Posted 2011-02-20 2:06 PM (#130528) Subject: East Fork in Tennessee
Veteran
Posts: 112 Location: ohio
We will be going to East Fork around Jamestown, TN this October for the weekend. I was wondering where else we can camp and ride while in that area, or maybe some place in Kentucky on our way home. Thanks!
Posted 2011-02-20 7:54 PM (#130534 - in reply to #130528) Subject: RE: East Fork in Tennessee
Elite Veteran
Posts: 690 Location: missouri
You might enjoy riding out from the park rangers office area (can't remember the name). There is also a public campground east of there if your rig is not large, but they have weird stantions for the horses instead of pens. There are several decent horsecamps that explore different trails near there. As far as Kentucky goes, Land between the Lakes is a great camp, trails are ok...but... Shawnee National Forest is just an hour or so north of there and has wonderful trails and camps are ok.... (34Ranch)....
Posted 2011-02-20 8:20 PM (#130537 - in reply to #130528) Subject: RE: East Fork in Tennessee
Location: KY
Suggest you look at Mammoth Cave and Taylorsville Lake. Double J at Mammoth Cave is a pretty good place, water and elc, stalls so so, great access to trails. Taylorsville Lake is a new wrangler camp with water and elc, trails are very nice.
Green River is quite nice, easy to moderate trails, campgound is private and looks nice and clean, trail access is very good.
LBL is probably too far west from where you will be.
Those standing tie stalls are the norm at federal parks. I do not like them and my horse thought they were evil. My horse is pretty smart. The feds really seem not to want the horses around, which is a real shame.
Hope you find something you like from what I mentioned.
Posted 2011-02-21 5:48 AM (#130540 - in reply to #130528) Subject: RE: East Fork in Tennessee
Veteran
Posts: 112 Location: ohio
Thank you Rose, I will check them out. I know what you mean about the Feds. We have to fight for anything we want in the state forest's around here. We are used to tie stalls, as that are all we are allowed most places here in Ohio.
Posted 2011-02-21 8:30 AM (#130545 - in reply to #130528) Subject: RE: East Fork in Tennessee
Member
Posts: 8
Location: Dayton, OHio
Big South Fork has a LOT of riding, right next to Eastfork. The railroad line along the river is absolutely beautiful, especially on the west end of the park. Big South Fork is BIG. There are several nice horse camps both on the south and north sides of the park. I've stayed at Honey Creek, Zenith and Spruce Creek campgrounds. I can give them all good recommendations. Stalls were available at all of them, real stalls not the tie ones. I believe they all have websites so you can look at photos. My favorite was Spruce Creek, at the north end of the park. They have a few extra stock trailers you can take to trail heads to make your rides more interesting. They all have trail access without the trailers, however. The two state campgrounds in big south fork are Station Camp and Chariot Creek. One has the three sided pipe rails, that you tie your horse in. (Station Camp and Chariot Creek). The other has full stalls, but you have to park/camp quite away from the stalls. I don't know anywhere in Ohio that has three sided tie stalls. If you go, be sure not to drive through the gorge with a horse trailer. MapQuest will send you that way. Check with whomever you are staying to confirm safe trailering directions, especially coming from the north east.
Posted 2011-02-21 9:51 AM (#130548 - in reply to #130528) Subject: RE: East Fork in Tennessee
Veteran
Posts: 112 Location: ohio
Thanks, that is more what I had in mind. Some place not to far off our route home. Great advice about the MapQuest, I will call for directions. We will probably need reservations anyways. The trip is in prim season, October. Our 3 favorite campsites all have mostly wooden 3 sided ties. Pole in middle for hay bag and 3 pieces of usually rough lumber that is bolted onto posts to make ties. Personally, I like them much better than a hi-line. I guess it it what you get used to.
Posted 2011-02-22 7:05 AM (#130586 - in reply to #130528) Subject: RE: East Fork in Tennessee
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 326 Location: Gallatin, TN
We absolutely love Timber Ridge. It is a smaller campground with access to several trails in Big South Fork. http://www.timberridgehorsecampground.com/ The people are the best and make you feel like you are at home. They are fairly close to East Fork.
Posted 2011-02-23 12:53 PM (#130646 - in reply to #130528) Subject: RE: East Fork in Tennessee
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 342 Location: Ohio
We're going back to Station Camp in BSF memorial day weekend and the following week. I used to ride the Big South Fork trails on 4 wheelers years ago, but since they've been banned, I'm looking forward to our trip there on horses. My family is from (and some still reside) Oneida so I am pretty familiar with the area. I can point you to wal-marts and restaurants. :)
You definitely want to avoid the gorge while pulling a horse trailer. Even the drive up into Oneida from Jamestown can get hairy if you come through the park.
East Fork in Tennessee
