Top Tent Camping near Barkley Lake
Searching for a tent campsite near Barkley Lake? The Dyrt helps you find campsites near Barkley Lake with tent camping. Search nearby tent campsites or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Best Tent Sites Near Barkley Lake, KY (29)
1. Ginger Bay Basic Camping Area
Barkley Lake, Kentucky7 Reviews•25 Photos•102 SavesA permit is required to camp here.
A Basic Camping Area is an open field area without defined campsites. Amenities might include a vault toilet, trash removal, mowed areas, and a boat ramp. However, they may or may not have picnic tables and fire rings and/or grills. You may camp anywhere within the camping area with a Basic Camping Permit. Basic Camping Areas include:
Demumbers Bay Pisgah Point Ginger Bay Neville BayYou may camp almost anywhere in Land Between the Lakes (LBL). A Basic Camping Permit is required for each person 18 and over when camping in Basic Camping Facilities. A Dispersed Camping Permit is required when camping in non-designated areas of the recreation area. Both permits currently cost $50 for annual permit and $10 for a three-day permit and can be purchased https://www.landbetweenthelakes.us/reservations/ or any LBL facility. Please note that these permits do not apply when camping at Self-Service Campgrounds.
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Tents
- Group
2. Taylor Bay Campground
Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, Kentucky8 Reviews•49 Photos•60 SavesThe campground is located at the edge of the Environment Education Waterfowl Refuge on Taylor Bay of Lake Barkley. Called a "back country" campground, it is primarily used by hunters and anglers and features great waterfowl watching. Boats can be tied up at some of the lakefront sites.
The campground has two sections. One section is to the right of campground's entrance and features very shady sites tucked into a heavy stand of mixed hardwood trees stretching up the hillside. The second section is to the left and has more open sites scattered around a loop. These sites are along the shore and have a view of Taylor Bay.
Seasonal camp site leases are available for some sites through an annual, open-to-the-public, lottery. Contact LBL for more information.
Possible day trips are the North and South Welcome Stations, Golden Pond Visitor Center, the Planetarium, Elk and Bison Prairie, Woodlands Nature Station, and The Homeplace.
- Pets
- Fires
- Reservable
- Tents
- Group
- Cabins
$10 / night
3. Forest Service Rd 343
Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, Kentucky6 Reviews•8 Photos•94 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Group
- Alcohol
4. Old Boy Scout Campground
Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, Kentucky5 Reviews•18 Photos•43 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Group
- Alcohol
5. Cravens Bay - LBL Lake Access
Kuttawa, Kentucky7 Reviews•29 Photos•63 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
- Tents
6. Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area Redd Hollow Campground
Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, Kentucky4 Reviews•21 Photos•23 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- ADA Access
- Tents
7. Gatlin Point Self-Service Campground
Bumpus Mills, Tennessee3 Reviews•12 Photos•47 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Trash
$10 / night
8. Sugar Bay Campground
Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, Kentucky4 Reviews•1 Photo•27 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Trash
9. Linton
Bumpus Mills, Tennessee3 Reviews•26 Photos•12 SavesOverview
Linton Recreation area is a day-use haven that sits on Lake Barkley near wooded rolling hills and abundant wildlife. Whether it's a gathering of family or friends, visitors can enjoy the the excellent atmosphere beautiful scenery.
Recreation
Boating and fishing are a big hit, as is swimming in the designated sandy swimming area and playing sports like soccer or Frisbee in the grassy open fields.
Facilities
The accessible picnic shelter fits 100 guests and 50 vehicles. Other perks include a flush toilet, playground, grills and swimming beach. No electric hookups are available.
Natural Features
The recreation area is on the shores of Lake Barkley, nestled in the wooded, rolling hills of southwestern Kentucky, very close to the border with Tennessee. Lake Barkley covers 57,900 acres with 1,004 miles of shoreline and offers warm water temperatures for comfortable recreation during summer months.
Nearby Attractions
Visit Fort Donelson National Battlefield, where the Union Army won its first battle in the Civil War. Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area is just across the lake and features more than 170,000 acres of public land with numerous historical and outdoor attractions.
