Facility Details - CATALOOCHEE HORSE CAMP, NC

Overview

Located in the scenic Cataloochee Valley, tucked in a cool and shady canopy, this campground offers the best that the Great Smoky Mountains National park has to offer, including some of the most coveted horseback riding trails in the park.

World-renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains and the preservation of Southern Appalachian culture, the Great Smoky Mountains is America's most visited national park.

Natural Features:

Cataloochee Horse Camp sits in along the gentle waters of Cataloochee Creek in the remote Catalooche Valley, surrounded by some of the park's most picturesque and rugged mountain ranges. Whether blanketed in wildflowers in the spring or vivid colors in the fall, the scenery at Cataloochee never disappoints.

Recreation:

With access to some of the most popular trails in the area, including the Rough Fork and Caldwell Fork Trails, this site is a favorite for horseback riding enthusiasts.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is also a hiker's paradise. Boogerman Trail, accessed via the Caldwell Fork Trail, provides a 3.9 mile detour through a beautiful, densely forested terrain, allowing visitors to stretch their legs and explore the area.

Campers can enjoy high-quality backcountry fishing in the cool waters of the countless streams and rivers that snake through the mountains, with wild trout available in abundance.

Wildlife viewing is a popular pastime, and with around 1,500 bears living in the park, it's not uncommon for a visitor to spot one. The Cataloochee area is also known for an elk herd that populates the valley, making for an impressive display of wildlife.

The park also holds one of the best collections of log buildings in the eastern United States. Over 90 historic structures, including houses, barns, outbuildings, churches, schools and grist mills, have been preserved or rehabilitated in the park. A handful of these buildings are nearby the campground, including the Palmer House, which offers a self-guided museum.

Facilities:

Cataloochee offers primitive-woods camping. A canopy of trees provides adequate shade, while a few open areas let in the sunlight and allow for pleasant group activities. There is no potable water provided at the campground, so visitors must bring their own.

The nearby Cataloochee Campground offers additional camping space for those visitors without horses, and the Cataloochee Group Camp provides a larger space for group trips.

Each site at Cataloochee has four horse stalls with hitching racks.

Nearby Attractions:

A number of Great Smoky's famous historical buildings, including cabins and churches, are located close to the campground. The nearby towns of Maggie Valley or Waynesville offer groceries and other supplies.

Activities and Amenities

Within Facility
Birding Campfire Rings Fishing Hiking Hitching Racks Horse Stalls Horse Watering Station	Horseback Riding Horseback Riding Trails Host Picnic Area Pit Toilets Wildlife Viewing
Less Than 1 Mile
Historic Sites Ranger Station	River Access Trails

Know Before You Go

Bear Habitat!!

All food and items used to store or prepare food, including coolers, MUST be stored in the trunk or cab of your vehicle/s at all times when not in use.
Dispose of garbage promptly in bear-proof dumpsters.
This rule is strictly enforced!

Firewood Quarantines are in effect!

The possession of any firewood originating from any location for which a federal or state firewood quarantine is in effect is prohibited. The movement of firewood into the park from counties adjacent to the park for which a federal or state quarantine is in place is prohibited even if the quarantine allows for movement within the county.
Firewood which bears a USDA certificate or which is purchased from a park concessionaire is allowed.
The National Park Service STRONGLY discourages the movement of firewood from location to another.
More details are available on the park website at www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/firewood-alert.htm
This rule is strictly enforced!

Access to Cataloochee is via a narrow, winding, mountain road. A 3 mile stretch of gravel road contains many narrow, blind curves. Though many campsites will accommodate large rigs, motorhomes over 32' and trailers over 25' in length are not recommended due to the access road.

There are no showers or electric, water or sewer hook-ups in the park.

Quiet hours are in effect from 10 PM to 6 AM. Generator use is restricted to 8 AM to 8 PM.

Fires are allowed in fire rings only.

A reservation is required for all horse camps and you must have a horse to camp here. A maximum of 6 people and 4 horses may occupy a campsite. All horses must be accompanied by a negative Coggins test. The park stay limit is 14 consecutive days.

Stalls are provided but may not be visible from your campsite. Check the site page for details. Horses may not be tied to trees.

With the exception of Big Creek, horse camps do not have potable water.

A Tennessee or North Carolina fishing license is required to fish in the park. Special regulations apply in the park.

Pets are permitted but cannot be left unattended. All pets must be kept on a leash at all times. Pets are not allowed on trails.

For additional park information call 865-436-1200 or visit www.nps.gov/grsm

Getting There:

GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude):
35.62778, -83.1125
35°37'40"N, 83°6'45"W

Take I-40 east from Knoxville, TN or west from Asheville, NC. Exit I-40 at NC exit 20, twenty-five miles west of Asheville (87 miles east of Knoxville). Turn right onto Cove Creek road 1/10 miles from I-40. Follow Cove Creek road approximately 11 miles to Cataloochee horse camp.