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$46 - $92 / night

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$46 - $92 / night

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Established Camping

Holly Bay

16 Reviews

Warning 1 Alert is In Effect

There is 1 alert for this campground. Camp safely!

This location is open during the Federal government lapse in funding.

CAMPER SUMMARY PRESENTED BYFord

Holly Bay, near London, Kentucky, is a fantastic campground that offers a blend of natural beauty and essential amenities for a great outdoor experience. With spacious, shaded sites and a stunning lake right at your doorstep, it’s perfect for those looking to unwind in nature.

Campers rave about the clean, clear waters of Laurel Lake, making it an ideal spot for swimming, fishing, or just soaking up the sun. The campground is equipped with electric hookups and drinking water, ensuring you have what you need for a comfortable stay. As one visitor put it, “The view was amazing and the trail down to the lake was so wonderful.”

For those who enjoy hiking, there are several trails nearby that showcase the beauty of the Daniel Boone National Forest. While the bathhouses are older, they are well-maintained and clean, which many campers appreciate after a day of outdoor activities.

Holly Bay is also pet-friendly, so you can bring your furry friends along for the adventure. Just keep in mind that some sites can be a bit hilly, so be prepared for a little hike to the facilities. Whether you're here for a weekend or a longer retreat, Holly Bay offers a welcoming atmosphere and plenty of opportunities to connect with nature.

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Location

Holly Bay is located in Kentucky

Detail location of campground

Directions

From London, Kentucky, take Exit 38 off I-75. Turn west on KY 192, then go 14.2 miles and turn south (left) on KY 1193. Follow signs to Holly Bay Campground entrance (3 miles).

Address

395 Laurel Lake Rd
London, KY 40744

Coordinates

36.9791667 N
84.2666667 W

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Connectivity

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    T-Mobile
    No Coverage
  • signal strength bars
    VerizonLTE
    Some Coverage
    Verified by 1 user
  • signal strength bars
    AT&TLTE
    Some Coverage

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Detours Nearby

LOCAL FAVORITES PRESENTED BYToyota Trucks
Little Lick Campground

Little Lick Campground

20 min away

Grove Drive-in Campground

Grove Drive-in Campground

21 min away

Drive Time

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Connectivity

Presented byT-Mobile SatelliteT-Mobile is introducing T-Satellite to extend coverage in the outdoorsLearn More
  • signal strength bars
    T-Mobile
    No Coverage
  • signal strength bars
    VerizonLTE
    Some Coverage
    Verified by 1 user
  • signal strength bars
    AT&TLTE
    Some Coverage

Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.
  • Boat-In
    Sites accessible by watercraft.

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group
  • Cabins

Features

For Campers

  • Market
  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Firewood Available
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • WiFi
  • Drinking Water
  • Electric Hookups
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Sewer Hookups
  • Water Hookups
  • 50 Amp Hookups
  • Big Rig Friendly

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Reviews

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4.5

out of 5

16 Reviews

Pam B.The Dyrt PRO User
Reviewed Oct. 14, 2024

Beautiful setting

The sites are nice and wooded.  There is plenty of space between sites to give each camp a little privacy.  We were a drive up, no reservation camper.  They only took cash or check on-site.  Camp host was very nice and helpful.

SiteE 4
Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Holly Bay by Pam B., October 14, 2024
Allyson C.
Reviewed Sep. 4, 2022

Beautiful Lake

Beautiful Lake. The water is very clean and clear. Trail led right down to water. Staff was very sweet. Lots of poison ivy around campsite.

SiteF11
Month of VisitAugust
Bubby N.
Reviewed Jun. 11, 2022

Shady woody campsites

Nice secluded sites. A little hard to get to but peaceful once you settle in. Campsites are spacious.

Siteg-6
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Holly Bay by Bubby N., June 11, 2022
  • Review photo of Holly Bay by Bubby N., June 11, 2022
  • Review photo of Holly Bay by Bubby N., June 11, 2022
  • (4) View All
T
Reviewed Jul. 31, 2021

Large, secluded, full-shade sites!

