Blue Heron Campground, near Oneida, Tennessee, is a cozy spot tucked away in the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. This campground offers a mix of tent sites, RV spots, and even cabins, making it a flexible choice for different camping styles.

The sites are spacious and well-maintained, with picnic tables and fire pits for those classic campfire evenings. Many visitors have praised the cleanliness of the facilities, including the bathhouse, which adds to the overall comfort of your stay. As one camper noted, “The bathhouse was nice and clean,” which is always a plus when you’re out in nature.

If you’re up for some adventure, there are hiking trails nearby that lead to stunning overlooks and remnants of an old mining community. The area is also known for its quiet, secluded atmosphere, perfect for unwinding and enjoying the sounds of nature. One reviewer mentioned, “It is quiet and our site was relatively private,” highlighting the campground's peaceful vibe.

While you won't find showers or a market on-site, the campground does allow pets and has electric and water hookups, making it a practical choice for families and larger rigs. Whether you’re looking to relax or explore, Blue Heron Campground has the essentials for a great outdoor experience.

## Overview

 Blue Heron Campground is a rustic and spacious campground, situated on the Kentucky side of The Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area--a vast and scenic expanse of land that offers visitors countless recreational activities.
## Recreation

 Numerous trails snake through the Recreation Area, offering mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding for visitors. The main river of the Big South Fork is also a short drive away, offering fishing opportunities.
## Natural Features

 The Big South Fork is located in north central Tennessee and southeastern Kentucky in some of the most rugged terrain of the Cumberland Plateau. The park encompasses approximately 125,000 acres of both rocky gorges and forested plateaus. Numerous pristine streams unite with the free-flowing Big South Fork of the Cumberland River. Over thousands of years, this ceaselessly moving water has carved the sandstone of the plateau into impressive cliffs, arches and chimneys that are found throughout the park. 
## Nearby Attractions

 Just a few miles from the campground is Blue Heron Mine, also known as Mine 18, a historic abandoned mining town that has been rebuilt as an outdoor museum. Visitors can hear audio presentations from actual people who lived in the community in the 1950s. The Big South Fork Scenic Railway Depot is located about 9 miles away in the town of Stearns, which offers train rides and other educational opportunities for campers. More information can be found online at https://bsfsry.com. Additional attractions include the Daniel Boone National Forest and Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, offering additional recreation opportunities.

Blue Heron Campground — Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area

Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Stearns, KY is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Stearns, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.

Stearns

The Best Camping Near Stearns, Kentucky

You have to love the roads into the campgrounds at several of these parks. All I can say is tighten your seat belt and hold on. The entire Daniel Boone system has breath taking views and memorable areas. 
Heron was almost empty when I was there for the inaugural Yamacraw 50K. Even that early in the season though it was well maintained. Clean bath house and nice, well spaced hookups. 
The trail, oh my! I LOVE this area. If you can do the park from top to bottom you will not be disappointed by the views, waterfalls, rock formations and varied terrain.

And you thought roller coasters were fun

Quite secluded, yet a great launching point to hiking and biking trails of all difficulties. This visit was for running the Yamakraw 20K, and resulted in some astonishing views of Big South Fork River! Campsites were very large, with ample room between to allow for privacy, yet everyone is nesseled into an almost level area which makes setting up easy. Plenty of bear resistant containers for trash and food storage. Shower and bath house centrally located, clean and warm. Did not have any interaction with Park personnel, but locals in Sterns were very friendly and helpful. Will visit again!

Blue Heron Campgound

We stayed here while spending some time in the Big South Fork and other parts of the Daniel Boone National Forest. This relatively small 45 site campground can accommodate tents, campers and RVs and for only $17/night it's a steal! If camping in an RV, be sure to check out the facilities map because not all sites can fit large RVs. https://www.nps.gov/biso/planyourvisit/upload/Blue-Heron-Campground-Map-and-Regs-2014.pdf

There are restrooms available (no showers) and trash receptacles. We managed to see a black bear, so be sure you secure your food appropriately to minimize human and bear encounters. The campground is only open April through November.

We spent some time exploring the Natural Arch Scenic area as well, a short 30 minute drive from the campground.

