Best RV Parks & Resorts near Barkley Lake

Eddy creek RV park is very well kept, clean, and somewhat secluded on Lake Barkley. Only open from April through Oct, the RV camp area is behind a code locked gate, which helps to keep the park private. There is a dump station, laundry facility, bath house , propane available and Echo Charlie's restaurant that serves typical American food that includes large servings!  I didn't see any tent sites, only RV sites, most with newer looking decks, level sites, electric and water hookup to each site.  The beach is private, the pool is private, everything is within walking distance, but most people were using golf carts, as it is a good distance from the RV area to the restaurant or the pool.  Bicycling would also be ideal, most areas are paved or at least compacted gravel.

The best part of this campground is the beautiful rustic old timey feel. There are updated modern bathhouses dispersed throughout. The camp store is well stocked. There is a very nice boat ramp and several boat parking areas. “T” area is our favorite with full hookups and beautiful pine trees. A premier and amazing mountain bike trail system is accessible directly from campground!! The Canal Loop Trail and North South Trails are well known and revered by area mountain bikers and hikers. No WiFi or internet service. Cell signal in prior years have been spotty. Very family friendly and lots of kids riding bikes and playing everywhere!

Canal Recreation Area is right by Grand Rivers, Ky and Patti's Settlement. That right there is enough said as far as outdoor activities go. Then you have Canal Rec Area that just adds too the vacation.

Book early because the best sites stay full, but really they are all pretty good sites. The different areas cover just about anything you are looking for in a site from big rig pull through sites, tiered tent sites, water and beach access sites and boat ramp sites.

There is a trail within the campground to walk, a day use area, newer showerhouse/laundry facilities and dump stations. The area is large enough to jog, bike and golf cart. If your not interested in the nearby entertainment there is enough to do right on site to keep you occupied for your entire vacation be it a day or a week+

Well kept campground offering a more basic camping experience as compared to the larger campgrounds at LBL. Gravel pads with concrete picnic tables and fire rings. Be mindful when picking a site that some of the fire rings are damaged, some are the older short (12" tall tops) style and still others are brand new and have the adjustable cooking grate.

The actual gravel pads that we saw were for the most part in good shape. One or two sites suffered a bit from heavy wash running across them and rutting or washing gravel off the pads.

About half the sites are on the left hand side when you drive in and you can pick from sites tucked back in the woods a bit or sites nearer the water. Farther into the campground the road passes the vault toilet and boat ramp and goes uphill to higher up sites still. Sites in the woods with a longer walk to the lake but potentially better views and breezes.

We found that campers here did not limit themselves to staying on the defined tent pads. They would park on the pads and set up tents around the true camp site. Not a super big deal but it made getting down to the water a little awkward because you had to walk a little too close to someone else's tent for my liking.

The Forest Service could stand to go in and add some of the timber framing or bigger rip-rap bordering around the sites and maybe a splash of the smaller sized gravel to help level out the pads. You do need watch to make sure you get a level site.

If there are say 30 sites here, only about 15 were occupied over Labor Day weekend. Way less than what we expected for a holiday but it was exactly what we were hoping for, avoid the crowds at the larger, more amenity-filled campgrounds.

Last thing regarding the lake. The back end of Redd Hollow is shallow. Nice place to wade for kids. However, when they start pulling the lake down what were water access sites become gravel and mud bar access sites. In the dead middle of the summer the back end of the cove is probably full of water. Early spring and late summer early fall it is not. I suspect you can use the boat ramp year round though.