Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Whitesburg, KY

This was my third visit to the NTSP - I really enjoy the camping, and the pool and Natural Tunnel are great fun.  Each time I've camped in Lover's Leap, and all the sites are well spaced.  Have stayed in #3 and #5, and #12 which is even more private.  The restrooms and showers are always clean, and there is a nice laundry area as well.  This trip we took a car ride to Big Stone Gap, a thriving little town about 30 minutes north of the park - it's a nice quiet but interesting town, with a nice dog park.  Took a car ride to Gate City, south of the park - wouldn't recommend it.  It's a city on it's way down.  The short ride to the Blockhouse in the park is interesting, with nice views of the mountains.  The ride and hike up and down to the tunnel is always fun.  In the summers they light the tunnel one Saturday night each month, so it's worth trying to plan for that.

Mostly level gravel spots. Sites are close together. Block bathhouse that the spiders enjoy. Beautiful river. Lots of open space pets. This is very country setting. Friendly host.

The views are spectacular, Camping with electric, water and showers was just a bonus to all the beauty around us and pet friendly. Great people all around and we felt so welcomed.

There are 2 main campgrounds here for rvs and tents. Is it a nice safe place for families. Pets welcome. 30 and up a night with a good security faculty.

Overall; nice place, bathrooms get gross quickly when campground is at full capacity. Not handicap friendly. Good cell service, 4G. Small beach area, clear water for swimming, but have quite a few steps to walk down to the lake. Playground equipment was taken down, only had a couple of swings. All sites have electric and water, picnic table, two poles to hang garbage or lantern, also fire rings with grates for cooking on Pets allowed on leash. Firewood and ice available.

Attendant on site, not a ranger, maybe a "workamper?" Bathrooms cleaned only once in the midmorning. The commodes have a button to flush which is difficult to push. I think young children couldn't push it, so the toilets got nasty and full. Toilet paper ran out by early evening. There was no commode in the handicap stall in the women's room. Hot showers with regular handle for continual flow (as opposed to some places that only run a couple of minutes before you have to push the button again.

Most sites are shaded and grassy areas. Sites 7, 8, 26, 28, 31 are washed out, not good for putting up a tent. Lake surrounds campground but not visible through the trees. A few very steep trails from some sites down to the lake.

Beach is about 100 yds long. Water was clean and clear. It might be a slight challenge walking back up the steps to the parking lot if you're not in good shape. If you plan on hanging out at the beach area for awhile, I suggest bringing a beach tent, it gets hot. There is a drive way down to the beach for handicap access, but the gate was locked. There is a marina on the other side of the road. I believe you can rent a pontoon there.

While we were there, somebody with a super loud speed boat was racing around, so be aware that if you're wanting peace and quiet, there is boating noise. There was also a group of campers that had speakers set up and played their music Sat night that was annoying. Not super loud, but we just didn't care for their style of music. We tolerated it, but don't know why they weren't asked to turn it down. To me, music shouldn't be heard much past your own site.

It's about 5+/- miles in either direction for a store. There is an ice cream place about 2 miles away that also sells basic prep fried food and breakfast.

Our electric didn't work (site 33) but we were with another couple and plugged into theirs next to us. We usually primitive camp, but because of the Aug heat, it's nice to have a fan at night.

We might camp there again. The main thing is that the bath house needs to be updated and attended to more than once a day. It's better than nothing, but I'd rather go in an outhouse than see an overflowing toilet.

Have waited six months into our RV life to start reviews for fair comparisons. Spent 2 nights. Sites were very close together and it was very crowded, but friendly and courteous folks. Hiking very good from the site. Great place for dog walks. Tunnel very cool.

Tent camped for a weekend to hike Devil’s bathtub. Campgrounds were well kept. We had water and electric at our site. Fire ring and table. Level gravel tent pad. Bathhouse very clean. We hiked down to the tunnel. Beautiful. The chair lift was running and the kids loved that. (We rode just for fun) park rangers were friendly. Dogs were welcome leashed.

I am much more of a hiker than a biker but during my last stay here while visiting family I took the chance to explore some of the mountain biking trails. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would although some of the trails were a little to difficult for my current ability, I had fun none the less. The park is also dog friendly which I always appreciate.

