Birmingham Ferry/Smith Bay, near Kentucky Lake, is a solid choice for those who enjoy a more rustic camping experience. This campground is perfect for tent and RV camping, offering a laid-back vibe with picnic tables and fire rings at each site.

Visitors rave about the stunning views of the lake and easy access to the water, making it a great spot for swimming and paddling. One camper noted, “The paddling was fantastic, and the water was plenty warm for swimming.” While the campground has a primitive feel, it does have clean pit toilets and a designated area for collecting firewood, which adds to the convenience.

If you’re into wildlife, keep your eyes peeled for deer and even the occasional raccoon. The campground is also known for hosting drag boat races, drawing in folks from all over. Just be aware that during race events, some areas may be closed off, so plan your visit accordingly. Whether you're here for a quiet weekend or to catch some thrilling races, Birmingham Ferry/Smith Bay offers a unique camping experience that keeps campers coming back.

Birmingham Ferry/Smith Bay - LBL

Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Grand Rivers, KY has a lot to offer. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Grand Rivers, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Grand Rivers camping trip.

Grand Rivers

The Best Camping Near Grand Rivers, Kentucky

Birmingham Ferry is the elite campground for national level drag boat racing, and the camp ground reflects the elite sport enthusiasts who enjoy drag boat racing while camping. While considered to be back country and primative (only select sites have electric or water) people come in from all over the US to participate in the drag boat races every year. All roads to campground are paved, and campground roads are gravel or compacted rock. The campground is terraced, and actually spreads through several sections that provide campers with the choice of being very close to the water (or activities if racing is going on) or further in the woods and more quiet. The boat ramp has a large parking area at the ramp and on the plateau above the ramp, providing for long term trailer parking. While most all sites are long or large enough for RV's in the immediate boat ramp area, you will need to be a confident driver to back a camper up and onto some sites. The campground is divided into the original or "old" side, with the large boat ramp, and the flatter side is gated and has more of the paved sites. The gated side is closed to walk-in camping during specific times of year in order for Birmingham Ferry to host drag boat racing (this year's schedule is posted as a photo). This is a fee camping area, and requires registration, available at either Welcome Station or any of the four hosted campgrounds.

 Drag Boat Racing & Camping: go together like PB&J

Birmingham ferry is a good campground for " primitive" camping. there is a picnic table at each sight, a boat ramp, and a couple of places to fish. there are always friendly people at this campground. 
 There are drag boat races here a couple times a year. 

nice campground

We last visited BF during the 1st week of June.  The lake water was so high that all of the really nice sandy beaches close by were covered.  However. The paddling was fantastic, and the water was plenty warm for swimming.  (Way warmer than my pool at home!)  There were 5 other family groups spread around the main camping area.  All quiet and respectful of one another.  I was surprised that the pit toilet was open, as the LBL website had said they were closed.  Not only was it open but it was cleaned daily!  Lots of folks driving through on their way to the boat ramp.  A few gawkers driving about but not nearly as bad as all the golf carts in the big campgrounds!  No bugs.  Lovely weather.  Saw one small water snake.  Only issue with this Campground is that lots of people occupy sites during just the day for the swimming.  Thus, plan to arrive early or late for the prime waterfront spots.

Great swimming and paddling access

Super easy to walk in. Ten dollar fee to camp. The place was empty on the Thursday afternoon we came in. Saw lots of deer right on Kentucky Lake, as well as a family of trash pandas. The sites were very dirty when we arrived (baby diapers and wipes scattered everywhere - eww), but we cleaned it up and had a beautiful spot for the night. The pit toilet was clean, compared to most I've seen. We would camp here again.

Great spot!

We camped in July ‘21. It was a nice stay! Great view of the lake and close to the boat ramp.  A lot of sites right off the water, but they were taken when we went. There’s a place designated for fire wood collecting/splitting which is nice. 


Lots of boats come to this cove. We kayak so it’s a little hard to do with all the boats coming in and out. Our site was not very level. But all in all, good time :)

Photos of Birmingham Ferry/Smith Bay - LBL

Real photos from real campers