This is a fantastic campground. Literally the only thing it lacks is sewer hookups but the dump station is convenient. This will be a regular for us. Stayed in A12 and it is level, secluded, completely shaded and very large.

SiteA 12
Month of VisitJuly
K
Reviewed Apr. 8, 2021

Good place to camp

Nice camper spots. Tent spots are in hilly areas so be ready to hike up to the bath houses. Bath houses are old but clean. Overall good place to camp.

Carissa D.
Reviewed Sep. 24, 2020

Large shaded campsites

I love this campground! The sites are spaced out, large and completely shaded. There are several bathhouses and some include large sinks to wash supplies. There is a boat ramp and parking space for trailers. We will definitely be back here!

  • Review photo of Holly Bay by Carissa D., September 24, 2020
  • Review photo of Holly Bay by Carissa D., September 24, 2020
  • Review photo of Holly Bay by Carissa D., September 24, 2020
  • (8) View All
Marlene V.
Reviewed Sep. 23, 2020

Large Private Wooded Lots. Lake on site. Beautiful Place!

Awesome campsite. Large, private and very wooded lots. We got a double lot. G4 are the photos here. Electric and water on site. Clean bathrooms with showers in walking distance. Helpful staff. Stunning views. Great hiking paths. Bring you boats, bikes, kayaks, fishing poles and bathing suits. The water is fantastic! Not a lot around close by to do if your are a tourist. If your here just for the site its Perfect... waterfalls and other tourist sites are 40mins to 2hours away. Also, we did not have one issues with any kind of annoying wildlife. No begging raccoons or skunks (our last site) lol. We'll Be Back!

  • Review photo of Holly Bay by Marlene V., September 23, 2020
  • Review photo of Holly Bay by Marlene V., September 23, 2020
  • Review photo of Holly Bay by Marlene V., September 23, 2020
  • (17) View All
S
Reviewed Aug. 21, 2020

Very nice!

Really nice campground. The sites are very spacious. We stayed 2 days but definitely would go back for longer! Only a half hour to Cumberland Falls which is also a must see!

SiteH2
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Holly Bay by Sonya A., August 21, 2020
  • Review photo of Holly Bay by Sonya A., August 21, 2020
  • Review photo of Holly Bay by Sonya A., August 21, 2020
L
Reviewed Jul. 21, 2020

Holly Bay is great

We lucked out and stayed in site D5, wow. The view was amazing and the trail down to the lake was so wonderful. Beautiful lake. Campground was clean, staff was friendly.

  • Review photo of Holly Bay by Liz S., July 21, 2020
Tiffany T.
Reviewed Jul. 5, 2020

Amazing Campground, Poor Management

Part 1, The Bad; The only reason I didn’t give Holly Bay the 5 stars it deserves is because of a reservation mixup due to an employee/host. Booked our double campsite (PRIME RATED, F5) 5 months in advance on June 15th. Due to the Covid pandemic, Holly Bay didn’t open until June 11th and most of the sites were walk-up only. Well someone decided to let a walk-up reserve our campsite from June 11-17th, two days into my reservation. We were upset but the older gentleman in the booth said it wasn’t their fault and was a reservation mix-up due to the reserving website (Recreation.gov). They gave us another double site (G11) and free firewood, that we gracefully accepted, and were still pretty happy with. We are not picky campers at all. We didn’t cause a stink or anything. Two days into camping, the host from F comes and tells us that we HAVE to move back to our original site, that the people that had reserved the one we were on had called corporate and they have ALL RIGHTS to the campsite if it’s reserved in your name. We didn’t know this. No one told us this. So because we didn’t throw a big stink over it, we got screwed anyway. Sometimes being nice just isn’t worth it. 😠 So we packed up 2+ hours of setting up work and went to our other site to re-set up again. Then we came to find out that it wasn’t a mix-up on the website, but an employee had messed up and when he discovered the overlapping reservation, he didn’t want to ask the other campers to leave🤯 We were also told they had to report him to upper management so I hope he doesn’t do that to other people in the future.... The host from F was so nice though, and told is we could have more firewood and she would mail us a voucher for two free nights for future use. So know this, IF IT’S RESERVED IN YOUR NAME, YOU HAVE ALL RIGHTS TO THE CAMPSITE DURING YOUR RESERVATION WINDOW. Kick’em off. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Part 2, The Great; Other than that not so little mix-up, we still had a wonderful time. We hiked, swam, fished, and loved all the views. Arnold’s Grocery has great food and ice cream! Plenty of room between the sites, clean bathrooms, but no laundry facilities though. We will definitely be back again. A great campground far outweighs poor management, imo. Happy Camping!