- Tents
- Group
$35 / night
10. LBL FS154 - Dispersed
Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, Kentucky2 Reviews•13 Photos•38 SavesYou may camp almost anywhere in Land Between the Lakes. A Basic Camping Permit is required for each person 18 and over when camping in Basic Camping Facilities. A Dispersed Camping Permit is required when camping in non-designated areas of the recreation area. Both permits currently cost $50 for an annual permit and $10 for a 3-day permit and can be purchased online or any of our facilities. Please note that these permits do not apply when camping at Self-Service Campgrounds.
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Group
- Dispersed
Showing results 1-10 of 29 campgrounds
Recent Tent Reviews In Barkley Lake
523 Reviews of 29 Barkley Lake Campgrounds
Paris Landing State Park Campground
Close to marina
Close to the marina it's a hard walk uphill both ways to the bathroom but they are very nice and well kept. Big open areas for children to play overall very good state park campground
Lakefront Campground — Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park
Beautiful view but the bad smells
Beautiful view of the river and water access but the bad smells coming from the factory across the river is almost unbearable at times the EPA needs to. come do an air quality test when they release whatever it is
Ginger Bay Basic Camping Area
Nice spot on the water
A few sites at a boat launch area.
One large site before the main turnaround point and a couple by the water.
Not a ton of space.
4x4 or awd may come in handy leaving the sites (going back up the gravel hill)
Sugar Bay Campground
Swimming in the lake and eat lunch on the campsite
Only stay for several hours,haven't spent the night yet,that will be planned next
Twin Lakes Campground
Planning to camp there
This will be the next campground to go
Taylor Bay Campground
Beautiful LBL site
This is lakefront with a vault toilet and no running water. On a Wednesday night everything was quiet and peaceful. It is a self serve campground.
Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area Piney Campground
Beautiful Modern Campground with lots of activities
Piney Campground is part of the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. It is wildly popular among locals and travelers alike. Lots to do for kids - bike paths, basketball court, multiple playgrounds, etc. Beautiful views of Kentucky Lake/Tennessee River, nice campground store.
Lock A
“Best Value”
Senior Pass $12/night. Wide, level campsite on the water. Very nice and well kept. Great Starlink access.
Aurora Oaks Campground
Nice, quiet and clean
We stayed here in our tent. The lady who checked us in was exceptionally nice and the campsites were clean quiet and shady. The restrooms were spick and span. We would certainly stay here again.
Bumpus Mills
An Okay Campground
If you want a small affordable campground this is your place. The shower house could use for some regular cleaning. I’m not sure it was cleaned at all the time we were there. Not much to do in the area but fish unless you really want to explore outside of the campground.
I learned after our time there our site is the worst with bugs. I thought the bugs were just extra because it had rained a lot but a friend told me to never book that site bc the bugs are always backs there. Our site also gets all the rain drained from the upper site. When we checked in the host did prepare us our site would flood for a few areas since rain was expected.
The sunsets were fabulous!
KOA Campground Kentucky Lakes Prizer Point
Great week in May
Stayed here for a week and it was great. Plenty to do to keep you busy. Nice pool with retractable roof. Playset for kids. Full service marina with boat rentals. Golf cart rentals as well.
Redd Hollow
Clean, quiet, beautiful
Stayed 2 nights. Nearly empty, but we’ll kept camp. Best sunsets!!! Lake is beautiful. Many many lakeside spots. Lots of room.
COE Lake Barkley Canal Campground
Nice campground, disgusting bathroom.
Primitive campground with electric and water, who knew. Nice sites well kept. Showers were disgusting, drain had accumulated crud. Sinks also gross.
Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park
Campground near the dam.
We camped here with our pups to see the eclipse in Paducah. The area is not really pretty or scenic. You can walk to the dam from the campground but it's nothing super special to see. There is dead fish laying around everywhere and it also smells like it. The campsites are very confusing. There is no map anywhere, except online. Sometimes you can't even read the numbers on the piles. The bathhouse was pretty ok. It was cleaned daily and always stocked. The water pressure was very low. Our camp host was super awesome and nice. There are also no hiking trails close by. The town of Paducah was worth a visit, otherwise we would not camp there again.
Cravens Bay - LBL Lake Access
Quite, Private.
Very nice campground, better than what I expected. We stayed at site 20 with a 36' travel trailer we had to actually drive all the way to the end of the campground to turn around so we could back into the site. Cravens Bay is secluded and about a 2 mile drive off the main road running through LBL.
