What does HORSEpitality® mean? 
HORSEpitality® is what True West does best. It will be difficult to find another place in the county that gives as much attention to your horse, as we do to you. That's because we feel your horse is just as important a guest at True West as youare. I mean, we are an EQUINE campground, right? So you'll find us keeping an eye out for your four-footed friends whenever they are in the barn. The chalkboards outside their stalls will help people locate you should there be an issue. And we will "tuck them in" at night before we go to bed - which means we check on all of them to make sure everyone is comfortable, all stalls are locked and all obstacles away from the gates, before we retire for the evening. A happy horse is a happy owner, and a happy owner is a happy camper. We like happy campers.  HORSEpitality®. It's what we do best. The HORSEpitality® here is 2nd to none! 

Do I have to have a horse to camp at True West? 
No! You do not. We welcome ALL campers with or without horses. Big South Fork National River and Recreational Area is a nature lover's dream. There are some great hiking and mountain biking trails in the National park that you are sure to enjoy! For those of you that love water sports, there is kayaking, canoeing and fishing (must have a license to fish in the park, but not to fish in our stocked ponds). Additionally, there are ATV trails not far from us. If you are not a horseback rider, don't let that stop you. We would love to have you stay with us and enjoy our hospitality! And you get to see all the pretty horses in the barn. 

Does my Horse need shoes? 
Often we are asked if horses need shoes in Big South Fork. This really depends a lot on the horse itself and whether or not they are used to the types of surfaces that they will travel while in the park. Therefore, the best way for us to answer the question is to tell you what types of trails you may encounter. The trails in Big South Fork vary in degree of difficulty but the ones closest to our campground are easy, mostly sandy with very little rock. You will encounter some rock when crossing rivers and streams, and some rock or mud where erosion has occurred. You may also find gravel placed in areas to prevent such erosion. If you are looking for more challenging trails, we can point you in that direction and you will find some with lots of loose rock, large step-ups and sandstone surfaces.  If your horse is barefoot and is used to variable types of surfaces he/she should be fine. But if your horse is only used to soft sandy surfaces, it may be a little hard on their feet. Many people have successfully used boots instead of shoes. That may be an option for you. Ultimately it is up to you whether or not you should shoe your horse. If you are unsure, then you may opt to put shoes (or boots) on just to be on the safer side. 

Do you rent horses? 
Unfortunately we do not have horses to rent out, but our next door neighbor South East Pack Trips may be able to help you! Give them a call 931-879-2260. The horses that live at True West are personally owned by Tim & Heather. Dunny, Henry, Doc, Cheyenne and Rebel can be seen in the pasture by the barn and round pen. Say hello if you have a chance. They like attention just like your horses do. 

How do I get there from here? 
Well... We're not sure. We've never driven to here, from "there"...wherever "there" is. So, to make things a little easier we have provided directions to our campground from major surrounding cities on our "Rates and Directions" page. Just click the link above for the details. Additionally, if you plug our address into your GPS, it will get you here too. Just be sure to check the directions on our site to make sure you are not going to end up going through "the gorge". If you are coming from the east, through Oneida, you may want to consider taking the alternate route (see below) 

What is "THE GORGE"? 
A gorge is a narrow valley between hills or mountains, typically with steep rocky walls and a stream running through it. In this case, the gorge is the valley that was created by the Big South Fork River. If you are coming from the east, and your directions take you through Oneida, you will be directed by your GPS to go  through the center of Big South Fork, which means traveling through the gorge. The directions you download from Mapquest or the instructions you receive from your GPS will not tell you about the gorge. You will be descending 600 feet through a series of switchbacks, on a narrow road that has hills up to a 13% grade (down and then up). It brings you down to the point where you cross the Big South Fork River. It's not dangerous but, if you're towing a big rig, there are a few spots that can be pretty hairy. You'll want to downshift into a lower gear and not "ride your brakes!" Or - you can take the alternate route found on our "Rates and Directions" page. It does add time and miles to your travel, but it's a much easier way and for some, much less stressful! If you are not sure if you should go through the gorge, our recommendation is to use the alternate route coming in, and then when you are unhooked from your trailer, drive the gorge with your truck and decide if you want to travel back home that way. 

What kind of papers do I need to bring for my horse? 
Regulations can change. So we recommend checking the USDA website for the regulations on travel papers before you head out. Each State has different requirements so if you are traveling outside of your home State, you will want to be sure to have the proper traveling papers. Your vet can help answer that question for you or you can go to the USDA website. There is a link directly to the "Export" page on our LINKS page. Here at True West, we require a Negative Coggins at the very least. Without it, you can NOT unload your horse. So please be sure you have it before you leave. Late night calls to the veterinarian for Coggins papers is not always easy. As a suggestion, when you get your Coggins, take a CLEAR picture of it with your phone - then you will always have it. We require a copy to place in your file and to show to the State Vet when he visits, so you should bring a hard copy with you - but if you forget it, you can email the picture from your phone. 

