Best Equestrian Camping near Shady Valley, TN

This is a group equestrian camp that can be reserved via Recreation.gov for$50/night for up to 25 people. There is no potable water available, so plan to bring your own. There is a stream at the site where the horses may drink. There's enough space for a number of trailers, including large ones, and up to 25 horses. There's a fair amount of grassy area and it's lined with rhododendron. Dumpster provided. No cell service.

There are a number of horse trails that connect, starting with the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail nearby, so you don't need to trailer your horses to get to the trailhead

This equestrian campground in a beautiful state forest allows for other campers to make reservations no more than 30 days in advance; priority is for campers with horses. This state park has wild horses of its own, but has numerous multi-use and equestrian trails and connects with additional trails in the area for up to 66 miles of riding. Chestnut Hollow is distinct from the Hickory Ridge campground.

The campsites are back-in along a single spur with turn-around at the end. There are  bathrooms with showers and a sink for laundry. Fees are $20-23/night, slightly higher for out of state campers. There are open and closed stall options for an additional fee. These were clean and in good repair. Although the official season runs May - October, it is open for primitive camping March, April, and November.

Site are long, gravel, relatively level with water/electric.

I’d never used a KOA before but was tremendously impressed with the serene beauty of this place situated well away from traffic in a bucolic setting. Mindful of my budget I learned to ask for a tent site with no electricity, no water, just toilets and showers. The young man who helped me observed I was alone and put me in a small cabin for no additional charge. Just outside the cabin was a bonfire of old wood from construction debris. I was super stoked to get this deal. I spent lots of time stoking that fire and sitting outdoors watching the evening arrive. If you’re anywhere near the area do stop in and enjoy a quiet and lovely night. You can even pet the horses nearby.

Kingsport/Bristol has easy access from Interstate 81 and the campground is easily navigated with a large 5th wheel.

They have cabins, a nice pool, a blob, lots of outdoor activities, playground area, horse shoes, even with it being a smaller KOA Campground there is a lot to do. The park is also near Warriors Path State Park, which is fun to go hike and see.

They have several large pull through sites, as well as back in smaller sites. They have 50amp service and full hookup sites.

Cellular reception is decent for TMobile and AT&T.

This park is frequented by travelers and NASCAR fans.

Stayed in site A31, a pull-through site. No sites here have hook-ups. This campground is on a beautiful lake. There is no swimming on the lake(its pretty shallow) but awesome for kayaking and paddleboarding. There is wifi at the boat rental area, an easy walk from all parts of the campground where you can rent kayaks, get snacks, etc. All sites are well spaced out(A loop, I didn't see the other loops) but non- lake side sites don't have a ton of tree cover so aren't very private. Tent sites next to the lake are closer together and DO have more trees/ privacy. Several good trails within the campground- the 2.5 mile lake loop which winds around the lake was nice, flat and beautiful.

We stayed at Site E14 during a weekend in July. The campground is in an excellent location, just 5-10 minutes away from downtown Blowing Rock and of course it’s right on the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway! Our site was peaceful and shaded, easily fit our 14 foot teardrop with screen room and our truck. After walking through the other loops, I preferred ours as it was not as crowded and quieter. Great access to trails, Price Lake trail and Boone Fork trail access is within minutes. Our site was very shaded. The picnic table seating is extremely low to the ground so if you have mobility issues that could be an issue. The bathrooms were old but clean and served the purpose. Overall, I recommend this campground it is so peaceful and perfect location. We can’t wait to come back!!