Been caravaning with "Sister" campers this week, and Breaks was our final stop over. This is just an amazing park, full of history, great trails, friendly staff (with the exception of the manager at the Lodge!!) The climb up the mountain to get here is worth it. We were in campground A, the bath house was very nice h well cleaned. The sites are well marked with wide spaces. For pulling through or backing in. Trails are well marked at trail head & with colored blazes. Info boards are at most over looks so you know what you are looking at. Wildlife is not fearful of us, or the dogs.... lol!! We will definitely come back

This campground is minutes from Asheville, offering all urban amenities like nearby grocery, Starbucks, etc for last minute errands.

You share the campground with permanent residents, RV's, and primitive campers. Campsites are relatively flat but a little gravely. Sites are pretty close together but each one has a fire ring and picnic table.

You can't get any close to the water, being right on the French Broad River. Sling up a hammock for serious relaxation. 

We enjoyed this campground as a large group and rented out 4 adjacent sites. Dogs are welcome. Firewood can be purchased, but we never saw anyone in the office so I would suggest bringing your own.

Bathrooms are at the front of the park, a 10-minute walk from the primitive sites. Bathrooms are not spotless, but they do the trick.

We camped here for 3 nights with our dogs. Our site was in the B loop and had no water or electricity. It was surrounded by a lot of trees, so it had shade. It was a short walk to the bathhouse which was very clean with nice showers. 

The campground has 4 different loops. I personally liked the B loop the best because everything was very close to it like hiking trails, laundry facility, basketball court, and a little camp store which has ice and firewood available.  

The state park also has a lodge, cabins, and a beautiful lake. There is a restaurant in the park. We tried it for lunch and it was good. The landscape in the park was just beautiful. The overlooks, especially the tower overlook, are gorgeous. There are several hiking trails. Be aware that the loop is extremely strenuous and takes 4 to 5 ours. I really liked that the trails are not heavily trafficked. 

We would definitely camp here again. All the park staff, hosts and volunteers were super nice and very helpful.

We camped here for 2 nights. We reserved a spot at the Lovers Leap Campground. The sites are very spacious and private. It comes with the usual amenities like a fire ring, picnic table, and a lantern pole. There was even an extra little wooden table on every site. The campground is very well maintained. Everybody from rangers to volunteers was super nice and helpful. The bathhouse is extremely clean. The showers are separate from the restrooms. The other campground, Cove View, is not as private and spacious. We also drove by the cabins and the primitive campsites. The cabins look fantastic from the outside. For more adventures you can also rent a yurt. There is also a little campstore that has firewood and some essentials. The area is very scenic. There are not many trails but there is still a lot to see. The tunnel is spectacular. Make sure you ride the chairlift (dogs allowed to ride with you) down to see the tunnel and creek. Also plan a quick trip to see the blockhouse and learn about the history. The park has a lot of activities for all ages. Check out the calender and see what you like. We would definitely visit again.

This small park is located across the street from an exhibition coal mine, portal 31. It is in the former train depots former switch yard. Small, with electric hookups and a communal water spout.

If you want to see the history of coal production in southeast Kentucky, this is the place. If you (like me) are a highpointer, this site is like 4 miles from KY highpoint, Black Mountain. If you want a more “natural” site, check out Kindom Come state park in nearby Cumberland.

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!

A “secret spot” that holds a special place in my heart.

I spend on average 10 days at a time camping in the primitive grounds (April/May, Aug/Sep & end of October 2023 ) all five spaces are nicely kept and a large communal fire pit is wonderful. Even when all sites are full. There’s plenty of space. Porter Johns on site as well (and nicely maintained for what that’s worth! )

By far - the best camp ground I’ve visited in terms of Hosts, rangers, amenities if needed, scenery and solitude.

Take bear and coyote warnings SERIOUSLY my friends. I’ve seen plenty out there but never had a problem taking proper precautions. Also the crows - smarter than normal haha they WILL wake you up earlier than the other birds demanding you make breakfast and leave so they can then hop around your camp.

