Middle Fork Campground, near Natural Bridge State Resort Park in Kentucky, is a solid choice for those looking to enjoy the great outdoors. This spot offers a mix of tent and RV sites, complete with picnic tables and fire rings, perfect for gathering around the fire after a day of adventure.

The campground is known for its clean facilities, including a well-maintained bathhouse, which visitors appreciate. Many campers have enjoyed the nearby creek, stocked with trout, making it a hit for fishing and wading. As one reviewer noted, “Great fishing right in front of the site,” which is a fantastic way to keep the kids entertained.

For those eager to explore, the campground is conveniently located near hiking trails and attractions like the Gorge Underground. While some sites can feel a bit snug, the friendly staff and beautiful surroundings make it a welcoming place to set up camp. Whether you're here for a weekend or a longer stay, Middle Fork Campground offers a great base for your outdoor adventures.

Natural Bridge is a 2,200 acre forested park and nature preserve with 22 miles of trails, a 60 acre lake, two campgrounds, lodging, and dining facilities. It is surrounded by the Daniel Boone National Forest and adjacent to the Red River Gorge National Geologic Area.

Maximum of two tents per site, no exceptions. Absolutely no off-trail activity permitted, even in campground area. No gasoline engines on Mill Creek Lake. Speed limit of 10 mph in campgrounds, 55 mph on Hwy 11, and 23 mph in the rest of the park.

**Please note:**

- The maximum reservation window is 12 months in advance to the date.
- New Inventory is made available when the call center opens.
- There is a 1 night minimum stay during the week at all parks.
- There is a 2 night minimum stay on peak season weekends at all parks with the exception of the Kentucky Horse Park.
- The minimum stay on peak season weekends at the Kentucky Horse Park is 1 night.
- Customers may arrive on a Friday or Saturday and stay a minimum of two nights.
- Customer service is authorized to fill in any empty spaces caused by the 2-night weekend stay rule.

**Please note the following:**

- Longer minimum night stays are required at most campgrounds during holiday periods. 
- Parks prohibits the importation of firewood by campers from any state outside of Kentucky. This is in an effort to help prevent the introduction of the Emerald Ash Borer into the state. Firewood is available for sale in the state park campgrounds.[https://parks.ky.gov/firewood-policy](https://parks.ky.gov/firewood-policy)
- Golf carts are allowed in the campground by purchasing a permit at check-in. Permits are $25 for the week or $100 for the calendar year. Annual permits can be used at all Kentucky State Park campgrounds and the Kentucky Horse Park. Disabled guests are not required to purchase a permit if they display their disability hanging tag.

Middle Fork Campground — Natural Bridge State Resort Park

Join the fun near Slade. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Kentucky camping adventure.

Slade

The Best Camping Near Slade, Kentucky

Grew up visiting this park and still love it. The view from the bridge is gorgeous, and the short hike up the bridge is a great time for the whole family.
As far as the campgrounds, they are well kept and have plenty to do nearby.

Great park for the kids!

The Natural Bridge is advertised in every rest stop within a 5 hour radius, but it is a very nice park with interesting geology and lots to do. It's pretty touristy, good for kids, not super great for secluded camping. Know what to expect and you'll enjoy yourself. Make reservations! Slightly more resort-y camping accommodations but still rustic. Tent sites are pretty spread out. Nice little stream near campsites and lots of shade. Also a lodge and cabins on site. 

Popular area but nice

We love natural bridge state park and everything about it! We try to go up there at least once a month. They offer all kinds of wonderful things there especially for kids, there is even a cave tour every week day! 

Love

This is a great place. I would rank the Red River Gorge area as the most beautiful place in the Kentucky. Any time I get the chance to head out this way, I do. And I make sure that those chances are not few and far between. This is my favorite place to bring my dogs to get some exercise and time away from work. Be prepared for crowds if you come on the weekend. Stop by in the Fall if you want the added bonus of seeing the leaves turn!

Excellent Hiking, Excellent Views

This park is beautiful! We stopped here while doing the Red River Gorge drive to grab food at the lodge. With all the signs leading up to the park, we had to stop and check it out. We did decide to do a few hours of hiking and loved the natural bridge and also the devil’s gultch area. Such a cool park- camping looked to be very busy since the park was not very serene with the crowds. It would be a great place to explore numerous days so camping would be the easiest
way to do that. It is a place I’d stay, but probably not a first choice due to the popularity.

busy but beautiful!

