USDA Forest Service · Tennessee
Horse Creek Recreation Area
USDA Forest Service · Tennessee, United States
- Sites
- 18
- Hookups
- 15 with water, 1 no hookups
- Season
- May 5 to October 28
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Showers
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 1,811 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 3
- Cell coverage
- Verizon weak · T-Mobile good · AT&T good (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- HORSE CR.CAMPGROUND (NFSR 94C) · bituminous surface treatment · moderate degree of user comfort
- Lake
- Cherokee National Forest
- Nearest town
- Greeneville
- Address
- Unaka Ranger District, Greeneville, TN, 37743
- Phone
- N/A
About
Overview
Horse Creek Recreation Area is located eight miles from Greeneville, off TN 107 north. This recreation area is nestled into a hardwood cove beside its namesake, Horse Creek. Horse Creek is located in the Chuckey area of Greeneville, TN. The campground is primarily walk-in, tent camping only. With plenty of forest-related activities to do around the campground and being located right outside the city of Greeneville, Horse Creek is the perfect place to stay! Numerous hiking trails, picnic areas, and swimming spots are located within Horse Creek.
Recreation
There are several native trout streams within and nearby Horse Creek Recreation Area. See Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency for permits as well as rules and regulations on fishing.
There are two areas for picnicking in the Horse Creek Recreation Area, one upstream and one downstream of the campground.
Multiple hiking trails can be accessed from Horse Creek.
Facilities
Horse Creek Recreation Area offers a bathhouse for campers use. The bathhouse includes hot showers, flushable toilets, and sinks.
Natural Features
Squibb Creek Falls: Get your feet wet on this 4-mile (round trip) trail on your way to see the 25-foot tall Squibb Creek Falls. This trail lies almost entirely in the Congressionally designated Sampson Mountain Wilderness. Please take extra caution when hiking this trail, as trails are not blazed and stream crossings may be difficult to negotiate.
Pete's Branch Falls: This short, easy trail starts to the left of Poplar Cove trailhead after the first creek crossing. The trail follows the creek with 5 creek crossings to a 45-foot waterfall. It is recommended to come during the wet spring and fall months, where the abundance of water makes for optimal viewing. During the dry months, you can expect just a trickle coming over the falls. Please note that hiking or driving on Forest Road 94 requires several creek crossings. Hiking from the trailhead requires an additional 1.5 (each way) hike.
Contact Info
For facility specific information, please call (423) 638-4109.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 28° | 1° | 64° | 10 of 11 |
| February | 53° | 33° | 13° | 73° | 10 of 11 |
| March | 62° | 41° | 2° | 76° | 8 of 11 |
| April | 69° | 45° | 29° | 81° | 2 of 11 |
| May | 76° | 56° | 39° | 89° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 82° | 63° | 50° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 85° | 67° | 59° | 91° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 84° | 67° | 57° | 91° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 80° | 62° | 50° | 91° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 67° | 45° | 32° | 82° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 58° | 38° | 14° | 73° | 4 of 10 |
| December | 49° | 32° | 16° | 68° | 9 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Old Forge Campground · USDA Forest Service · 2 mi · 4 sites
- Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park · Tennessee State Parks · 6 mi · 3 sites
- David Crockett Birthplace State Park · Tennessee State Parks · 7 mi · 84 sites
- Katy Branch · USDA Forest Service · 9 mi · 1 sites
- Kinser Park Campground · City, County & Regional Parks · 11 mi
All public campgrounds in Tennessee · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-03-11. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.