Garth Rumsmoke (left) stayed with Doreen Mendola (shown) and her husband, Phil, in the Big South Fork area.

Spring found me once again in some of the best horse country in Tennessee/Kentucky — The Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area (423/286-7275; www.nps.gov/biso).

To many, the Big South Fork is a trail-rider’s heaven. I’ve met horse folks all over the country, and it seems that each one has his or her favorite place to go, like a pair of comfortable old shoes. One such place is the Big South Fork. Consider this area if you’re planning a horse getaway and are looking for a choice of places to stay, miles of trails, beautiful country, and an interesting history.

The Big South Fork is located just east of the border between the Eastern and Central Time Zones, just south of the Kentucky border between U.S. Routes 127 and 27. Or, for easy figuring, northeast of Knoxville, Tennessee.

State Highway 297 runs east and west through the area. Along this road, you’ll find a number of horse camps and trailheads. This area is laced with secondary roads that give riders easy access to horse trails in every direction.

I had the pleasure of sampling some of the area horse camps. Although each one offers a clean campsite, meals, trails, cabins, and other amenities, each has its own flavor and style.

Grand Views

My first stop was at the private home of Phil and Doreen Mendola, who live right on Route 297. From there, I trailered a few miles to one of their favorite trails.

Although many miles of trails can be accessed right from the Mendolas’ home, and I’d ridden a number of them on past visits, this trail was a new one. It took me to a grand view of the river at the Leatherwood Outlook and a look at the countryside where World War I hero Sergeant Alvin York grew up.

Easy riding and perfect April weather made the day just right. The day was finished off with an invitation to East Fork Stables (931/879-1176; www.eastfork stables.com) for the evening meal and entertainment. That night, we made arrangements to return later in the week for a day ride.

A Memorable Lodge

My next stop was the Big South Fork Lodge, owned and operated by Jim and Claudia Barker (931/879-4230; www.bigsouthforklodge.com; on the website, click on "Photos & Happenings," then click on the ride you’d like to review).

Talk about a neat place to visit. The office restaurant area was a hoot: great meals, lots of photos of past rides hanging on the wall, and unexpected treats: Two stuffy old Western manikins, Gray Wolf and Black Bart (ask to have your photo taken with them), and a wall full of signed dollar bills. My dollar is there somewhere.

At the lodge, you can fish, hike, and enjoy campfire evenings (bring your fiddle). Be sure to check out Jim’s pride and joy, two restored Caddies. There are neat, comfortable cabins, great cooking, and, best of all, two hospitable hosts.

A group of us trailered down the road to Gobblers Trailhead, on Divide Road. The trail led down the hillside (Hatfield Ridge) through the woods to the river. The water was too high to cross, so we made a turn or two and ended up at Charit Creek Lodge. There, we had lunch and met some other riders.

Only one section of a moderately steep road/trail led us back up to the trailers. It was a nice section to get off, stretch, and let the horses have a break. Back at the trailers, we loaded up (with just a small amount of trying to get two strange horses in the same trailer again), and hit the road to go home.