Been here a lot over the years, seems like they’re always adding more to the park or the towns nearby so you’ll never run out of things to do. The bridge itself is a great little hike with stunning views. Camping is nicely laid out and kept up, though can be busy. 


Good hikes, modern site 

Im not sure if ive ever seen so much beauty or had such a wonderful camping experience.  It was a spur of the moment trip for my husband & I, but we had no trouble getting in or finding sufficient camping.  The weekend we spent here will forever live on in our memories.

Words cant express this place.

Daniel Boone is one of my favorite National Forests. So much to do, so many natural wonders. The camping is primitive to luxury, take your pick. The campsite we used was maintained and the sites were plenty far apart. Staff was informative and always ready to help. 

Much to see

Great hiking around natural bridge really really cool area. We arrived right before sunset so we were able to get to natural bridge for sunset. Typical campground nothing too fancy.

Beautiful at sunset!

We've spent several weeks in the danilel boon national forrest. There is amazing primitive camping as well as camping with all the amenities. Natural bridge is really cool. It seems very out of place. But there are tons of caves in kentucky so why not a natural bridge right,

The camp site is sweet. We've been here at different parts of the year. Summer is busy definitely worth making reservations. The fall though mid week we've done walk ins with hardly any people. The sites are fairly large and spaced out pretty good. The place was clean even with so many people at certain times of the year, The staff is always friendly and helpful with what ever you or your family is looking for.

Theres plenty of hiking and biking around natural bridge. Definitely worth checking out!

Cheers!

Excellent. More calm in fall!

Van dwelling has its pros and cons that is for sure. Well one of the percs is finding amazing spots you would not normally visit. Middle fork campground and the red river geological gorge is one of those places. Its is well known for its rock climbing but its offers much much more.

There are two state park campgrounds near Natural Bridge and red river gorge. Whittleton and Middle Fork. We stayed at B29 at Middle Fork next to the creek that runs through the campground. We really enjoyed swimming in and following the creek upstream.

Theres fishing, swimming, climbing, hiking, and biking around here, Go out and get some. The natural bridge area is a must see. Its super unique for the area and worth the hike to it .

Cheers!

Red River Gorge is Amazing

Plently on hikes to do some backcountry hiking on. Can spot wildlife if you're lucky enough. Fun for everyone!

Wonderful hiking

Not a lot of sites and most were reserved. We did get one for one night but thatwas fine. No cell nor wifi. But all in all a nice park with tons of trails and some awesome sights.

Small campgrounds with few spots

There were two campgrounds I believe, we chose non electrical. The campgrounds were small but cozy. Some sites, including ours, were mostly gravel and not a lot of grass, but it wasn’t hard rock so it wasn’t uncomfortable. The campgrounds were clean and quiet. We definitely enjoyed our time there and will be back.

Small but cozy 

campsites are strung along the river, spacious and well kept.

Nice amenities, well groomed campsites, situated by the Red River 

We stayed here Mothers Day weekend. Had perfect weather and our tent site was by the creek so we could here running water all night. It was so peaceful! You can stay in the tent site only area which I recommend if you want to be away from the noise and lights of a campground. The campground was not noisy but with the travel trailers and RVs you always get a little more noise. Campground was clean and the shower house was clean but very small for the size of the campground. They did run out of toilet paper in the women’s bathroom but replace it quickly. It was quite a walk to bath house if you stay in the tent only area. We will definitely go back though! The Red River Gorge and Natural Bridge area is beautiful with great hiking!

Peaceful tent site 

This was the last spot we stayed at while at the Red and we were thankful for the creek that flows through it so we could soak our achy feet! A good campground for a quick stop if you dont feel like backpacking to the primitive sites

Nice for some daily cragging

Natural bridge is full of hiking and lots to do, the campground was nice and the bath house was clean as can be. We are already planning to go back, the hike to the bridge is great and we took the sky lift just for fun!

