National Park Service · Kentucky
Bear Creek Campground - KY
National Park Service · Kentucky, United States · in Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area
- Sites
- 22
- Hookups
- 22 electric, 22 with water
- Season
- April 1 to November 30
- Max RV length
- 52 ft
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Showers
- Yes
- Dump station
- Yes
- Laundry
- No
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 1,306 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 2
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area
- Phone
- (423) 286-7275
- Activities
- Camping, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Hunting, Wildlife Viewing
About
Overview
Bear Creek Horse Camp is located in the Kentucky portion of Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.
Recreation
Numerous trails snake through the recreation area, offering mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding for visitors.
Facilities
Bear Creek combines the experience of traditional woods camping with the modern conveniences of flush toilets, hot showers and electric hookups. Sites can accommodate both RV and tent camping. Tie-stalls are available on each site.
Natural Features
Big South Fork is located in north-central Tennessee and southeastern Kentucky in some of the most rugged terrain of the Cumberland Plateau. The park encompasses approximately 125,000 acres including rocky gorges and forested plateaus.
Nearby Attractions
Just a few miles from the campground is Blue Heron Mine, also known as Mine 18, a historic abandoned mining town that has been rebuilt as an outdoor museum. Visitors can hear audio presentations from actual people who lived in the community in the 1950s.
Fees
Campsite Fee: $28. This fee covers one night of camping for up to six persons per site. Holders of the Interagency Access/Senior Passports pay only half the fee.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 27° | -4° | 66° | 10 of 11 |
| February | 50° | 33° | 16° | 71° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 62° | 42° | 12° | 79° | 7 of 11 |
| April | 69° | 49° | 32° | 83° | 1 of 11 |
| May | 77° | 60° | 41° | 87° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 83° | 65° | 51° | 95° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 86° | 70° | 61° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 85° | 70° | 60° | 96° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 83° | 65° | 52° | 94° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 68° | 48° | 36° | 86° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 58° | 40° | 21° | 75° | 4 of 10 |
| December | 50° | 33° | 11° | 66° | 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
- Blue Heron Campground · National Park Service · 3 mi · 45 sites
- Alum Ford Campground · National Park Service · 9 mi · 6 sites
- Station Camp Campground · National Park Service · 9 mi · 24 sites
- Great Meadows Campground · USDA Forest Service · 11 mi
- Sandhill RV Park & Camp · City, County & Regional Parks · 11 mi
All public campgrounds in Kentucky · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-03-11. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.