- States: KY, TN
- NPCA Region: Southeast
- Est. Date: 1976
Air Quality Conditions
View the Polluted Parks ReportVisibility
Unsatisfactory
Health
Unsatisfactory
Nature
Significant Concern
This underappreciated jewel offers a variety of outdoor attractions, from hiking to whitewater rafting to bird-watching to stargazing. One of the park’s most popular activities is horseback riding, and visitors can enjoy more than 180 miles of riding trails and stay in special campsites that will accommodate horses. The East Rim Overlook in the southeastern area of the park offers a spectacular view of where the river cuts a deep gorge into the Cumberland Plateau. Some of the most interesting natural features include the natural sandstone arches that formed along the edges of the gorge — hikers can see more than a dozen of these beautiful structures on the western side of the park.
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Blog Post
Need an Escape? 10 Cozy Places to Stay in National Parks
Craving solitude or looking to plan a romantic retreat? A private room in the heart of one of the country's most spectacular landscapes could be the answer. Check our staff…
More about Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area
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Read more about Congress Fails the Public: Why NPCA Will Continue to Defend Clean, Safe National Park Waters
NPCA at Work Congress Fails the Public: Why NPCA Will Continue to Defend Clean, Safe National Park Waters In February 2017, Congress voted to dismantle the Stream Protection Rule, which would have safeguarded streams from pollution created by mountaintop removal and surface coal mining.
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Read more about Fact: Dismantling the Stream Protection Rule Endangers National Park Waterways
Press Release Fact: Dismantling the Stream Protection Rule Endangers National Park Waterways A resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives aims to dismantle the Stream Protection Rule, which safeguards streams from pollution created by mountaintop removal and surface coal mining.
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Read more about U.S. House of Representatives Passes Bill to Allow Mining Companies to Fill Mountain Valleys with Mine Waste
Press Release U.S. House of Representatives Passes Bill to Allow Mining Companies to Fill Mountain Valleys with Mine Waste Statement by NPCA Senior Southeast Regional Director Don Barger
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Read more about National Parks and Hydraulic Fracturing
Report National Parks and Hydraulic Fracturing Hydraulic fracturing (or “fracking”) has the potential to rewrite America’s energy future, presenting the possibility of an energy-independent nation. This relatively new extraction method is now responsible for 90 percent of domestic oil and gas production, with thousands of wells peppering the countryside. What will history say about this innovation? What will the impacts be on America’s public lands—especially our cherished national parks?
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