Bandy Creek Campground
Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area · Tennessee · 144 sites
Photos: National Park Service via Recreation.gov
Overview
Bandy Creek Campground is a National Park Service campground in Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area, Tennessee, with 144 sites in 5 loops. Very shady: nearly every site is under trees. Verizon reports coverage at every site; AT&T at 56 of 144; T-Mobile reports none.
131 of 144 sites shaded
6 of 144 sites in full sun
19 of 144 sites with clear sky
Map of the campground
Every site from the Recreation.gov listing. Choose a layer to see it across the campground; tap a site to open it in Roam.
Layers
More in Roam Premium
is in Roam Premium, with a 7-day free trial. Try it in Roam
Questions
Which sites at Bandy Creek Campground are the shadiest?
Nearly all of them. 131 of 144 sites at Bandy Creek Campground have good shade from the trees, including from the hot afternoon sun.
See the tree canopy in RoamWhich sites at Bandy Creek Campground get the most sun?
Only a few. 6 of 144 sites are truly sunny and 10 more get some sun; the rest are shaded.
See the tree canopy in RoamWill Starlink work at Bandy Creek Campground?
Only at a few. About 19 of 144 sites have a clear gap in the trees for Starlink and 27 a partial one; most sit under tall trees. Satellite texting on a phone needs less open sky, but still works best from the most open spot you can find. This is our estimate from tree heights — check with the Starlink app's obstruction check when you arrive.
See the tree canopy in RoamWhich sites at Bandy Creek Campground are the most level?
30 of 144 sites are flat, and 85 more have a gentle slope most RVs can level with blocks; 29 are steeper, better for tents. Sites that take RVs or trailers fit rigs up to 73 ft.
See the slope at each site in RoamDoes Bandy Creek Campground have cell service?
Mostly. Verizon reports coverage at every site; AT&T at 56 of 144; T-Mobile reports none. That's the coverage each carrier reports to the FCC, not a measured signal, so under trees or below a ridge it can be weaker.
See the coverage map in RoamWhen is the best time to see fall color at Bandy Creek Campground?
October. In a typical year the leaves around Bandy Creek Campground are at their best in mid-October, though any one fall can run a week or two early or late. Roam’s fall foliage map shows how far the color has come this week, free every September through November.
See this week’s fall color in RoamWhat’s the weather like at Bandy Creek Campground in October?
In October, expect highs around 69°F and lows around 44°F, with about 3.1 inches of rain over the month. Every month’s averages are in Roam Premium.
Open Bandy Creek in RoamCampground facts
- Sites
- 144 in 5 loops
- Kinds
- 105 for RVs or trailers · 37 tent-only · 2 group sites
- Hookups
- 95 with electric
- Longest rig
- 73 ft
- Accessible
- 7 sites
- Elevation
- 1,530–1,633 ft
- Amenities
- Food storage lockers
- Every site
- Drive-in · Picnic table · Fire ring · Tent pad · Pets allowed · Campfires allowed
- Managed by
- National Park Service
- Booking
- Reserve on Recreation.gov
How we know Sources and limits
Shade, sun and Starlink are our estimates from Meta and the World Resources Institute’s canopy-height model (about 2 m pixels, from satellite imagery calibrated with space lidar; CC BY 4.0). From 2 m above each site we trace 72 lines out to 60 m and note the tallest tree in each direction. Shade counts trees overhead, the canopy within 30 m and how much of the afternoon sky is blocked. Sun counts how open the southern sky is. Starlink needs open sky above 35°, with the northern half counted twice because US dishes tilt north, and we keep the best spot within 8 m of the site’s post. The model sees tree heights only, not trunks, buildings or hills, so check with the Starlink app when you arrive.
Slope is the ground at each site’s post over about 4 m, from USGS 3DEP 1 m lidar: level under 2%, gentle to 4% (most rigs level on blocks), sloped to 8% (fine for a tent), steep beyond.
Cell coverage is from the FCC Broadband Data Collection (carrier filings as downloaded May 2026): each site is tested against each carrier’s modelled outdoor 4G/5G coverage. It is what the carriers report, not a measured signal.
Fall color is the typical peak from NASA’s MODIS satellite record of when leaves change (2001–2023), limited to deciduous and mixed forest with USGS land cover (NLCD), calibrated to the USA National Phenology Network’s ground reports of colored leaves (CC BY 4.0). It is an average of many autumns, so the page gives a window, not a date.
Weather is NOAA’s 1991–2020 climate normals for the campground. Sites and facts are from Recreation.gov’s open data (July 2026). Map imagery: USGS The National Map. Photos: Recreation.gov.
From the campground’s Recreation.gov listing: “Bandy Creek combines the experience of traditional woods camping with the modern conveniences of flush toilets, hot showers and electric hookups. Sites can accommodate groups and both RV and tent camping. The campsites are spacious and provide picnic areas and plenty of shade. The Big South Fork is located in north central Tennessee and southeastern Kentucky in some of the most rugged terrain of the Cumberland Plateau. The park encompasses approximately 125,000 acres including rocky gorges and forested plateaus. Numerous pristine streams unite with the free-flowing Big South Fork of the Cumberland River.”
Page data as of October 15, 2026. Full source notes are in each layer’s info in the app.