Your cell service will be spotty / non existent on trails around the area… even when you see a road running parallel to your hike .. plan accordingly. (And bear spray people. Please. Just take it)

Plenty of wood split ($4 a bundle. Ice $2 a bag) and hosts will graciously bring wood to your camp site <3

The “trail” off the primitive site doesn’t seem to be on a map - and I heard many different variations of where it went. So I hiked the whole thing just for y’all! It’s an in and out(maybe a mile give or take total) that dead ends to PRIVATE property. (So obviously don’t proceed past gate) Lots of beautiful growth, cool in the summer with shade - nice quiet trail for dogs - half way is definitely less of a beaten path. Use caution.

HIGHLY recommend getting in before last light. Especially if you’re towing anything, roads are steep and winding getting to and from camp/cabins. And lotssss of deer / rabbits at dawn and dusk jumping around.

In a nutshell - this park gets a 10/10 from a solo female camper. Everyone is mindful of one another’s space and solitude - however in true Appalachian fashion everyone also looks out for you and always ready to lend a helping hand.

We tent camped at one of the hike-in (it's a well maintained gravel path) sites at PLSP, #33. This is the first site on your way in. I was by myself with my son and dog so I felt more comfortable being here near the bathhouse. There are raccoons who like to eat so be sure to put your food up at night. The lake is really calm. There are boats coming in and out but not "traffic" per se, no issues at all kayaking and we went out several times. Fishing was good with rooster tails and panther martin spinners (silver), 1/8 and 1/16 oz. The water was down so there were a lot of places to paddle onto the shore and wade fish. There is some access right at the campground for littles to get in the water. I really recommend water shoes as there are some hooks/lures in the water. We never left the campground during the weekend, so I can't comment on the proximity to restaurants but it was only 5-8 min or so back to town. I had terrible phone service with Sprint here. We did have one new camper come in at 3am on Saturday morning to set up their tent and being so close to the entrance of the hike-in spots, I woke up. That was tough. When we go back, I'll pick a site further back up the hiking path and bring a wagon to tote our stuff. The staff at the gate are amazing and so friendly. The restrooms are clean. Three showers. NO ONE other than the tent campers seemed to use the bath house so I never waited for a shower or anything and there were several families tent camping and the rv sites were completely full. It's a really nice and safe place. I really recommend it and look forward to going back. One thing, the actual tent pad was 11x13 and seemed a bit small but worked fine for us.

This has ranked #1 for campgrounds for our family this season.

Nestled in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, this campground has all the things your family could want to do in nature.

Check in was super easy and the staff was great.

The site was very easy to get to.

We were on site 13 and it was nearly perfectly level from left to right. It had both 30 and 50 amp hookups and water (about 35psi on pressure). Each site has a charcoal grill, a fire pit with a grate for cooking and a large picnic table.

Our site backed up to the creek and a nice little levee for fishing. You could also go up back the park and fish right at the spillway from Buckhorn Lake Dam. Really fun experience.

Hands down the best playground for kids we have seen in a campground.

They had a large bathhouse with super clean bathrooms. Unsure about showers as I use the one in my TT.

There were horseshoe pits in two locations in the campsite. Several locations to dispose of trash. They also provided trash bags upon arrival.

Laundry facilities onsite and firewood you could purchase.

The dump station was clean and easily accessible with a hose for flushing.

Erica and her husband are the hosts and were so friendly and helpful. We were there over Mother’s Day weekend and they provided coffee juice and doughnuts for Mother’s Day.

A ton of kiddos for kids to play with and a great area for their bikes, etc.

We 100% will be back to this campground this season.

A few sites have electric hookup, but not all.  You can tell that at one time there was a playground but it has been removed. Decent bathhouse.

Definitely needed WeBoost to make data functional. Verizon worked best of my carriers. Visible had zut coverage. ATT and Cricket were usable with WeBoost. Stayed on B-loop - really steep road. Limited TV coverage. Lovely foresty sites, pretty level. Elec & water. Bathroom excellent, very clean. Nice to have high pressure shower. Did not have too much time to enjoy outdoors, which is a pity. But, don’t think I would repeat as I need cell coverage

best beach, has gone thru some upgrades this year..

Good size sites, especially the outer part of the loop. The beach is nice but a lot of steps to get down to it. Overall the campground is clean and staff is extremely helpful. The bathhouses are a bit run down and updated or something. We had a path to the lake which was great and we kayaked from the marina cause it seemed easier. Overall a good small campground just needs a little more attention in the bath houses at the campground and beach area. We will go back for sure.