Picnic table along Big Creek

See the Big Creek Region web page for an interactive location map.

The Big Creek Picnic Area in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is located in the same complex as the Big Creek Campground at the end of Big Creek Road. This is an extremely rough dirt road with potholes so big that if you hit one your radio will skip. Other than a low-rider, any vehicle can make it—no 4-wheel drive required—but if you have a really nice car, I don’t suggest picnicking or camping at Big Creek.

The Big Creek Picnic Area has a dozen tables, grills, and a modern restroom with a dishwashing station. It is typically open from April until the end of October from dawn until dusk. For the current operating schedule, visit the National Park Service’s Picnicking web page for Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Parking at the Big Creek Picnic Area is done in a common parking lot, and you must carry your gear to the tables, which are located down a hill. It is a long walk, so you must really want to have a picnic to stop here. I chose to pull out a folding chair and eat next to my car in the parking lot.

A paved path leads to a handicap-accessible table, though anyone in a wheelchair is going to need help getting down the hill.

Handicap-accessible picnic table at the Big Creek Picnic Area

The first picnic tables you will see are three that are grouped together. Other than the handicap-accessible table, these are the closest to the parking area. They are also the only tables grouped together at Big Creek. There is no pavilion or other group picnicking facility.

Group of three tables at the Big Creek Picnic Area

If you walk another 50 yards, you will come to a footbridge that spans Big Creek. There are five picnic tables lining the creek to the right of the bridge and four to the left. These are all single tables situated on their own level pad, and each one has a grill.