but the payoff is worth it. Will definitely be going back, soon and often.

Stayed at Saddle Valley Campground east of Jamestown and rode five days in Big South Fork. Well maintained horse trails and about 180 miles of trails. Lots of wildlife. Very pretty and serene. Check out Wildcat Den, North White Oak River, Yellow Face, Charit Creek Lodge, etc.

While visiting my husband's cousin in Robbins, Tennessee we decided to drive 30 minutes more and take our daughter to Big South Fork. Our daughter had never been there. While we enjoyed looking and the beautiful mountains and the river running between them, my husband enjoyed fishing. We had a beautiful day the sun was shining and it was 82 degrees but we had a breeze blowing through the trees.

The Daniel Boone National Forest spans north and south across Kentucky, narrowing to a small triangular area on the border into Tennessee, known as the "Big South Fork" (National River and Recreation Area).This area condenses a lot of the attractions of the entire forest, up through Kentucky, into a small, accessible area. Due to the BSFNRRA's (heh) remote location, the isolation I look for while planning a backpacking trip is much more available.There are options for accessible car camping and sight seeing that bring me back with my extended family, grandparents and toddlers. Facilities are always well maintained and welcoming faces abound.<3 Big South Fork! The 3 hour drive from Louisville, Nashville, Chattanooga, Asheville, lots of other metro areas is very worth it when looking for that extended weekend camping trip!

I camped in a group site at Bandy Creek recently. What a GREAT pavilion and clean private bath houses for groups! This is much nicer than many private campgrounds I have stayed at. My group hiked Twin Arches Loop and a short hike to a cave. Very nice windflowers and features on these trails. We saw people rafting the Obed and it looked very fun. There is a fee for camping, but not for park entrance.

The nicest place to trail rides & camping I love riding the trails and crossing the creeks to get to bandy creek and the food is great and what I love most no electricity just good ole lanterns sitting on porch listening to the creek in front of cabin and all in the cabin it bunks & a ole timey stove

Please, don't tell anyone about this area, it's a well-kept secret. It is truly stunning, equal to the Red River Gorge area of Kentucky, and also the Smoky Mts. The hills are not quite as high as the Smokies, but you don't have to tolerate the thousands of visitors, eitiher. You can actually stand at on overlook and be all alone. So much to see, but you need to get out of your car and on your feet to see most of it. That is the beauty of it- few drive bys, you need to get out and explore! Great for hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, anything to do with the wilderness. Not to be missed.