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Anthony Creek Horse Camp provides equestrian-focused camping near the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Located in Townsend, Tennessee, this established campground features dedicated areas for horses and their owners, with convenient access to surrounding bridle trails. The camp operates seasonally from April 1 to November 13, accommodating both tents and RVs. Sites include picnic tables and fire rings for camper comfort. Reservations are required for all equestrian camping spots. The campground maintains standard amenities while focusing on horse-friendly features. Trail riders find the location convenient for accessing the park's extensive trail system.
Connected to the broader Great Smoky Mountains National Park trail network, Anthony Creek provides strategic positioning for riders wanting to explore the park's diverse terrain. The nearby Cades Cove area offers additional riding opportunities through scenic mountain landscapes. Water access points are available for horses throughout the camping area. Riders appreciate the well-maintained paths connecting directly from the campground to main trail systems. The camp serves as a practical base for day-long rides into more remote park areas. Seasonal considerations affect trail conditions, with spring and fall offering optimal riding weather and trail stability. Park regulations require all riders to follow established horse trails and camping policies, including proper waste management and designated hitching areas.
"Plenty of trails and wildlife to see. 15 minute drive Townsend. Very quiet at night so you can hear the night owls and coyotes at night."
"We were in site C-16 which was towards the back of the campground and only 2 sites away from the bathrooms and a bear proof dumpster."
from $30 / night
Check Availability"Right next to the entrance to the Great Smokey mountains. Townsend is a lovely town for eating and lots of walking trails. It is a short drive into pigeon forge if you want more activities to do."
"The Townsend KOA is located close to the entrance of Cades Cove. It has many rv, tent, and cabin sites. The sites on the river seem to be the best."
"There is a camp store with firewood (you are required to buy it from an authorized location!). Nice roomy campsites, but not as much plant cover as at Elkmont in my experience."
"I wanted to see if there was a difference in the camping experience at the two locations."
from $50 - $94 / night
Check Availability"Tucked away in quiet town of Townsend TN on Hwy 73, the campground has tent sites and RV hookups. There are toilets and a shower for each restroom."
"It was definitely packed but everyone stayed pretty quiet even when kids were playing around the sites. Super clean sites and bath houses. Water on EACH site was the bomb!"
"Building a fire was next to impossible. I think there might have been thirty minutes without rain, so pictures are limited."
"About 1 hour away from Gatlinburg, but this side is less crowded. The sites are plenty big, a little tight to back into, but not a big deal."
from $30 / night
Check Availability"I chose this campsite as the location of my first backcountry overnight experience, and I was not disappointed. Loved every minute of it. Short hike from your vehicle on Laurel Gap Rd."
"Camp site is about .5 miles downhill from the Bote Mountain and West Prong Trail Head. There are 2 sites that can be used and they are separated from one another."
"Sites are first come, first serve, most sites are in the open with a few more private sites around the edge."
"Great for accessing the mountain bike trails at Tsali. The entire campground is first come first serve, never had a problem finding a spot, but does fill up by the weekend."
from $10 - $20 / night
Check Availability"easy access to the trails right from camp....beautiful area. will be going back for sure."
from $30 / night
Check Availability"Located close to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it is a private campground and has several types of camping opportunities. "
"Campground review: Located in Bryson City, N.C. on Deep Creek, this campground has around 50 sites with full hookups."
"If I’m not mistaken, the one we were at this time was either the same cabin or one close to it. It is perfectly situated beside the river. "
"But if you’re a tent camper, be aware that the tent sites are located near the road (I will never understand why campsites do this, since we are the ones with no soundproofing)."
TravelerThis is a very well run quiet campground. We got a site right by the river with a patio deck. The campground is clean and well kept. Lovely playground for the kids. Right next to the entrance to the Great Smokey mountains. Townsend is a lovely town for eating and lots of walking trails. It is a short drive into pigeon forge if you want more activities to do. I highly recommend this full service campground.
LegendDespite having rained for a week, staying at this campground wasn’t half bad. Building a fire was next to impossible. I think there might have been thirty minutes without rain, so pictures are limited. Being in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you need to be prepared for rain since it is a temperate rain forest. I had brought Boy Scouts to this campground years ago and wanted to go back. This time, we did not stay in the group camping area. Since it was at the beginning of the week, it wasn’t too crowded, although there were two Boy Scout groups in the group camping area. There are several camping areas, and the one we were in allowed generators during the day. I think I heard one, but it was not so bad. Unfortunately, there are gravel tent pads, which is bad news for campers with tents you have to stake down. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again. As a tent camper, I hate gravel tent pads. Being in the national park, the amenities are about the same as the other national park campgrounds. However, I was surprised that the bath house had an electrical outlet to be used for blow dryers and shavers. I don’t remember any other Great Smoky Mountains National Park campgrounds having that luxury. But like the other ones in this national park, the bath house does not have showers or campsite hookups for water, sewer, and electricity. There are several trails in the area, but the ones that originate from the campground is the¾ mile nature trail and the Bradley Fork Smokemont Loop. When my son and I hiked this trail, we had to watch out for and step around horse poop. Since this trail is also used by horses, there was lots of it. Fortunately, the nature trail didn’t allow horses. My granddaughter loved walking over the log bridges and skipping rocks at the campground while it wasn’t raining. I think that was her favorite part. As with most of my camping trips, I want to explore, and there is plenty to explore around this campground. Being in the national park, there is a wide variety.
