Best Tent Camping near Barbourville, KY

Tent Camping Reviews near Barbourville, KY

495 Reviews of 26 Barbourville Campgrounds

• P

  Paul H.

  Traveler

  Jul. 13, 2021

  Kingdom Come State Park Campground

  Quiet, beautiful views

  This campground in the Kingdom Come State Park has about 6 or 7 sites, and they are primitive with no running water, but good pads, picnic tables, food hangers, shade from trees, and fire rings. There are men's and women's bathrooms, with running water in the sinks, but no water faucets as in other camps, and no showers. I've camped there twice and only saw one other camper. It is very quiet and remote. The views from the outlooks at the top of the road are amazing. There is a lake for swimming, and plenty of trails. Bugs are minimal.

• 

  Rebecca J.

  Traveler

  Jul. 10, 2021

  Blue Heron Campground — Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area

  Pure gold for such an inexpensive price

  I think lots number 712 and 13 are the best because they are situated right around a beautiful pond with massive lily pads and dragonflies. It is about a 20 minute drive to a local store or a save a lot when we forgot some groceries. The trees are mature so there is plenty of shade and lofty space between each lot. We are on a paved site surrounded by gravel picnic table light post and fire ring also with a food storage bin to keep out the bears! It gets quiet! It gets dark! For $20, it is unbeatable. :-)

• 

  Shelly S.

  Legend

  Nov. 12, 2020

  Daniel Boone National Forest Little Lick Horse Camp

  Listen for banjos

  You will drive and drive and drive...and drive on the gravel road. However the road is good and the signage will get you there! Follow the little tent signs to Little Lick Horse Camp in the woods of Daniel Boone NF. The Nathan McClure trailhead is in the campground so there will be other traffic coming in. There are a few good size sites, with picnic table, fire ring and not much else. This is primitive, to include no toilet so bring your bucket or whatever you use.....remember Leave No Trace ;) Dark and starry skies, quiet and woodsy....try not to think about any scary wood based movies. Horses, llamas, trail bikes and dogs would be perfect for this campground. The sites are big enough for more then one tent or hammock. There are several other nice/challenging trails nearby and the Rattlesnake Motorcycle route in the area.

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• 

  Shelly S.

  Legend

  Jul. 12, 2018

  Blue Heron Campground — Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area

  What are you here for?

  Alum Ford Big South Fork Recreation Area is in my top 10 favorite areas.

  I try to participate in the Yamacraw Trail Run every year because it is just AWESOME, and this area is part of their route due to the excellent scenery of the area.

  If you like trees, hills, streams, falls, historical markers, old cabins and history , plus not much use of modern technology when you camp then you will thoroughly enjoy Big South Bend! If you are a bring the kitchen sink kinda camper you might wanna find a nearby KOA or other type campground.

  The campground has no signal, no electricity, no showers, no host. Just you, a tent pad, picnic table and fire ring. Oh, and there is one pit toilet. Bring 5$ cash for the honor pay station and your hiking shoes and watercraft. There is a Trailhead at the back of the 6 site campground and a boat ramp down the hill.

  The sites are well maintained and old , probably CCC built with wood steps leading up or down to your site. There is no direct access to the boatramp but there is a short trail that connects the sites to the boatramp that runs along the cliff face down to the ramp.

  The trailhead is part of the Sheltowee Trace Trail and connects to the Yamacraw Bridge. You could easily stage a multi day backpacking trip from Alum Ford to take in the local sights.

  Not far up the road is the Yahoo Picnic Area. I think it used to be a campground just by the way it’s set up. Picnic tables on pads and a nice old pavilion for groups with a grill. Past that Yahoo Falls. This is a technical, moderate trail down to the tallest falls in Kentucky. Also a very old area but maintained with newer restroom facilities. The loop trail was approximately 1.5 miles long with a metal staircase on one side and trail on the far side. This is also part of a thru trail. Get you an old fashion paper map before coming cause your fancy electronic gear may or may not work here.

  This is one of many areas through the Kentucky/Tennessee Big South Fork if you are able plan for an extended stay to check the whole place out;)

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• S

  Sarah

  Guide

  Oct. 12, 2020

  Kingdom Come State Park Campground

  Lovely quiet, small tent campground

  Kingdom Come State Park is a little jewel in southeastern Kentucky! There are 6 tent sites (7 if they allow you to reserve the one next to the duck pond), each with a gravel drive, mulch tent pad big enough for two smallish tents, fire ring, and picnic table. The nearby shelter house provides restrooms and trash cans. The local ranger was most helpful in providing firewood (free!) and offering to bring us water to wash up with or for drinking (there is a water fountain across from the CG, but it wasn't turned on and there is running water in the restrooms). The area is known for bear activity, but we saw none. The surrounding mountains provide many short hikes that can be easily strung together to make for a longer trek if desired. We look forward to camping there again!

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• I

  Iris L.