Middlefork Campground

Stayed at Middle Fork Oct 25, 26, 27 (Thu, Fri, Sat)  although we were forced to pay for Sunday too because it was some kind of special weekend having to do with Halloween.  IMO this is just a BS way to make more money.  The majority of people who do the whole trick or treat and Halloween stuff, do it for kids, and those people most likely have to leave on Sun to go back home for school on Mon.  So why be forced to pay for Sunday night?!  
Our water spigot sprayed water everywhere when our hose was hooked up. They sent a plumber over who tried to fix it with a wrench and a propane torch which didn't help at all.  Fortunately we had no neighbors so we hooked to the other sites spigot. It sprayed too.   The next day the campground turned off all the water to the campground, brought in an excavator and were excavating a broken pipe elsewhere in the campground.  They didn't bother to let anyone know they were turning off the water, there were probably 5 campers in the entire campground.  I wonder if they are aware that if a hot water heater runs out of water, but the heating element stays on, that it can destroy the element??  Fortunately we were there when we ran out of water and turned our water heater off.  
The light.  The damn 30,000 watt LED security light that lights up the night like a spaceship coming in for a landing, 10 feet behind our site. Forget having the cozy campfire experience, it's like sitting in daylight when that sucker is blasting down on you.
The dump station.  You have to park your camper on the wrong side of the road, facing uphill into on-coming traffic to dump your tanks, the water spigot to hook up and flush your tanks wasn't working so no water.  The girl working at the check-in booth was clueless, saying she "didn't know nuthin about it". And didn't offer to pick up the phone and find out if there was a way to turn the water on.  In addition, because we were parked facing uphill our gray water tank wouldn't dump at all.  We had to stop at another campground on our way home and pay to dump and flush our tanks.  
Overall, this campground was a negative experience and we will not be back.

Not Good

The park is a gem and the Natural Bridge is something you need to experience. I go every year but I won't take the little ones onto the bridge.  It is easy to fall if you are not paying attention. For my friends that can hike a short distance we will also take the chair lift up or down. You can do both.  It really depends on the weather and the trail as to how we tackle the trail. The chair lift is a small fee and well worth the view. 

  

Cell phone signals are hit and miss down here so make sure you have a clean plan for connecting with folks prior to parting ways.

Beautiful and Busy

So much to do and see at Natural Bridge SP. Hoedown Island , the Skylift , the natural bridge , Fat Mans Misery and several other awesome trails , sites to see. 

The campgrounds Whittleton and Middle Fork are newer but short on shade. Middle Fork is the larger area. Tent areas in both campgrounds. 
The thing I don’t care for at the park is all the areas are spread out. 

Loved the hike

Natural Bridge State Park is within Daniel Boone National Forest and Middle Fork is the campground in the State Park.
Unless you are a distance hiker you will have to drive to most of the attractions from the campground because they aren’t close. So that’s a pro and a con. The campground is not in the traffic flow but it’s not conveniently located either. My favorite sites are in the back row, shaded and more private. Otherwise it’s a mid size campground that can get a little busy when it’s full. Well maintained.
Check out Hoedown Island on Saturday’s , Miguel’s for food and no dogs allowed on the Natural Bridge trails. 

Long Walk

Camped for a few days in late March for a climbing trip (no fires at Miguels). It snowed the pipes froze over so none of the facilities were working. I'm sure it's super nice in the summer.

Pipes froze over, no running water

I camp here annually with my cousin. It’s a great campground if you don’t mind being in a more crowded setting. Aka less remote! Opt for the campgrounds towards the back for a little more privacy and immediate access to the nearby creek. Granted walking to the restroom is a little further. Fills up relatively quickly so would recommend booking in advance during peak seasons. Also be sure to bring your own wood or purchase from local homeowners. No picking up allowed.

Beautiful Setting

Stayed at Middle Fork Campground in March 2021, love Daniel Boone National Forest and love the hikes/views at Natural Bridge but the campground is not what we had hoped for. Primitive tent sites are almost right on top of each other with little to no foliage to create privacy. Tent sites are a hike from the restrooms, if you have to go in the middle of the night just hope no one is driving over the ridge from the RV lot, you likely will get surprised! Though the area itself is beautiful, we will not stay at this primitive site again. We have reservations coming up for Whittleton, the other campground across the street, and are eager to see if it is right for us. This is only a short drive for us and a great distance to get away for the weekend. Happy camping!