Fewer than three miles down the road, there is an old mill (Mingus Mill), the Oconaluftee Visitors Center (which has the Mountain Farm Museum), elk, wild turkeys, etc. Within the boundary of the campground I discovered something at the campground that I never knew existed. There was an old church at the campground that was built before Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established. We were able to go into the church for me to take a few pictures. It was first constructed in 1836 and rebuilt in 1912. Not too far from the campground is the Appalachian Trail, the Benton MacKaye Trail, and the Kephart Prong Trail. This campground is also one of the largest campgrounds in the national park that I have been to. Although it is not an equestrian campground, Tow String camping area is“next door,” and it is an equestrian campground. The horseback riders pass beside the campground on route to the Bradley Fork Trail. Overall, this was one of my better experiences with national park campgrounds except for the rain.
ScoutThe Townsend KOA is located close to the entrance of Cades Cove. It has many rv, tent, and cabin sites. The sites on the river seem to be the best. They are out of the way and a little more spaced out. We had the pull thru patio site #61. The site itself is really nice. It has a big patio and fire pit. The major downside is it’s next the main in/out and basketball court. So cars are driving by and the basketball court was slightly annoying. Lots of screaming kids and bouncing balls all day until midnight the first night. Not very peaceful. It’s weird that they put one of the nicer sites next to the court. Other than the site location everything was nice. The playground is large and nice. There’s a great store on site. The people were really helpful. Cellphone and WiFi was very hit and miss. I would definitely stay again but not in that site.
RangerTucked away in quiet town of Townsend TN on Hwy 73, the campground has tent sites and RV hookups. There are toilets and a shower for each restroom. The restrooms were clean and plenty of hot water. It is just off the main hwy and there is plenty of traffic noises, but that dies down at night and you wake up to the birds chirping and the sound of the nearby stream. Staff is friendly. Had an enjoyable stay
GuideSmokemont is a great campground in the North Carolina side of the Smoky Mountains. It is a perfect base camp to enjoy this amazing national park. About 1 hour away from Gatlinburg, but this side is less crowded. The sites are plenty big, a little tight to back into, but not a big deal. There is no cell service but this is also a great opportunity to disconnect. Right next to the campground there are horse stables, really recommend an early morning horseback ride around the trails Mountains of the campground. Definitely looking forward to visiting again!
TravelerGreat place to take the family to enjoy nature. Plenty of trails and wildlife to see. 15 minute drive Townsend. Very quiet at night so you can hear the night owls and coyotes at night.
LegendStayed here July 2020 for a couple of days. We were in site C-16 which was towards the back of the campground and only 2 sites away from the bathrooms and a bear proof dumpster. The bathrooms do not have showers but the restrooms were kept very clean. And the dumpsters don’t smell so that’s always nice :)
There’s a camp store by the check in office that sells firewood, etc. they close at 5pm.
We stayed a Thursday-Saturday and friday was much louder compared to Thursday night. People kept locking cars and shining bright lights/playing music until midnight. I definitely preferred the weekday over the weekend.
Our campsite was nice and big enough for our 2 tents and a hammock. We built a fire every night and it was nice! Not as secluded as other campsites in the campground but still lovely!
Townsend was only 20 minutes away so we went there for coffee and WiFi at the coffee shop and the IGA to grab firewood since we missed the camp store the first night. We didn’t have cell service at Cades Cove Campground (Verizon and spring) so it was nice to check messages in Townsend as well.
LegendOne of my best friends invited me to go camping with him here, although I knew it was a horse camp and we didn’t have horses. There are lots of trails for horses, and there are places to tie up the horses. Knowing it was a horse camp, I expected there to be horse manure, but manure was everywhere—even on the tent pads. Other than that, which as I said I expected, it was a good place to camp. The sites are spacious and fairly private with woods between each site. You have to reserve in advance to get a code to get through the gate, so you don’t have curiosity seekers coming in. There was supposed to be access to water, but the only pump in the campground was not working. Fortunately, I brought water with me. There was a pit toilet, but when I first went to it, it smelled terrible and was in need of a big time cleaning. The next morning, when I went, it had been“cleaned”(if you want to call it that). My buddy and I decided to go to Max Patch, a mountain bald, a few miles up the road. Max Patch is a beautiful grassy bald with 360° views, and the Appalachian Trail runs across it. Unfortunately, it is popular. By that I mean TOO POPULAR. When we made it there, the parking lot was full, and there were cars lined up for about a half mile down the road. Having been on Max Patch before, I knew it was not going to be a pleasant experience. Overall, the campground is probably okay for horse campers except that there was no water. The pit toilet needed more attention than it was given, but it was a toilet. There’s a good chance I will not go back to this campground. It’s not that I do not recommend it in general. I just don’t recommend it if you are just camping in a tent without horses. However, I do recommend one of the dispersed camping areas not too far down the road, especially if you want to be close to Max Patch. Just don’t go in the more popular seasons.