There is a attendant at the site that you have to check in with first who will let you know what sites are available and pay after you have chosen your site and settled in. The attendant station did have some snacks for sale as well ice, also in the event that you may need assistance with any problems at you camp site or even with your camper the attendant more than likely has the tools to help you.
The road leading into the campsite is paved but narrow, the roads at the campsite are well hard packed gravel and very narrow. Cravens Bay basically breaks down into two areas, the low ground (first sites upon entering) and the high ground (sites further in at the top of the hill), there are some sites scattered in-between these two areas but for the most part the largest campsites areas are the high and low ground sites. The sites in-between the two high and low ground areas are very private and two are definitely secluded.
We stay three days and during that time other than the occasional fisherman or the attendant driving by it was definitely very private and quite. There were some seasonal campers there who were very helpful and friendly (even cut up some timber for us to burn).
If you don't mind not having any hook ups and dry/boon docking with your camper Cravens Bay has a lot to offer in terms of privacy, peace, boating, fishing, and swimming. Defiantly for the nature lovers out there, nothing like seeing a Bald Eagle hunting fish while drinking coffee first thing in the morning.
Paducah-Kentucky Lake KOA
Great overnight!
We called from the road to get an overnight stop - the staff were super nice both on the phone and in person. When we arrived, the lady who checked us in gave me a coupon for the drive-in movie theater that was literally down the road. Normally, when we camp we arrive so late it’s impossible to take advantage of area attractions so we decided to go and can I tell you, it was awesome!!! The theater accommodated our camper and the food (cheese fries especially) at the snack stand was great. As far as the campground, our site was a bit hilly but we had a nice view of the lake and close proximity to the playground. My kids also enjoyed the pool. Solid place to overnight!
LBL FS-326
Lovely, quiet spot!
This was a fantastic dispersed camping spot! A few cars went by looking for whatever, but the road dead ends at Energy Lake. It was quiet most of the time. Occasionally heard some obnoxious people across the lake where I believe a campground is located. Also heard a sound during the night, possibly coyotes. Otherwise, I felt safe and had a great time here!! The ground was flat and there was a lot of room. We were just passing through and needed somewhere quiet to sleep after two days of driving. There is a lot to do in this area! I hope I got the location right… it wouldn’t let me add the exact coordinates I saved when I was there.
LBL FS154 - Dispersed
Several Nice Spots
I stayed at two difderent spots in March 2024. You might need 4wd; it had rained all day before I got here and there were some rough/sloppy patches in the road. The pit toilt at the entrance is about a 10-12 minute drive away. Both spots had fire pits
Energy Lake Campground
Serene bliss at the lake
We had so much fun at Energy Lake Campground. We were only able to stay one night but it was the reset we needed. Our pups loved it too! Bathrooms were clean, electricity worked great and the view was STELLAR! Super easy check in and check out.
Cypress Lakes RV Park
Looks are deceiving
Mostly seasonal and permanent with a few spots for weekly and overnight. All sites are level, gravel with concrete patios and fire rings. The staff makes you feel like a friend immediately. Laundry is 1.50 per machine and the showers are large and clean. Interstate 24 is half a mile from this campground and some of the best restaurants in the area are within walking distance.
Loretta Lynn's Ranch
Lots of options
I love Loretta Lynn's! Lots of options for all types of camping. They have equestrian spots, RV spots, tent spots, and cabins for rent. Plus so much to do on the property! Can get busy on holiday weekends when the weather is nice or if they are doing any events there! Otherwise you can easily find a spot here!
Loretta Lynn's Ranch
Awesome
My brother and eldest son camp and watch the AMA national motocross championship hosted by LL.
Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area Redd Hollow Campground
Great dispersed campground
Great dispersed campground. Approx 1-1/2 miles off the highway down a one lane gravel road. Approx 30 sites. Sites are gravel and pretty level. At least half of the sites have a view of the lake. All sites have fire rings and picnic tables. Definitely would like to go back and camp there again. Were there with a 26 foot towable.