Campground not nearly as impressive as the views!

Sites were fine. Bathrooms not good. Showers had no hooks to hang dry clothes and everything got wet. 3 of 5 commodes were clogged. After a hot day, I just wanted to refresh but didn’t work. Camp only sites are a drive as to walk there, you have to go over a steep road and you were sweating by the time you got back to your tent. Will not come back to this one.

Not the best

We stayed at site B9.  Had electric and water.  This is one of the best sites at this campgrounds. The stream in the background is amazing. No sites in front of you or on either side. We had lots of room for our screen tent, teardrop camper and we put up another tent for visitors. A nice FirePit and new all weather picnic table.  Shower house and bathroom within a minutes walking distance. However, the cleanliness of these facilities was less than par.  Most likely do to not enough help.  That is the only negative.  However if you have a larger RV the sites you would want are on the other side of the stream.  Not as crowded but maybe tricky to back into.  Overall we enjoyed this facility. Staff was accommodating and it’s centrally located. A short walk to hiking trails and there’s a small lake close by with a natural waterfall area to bath and sit in. 

I would’ve given this a four had restrooms been cleaner.

MiddleFork Campground Natural Bridge State Park KY

There’s plenty campsites to pick from.  I like the ones  that have  a stream running through the background,  and the wildlife around you, is just stunning! I definitely would come back!
I love hiking boots for this trip. We found some cool caves along our hiking trail. 


Beautiful campsite

We loved our weekend stay at Middle Fork campground.  We were at B012 which backed right up to the creek.  We had adequate room between the sites and enjoyed the view of the tree lined creek behind us.   For those with kids (or for adults!) who love creekin', b27, b28, b29 would have easier access to walk down to the water.    We did notice that the pull through sites were very close together, and few if any trees provided shade for those spots. 

  

Hoedown Island with the beautiful park swimming pool, gift shop and trailhead are 1.0 mile easy walk/bike/drive from the campground down the narrow road along the creek.

  

After spending our last couple getaways in very large state park campgrounds with hundreds of sites, this much smaller campground was a welcome change.

Cozy campground with great stream

If you’re looking to tent camp, definitely choose the C section. B is heavily RV-centric and those spots are tight. I stayed in C 11 which was the furthest out and the most spacious. There are lots of shady trees. My kids played in the creek nonstop. The trees and creek were great for us, but I would have worried about flash floods and falling limbs if it had stormed.

There’s a bathroom with showers in the B section, about 0.3 miles from C11. There’s a water spigot for the C section, but it was off while we were there. 

The campground location is central to town and all the attractions. Downside of this is that it’s situated below the highway, so it’s loud at night from semis thundering past overhead. There’s also a set of rv sites across the creek and a road behind them, so it’s not very private.




Primitive but not exactly secluded

There are two campgrounds within Natural Bridge State Resort Park—Whittleton and Middlefork. Three friends and I stayed at Middlefork, with a tent site right along the Middlefork Creek. The front part of this campground is RV/hookup, and you have to go over this hill to get to the primitive sites. The bathroom (toilets, showers, sinks) was decently kept (facilities were in the front half of the campground so we had to walk over that hill to get to it). We were able to purchase firewood on the grounds. The sites were pretty well spread out, but if you're looking to hang a hammock, it's not the most ideal spot with the trees tucked away or spread really far apart. We were a short drive from the park/bridge and several other hiking opportunities. The bridge was definitely busy, even at the end of September, but all of the trails we were on otherwise were pretty quiet. You can access some trails in the Daniel Boone National Forest by the Whittleton Campground. Overall, we had a great time, and plan to return!

We'll be back!

Just got back from a quick spring break trip to the Red River Gorge. We booked our site in Middle Fork back in January. We had site B024, pull through. Clean campground, nice staff. It is narrow getting down to the site and you can easily miss it as you take the curves of Rt11/Natural Bridge Rd. We have a 37' trailer that took the entire length of the pad. If you pull through with nose facing the river, ALL utilities are on the driver's side/left. 20-30-50 amp  plus water hookup. Bring your H20 filter as the 💧 is slightly brown. Pad is asphalt, table and fire ring on small gravel. Bath house has 2 shower stalls, 3 commode, 2 sinks (guys side). There is NO internet/wifi as the the supply line to the campground was cut/damaged 2+ yrs ago. Also, you are in a valley. If wx is clear you might get 2 bars/4G service. My teenagers survived. All the amenities for the park are a short drive or an easy walk. Had a great experience all around. Check out the  Gorge Underground and take the SkyLift for an easy climb to Natural Bridge.

