Discover Equestrian Paradise: Bear Creek Horse Camp in Strunk, KY

Bear Creek Horse Camp Introduce

Are you a Kentucky equestrian or outdoor enthusiast searching for the perfect blend of rugged natural beauty and comfortable amenities for you and your equine companions? Look no further than Bear Creek Horse Camp, a premier destination nestled in the serene landscapes of Strunk, Kentucky. This camp is specifically designed with horse owners in mind, providing not just a place to stay, but a truly immersive and convenient experience for exploring the state's magnificent trails. From spotless facilities to direct trail access, Bear Creek Horse Camp offers an unparalleled adventure for those looking to combine their love for horses with the tranquility of the Kentucky wilderness. This article will provide a comprehensive overview of what makes Bear Creek Horse Camp an ideal choice for your next equestrian camping trip, highlighting its strategic location, excellent services, unique features, and why it’s perfectly suited for local Kentuckians.

Bear Creek Horse Camp stands out as a dedicated facility tailored to the needs of both riders and their horses. It’s more than just a campground; it’s a community where horse lovers can connect with nature and each other. Imagine having your horses comfortably stabled at your campsite, with access to miles of scenic trails right from your doorstep. The thoughtful amenities provided ensure that your focus can be entirely on enjoying the ride and the breathtaking scenery. For Kentuckians who cherish their horses and the great outdoors, Bear Creek Horse Camp eliminates many common challenges associated with equestrian camping, making it a truly stress-free and rewarding experience. Whether you’re a seasoned trail rider or simply seeking a peaceful retreat with your horses, this camp promises an unforgettable adventure in the heart of Kentucky.

Location and Accessibility

Bear Creek Horse Camp is located at Lee Hollow Rd, Strunk, KY 42649, USA. This address places it deep within a remote and naturally beautiful area of Kentucky, offering a genuine escape from urban life. Strunk, while a smaller community, serves as a gateway to the vast wilderness areas that draw outdoor enthusiasts from across the region.

Access to Bear Creek Horse Camp involves a journey that adds to its secluded charm. The road leading into the camp includes an approximately eight-mile stretch of mostly one-lane gravel road. While it is well-maintained with no potholes, drivers with very large rigs should be aware that navigating this section might be challenging, though it is certainly manageable for most rigs. There is also one creek area with a small amount of water and a dip that might cause a slight bump, but nothing that deters access for appropriate vehicles. This unique access contributes to the camp's quiet and less populated atmosphere, which is highly valued by visitors seeking peace and solitude. The remote location also means significantly reduced light pollution, leading to truly spectacular stargazing opportunities at night. Despite the rural approach, the journey is part of the adventure, culminating in arrival at a serene and well-equipped equestrian haven.

Services Offered

Bear Creek Horse Camp excels in providing clean, functional, and horse-friendly services that enhance the camping experience for equestrians.

Campsites with Electricity and Water: Every campsite is equipped with both electricity and water hook-ups, ensuring comfort and convenience for campers and their horses.
Spotless and Heated Bathrooms: The restrooms are consistently praised for being exceptionally clean, well-maintained, and heated, a welcome amenity, especially during cooler seasons.
Hot Water and Great Water Pressure: Showers provide very hot water with excellent pressure, offering a refreshing experience after a day on the trails.
Wheelchair-Friendly Facilities: The bathrooms, including stalls, are designed to be wheelchair-friendly. One of the two showers is also accessible, demonstrating thoughtful consideration for all visitors.
Horse Stalls/Stocks: Each campsite is equipped with open back 4-horse stocks. While some are noted as older and slightly rusty, they are functional for keeping horses contained at the site. Additionally, a few round pen corrals are strategically placed throughout the campground, making it even easier to manage horses.
Mucking Supplies: Wheelbarrows, shovels, and designated mucking pile areas are provided, making manure management convenient and helping to keep the campsites clean.
Picnic Tables, Grills, and Fire Pits: Every site features a picnic table, a grill (designed to be placed over the fire pit, suitable for cast iron pans and kettles), and a fire pit, perfect for outdoor cooking and enjoying campfires.
Bear Country Precautions: The campground is located in bear country, and visitors are advised to take all necessary precautions, including proper food and garbage storage in vehicles to prevent attracting wildlife.

Features / Highlights

Bear Creek Horse Camp boasts several unique features and highlights that make it a premier choice for horse camping and outdoor recreation.

Direct Trail Access: One of the most significant highlights is the immediate access to numerous horse trails directly from the campground. This eliminates the need to trailer your horses off-site for riding, maximizing your time on the trails.
Varied Trail Difficulty: The trails offer a range of difficulty levels. The "Bear Creek Loop" is described as relatively easy, while a "long loop" appears more challenging, especially after rain, with mud, steep sections, and some washout creating small ravine cracks. This variety caters to different rider skill levels and horse capabilities.
Overlook Area and River View: Visitors highly recommend exploring the overlook area, which features amazing rock formations and provides a gorgeous view of the entire surrounding area. The walk to the river view is easy, though it has a few steps at the end making it not entirely wheelchair friendly.
Beautiful Fall Foliage: The campground is particularly stunning during the fall, offering spectacular views of autumn leaves, enhancing the overall camping experience.
Quiet and Secluded Environment: The remote location and well-spaced campsites contribute to a quiet and peaceful atmosphere, allowing campers to truly relax and enjoy nature without much disturbance.
Stargazing: Due to the minimal light pollution in the area, the night sky at Bear Creek Horse Camp is reportedly gorgeous, offering fantastic opportunities for stargazing.
Thoughtful Horse Amenities: The provision of horse stocks, round pens, and mucking supplies demonstrates a deep understanding of equestrian needs, making the logistics of horse camping much simpler and more enjoyable.
Well-Maintained Road (despite gravel stretch): The unpaved section of the road leading to the camp is maintained, ensuring a relatively smooth journey for most vehicles and rigs.