Energy Lake Campground
Very Noisy and Camp Sites Stacked Closely
We usually start camping in November since the campgrounds are usually getting closer to empty. This place was packed with people hunting and fishing. The camp sites are so close together that you can hear the people talking at their campsite next to you even when they are talking at a very calm conversational level. People were letting their kids run wild until about 10pm then you could hear a pin drop it got so quiet. However, by 3 am the place starts hopping. People getting in and out of their cars, doors closing and cars driving off in the gravel, RV doors opening and closing, gravel crunching under foot as people walk to and from the bathroom. Two women stood outside our tent (but at their camp site) at 5am chatting it up and opening and closing and opening and closing the car doors for over half an hour. If you can function on 5 hours of sleep and don't mind hearing everything everyone around you says in clear detail it isn't a bad place. The bathrooms are clean and warm in the winter.
Cravens Bay Campground
Super nice campground.
We basically had the place to ourselves. Just a couple boat launchers was it. Dark skies, lots of stars. There are seasonal showers, ice and firewood sales. Boat ramps, day use areas... it was really nice. I would definitely come back here again. Good cell coverage too.
Sugar Bay Campground
Very nice
We stayed here November 2023, site 9 up on the hill. Nice and quiet, beautiful stars at night and good cell service if you needed it.
Eureka
Just Great!
Some of the most beautiful waterfront sites we’ve been to. Most of the water sites were very big, with several being huge. Lots of separation between most of them, fresh gravel, mostly level. Some of the sites are elevated and the pads have nice guardrails so that kids can’t access the rip rap and fall. Very quiet when we were there, and hosts were great as well. Had Consumere Cellular and mostly had 2 bars, easily enough to stream.
Guide to Barkley Lake
Camping near Barkley Lake, Kentucky, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking to relax by the water or explore the great outdoors, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.
What to do:
- Kayaking and Canoeing: Enjoy the calm waters of Energy Lake Campground. One visitor shared, "The lake itself is man-made, and motorized watercraft are not permitted... my favorite lake to kayak through with all three dogs on board."
- Hiking: Explore the trails around Piney Campground. A camper noted, "Great place to take the family. Nice hiking trails."
- Fishing: Many campers love the fishing opportunities at Hurricane Creek. One review mentioned, "Nice campground right on the lake. Family friendly, lots of children on their scooters."
What campers like:
- Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate the cleanliness at Hillman Ferry Campground. One family said, "The bathrooms were very clean. The showers were OK."
- Spacious Sites: Many enjoy the roomy sites at Lake Barkley State Resort Park. A visitor remarked, "The campground is well laid out. Each site has a paved parking pad, some overlooking the lake."
- Friendly Staff: Campers often mention the helpful staff at Clarksville RV Resort. One reviewer said, "The employees are so nice and so helpful."
What you should know:
- Limited Cell Service: Be prepared for spotty cell service at Hillman Ferry Campground. A camper warned, "Please be aware there is very little cell phone service and the internet was down while we were there."
- No Showers at Some Campgrounds: If you're staying at Hurricane Creek, note that there are no showers available. One visitor mentioned, "on-site bathrooms and showers were dirty."
- Seasonal Access: Many campgrounds, like Energy Lake Campground, are only open from March to November. Make sure to check the season before planning your trip.
Tips for camping with families:
- Playgrounds: Look for campgrounds with playgrounds, like Clarksville RV Resort. A parent noted, "Have a playground, pool and a Jamaican restaurant just off the freeway."
- Family-Friendly Activities: Choose campgrounds that offer activities for kids, such as Piney Campground. One camper said, "We had a great time at Hillman Ferry. The bathrooms were clean and everyone was so nice!"
- Quiet Areas: For a peaceful experience, consider Hurricane Creek. A visitor shared, "Quiet campground the last weekend of October."
Tips from RVers:
- Level Sites: Look for campgrounds with level sites, like Lake Barkley State Resort Park. One RVer mentioned, "Pads are not level. Saw a class A that had front wheels 10" off the ground."
- Full Hookups: If you need full hookups, check out Piney Campground. A camper noted, "Some sites are hard to back into and require much work to get level."
- Dump Stations: Make sure your chosen campground has a dump station, like Energy Lake Campground. One visitor said, "There was a dump station, trash and recycling near the campground entrance."
Camping near Barkley Lake, Kentucky, has something for everyone, from families to RV enthusiasts. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the great outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Barkley Lake?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Barkley Lake is Ginger Bay Basic Camping Area with a 4.4-star rating from 7 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Barkley Lake?
TheDyrt.com has all 29 tent camping locations near Barkley Lake, with real photos and reviews from campers.