10 Best Things to do in Big South Fork Tennessee
I discovered that there are a lot of things to do in Big South Fork Tennessee (TN) and in this post I’m going to be sharing 10 of them, a lot of which I have already personally done.
There is a lot of variety in what you can do in Big South Fork, from camping to extremely scenic short or long hikes, and even family friendly attractions and I’m going to be sharing what I consider to be the top spots for each of these categories.
Quick info:
- Full name: Big South Fork National River And Recreation Area (Also known as Big South Fork National park).
- Location: Tennessee, west of Oneida.
- Things to do: Hiking, horseback riding, train tours, camping, waterfalls, arches and more.
- Family friendly place? Yes, but not every single activity on this list is good for kids.
- Rating: 5 out of 5.
- Recommended place to visit? Yes! This is probably one of the best areas for nature explorations that you’ll find in all of Tennessee.
The 10 best things to do in Big South Fork TN:
- Honey Creek Loop trail.
- Hike to Twin Arches.
- Do the Big South Fork scenic railway ride.
- See Needle Point Arch.
- See the East Rim Overlook.
- Hike to Angel Falls.
- Horseback riding.
- Camping.
- Kayak on the Cumberland River.
- Do the Beaver Falls hike.
Every activity above is within a 20-30 mile distance and you can either drive to many of the spots above or even hike through trails that connect many of these places (if you’re experienced). If you’re just visiting Big South Fork for the first time, explore it the first way and it’ll be easy to check out multiple spots (and activities) on this list, even in one day.
Honey Creek loop trail:
What is it?
It’s a 5-6 mile hike (moderate to hard) that is considered one of the best hikes in all of Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. I’ve personally done it and I highly recommend it.
Where is it located in Big South Fork?
In the southeastern region of Big South Fork, at the Honey Creek trailhead.
Description:
On my very first trip through Big South Fork TN, the Honey Creek Loop trail was the first hike I decided to try as it was highly recommended on places like Alltrails and other sites I found. This hike has an incredible combination of sights to explore on the loop trail which includes caves, waterfalls and incredible scenery that makes this one of the top 10 hikes I’ve ever done in the south east states.
While I loved this trail, I would not recommend it for kids or beginner hikers because there’s a bunch of areas throughout the 5-6 miles there that are hard to navigate as well as places where it’s easy to get off trail which is why if you hike here, you need to have a map and know how to not get lost in the woods. I have included a link to my experiences hiking this trail and what to expect above, but there is also an overlook available if you don’t want to do the full hike. It’s actually not that impressive (the overlook), but it does connect with parts of the hike, so it’s an alternative way to try shorter versions of it. Here’s another photo I took on the Honey Creek trail:
Hike the Twin Arches trail:
What is it?
A short and moderate hike (under 1 mile) that takes you to 2 huge natural bridges that are called the North and South Arch. It’s also one of the most popular places to take Big South Fork National River and Recreation area photos at (and after hiking here myself, I understand why).
Where is it located in Big South Fork?
On the northwestern side of Big South Fork. You have to drive to the Twin Arches trailhead.
Description:
This is the second hike I did when I explored Big South Fork National Park and though it’s short, the scenery and the views of these arches were incredible. It’s a hike that most people can do, but there is a lot of incline involved so know that beforehand. I also detail my entire Twin Arches Loop trail experience in a separate post if you want to learn more. In addition to that, I’ve also included a list of arches in Tennessee here for you to check out (included there are the Twin Arches).
Big South Fork scenic railway ride:
What is it?
A very scenic trail ride through the south end of Daniel Boone National Forest and Big South Fork.
Where is it located in Big South Fork?
It’s actually not in Big South Fork. You have to travel about 20-30 minutes north of the area to a place called Stearns Kentucky. Here’s their official site.
Description:
This activity is an awesome (and mellow) way to explore Big South Fork and just as well the connecting forest north of it (Daniel Boone). The train ride is a few hours but takes you through beautiful scenery of the south east and it’s a great family activity and I would highly recommend trying it out around November when fall foliage surrounds Tennessee.
Check out Needle Point Arch:
What is it?
A long but short arch and beautiful hike (It’s pretty easy to do and is about 2 miles in and out).
Where is it located in Big South Fork?
It’s in the same area as where you’ll find Twin Arches. You have to go to the Sawmill trailhead.
