A gravel road curving into a high mountain valley at first light, the peaks catching the sun.

Forest Service horse camp

Horse Creek Recreation Area

Forest Service horse camp in Cherokee National Forest, Greene County, Tennessee. 1,761 feet. 6.8 miles from Tusculum.

Managed by
Forest Service Cherokee National Forest
Elevation
1,761 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
14 13 walk to, 1 standard non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Greene County

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.

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

The land around Horse Creek Recreation Area

The ringed pin is this horse camp; 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 March 11, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.