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A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

National Park Service campground

Blue Heron Campground

National Park Service campground in Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area, McCreary County, Kentucky. 1,276 feet. 20 miles from Williamsburg.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
National Park Service Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area
Elevation
1,276 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
45 44 standard electric, 1 rv electric
Longest rig
61 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
Electric, Water
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
McCreary County

Overview

Blue Heron Campground is a rustic and spacious campground, situated on the Kentucky side of The Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area--a vast and scenic expanse of land that offers visitors countless recreational activities.

Recreation

Numerous trails snake through the Recreation Area, offering mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding for visitors.

The main river of the Big South Fork is also a short drive away, offering fishing opportunities.

Facilities

Blue Heron Campground combines the experience of traditional woods camping with the modern convenience of flush toilets, hot showers and electric hookups. Sites can accommodate both RV and tent camping.

The campsites are spacious and provide picnic areas and plenty of shade.

Natural Features

The 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 of both rocky gorges and forested plateaus.

Numerous pristine streams unite with the free-flowing Big South Fork of the Cumberland River. Over thousands of years, this ceaselessly moving water has carved the sandstone of the plateau into impressive cliffs, arches and chimneys that are found throughout the park.

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. The Big South Fork Scenic Railway Depot is located about 9 miles away in the town of Stearns, which offers train rides and other educational opportunities for campers. More information can be found online at https://bsfsry.com. Additional attractions include the Daniel Boone National Forest and Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, offering additional recreation opportunities.

The description, directions and fees are the National Park Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • backpacking
  • biking
  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking

The land around Blue Heron Campground

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated March 11, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

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