Free camping near Stearns, KY
Within 25 straight-line miles of Stearns, KY there are 20 camps: 12 free, 7 fee, 1 unpriced. The closest is Barren Fork Horse Camp, 5.5 miles north of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Table Rock Camping Area, 6.5 miles out. Today's season read covers 1 of them: 1 open, 0 closed, 0 worth a call. The circle crosses a state line: KY and TN.
Who manages them: 19 on the Forest Service; 1 on TWRA.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barren Fork Horse Camp | 5.5 | Fee | — | 3.7 mi to Whitley | — |
| Table Rock Camping Area | 6.5 | Free | Jones Branch (stream) | 0.9 mi to Co-Operative | — |
| Trace Branch Camping Area | 6.8 | Free | Trace Branch (stream) | 1.0 mi to Fidelity | — |
| Bell Farm Horse Camp | 11 | Free | Watts Branch (stream) | 0.4 mi to Bell Farm | — |
| Rock Creek #3 | 13 | Free | Rock Creek (stream) | 2.3 mi to Bell Farm | — |
| Jellico Creek 4 | 14 | Free | — | 8.2 mi to Jellico | — |
| Jellico#1 Dispersed Camping | 14 | Free | — | 2.3 mi to Ayers | — |
| Jellico Creek 1 | 14 | Free | — | 2.3 mi to Ayers | — |
| Rock Creek 2 | 14 | Free | — | 14 mi to Oneida | — |
| Great Meadows Campground Raccoon Loop | 15 | Unpriced | Buffalo Branch (stream) | 4.0 mi to Bell Farm | — |
| Rock Creek 1 | 16 | Free | Big Branch (stream) | 5.1 mi to Parmleysville | — |
| Little Lick Horse Camp | 19 | Free | Beaver Creek (river) | 3.4 mi to Bauer | — |
| Rockcastle Campground - Inactive | 20 | Free | Dutch Branch (stream) | 4.0 mi to Baldrock | — |
| Grove Drive-In Campground | 22 | Fee | — | 6.4 mi to Corbin | — |
| Grove Boat-In Campground | 23 | Fee | — | 6.8 mi to Corbin | — |
| Holly Bay Rec. Area | 23 | Fee | — | 9.5 mi to North Corbin | — |
| Craigs Creek Group Campground | 24 | Fee | — | 9.1 mi to North Corbin | — |
| White Oak Boat-In Campground | 24 | Fee | — | 7.6 mi to North Corbin | — |
| Bee Rock Campground | 25 | Fee | — | 13 mi to North Corbin | — |
| North Cumberland WMA - Dispersed Camping (Royal Blue Unit access) | 25 | Free | — | 4.9 mi to Jacksboro | Open |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Stearns, KY, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.