Exploring the Big South Fork 

**Blue Heron Campground** near Trail town Stearns, Ky is my go to when I’m exploring this area.

There are SEVERAL excellent camping locations throughout Daniel Boone National Forest, each has its own atmosphere:) Blue Heron Campground is very basic but reminds me of a little oasis on top of the hill surrounded by adventure (LMAO, lame). Anyway, you have some choices, the driveway in has several sites in a row, more vehicle teaffic but plenty of room to set up your toys. The first loop is just past the dump site with the playground in the middle and showerhouse nearby, not a lot of shade. The back loop to the right offers more privacy and less traffic, more shade also.

The main attraction aside from the extensive trail system in the Blue Heron area is the **Blue Heron Mining town** and the actual Site at the bottom of the hill.

You can ride the old train from Stearns [https://bsfsry.com/](https://bsfsry.com/)to the tipple at the bottom. I took a friend for his birthday a few years ago and we got to ride in the actual locomotive section. Cool stuff if that’s your thing.

As far as the trails go they take you to some awesome overlooks, waterfalls and historic sites. Take a hydration and overnight pak in case of wrong turn ;)

Another stay

The campground has all of the glamping necessities. Water hook-up, electrical, dumping station, clean hot water showers, etc. It's pet friendly and the campground is very clean. The location is excellent for those who love rock climbing (sport and trad), easy and moderate level hiking, white water kayaking, or maybe want to spend a day or two also doing some backcountry camping. There are bears and other curious wildlife so make sure to keep your stuff in the provided bear boxes!

Small and quiet

Another wonderful area. Especially love camping and hiking here in the Autumn.

Great spot 

**Alum Ford Big South Fork Recreation Area** is in my top 10 favorite areas.

I try to participate in the Yamacraw Trail Run every year because it is just AWESOME, and this area is part of their route due to the excellent scenery of the area.

If you like trees, hills, streams, falls, historical markers, old cabins and history , plus not much use of modern technology when you camp then you will thoroughly enjoy Big South Bend! If you are a bring the kitchen sink kinda camper you might wanna find a nearby KOA or other type campground.

The campground has no signal, no electricity, no showers, no host. Just you, a tent pad, picnic table and fire ring. Oh, and there is one pit toilet. Bring 5$ cash for the honor pay station and your hiking shoes and watercraft. There is a Trailhead at the back of the 6 site campground and a boat ramp down the hill.

The sites are well maintained and old , probably CCC built with wood steps leading up or down to your site. There is no direct access to the boatramp but there is a short trail that connects the sites to the boatramp that runs along the cliff face down to the ramp.

The trailhead is part of the Sheltowee Trace Trail and connects to the Yamacraw Bridge. You could easily stage a multi day backpacking trip from Alum Ford to take in the local sights.

Not far up the road is the Yahoo Picnic Area. I think it used to be a campground just by the way it’s set up. Picnic tables on pads and a nice old pavilion for groups with a grill. Past that Yahoo Falls. This is a technical, moderate trail down to the tallest falls in Kentucky. Also a very old area but maintained with newer restroom facilities. The loop trail was approximately 1.5 miles long with a metal staircase on one side and trail on the far side. This is also part of a thru trail. Get you an old fashion paper map before coming cause your fancy electronic gear may or may not work here.

This is one of many areas through the Kentucky/Tennessee Big South Fork if you are able plan for an extended stay to check the whole place out;)

What are you here for?

Something for everyone at this national park. Whitewater rafting, canoeing, and kayaking await in the big South Fork of the Cumberland River. There are miles of hiking and horse trails through the picturesque countryside. Take a steam train ride around the ridge tops, or wet your line in the streams. There is plenty to do here.

The bathhouse is clean and there are hookupsfor RVs and backcountry camping too.

Beautiful rolling hills and whitewater. 

Big South Fork is a good place to stay anywhere in the park . It is truly a beautiful place . It is also great for family.

A good camping spot

BIg South Fork is like a breath of fresh air . It's one of our favorite places . It doesn't which side you arrive on everything is full of beauty .

Great campsites  beautiful place 

Blue Heron Campground in Big South Fork National Park.
Daniel Boone National Park is one of my favorite places to explore. 
Blue Heron CG is on the road to the VERY COOL mining village and the mining operation at the bottom of the hill. 
Blue Heron CG is small which makes it that much better. The showerhouse is not new but the whole place is very well maintained. There is an overlook and trail access nearby or you can drive down to the Historic mining operation with tipple and boat ramp as well as trailheads. 
Stearns, Ky is nearby and the historic railway that traverses the same area to the bottom of the hill through the village. 
So much to do in this area!

