Best Equestrian Camping near Wallins Creek, KY

Panther Creek SP

Panther Creek State Park was an unexpected find outside of Knoxville, TN , in Morristown. I’ve driven by the sign but no need to camp so close to home. I ended up sharing a site with a friend who lives even closer, lol This is a small State Park but it offers a lot to do recreation wise. The weekend we stayed there was a youth mountain bike event and cross country running going on. There’s also horseback trails. My only complaint about the trails is they are not marked well. A Boy Scout troop needs to do some merit badge work and improve them . The campground is small, a little tight in the sides and limited on full service sites. It’s a gradual uphill drive through the camp , you curve to the left and then back down the hill. The sites in the upper curve are bigger then the ones on the hill. There are several that offer tent pads and small vehicle pads. Check your lengths and bring your leveling boards. The two showerhouses are next to pavilions. All well maintained. The upper pavilion has a very cool fire pit area. And can accommodate a small gathering. There is a trailhead in the campground and several other trailheads in easy walking, pedaling distance , plus an awesome overlook and more strenuous hike up the road. The boat ramp is in an adjacent area and the lake is beautiful.

This great park for hiking is less than an hour from Knoxville. It’s always nice to escape the city and this was an ideal place to go. The hiking trails ranged from difficult to short and easy. The ’Trout’ hiking trail was very nice. One of the longer hikes was the Knob trail and it was very nice as well. They even allowed mountain biking on a good amount of trails- bringing a bike next time! This park doesn’t have a huge campground (which is a positive in my book). A drawback is the lack of seclusion,-there really is none. The sites are essentially all in a flat grassy area with some trees around the outside, but they don’t help with privacy much. I would probably make this park a day trip destination or just stay a night because it is not a campground I would enjoy just hanging out around.

Located a few miles away from the Cumberland Gap visitor's center, the camping area abuts the highway (where you can still hear traffic) and after a short drive into the park, you'll come across a plethora of camping sites.

There are RV sites with power and water and for tent campers, you can choose between large spaces with open fields and hilly, shaded spots for a more secluded feel. There are also food lockers on-site to discourage wildlife, and flip-up fire rings that, for once, weren't clogged with ashes and old wood. 

Speaking of fires, you can buy firewood on-site from the camp store (no cards taken). 

There are care stations with toilets and showers in three locations, spaced evenly throughout the 6 rings that make up the park. 

Cell service is decent, with 2-3 bars of LTE.

I was a little underwhelmed compared to what I was expecting from camping at a national park. The positives are the cheap rates and there are bathroom and shower facilities. If you want old fashion tent camping the park does have some backcountry campsites.

The cons are the lack of actual campsites. They are more like parking spaces. Probably to appeal to the people who use campers. The noise of the highway was constant and annoying.

Overall I enjoyed my time staying here. Wish I could have done more backcountry camping but the weather didn't permit it.