Can I bring my own firewood? 
Big South Fork NRRA has issued a ban on firewood of all hardwood species (non coniferous). True West does have firewood for sale on the premises. Please do not bring your own unless it meets the below standards. Any wood coming into the National Area from outside the following Counties: Fentress, Morgan, Pickett and Scott counties in Tennessee, and McCreary County in Kentucky. Non-coniferous firewood brought into the park from outside of these counties is prohibited, unless it is bundled and stamped with USDA, State of Kentucky, or State of Tennessee stamp, certifying that the wood meets USDA Heat T314-a treatment standard. Firewood brought in from within the five aforementioned counties will be permitted.  

Do I need to bring my own shavings? 
We bed with sawdust. The sawdust is free of charge and comes with your stall rental. You are welcome to rebed as needed but we ask you to be conservative so we can keep it free. If you'd rather bed with shavings, you can bring them if you'd like. 

Do you have hay available? 
Typically we do have hay available for purchase, but availability depends on prior demand and the time of year. We typically get our hay early in the summer - approximately 150 bales - and that is our annual intake. So our on-hand availability depends on demand. The further into the season, the less stock we will have. If you need hay, please call in advance for availability and pricing. The hay will be a timothy/grass mix from Kentucky. 

Can we ride the trails right from the campground? 
Yes! The Cumberland Valley Trail Head is located one trail mile away from True West. You access the trail head via private trails. You would simply cross the road, and ride about 100 yards down to pick up the trail. The road you cross is Leatherwood Ford Road, also known as "TN-297". It is simply a 2 lane road, not very busy, and easy to cross. Visibility is good and you should have no problem crossing safely. In fact, there are a couple of trails in BSF that also bring you across this road. 

Are there any fees associated with riding or hiking in Big South Fork? 
Big South Fork is a NATIONAL park - so your taxes pay for the care and maintenance of the park. There are no additional fees needed to ride the trails. No hidden fees, no bridle fees, no trail fees, no maintenance fees! However, if you are planning an event in the park (such as an endurance ride, guided ride or other organized event) you will need to contact the park for the proper licensing and impact fees that would be associated with that. Otherwise, for just riding the trails with your friends?... You're free to do so. Happy Trails! 

Do you have a trailer to rent out in case we want to trailer to a different trail head? 
YES!! We also have a trailer that we use to transfer our guests to different trail heads and enable them to access more trails. We can trailer you to several different trail heads: Bandy Creek, Blevin's Field, Middle Creek Equestrian Trail Head, Gobbler's Knob Trail Head and Charit Creek Trail Head. From each of these locations you can ride trails back to True West. We do not charge for this service, but tips are appreciated. You simply need to set it up with us the night before so we can work it into his schedule. Holiday weekends we are not able to trailer to and from the Trail Heads, but your more than welcome to rent a trailer for the day (call for pricing, first come first serve).  

Where is the closest gas station? 
Beatty's Wildwood Grocery is approximately 7 miles from True West. If you arrived via Jamestown, you'll have passed it on your way here. If you came from Oneida (via the gorge) then it's the opposite direction. They do have diesel as well. It's also a great place to restock on small grocery items or beer. Walmart is only 20 minutes from the campground if you need to run into town for groceries. 

Where is the closest place to get propane? 
You're in luck! True West now distributes Propane and has a propane filling station on site. We can replenish your tanks while you are here. No more running out of propane while camping! We have the ability to fill large tanks, or small tanks. Public is welcome as well. Pricing varies as per market pricing. 

Do you need to have a license to fish in the pond? 
No. You do not. Because you are fishing on private property, no license is required. Our ponds have been stocked with large mouth bass, blue gill and red ear. You are welcome to keep what you catch and have it for dinner! Just be sure to invite us too! But please keep in mind you DO need a license to fish anywhere outside of the campground. 

Do you have a farrier available in case my horse loses a shoe - or two? 
There is a local Farrier about a 1  1/2 miles from us. You can bring your horse to him for a reset of a lost shoe, or to replace shoes. Customers in the area have always been pleased with his work. He does carry shoe stock in case you don't have the missing shoe. Let us know if you need him and we can give him a call to check his availability/schedule. 

Are Dogs allowed? 
True West is dog friendly - we have a couple of our own. We do have a few rules for the courtesy and safety of all our guest and we ask that you abide by them. Dogs are not allowed to roam free in the campground or on any of the trails. Dogs must be on leash in the park and the park will enforce this. Please take some time to read our rules regarding dogs in the campground. 


Still have questions? You are welcome to contact us directly by either Email or call us at 931-752-8272.  
We'll be happy to answer them for you!