CampgroundsDB

Camping in Kentucky

Kentucky has 70 public campgrounds on record, 43 reservable and 24 first-come. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers runs the most, 34 of 70. Each row below says who runs it, how to get a site, and what it costs.

70
Total
43
Reservable
24
First-come
Alum Ford CampgroundAxtelBaileys PointBear Creek Campground - KYBlue Heron Campground
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Alum Ford Campground McCreary · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
6
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Axtel Breckinridge · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
153
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Baileys Point Allen · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
215
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Bear Creek Campground - KY McCreary · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
22
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Bee Rock Campground London · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $15 per night
 Birmingham Ferry Campground Grand Rivers · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $10 per night
 Blue Heron Campground McCreary · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
45
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Boat Gunnel Group Campground Farmers · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
1
Season
Not on record
Fee
Overnight Use:
 Buckhorn Campground Perry · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
34
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Cadiz Trigg · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
Not on record
Season
04-01 to 10-31
Fee
Standard nonelectric: $35 per night
 Canal Lyon · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
115
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Carr Creek Lake Shelters Knott · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
Not on record
Season
04-01 to 09-30
Fee
Site: $60 per night
 Cave Creek Grayson · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
63
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Cave Run Dam Tailwater Bath · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
Not on record
Season
01-01 to 12-31
Fee
Not on record
 Claylick Boat-in Campground Morehead · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
2
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $20 per night
 Clear Creek Campground Salt Lick · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $20 per night
 Colson Hollow Group Camp Aurora · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Overnight Use:
 Craigs Creek Group Campground London · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
3
Season
Not on record
Fee
Overnight Use:
 Cravens Bay Campground Grand Rivers · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $12 per night
 Cumberland Point Campground Wayne · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
30
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Dewey Lake Shelter Floyd · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
Not on record
Season
04-10 to 10-18
Fee
Site: $80 per night
 Dog Creek Hart · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
68
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Energy Lake Campground Cadiz · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $16 per night
 Eureka Lyon · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
26
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Fall Creek Campground Wayne · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
10
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Fenton Lake Campground Aurora · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site with electric (30 Amp) hook-up: $22 per night
 Fishing Creek Campground Pulaski · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
46
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Fishtrap Lake Shelters Pike · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
Not on record
Season
04-04 to 09-28
Fee
Site: $50 per night
 German Campground Floyd · Army Corps of Engineers · Not on record
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Grayson Lake Damsite Shelters Carter · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
Not on record
Season
05-01 to 10-31
Fee
Site: $85 per night
 Great Meadows Campground Whitley City · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $10 per night
 Grove Boat-in Campground Corbin · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $28 per night
 Grove Drive-in Campground Corbin · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $46 per night
 Hillman Ferry Campground Grand Rivers · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $16 per night
 Holly Bay Laurel · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
70
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Holly Bay Rec. Area Corbin · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $46 per night
 Holmes Bend Adair · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
125
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Hurricane Creek Trigg · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
51
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Jones Creek Campground Aurora · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Kendall Campground Russell · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
113
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Koomer Ridge Campground Campton · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
52
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $35 per night
 Laurel Branch Breckinridge · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
61
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Linton Trigg · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
Not on record
Season
04-01 to 10-31
Fee
Standard nonelectric: $35 per night
 Littcarr Campground Knott · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
45
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Mammoth Cave Campground Edmonson · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
108
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Maple Springs Edmonson · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
7
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Mill Springs Mill Shelter Wayne · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
Not on record
Season
04-01 to 10-20
Fee
Site: $35 per night
 Moutardier Edmonson · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
164
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Nickell Branch Campground Grand Rivers · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $10 per night
 North Fork Breckinridge · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
79
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Old Kuttawa Lyon · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
Not on record
Season
04-01 to 10-31
Fee
Site: $25–$45 per night
 Paragon Dispersed Camping Area Morehead · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Pikes Ridge Taylor · Army Corps of Engineers · Not on record
Sites
60
Season
05-08 to 09-27
Fee
Site: $20–$32 per night
 Redd Hollow Campground Aurora · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $10 per night
 Rockcastle Campground - Inactive Corbin · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 S-tree Campground McKee · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $15 per night
 Smith Bay Campground Grand Rivers · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $10 per night
 Smith Ridge Taylor · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
79
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Sugar Bay Campground Aurora · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $10 per night
 Tailwater Allen · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
49
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Taylor Bay Campground Cadiz · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $10 per night
 The Narrows Barren · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
90
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Trace Branch Campground Leslie · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
28
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Turkey Foot Campground McKee · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Twin Knobs Recreation Area Farmers · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
201
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $35 per night
 Waitsboro Campground Pulaski · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
21
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Wax Grayson · Army Corps of Engineers · Not on record
Sites
107
Season
05-16 to 08-31
Fee
Site: $18–$50 per night
 White Oak Boat-in Campground Corbin · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $28 per night
 Zilpo - Daniel Boone Nat. For. Bath · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
163
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Zilpo Recreation Area Salt Lick · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $31 per night

How booking works in Kentucky

There is no single system: each campground books through its managing agency. 43 campgrounds book through Recreation.gov. 24 campgrounds take no reservations at all, first-come, first-served.

For a park's own hours, entrance fee, and boundary, see Kentucky state parks on publiclandsdb.com.

Narrower lists

By agency

24 first-come campgrounds need no reservation; 0 stay open year-round ; and 9 sit on a named lake . By agency: 34 Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds , 31 National Forest campgrounds , and 5 National Park Service campgrounds .

Common questions

How do I reserve a campground in Kentucky?

It depends on who runs it. Of the 70 public campgrounds on record here, 43 book through Recreation.gov and 24 are first-come, first-served with no reservations.

Where can I camp for free in Kentucky?

4 public campgrounds in Kentucky charge no fee: Jones Creek Campground, Paragon Dispersed Camping Area, Rockcastle Campground - Inactive, and Turkey Foot Campground. Free camping away from campgrounds (dispersed camping) is a land-management rule, not a campground; see the managing agency.

Is boondocking legal in Kentucky?

On BLM land, dispersed camping (boondocking) is generally allowed under the agency's rules. BLM limits dispersed camping to 14 days within any 28-day period (stay limits vary by field office), asks campers to stay at least 200 feet from lakes and streams, and says most areas need no permit or reservation (blm.gov, read 2026-09-26).

What are the best campgrounds in Kentucky?

This site doesn't rate campgrounds. The most fully documented here are Pikes Ridge (19 sourced facts), Waitsboro Campground (19 sourced facts), and Cumberland Point Campground (17 sourced facts); the table lets you sort every campground by agency, booking, season, and fee.