Horse Cove

Horse cove was a gorgeous campsite. There are two “areas”, the campground near the check in station and dispersed camping along the road. We stayed in May 2025.

We chose to camp in the campground. It had a picnic table, fire ring, and lantern poles. It was a rainy weekend so we didn’t have many neighbors which made it perfect. The campground use to have two sections to camp but one has been closed down for quite a bit of time (there have fallen trees). There were only about 6-8 campsites all close to each other on the campground along the river.

The other option is to find campsites along the river. There were maybe 3-4 rv friendly sites from the campground to the boat dock (mostly tent options). There’s probably more past the boat dock but we didn’t check.

There’s probably river was loud but beautiful. No electric. There was a water pump but I didn’t see if it worked. There was an abundance of firewood in the campground and along the road. We decided to go hike Joyce Kilmore Forest which was a small trek from the campground. Felt like we were camping in a rainforest!

Toilet: enclosed toilet with thin toilet paper just like a porta potty. Smelled bad.

If you drive the Cherohala Skyway from Tellico plains, make a left onto Joyce Kilmer Road. You'll come to an intersection; Left gets you Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, Straight ahead will garner you a fabulous view from Maple Springs Overlook, and Right, will take you by Hose Cove Campground. Go Right first and secure a spot at this first-come first-served campground, nestled among the trees of the Nantahala Forest, beside the rushing waters of the Little Santeetlah Creek ...and then go back for hiking and views:)

This campground has 13 sites on the opposite side of the road from the lake, and several spots flanking Santeetlah. If you are a tent camper, my suggestion is go for the opposite side of the lake. I don't think you can even fit a camper into one of these spaces. The campground is a dead end with #13 at the very end, and no turn around past #10. 

We arrived at the perfect hour of the day and had our pick of any site. We chose #12, for its privacy and the beautiful rushing water to sleep by and watch while sitting beside the fire and enjoying morning coffee. If you like camping with friends in adjoining campsites, it looked like #8 and #9 would be good to grab as they are closer together and have a little path that runs between them.

There are flushing toilets and sinks with cold running water, but no hot water and no showers. Just don't even think about using the bathroom facilities until you've selected your spot and paid for it. Elizabeth and John are the camp hosts and NOTHING gets by Elizabeth. Dogs are welcome, but should be leashed. There is a boat ramp with plenty of parking, maybe a mile past the campground, perfect for putting in kayaks and canoes. Bear proof trashcans are on site at Horse Cove, and usual Bear Precautions apply.

This is a great little tucked away haven and totally worth the $10 a night!

This cute little national forest roadside campground is situated in the Nantahala National Forest, just due south of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is well-kept, and allows for access to a variety of outdoor activities* in the greater area. It’s just about a mile from a boat launch on Lake Santeetlah, a beautiful reservoir for fishing, canoeing, SUPing, or sea kayaking, and very close to some great hiking in the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest. The famous Tail of the Dragon (Highway 129) between here and Tennessee, with twists and turns and beautiful views…very popular among both cyclists and motorcyclists. The closest town is Robbinsville, NC which is about 30 minutes away and has all the basics you need. Nothing fancy or special, though the people are extremely nice. Don’t expect to get a signal in the campground, as you are deep in a gorge.

*If you are a whitewater kayaking enthusiast like my husband, be sure to watch the release schedule for the Cheoah River. The day after we arrived, we saw dozens of vehicles with kayaks and the campground went from empty to completely full overnight!

Most of the creek-side campsites are on the small side and designed for tent camping, but they are the only ones open in the winter months. With some creativity, we were able to get our little adventure rig and truck into the parking area. It’s great to sleep near the creek, though, as it blocks out nearly every sound from the road and other campers. There are about a dozen other sites on the uphill side of the highway which are open during the main season, but only a few large enough for mid-sized RV’s.

Each site is well-maintained with nice flat, well-drained tent pads, cooking areas (1 grill and 1 firepit per site), a picnic table, and not 1 but 2 poles to hang lanterns, shower bags, etc. Lots of trees around for hanging hammocks, too. There are 3 well-kept pit toilets – 1 close to the creek-side sites and two others in the main campground uphill and across the road. During the main season, drinking water is available, but during the winter months, you need to filter from the creek. Camping price is reduced in the winter due to no drinking water, but the creek was actively running.

No reservations necessary, or even possible. This is a first-come, first-served campground with an iron ranger for payments. During the winter, we only paid $5 per night to camp here, which is absolutely amazing given the quality of this little campground. It is normally $10 per night during the main season, but we saw a posted sign about possible fee increases in the future. Check out our blog on The Dyrt's Online Magazine about our experience in the Blue Ridge Mountains.