Description:
This is another fun arch hike in Big South Fork worth trying. There are also connecting trails to Twin Arches and waterfall hikes nearby if you’re already planning on doing the Twin Arches trail, you can combine it with this and potentially one of the waterfall hikes (use a trail map for this).
East Rim Overlook:
What is it?
A short walk to an awesome overlook of the Big South Fork Cumberland River.
Where is it located in Big South Fork?
It’s close to the East Rim trailhead. You’ll drive on the road to the East Rim Overlook, park then walk about 100 feet to the overlook.
Description:
There’s a few things to do here, besides seeing the overlook itself such as hiking through the East Rim Trail.
See Angel Falls:
What is it?
It’s one of the most popular waterfalls in Big South Fork.
Where is it located in Big South Fork?
It’s basically in the middle of the region, and you can get there one of two ways:
- Starting at Leatherwood Ford, then doing the 4-5 mile trail from there (better for beginners) and it’s also a nice spot overall.
- Starting at the Grand Gap loop trailhead which is about a 10 mile hike, not just to Angels Falls, but also to the most popular overlook in Big South Fork.
Description:
I’m recommending this hike because it’s very beautiful, the waterfall is OK but if you choose to do the harder version of the hike through Grand Gap Loop, you will see one of the best overlooks in the south east states. And overall, this is one of the most popular hikes in the area.
Horseback riding:
Where is it located in Big South Fork?
There’s several stables and horseback riding attractions (including carriage rides, mostly in the southern part of Big South Fork. Here’s a list:
- Finley Farms Clydesdales (carriage rides).
- Brandy Creek stables.
- Kline Stables.
- Honey Creek Horse camp (not far from Honey Creek loop trail).
- Southeast Pack Trips.
Description:
If you’re into horseback riding, I included several different options above of where you can find them inside Big South Fork. Some of them take you close to the area, while others go deeper into the trails there.
Big South Fork camping (and lodging):
Where is it located in Big South Fork?
There are many locations to do Big South Fork camping on and here is a short list to consider:
- Brandy Creek campground (same area as stables above).
- True West campground.
- Buck Run horse campground.
- Puncheon Camp Knob.
- See more on Big South Fork campgrounds.
- All of these options are great Big South Fork camping locations.
Description:
Most of the camping areas in Big South Fork are also the same places where you’ll find horseback riding attractions at. There’s several areas throughout the region to stay at and there’s also RV friendly places as well. Lodging in Big South Fork National Park is also common to find. The most popular is Charit Creek Lodge.
Kayak the Cumberland River:
Where can you kayak on the Cumberland river in Big South Fork?
There’s several areas including Leatherwood Ford where you can disembark from, but keep in mind that the Cumberland River can become an advanced and potentially dangerous area for kayaking if you’re not experienced. Here’s information on kayaking in Big South Fork.
Description:
I looked for kayak rental places in Big South Fork, but honestly couldn’t find anything in the area. You may have to just bring your own kayak to this place, but there’s several river run trails to check out throughout the Cumberland River.
Check out Beaver Falls:
What is it?
A very nice hike to a 50 foot waterfall with swimming hole and cliffs (moderate level).
Where is it?
You have to start at the Burnt Creek Mill Bridge and take the the trail there to Beaver Falls.
Description:
This is actually a bit of a hard hike to find in Big South Fork, but if you start at the Bridge, you should see the signs and follow the trail markers to it (few miles of hiking in and out). Make sure to have a digital map that shows you where you’re going before you do this trail (again, you have to know that many trails in this area are remote and easy to get lost on).
Here’s a Big South Fork map (with every location):
More Big South Fork National River And Recreation Area photos:
The following are 3 photos from Angel Falls, North Arch and a train bridge:
Other questions about Big South Fork National Park:
What is Big South Fork known for?
Big South Fork is very popular many reasons and they include having very scenic hikes through canyons, caves, arches and much more.
What towns are close to Big South Fork?
The main town close to Big South Fork is Oneida, on the east side of it. The next one is Jamestown which is on the west side of it.
How do I get to Big South Fork?
There are many ways to get to Big South Fork, but the main one is driving on road 297 which goes through it and provides access to many hikes and attractions there.
What animals live in Big South Fork?
There are bears, snakes, turtles and other kinds of animals that live within Big South Fork.