Top of the hill

 Big South Fork NRRA is definitely one of my favorite places in Tennessee. It stretches into Kentucky’s too. So much to do and see, and the hiking and camping is equal to the Smokies in my opinion, except there’s no crowds, no traffic, not many people! It’s great! There’s a few campgrounds in BSF, like Bandy Creek and Station Camp,and they are excellent spots, but the backcountry is where it’s at n the BSF! I have found so many excellent camp sites along the river and in the forest, and I’ve always been able to find one with plenty of privacy on any given weekend. 
  There’s lots of hiking, 4-wheeling, fishing, swimming, mountain biking, horse riding, kayaking, rock climbing, etc here. The possibilities are endless! The sounds at night are so peaceful and relaxing, and the lightning bugs put on quite a show in the summer! I tried to make a video, I don’t think you can see them, but you can hear the woods at night! 
  

Like the Smokies, without the crowds 

We spent the last weekend of October at Blue Heron and can't wait to go back! This small campground is easily navigable even with our 40' 5th wheel in tow and provides spacious, private sites. Access is easy with no bad roads nor overhanging trees. There is fantastic hiking nearby and much peace and quiet to be enjoyed!

Lovely, quiet campground 

Simple and small campground in a beautiful area. The sites are great. Bathhouse is simple but clean. No laundry. Wi-fi is questionable. 

Great access to hiking trails and scenic overlooks. 

One of the best sites and campgrounds we’ve enjoyed. 

Site 32 - perfection!

This was a hidden gem and there was nothing I could be critical of in this place. Clean, spacious sites, great facilities, clean bathrooms, close to world class hiking and remote natural beauty!

Remote and pristine, the best in Camping within the National Park System

I think lots number 712 and 13 are the best because they are situated right around a beautiful pond with massive lily pads and dragonflies. It is about a 20 minute drive to a local store or a save a lot when we forgot some groceries. The trees are mature so there is plenty of shade and lofty space between each lot. We are on a paved site surrounded by gravel picnic table light post and fire ring also with a food storage bin to keep out the bears!
It gets quiet! It gets dark! For $20, it is unbeatable. :-)￼

Pure gold for such an inexpensive price

Camp sites are well spread out.  Most of the sites are well shaded.  There are no outside lights after dark.  RV pads are paved and each sites has fairly large gravel pad as well as grass areas.  We did not have a chance to check out any of the trails but I think access to them was well outside of the actual camping area.  No firewood available to purchase.  Bring in all supplies.
Gave this campground a 5 based on how quiet and secluded it is.

Very quiet and secluded.

We were hear on Labor Day weekend and really enjoyed it.  It is quiet and our site was relatively private.  Cool stuff to do nearby, hiking, overlooks and old mining community.  We stayed at site 13 it is near a small pond and was quiet. Sites 20,21 &amp;22 looked even more secluded.  Will be checking one of this out on our next visit. 

Beautiful eyes and quiet

Nice secluded place! Very well kept. Facilities are clean and love that they recycle. Sites ate well spaced apart. Pretty level. Each site has lots of room to entertain or just sit out and enjoy the wilderness. Water, electric, firepit and picnic tables at each site as well. Not too many large site for big rigs, mostly TT in the park. There is a map of the park that has the sizes of each site, check it out. Have fun, we did! Road leaving Stearns is kinda windy and narrow but doable for lg. rigs, just take your time.

Quiet little state park!

Nice campground! Electric and water. Site on the incline were tricky with a larger rig. Ours had room but other family rig was tight. The bearproof lockers on each site was a great addition. However, camp maintenance needs to be sure they are free of people's garbage. 
Family could not use theirs as it stunk badly.   Quiet for it being full. 


Camping on the 4th

We camped here over the weekend with our dogs. 
The campground is actually not in Tennessee. It's located on the Kentucky side of Big South Fork.
The campsites have a picnic table and a firepit. Our campsite was very nice and private with a big grassy area. 
The bathhouse was nice and clean. 
There are hiking trails nearby and access to a small mining village. 
We would definitely camp here again. 

Quiet little campground

Sites are level and pretty spacious, if not some a little tight together. My only complaint was that the restroom wasn’t marked on the map that I could see so I ended up being very far away from it. So more of an issue with recreation.gov than the campground itself. The restroom was nice and clean. 

Nice sites, some far from bathroom

Campsites are spacious with gravel campsites and paved rv parking at campsites.  Water and electric at each site. Clean bathrooms with showers.

Photos of Blue Heron Campground — Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area

Real photos from real campers