Middle Fork - Natural Bridge SP

beautiful setting, clean big shower house, spot right on the creek that my family went swimming in. ￼We would definitely go back 

Beautiful setting

The good things: Natural Bridge trail is very close.  Creekside campsites are nice for children or dogs to play in. My campsites B 28&amp;29 were level.  Gorge Underground attraction is fun and right up the road.  If you are into hiking, Rock Bridge trail is worth the drive for the perfect swimming hole.  Friendly state employee when we checked in.
Not so good: Showers and bathroom were dirty and needed attention during most of our stay.  Site B 28 water and electric pedestal were on the wrong side, so I pulled in, instead of backing in.        Other sites, campers backed in any way they wanted. Site B29 the water and electric were on the right side, but the electoral outlet on the pedestal was loose, I had to duct tape my cord to the outlet to keep it connected. 

Just OK

Tent sites are pretty close together and small, as well as far from the bathroom. Bathroom is clean though. Not really any connection with at&amp;t but the hemlock lodge is open all night w free wifi, but you do have to drive to it (nice to have the option if you need to use the internet for something). Safe place, friendly people, pretty much what you expect at a state park- nothing crazy! 

Basic state park camping 

Stayed for three nights in the tent only area at C07. 

Pros: The tent pad was roomy and level. Great fishing right in front of the site, rainbow trout and catfish. Kid had a fantastic time wading and fishing, didn’t ask for screen time once during our time in camp! Beautiful area and great base camp location for exploring RRG.

Cons: Long hike over the hill to the restrooms. Sites are somewhat close together which isn’t ideal but pretty standard for state park camping. 

Rainbow trout and bathroom hikes

Stayed one night

Nice small campground. Restrooms are clean. Staff is very friendly but coverage for getting ice or wood is spotty.

Biggest downside is the noise from the big trucks going up and down the hill on the highway that abuts the campground


Nice but one big issue.. noise

Pros: clean bath house, convenient to SUP Kentucky/Gorge underground, level sites (smaller though)

Cons: traffic noise, no cell service (which is a pro for some) 

Great location for a night 

We stayed a weekend at Middle Fork. Nice campground. Spaces are pretty tight. Has a creek stocked with trout. Bathhouse was clean. Staff was sit friendly. Make sure bring extra power cord and water hose. The hookups are not located on the correct side at each site. All and all it is a nice place. Good place for kids to ride bikes. Most sites are pretty level. 

Nice little campground 

We stayed here while some of our group did some rock climbing in the area.  The camp staff was super helpful and offered to rearrange a few sites that were open so that our tents would fit better.  It was during the week, so not all of the sites were full which gave him some flexibility.   Some of the sites in the RV area are pretty small so do some checking when you select.

Well Maintained Campground in RRG

**General:** A mix of electric sites, tent sites, and cottages spread out along Route 11. 

  

**Site Quality:** All sites were level; some were paved, and some were gravel (riverfront sites tended to be gravel). Most are back-in, but the middle row has pull-thru sites, however, if you had a large RV with a toad, you would likely not have room for both in your site. 

  

**Bath/Shower house:** More than adequate toilet stalls, two sinks, and two showers. Only one sink had hot water. The shower was wimpy at best. Took a long time to coax hot water, and then the flow was very weak. 

  

**Activities/Amenities:** Upon check-in, we were given a pamphlet of the many area hikes. There is a sky lift (chair lift) that takes you to Natural Bridge (or you can hike to it). In season, there is a small mini-golf course. Trout fishing is permitted. Closer to the cottages is a lodge, playground, and pool. Ice and firewood are available.

  

Because of its proximity to Route 11, you will hear road noise at many of the sites, including the tent sites. The cabins are situated further back in the woods, so you won't hear the road noise there. This campground suited our needs for area fun for four days.

Photos of Middle Fork Campground — Natural Bridge State Resort Park

Real photos from real campers