4.4947 reviewsPrice
$10 - $15/night
Booking
First-Come
Sites
18 campsites
Season
Open April 1st - Nov...
Cell
No Service
Pets
Check Policy
Price
$10 - $15/night
Booking
First-Come
Sites
18 campsites
Season
Open April 1st - Nov...
Cell
No Service
Pets
Check Policy
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Off Rock Creek-Bell Farm Road (Forest #137), McCreary County, KY
Trout anglers and Sheltowee Trace hikers who can arrive Thursday or Friday to land a Raccoon Loop creekside site before the weekend rush. No hookups, no showers, no signal, but rainbow trout in a Kentucky Wild River out your tent door at $10 a night is hard to beat.
Deer Loop's tight spacing and reported noise and trash issues will frustrate light sleepers and anyone expecting a quiet solo trip. No cell service, 25+ miles to supplies, pothole-riddled access road, active flash flood risk, and bear country with a strict food storage order, if
Reference information about Great Meadows Campground sourced from official USFS records and forestcamping.com. View official recreation.gov page →
<div class="grid-row"><div class="grid-col-12"><p><img alt="Great Meadows Campground" src="http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/stelprdb5295832.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 15px 15px; width: 275px; height: 170px; float: right;" />The Great Meadows Campground, located on <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/dbnf/recreation/recarea/?recid=39716">Stearns District</a> of the Daniel Boone National Forest, is developed on both sides of the road. Deer Loop is on the right; Raccoon Loop is on the left. Campsite availability is on a first-come, first-served basis. <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/dbnf/recreation/recarea/?recid=72124">Rock Creek</a>, a designated Kentucky Wild River, runs along the Raccoon Loop. </p><p>Trails nearby: Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail - <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/dbnf/recreation/recarea/?recid=39782">Section 37</a> and <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/dbnf/recreation/recarea/?recid=39784">Section 38</a>; <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/dbnf/recreation/recarea/?recid=39814">Mark Branch Trail # 635</a> and <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/dbnf/recreation/recarea/?recid=39816">Gobblers Arch Trail # 636</a>.</p></div></div><div class="grid-row margin-y-2"><p><a href="https://usfs-public.box.com/s/40b3qjcdenqo3b4cehxqe0803xfmjhg6">View Great Meadows Guide and Map</a></p></div>
The elevation is 1000 ft. This pack it in/pack it out campground has two loops named Deer and Raccoon. Deer loop is a small and compact single loop, with sites tucked in among hemlock, short leaf pine and oak which provide ample shade to all sites. Although nicely wooded, privacy between sites is poor. Rock Creek flows nearby but not within Deer loop. Raccoon Loop is more than a mile up Forest Rt. 137 from Deer Loop. With a horseshoe shape, Raccoon Loop hugs the banks of Rock Creek and is also a trailhead for Sheltowee Trace. Surrounded by a dense forest of mixed hardwoods, Raccoon Loop is only lightly forested making it sunny. Separation rather than vegetation between sites makes privacy fair. The campground offers a wilderness camping experience without the need to hike a great distance. This is bear country; practice safe food storage techniques. A "Food Storage Order" is in place at this campground. This means all food must be properly stored in a bear-resistant container and suspended; stored in a closed, motor vehicle with a solid top; or, stored in a closed, hard-body RV. Not observing this Order may result in a substantial fee and prison. There is also a flash flood warning posted for both loops.
Water is shut off from November through April.
Parking aprons are gravel.
In Stearns, KY, at intersection of State Rts. 1651 and 92, take Rt. 92 west 5.4 miles to State Rt. 1363 (and campground sign). Turn left onto Rt. 1363 and go 11 miles to a "T" intersection and campground sign. Turn right onto Forest Rt. 564 (dirt/gravel, single lane) and go 1.2 miles to a "Y" intersection. Bear left onto Forest Rt. 137 (dirt/gravel, single lane) and go 4.2 miles to the campground's Deer Loop on right or continue 1.4 miles to Raccoon Loop on left. NOTE: Much of State Rt. 1363 is steep and winding.
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Fall delivers the best combination of comfortable weather and scenery. Daytime highs run from the mid-40s to mid-60s F, with cool nights in the 30s and 40s. The hardwood canopy turns orange, red, and gold from mid-September through mid-October. Rock Creek runs clear and cool, and crowds stay lighter than summer weekends. Spring temperatures range from the upper 30s to mid-60s. Summer warms into the 80s but brings large horseflies. Mountain weather can shift quickly, and flash floods are possible during heavy rain.
Described as best season for weather and scenery; hardwood canopy displays strong fall colors.
Great Meadows Campground offers basic amenities suitable for primitive camping. There are 18 campsites available, equipped with picnic tables and fire rings. Potable water is available via four threaded water spigots, and vault toilets are provided, which meet accessibility standards for persons with disabilities. There are no electricity, water, or sewer hookups at the sites, and no dump station is available. The campground operates as a pack-it-in/pack-it-out facility, meaning trash and recycling services are not provided. Restrooms are available on-site, but no hot showers are offered.
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