Contact Information

For bookings, inquiries, or more detailed information about Bear Creek Horse Camp, please use the following contact details:

Phone: (423) 569-9778

Mobile Phone: +1 423-569-9778

Address: Lee Hollow Rd, Strunk, KY 42649, USA

It is always recommended to call ahead to confirm availability, make reservations, and inquire about any specific regulations or seasonal conditions, especially when planning a trip with horses.

Conclusion: Why this place is suitable for locals

For Kentuckians, Bear Creek Horse Camp offers an exceptional opportunity to experience the state's natural beauty and expansive trail systems with their beloved horses, all within a convenient distance from home. The camp's specialized facilities, including dedicated horse stocks, round pens, and mucking supplies, truly cater to the unique needs of equestrian campers, making it a stress-free and enjoyable experience that many local horse owners will deeply appreciate. This focus means less time worrying about logistics and more time on the saddle, exploring the scenic routes that define Kentucky’s wild landscapes.

The consistent feedback on the cleanliness and quality of the human amenities—spotless, heated bathrooms with hot water and great pressure, along with wheelchair accessibility—ensures that the comfort of the riders is not overlooked. This level of care is a significant factor for choosing a local campground for repeat visits. Furthermore, the remote yet accessible location provides the perfect balance of solitude and adventure. While the journey in offers a taste of wilderness, the destination itself is a peaceful haven, far from city lights, ideal for stargazing and truly unwinding.

The direct access to varied horse trails, including the easy Bear Creek Loop and more challenging options, means that riders of all experience levels can find an adventure suited to them. The stunning fall foliage, beautiful rock formations, and river views add to the natural allure, making every visit a picturesque escape. For Kentucky equestrians and outdoor enthusiasts who value a well-maintained, horse-friendly, and naturally rich environment close to home, Bear Creek Horse Camp is not just a place to camp; it's a dedicated equestrian paradise waiting to be explored time and time again.

Bear Creek Horse Camp Photos

Bear Creek Horse Camp Location

Bear Creek Horse Camp

Kentucky McCreary County Strunk Lee Hollow Road

Lee Hollow Rd, Strunk, KY 42649, USA

Bear Creek Horse Camp Reviews

Campsites were clean, electricity and water at every site, bathrooms were spotless and heated, hot water was very hot, water pressure was great. Bathrooms are wheelchair friendly, as is the stalls. One of the two showers is as well.We saw fall foliage and loved the campground. A few round pen corrals have been placed throughout the campground making keeping horses there even easier. Open back 4 horse stocks are provided at every camp site. They are older and look a little rusty but would do the trick while camping. Wheel barrows, mucking pile areas, and shovels were provided. Buckets are not, we brought our own hay, grain, and enough buckets for water and food both. There were no water troughs that I saw provided.Trails were a lot of fun, I’d say some were intermediate thanks to a recent rain leaving lots of mud, some steep places, and some trail wash out leaving small ravine cracks in the path. The long loop looked more difficult than the Bear Creek Loop which was pretty easy. And I’d recommend shoes on your horses for rocks and gravel used on trails. But having them right there was great and we thought the adventure was fun. Our horses are good trail horses and did fine.There was a picnic table and grill and fire pit at every site and it’s far away from towns so the sky was gorgeous at night. We brought our own firewood and fire starters. The grill is not a waist high, stand alone one but instead it’s over the fire pit. Fit a cast iron pan and water kettle no prob.Area was quiet and not populated much. The road in does have a gravel stretch that is mostly one lane for 8 miles, with our rig it was fine but a huge rig would be annoying to drive into this place. Road was well maintained and no pot holes. There was one creek area with a small amount of water and a dip that we bumped a little on the dirt road.We were careful to put away all food and garbage properly each time we weren’t actively cooking. We also were very careful about our trash and making sure we left no trace when we left. This is bear country and we took it seriously. We left nothing that had any lingering food smells out, everything went back into the car and shut tight.I recommend the overlook area, the rock formations were really amazing and fun. The walk to the river view was easy (a few steps at the end make it not wheelchair friendly.) The view is gorgeous and you can see the whole area.I had a great time and would happily be back.
Oct 25, 2022 · Leandra Collier
It's a nic campground and restrooms are very clean but the ar a where you put your horses needs help concrete is very hard on the horses for standing on it for long periods of time, I suggest either 3/4 rubber mats for them to stand on or get rid of the metal stuff and put two 10x10 panels at each site. We horses people would like this improved thank tou
May 24, 2024 · Jean Speechley
The trails are amazing. The park has improved these trails immensley. Beautiful, quiet, clean, awesome church nearby called OTTER Creek Baptist. Friendly enviroment,Round pens to use. Our favorite place to camp , coming from Ohio.
Sep 16, 2023 · Renae Smith
Rangers were confiscating coolers that had water in them. Water. Extremely unfriendly, inconsistent with dogs running everywhere, grills left out, yet watched him skip every other camp and chew out campers letting random others go unchecked. one ranger pulled up on my neighboring camp with a cooler in the bed of their truck as they were leaving, blocked their vehicle in, got out and said to them "you trying to avoid me?" Grass overgrown, trails awful. Bathrooms were spotless, that's about the only positive.
Jun 01, 2022 · adat smith
Good camping and trail riding. A little rocky, but OK. There are some nests of ground hornets and yellow jackets, unmarked, on or near the trails. I do not like the concrete racks your horses have to stand in, but there are a couple of corrals, and I think you can picket, as long as the horses don't chew on trees.
Oct 15, 2017 · Joe Harvey