  • Review photo of Holly Bay by Tiffany T., July 5, 2020
  • Review photo of Holly Bay by Tiffany T., July 5, 2020
  • Review photo of Holly Bay by Tiffany T., July 5, 2020
  • (19) View All
J
Reviewed Jun. 4, 2019

Great Campground in a great National Forest!

Holly Bay is a great campground in the beautiful, but not very well known Daniel Boone National Forest. The campsites are semi-private with a fire ring, electricity, water (at each campsite), lantern pole, bathrooms and bath house. The campground is also on a lake with several good hiking trails around. I highly recommend it this campground!

Lynn G.
Reviewed Sep. 30, 2017

Laurel River Lake

There are some short hiking trails along the water and in the woods worth exploring but if you don’t have a boat you will miss out. The nearby marina (not part of the campground) has a little grocery and cafe. The campground is wooded and has basic amenities. We stayed in the tent area.

Yay: lovely simple area.

Nay: lots of boat traffic and noise from some of the campsites.

Surprise: really enjoyed swimming at the dam.

Showing results 1-16 of 16 reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Holly Bay Beach accessible from the campground?

Yes, Holly Bay Beach is accessible from the campground via trails that lead directly to the water. The lake features crystal clear water that's perfect for swimming, and many campsites offer trails down to the shoreline. Laurel Lake is known as one of the clearest lakes in Kentucky, making it ideal for swimming and water activities. Visitors can easily access the beach areas for swimming, and the campground's location makes it convenient to enjoy the water during your stay.

What facilities and amenities are available at Holly Bay Campground?

Holly Bay Campground offers spacious, shaded campsites with electric and water hookups, fire rings, picnic tables, and lantern poles. The facilities include multiple clean bathhouses with showers, including some with large utility sinks for washing supplies. A convenient dump station is available for RVs. The campground features several hiking trails along the water and through wooded areas, a boat ramp with trailer parking, and bear boxes for food storage. While there are no sewer hookups at individual sites, the campground is well-maintained with helpful staff. Both RV and tent camping options are available, though tent sites are located in hillier areas.

How do I make reservations at Holly Bay Campground?

Reservations for Holly Bay Campground can be made in advance through recreation.gov or by calling the reservation system. For prime campsites, especially during peak season, it's recommended to book several months ahead. Walk-up camping without reservations is also possible when sites are available, but payment is accepted only by cash or check on-site. The camp hosts are helpful with the check-in process. For specific reservation questions or site recommendations, contact the campground directly or check the Daniel Boone National Forest website for the most current information.

Where is Holly Bay Campground located in Kentucky?

Holly Bay Campground is located in the Daniel Boone National Forest in southeastern Kentucky, situated on the shores of Laurel Lake near London, KY. The campground is somewhat secluded but accessible by car, offering a peaceful forest setting about 30 minutes from Cumberland Falls, which is a popular attraction in the area. While it's tucked away and not widely known, the campground's location provides the perfect base for exploring this beautiful region of Kentucky, with its clear lakes and extensive hiking opportunities.

What are the camping prices and fees at Holly Bay Campground?

Holly Bay Campground offers affordable camping options with different pricing tiers based on site type. Standard sites with electric and water hookups typically range from $20-30 per night. Double sites, which provide more space for larger groups or multiple tents, are available at a higher rate. The campground accepts cash or check for on-site payments. For current pricing information and any seasonal discounts, contact the campground directly or check the Daniel Boone National Forest website before your visit.

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