Cascades, rhododendron and a wilderness sign near Greeneville
Horse Creek Recreation Area is a small Cherokee National Forest site in a hardwood cove beside Horse Creek, about 8 miles from Greeneville, Tennessee. The Forest Service directions are TN 107 north for 6 miles, then right on Horse Creek Road for about 2 miles. From here, trails follow the creeks up into the Sampson Mountain Wilderness.
We went on a chilly day in early March 2023. The creek was running full, the trail ran right alongside it, and before long we passed the wooden sign at the wilderness boundary.
🥾 Cascades in the rhododendron
Higher up, the creek tumbles over mossy boulders in a long run of small cascades, about as pretty as a winter creek gets.
🥾 Trail facts
- Where: Horse Creek Recreation Area, Unaka Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest, Greene County, Tennessee
- Fees: Day use is free; camping is $10 a night
- Nearby: Squibb Creek Falls, 25 feet, about 4 miles round trip (Forest Service)
- Status (May 2026): Site open; the 1930s CCC pavilion is closed for damage
- Managed by: USDA Forest Service
Trail facts checked October 2026. Sources: USFS: Horse Creek Recreation Area. Trails and roads change, so check with the managing agency before you go.
