Townsend, TN
Anthony Creek Horse Camp
Anthony Creek Horse Camp is a 3-site equestrian-only facility within Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Townsend, Tennessee—you must bring a horse to camp here. Sites are reservable in advance with no permit required.
Each of the three sites accommodates horses and their riders, providing direct access to Anthony Creek Trail and the park's extensive horseback network. The campground sits along Anthony Creek's scenic valley, making it a base for exploring the Smokies on horseback.
Located inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Anthony Creek Horse Camp serves backcountry equestrians alongside other park camping options like Abram's Creek Campground and Cades Cove Campground, which cater to a broader range of visitors. Book your horse sites well in advance, as the limited availability fills quickly.
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Common Questions
What campers most often want to know about Anthony Creek Horse Camp.
Do I need a permit to camp at Anthony Creek Horse Camp?
No permit is required, but you do need to book a reservation in advance since same-day registration isn't offered here. This is one of the horse camps in Great Smoky Mountains National Park where all sites must be reserved online before you arrive. You must also be bringing a horse to stay here, as it's an equestrian-only campground.
What facilities can I expect at the campsites?
Anthony Creek Horse Camp has only 3 campsites, each equipped with a horse stall for your animals. There are no showers, and no electric, water, or sewer hookups at any site. Fires are limited to the fire rings provided, and only certified heat-treated firewood can be brought in or purchased nearby.
What should I know about hauling a horse trailer in?
The access road and picnic area turning radius here can be tight for larger rigs, so trailers longer than 24 feet may have trouble making the turn into the camp. Plan your route and turnaround carefully before committing to the drive in. Every horse also needs a current Coggins test to camp at this equestrian site.
What's there to do near Anthony Creek Horse Camp?
The camp sits along Anthony Creek and puts you right on the Anthony Creek Trail, which climbs Bote Mountain with a roughly 3,000-foot elevation gain. It's a strenuous but popular route for exploring the surrounding Smokies backcountry on horseback. The camp is also close to Cades Cove, near the gateway town of Townsend, Tennessee.
How can I find out if a site opens up at Anthony Creek Horse Camp?
Because there are only 3 sites here, availability can be tight, especially with just three to book across a busy horse-camp season. Open Canyon monitors Recreation.gov for this campground and can alert you the moment a cancellation frees up a spot. That gives you a head start on grabbing a site without having to refresh the booking page yourself.