A gray 4x4 Sprinter with a roof rack on a two-track through a wildflower meadow, cloud sitting on the mountains behind.

National Park Service campground

Bandy Creek

National Park Service campground in Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area, Scott County, Tennessee. 1,579 feet. 10.5 miles from Oneida.

Managed by
National Park Service Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area
Elevation
1,579 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
144 95 standard electric, 37 tent only non-electric, 10 standard non-electric
Longest rig
73 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
Electric, Water
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Scott County

Overview

Bandy Creek is a spacious and modern campground, situated in 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. A swimming pool, along with on-site volleyball court, playgrounds and ball fields, make Bandy Creek an ideal spot for families. The main river of the Big South Fork is also a short drive away, offering fishing opportunities.

Facilities

Bandy Creek combines the experience of traditional woods camping with the modern conveniences of flush toilets, hot showers and electric hookups. Sites can accommodate groups and 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 including rocky gorges and forested plateaus.

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

Nearby Attractions

Located just under 20 miles from Bandy Creek is the 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 description, directions and fees are the National Park Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • accessible swimming
  • amphitheater
  • backpacking
  • biking
  • birding
  • camping
  • day use area
  • evening programs
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • horseback riding
  • hunting
  • interpretive programs
  • kayaking
  • mountain biking
  • non-motorized boating
  • photography
  • picnicking
  • rafting
  • star gazing
  • swimming
  • visitor center
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Bandy Creek

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

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

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.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated September 5, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.