LegendI visited Bristol Fields for a planned primitive camping event with a group. I’m glad I arrived in daylight because my first drive in on the approximately 4 mile stretch of dirt and gravel road was a little nerve racking. Mostly because I wasn’t 100% sure I was going the correct way and second because there are some nice drop offs from the road. It is a wide road (about 1 1/2 lane)but passing in some areas would be interesting. Stay right and you will find the sign. The campground is primarily for horse oriented camping. It is split into three areas. The first section to the right as you pull in is the area we set up in. Then there is a long field that is obviously for horse trailer parking and camping with tie out poles included. There is a small tree break prior to the last area which has the pit style latrine and a large field for camping use. This whole area is bordered by a nice cold stream that is excellent for soaking your sore muscles in after a horse ride or hike. There is direct access to horse and hiking trails that are not extremely scenic (as in no long views until you get to the top) but will give you a good vertical workout. You can run or bike ride on the road too. There are several large fire pit areas throughout and a fire circle with wood chairs in the main area. There were five of us, three tent campers and two in vans and we had plenty of room to set up. The gravel center with picnic table worked well as our “kitchen” and dining area. Once parked my vehicle didn’t move again until it was time to leave. Total black at night meant excellent star gazing and the creek was the loudest thing out there. It did seem to be a young adult destination in the evenings, but they left when they saw that the site was occupied. A nice feature someone created was a “dam” of rocks with a round pool to sit in. Excellent get away with no electronics to speak of.
Anthony Creek Horse Camp provides designated equestrian camping near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park entrance. Located at 1,900 feet elevation, this specialized site accommodates horses and riders in a forested environment with temperature ranges from 35°F to 85°F seasonally. The camp connects directly to multiple trail systems through established bridle paths maintained for horse traffic.
Trail riding to waterfalls: From Anthony Creek Horse Camp, riders can access several waterfall trails. The nearby Cades Cove Group Campground connects to similar trails where "there are historic structures in the area--a school, a church, barns, old houses, etc." according to Myron C.
Elk viewing: During fall months, many riders plan trips to observe wildlife. At Cataloochee Campground, "If you want to see the elk, you're going to have to be up early. I use to be in the park at 5 AM with night vision gear, I saw some very nice elk," notes Patrick K.
Fishing breaks: Horse trails pass numerous fishing spots where riders can take breaks. "The wild life here is so wonderful," mentions Patrick K. about the Cataloochee area, making it ideal for combined riding/fishing trips.
Private sites: The equestrian camping area offers separation between camping units. At similar Bote Mountain Campsite 18, "There are 2 sites that can be used and they are separated from one another," notes Kristin M., similar to Anthony Creek's layout.
Water access: Many riders appreciate the stream access for horses. Christina Z. notes about nearby camping: "West Prong of the Little River runs right through both separated sites, so plenty of water is an understatement. Ground is flat and plenty of room to spread out."
No crowding: Unlike general campgrounds, horse camps typically have fewer sites. Kristina from Cataloochee mentions that even with neighbors somewhat close, "with the ambience of this campground, it won't feel like that," a sentiment shared by Anthony Creek visitors.
Seasonal operation: The camp closes during winter months (November 14 to March 31) due to weather conditions.
Limited amenities: Facilities are basic, focusing on horse-specific features. Joel R. notes at Townsend-Great Smokies KOA that "If you are looking for a relaxing location, this ain't it!" – in contrast to Anthony Creek's more primitive, quiet setting.
Advance planning: Reservations are mandatory and fill quickly during peak riding seasons. "Reservations are highly recommended, but it is possible except on the busiest weekends to occasionally snag one of the not so prime sites," advises Kristina about Cataloochee, advice applicable to all equestrian camping in the area.
Child activities: While focused on horses, families can incorporate other activities. At Deep Creek Tube Center & Campground, "This was a great family campground. Plenty for the kids to do, including gem mining, feeding goats and several playgrounds," says Andra S.
Safety briefings: Children need clear instructions about horse safety and wildlife encounters. Michelle A. advises, "Make sure to lock your food up in your car or bear proof boxes because there are plenty of bears around."
Historical education: Incorporate visits to historic structures. According to Buck R. at Cades Cove Campground, "Go on the car tour loop and make sure to stop and look at the cabins and church. History at its finest."
Size limitations: Horse trailers with living quarters should check length restrictions. Steve D. notes that at other parks, "Like most KOAs, it's packed," unlike Anthony Creek which accommodates larger horse rigs but has specific site limitations.
Level parking: The designated parking areas are relatively flat for easy unhitching. Regarding campsites in the region, Jana B. mentions, "Bath houses was clean and host was super nice."
Generator rules: Unlike many local campgrounds, generators are permitted during specified hours for RV campers with living quarters who need to charge batteries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Townsend, TN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Townsend, TN is Cades Cove Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 99 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Townsend, TN?
TheDyrt.com has all 35 equestrian camping locations near Townsend, TN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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