Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area

Charit Creek Lodge

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area is a 125,310-acre property on the Cumberland Plateau in eastern Tennessee and Kentucky. This is an area were the erosive action of water is on display: the river has cut its way down through the hard Pennsylvanian capstone into the softer Mississippian limestone, calcareous sandstone and shale below. This has created many wondrous geological formations including natural bridges, magnificent bluffs and unusual hoodoos. The Big South Fork area is home to more natural bridges and stone arches than anywhere else east of Colorado and Utah.

The park is open year-round but certain facilities close during winter. There are three visitor/contact centers in Tennessee and two in Kentucky:

Bandy Creek Visitor Center
15 miles west of Oneida, 24 miles east of Jamestown off Highway 297
Open year-round except Christmas Day. Winter hours: 9 am to 5 pm daily, Summer hours: 8 am to 6 pm daily, Memorial Day through Labor Day

Crossville Visitor Center
Crossville, just off exit 320 on Interstate 40
Open 9 am to 5 pm, Saturdays and Sundays

Rugby Visitor Contact Station
Rugby, just off Highway 52 about 17 miles west of Jamestown
9 am to 5 pm, Saturdays and Sundays from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend

Kentucky Visitor Contact Station
Stearns, about 1/4 mile west of US Highway 27 on Highway 92
9 am to 5 pm, Saturdays and Sundays from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend

Blue Heron Interpretive Center
Blue Heron via Kentucky Highways 1651 and 742
April 1 through October 31, 9:30 am to 3:30 pm

Big South Fork River

Large map of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area

4564 Leatherwood Road, Oneida, TN 37841
423-569-9778

Latitude: 36.470717°N Longitude: 84.651374°W
National Park Service: Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area