Cataloochee Horse Camp
Campground · North Carolina · 7 bookable sites ·
Managed by the National Park Service
Great Smoky Mountains National Park (National Park) · Open Access
- 7
- Bookable sites
- 30 ft
- Max rig length
- up to 6
- People per site
- 2,773 ft
- Elevation
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.
You MUST have a HORSE to camp at Cataloochee Horse Camp!
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.
You MUST have a HORSE to camp at Cataloochee Horse Camp!
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.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.The facts
- 7 bookable sites
- Vehicles up to 30 ft
- Up to 6 people per site
- Loops: Horse Camp
Site types
- 7 Equestrian Nonelectric
Amenities
- Campfires allowed
- Fire pits
- Picnic tables
- Grills
- Shade
- Pets allowed
Not recorded upstream: electric hookups, water hookups, sewer hookups.
7 campsites at Cataloochee Horse Camp
Check-in 1:00 PM · Check-out 12:00 PM
| Site | Loop | Type | Entry | Surface | Grade | Max rig | People | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Horse Camp | Equestrian Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | Slight | 30 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 2 | Horse Camp | Equestrian Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | — | 30 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 3 | Horse Camp | Equestrian Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | — | 30 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 4 | Horse Camp | Equestrian Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | — | 30 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 5 | Horse Camp | Equestrian Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | Slight | 30 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 6 | Horse Camp | Equestrian Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | — | 30 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 7 | Horse Camp | Equestrian Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | — | 30 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
Getting there
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.
35.62876, -83.11559 · 35°37'43.5"N 83°6'56.1"W
Typical weather
Typically 80°F in Jul, down to 46°F in Jan.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 46 | 51 | 58 | 68 | 74 | 78 | 80 | 80 | 75 | 67 | 58 | 50 |
| Low °F | 23 | 26 | 31 | 38 | 47 | 54 | 58 | 57 | 52 | 38 | 31 | 27 |
| Precip in | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
1991–2020 averages from the nearest NOAA station, 1.3 mi away — not measured at the facility itself, and elevation can make a real difference over that distance.
Map
Fees and stay limits
Individual Campsites: A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. Customers that check out early or do not plan to use their reservation MUST contact the campground office the day they leave or are due to check in, in order to receive a refund. Refund requests for early departure or non use of the site made AFTER the reservation has ended will be denied. Office phone numbers are given in the Facility Contact information for each campground.
From Recreation.gov, which is not always current. The operator's own page is the authority on what you will be charged.
More photos
Member photos
Common questions about Cataloochee Horse Camp
- Can you reserve a site at Cataloochee Horse Camp?
- Yes, Cataloochee Horse Camp is reservable through Recreation.gov.
- How many campsites does Cataloochee Horse Camp have?
- 7 sites.
- What is the maximum RV length at Cataloochee Horse Camp?
- 30 ft. That is the longest vehicle the sites here are recorded as taking; individual sites may be shorter.
- Are pets allowed at Cataloochee Horse Camp?
- Yes, pets are allowed at Cataloochee Horse Camp.
- Are campfires allowed at Cataloochee Horse Camp?
- Campfires are allowed at Cataloochee Horse Camp. Check for a current fire restriction before you go.
Camping near Cataloochee Horse Camp
- Cataloochee Campground 1.7 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Cataloochee Group Camp 2.8 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Balsam Mountain Campground 5.5 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Round Bottom Horse Camp 5.5 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Big Creek Campground (Great Smoky Mountains National Park) 8.4 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Big Creek Group Camp 8.5 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Big Creek Horse Camp 8.7 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Cosby Group Camp 10 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Cosby Campground 10.2 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Cosby Picnic Pavilion 11.1 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Balsam Mt. Campground 5.5 mi · Campground
- Pigeon River 11.2 mi · Facility
Contact
- Phone 828-497-9270
- Email Dawn_Pekarchick@nps.gov
- Book Recreation.gov
Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-08-11.
Facility information and photographs from Recreation.gov (RIDB). SpotOpened is not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.
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