  Scout

  Sep. 4, 2021

  Barren Fork Horse Camp

  Litter Ruins Great Spot

  We needed a spot for Labor Day weekend and discovered Barren Fork Horse Camp in Daniel Boone National Forest near Whitley, KY. There are lots of great hikes and natural bridges in the area to check out. We had no problem finding a site. The biggest negative is the amount of trash that was left in the fire rings and the litter strewn throughout the woods. This is a beautiful campground, but the litter was the worst we’ve ever seen. There is potable water available near the vault toilet buildings, but no electricity or dump station. There are no rules on generator use, so beware that your neighbor may run the generator all day and night. The price of the campground was $8 for one night/$12 for two nights. With just a little TLC, this could be a great place to camp.

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• 

  Shelly S.

  Legend

  Jul. 10, 2018

  Alum Ford Campground — Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area

  Put it on the Pad

  Ranger Review: Mountain House Meals at Alum Ford Campground ,Big South Fork, Ky

  Campground Review: Near Yahoo Falls Alum Ford this small (6 sites) primitive campground is a good place to set up base camp for activities your planning in the area. 

  Not much to the actual campground: 

  • Picnic table, bear box, tent pad ,fire ring

  • Pit toilets

  • Co-located with a boat-ramp (Cumberland River)

  • A trail that meanders along the cliff face behind the campsites that takes you down to the boat-ramp

  • Trailhead in the very back to Yamacraw Bridge and the Sheltowee Trace

  The campground is quiet aside from loading and unloading boats (which went on until after midnight) There were only two occupied sites when we arrived on a Saturday. No reservations and $5 per site. There is credit card information on the pay envelope but I prefer to use cash and not have my info floating around. 

  The campground was clean and well maintained but obviously old and in need of some restoration, no surprise with all the cuts in Park positions. I like this type of campground but not so much the noise from the boat-ramp. There is no direct put in from the sites. I doubt I would leave my watercraft tied off overnight either.

   This would be an excellent and cheap spot to do some extensive hiking from or even backpacking/dispersed camping from. Due to there being no through traffic you could leave your vehicle and odds and ends and not have to worry about anything wandering off while your gone. We camped here after hiking some of the Tennessee end of the Sheltowee Trace. Sunday we hiked some more and visited Yahoo Falls. 

  Product Review: Mountain House Freeze Dried Meals are surprisingly very good....https://www.mountainhouse.com/m/abus.html

  Now I say this from a background of years of MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat....in someone’s opinion) and T-rations. So it should only be improvement, BUT some of the other products I’ve tried were not that great. 

  I first tried Mountain House a few years ago on a backpacking trip and thought it was okay, but not great. I tried Mountain House again last year and enjoyed it a lot more. I don’t know if they changed anything or maybe I read and followed the directions ;)

  So when given the opportunity as a Dyrt Ranger to review Mountain House I was like absolutely!

  I selected breakfast items, Granola and Egg mixtures( not together;) because that’s the time of day I like quick and easy so we can get on the move.

  I read the directions and boiled my water, poured a cup in, waited 3 minutes and Had Some Scrumptious Eggs and Bacon! Just that easy, quick AND filled me up. 

  I’m trying to think of any cons but right off hand the only problem I ever had was not reconstituting it correctly. Eggs needed some salt and pepper but that would go back to preference. 

  Mountain House comes in pro-paks for backpackers and high altitudes, which are packed to save space. They have cans for crowds and kits for preppers or just emergency preparedness.

  Definitely good for at the house, in the camper and the car just in case.

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• 

  Angie A.

  Ranger

  Jul. 8, 2024

  Turkey Foot Campground

  Excellent find in the woods!

  Found the perfect spot for our trailer and our friends car camping. Clean vault toilets. Each site has fire ring and picnic table. Pack in pack out even though some didn’t get the memo yet park service was there in the morning to clean. Limited to no cell service.

• 

  Amin A.

  Traveler

  Aug. 27, 2023

  Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED

  Better than I expected

  So we weren't sure what we would end up finding here. I will say that there are a lot of places to camp, many many many options away from the porta potties. If you get within about 20-30 feet of those they are a bit stinky. The one camp site we chose was a great place, tons of space and well manicured. A lot of options for pull up to your campsite or park and walk to campsite spots.

  My only complaints are about the campers that stay there. The litter isn't horrible, but it's not great. It is a leave no trace place. Apparently some people have difficulty with throwing away their trash.

  When we stayed last night there was a person that kept peeling out up and down the gravel road (3/4 times) in a diesel truck at 10:00 at night. Not very courteous to all of us at the campground.

  And I was awakened at 2:00 a.m. by our camping neighbors when they were playing loud music. Also not cool, thankfully they stopped shortly after

  Overall we were very pleased with this campground, beautiful views, it was hard choosing one spot. We will be coming back, and hopefully we won't have loud campers next time.

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