Best Glamping near Brownsville, KY

Ranger Review of Boost Oxygen at Nolin River State Park

Campground Review: Nolin River SP is one of our area favorites. Near Brownsville, Ky and a little off the beaten path. But definitely worth a visit or two.

This is not a huge State Park but it sits on Nolin River Lake and offers plenty of water sports to keep you entertained. The campgrounds were crowded when we visited.

The RV campground sits behind a gated entry and has sites that have direct lake access. Very clean and well maintained, not a lot of shade or privacy though. The primitive/basic area is crowded. The sites are walk in and placed pretty close together under cedar trees. There is a fresh water point and the beach is a short distance away. There are some sites on a small hill lakeside that give an excellent view and have picnic tables.

Obviously the main attraction is the lake, there is a lot of traffic on the lake. I kayak so at times it can be a little stressful when your wondering if that speedboat flying at you over the water sees you. I stayed close to the shoreline and did not attempt to cross the main thoroughfare. There are inlets that are less busy , you will usually see fishermen in those areas and travel is safer.

In addition to the water Kentucky Mountain Bike Assiciation(KYMBA) has built a very nice trail system in the woods. I’ve never hiked the longest loop but the two shorter ones are challenging and fun to hike. Mountain bikers would find them very technical.

On this visit we saw a new privately owned campground being built in front of the park entrance. It will be opening this season , graveled RV sites and a smal basic area for tents.

Product Review: As a Dyrt Ranger I had the opportunity to use and review Boost Oxygen https://www.boostoxygen.com/ last summer. I recently received the smaller version of Boost Oxygen to take with me adventuring. Boost comes in three sizes and the one I reviewed is the mid-size version.

I took Boost along with me on a vigorous hike in humid weather. It was more beneficial due to the humidity then the level of excercise.

Pro: smaller size fit in one of my hydration packs front pockets

Pro: easy to use

Con: filling up those land fills

Pro: it does make recovery faster

Con: for amateur athletes/ sports enthusiasts not really sure it’s cost effective

In conclusion if you are an extreme, high altitudes, low drag kinda adventurer this would be a worthwhile investment into your performance. For me, I can just as easily sit down and take a break, I’m in no hurry;)

Mammoth Cave Campground is in the country but centrally located between several nice size cities and right off I65.

No signal once you get in the park except if your lucky at the lodge. We tuned in to WIFI whenever we passed through the Visitors Center/lodge restaurant in the morning.

The campground is primitive, no electric with parking pads, picnic tables and fire rings. There is a restroom in the campground and a shower house, laundry room, post office and store adjacent. The dump station is next to that facility right outside the front “gate”.

There is enough space between camp sites to have some privacy and the trees provide natural noise block and shade. There be critters in the woods so protect your food! You may see deer and turkey, you won’t see the little shit raccoon that runs off with dog toys and any food left out ;)

There are several trail access points directly from the campground. Including two easy trails to the visitors center.

Aside from the obvious, cave tours, there are several other options on how to spend your day and nights.

If your coming for the cave specifically make sure you reserve your preferred cave tour way ahead of time!

If you are coming for the trails, enjoy! There are multiple options. I run the trail near the visitor center year round. It is technical and hilly, not stroller friendly.

The trails on the far side of the Green River ferry have dispersed camping sites and plenty of natural features to discover.

The float down the Green River is enjoyable. If you bring your own water craft several of the companies will drive you to the put in from the ferry parking area for a nominal fee.

Also across the Green River is the Maple Springs group and horse campground, I’m not a horse person but I see plenty of them in the area and they seem to be enjoying the trails and campground.

There is also zip lines in the area, a winery and golfing.

Fast food and Wally World in Brownsville, other touristy attractions one exit up at Cave City. (Ky Down Under and Dinosaur World, plus a Yogi Bear Campground)

We spent the weekend hiking in the rain and avoided Green River, it’s a muddy mess right now.

This campground is a walking distance to the visitors center. It's a well established campground and geared towards folks visiting mammoth caves. You will find a clean campground as well clean facilities. The sites are relatively close but plenty of space for familiy party's.

Theres many activities to be had here but obviously mammoth cave is what it's all about. After driving past mammoth caves for years we finally decided to stop camp and explore. It was worth every penny. The cave, although geared to tourist is still rediculous. Apparently one of the biggest cave systems in the word. You will enjoy your time here. It's crazy to think your in Kentucky when you in there...we'll except for the accents.

Cheers!

One of my absolute favorite spots to camp!! We had a blast this past September. A lovely time to camp and still warm enough to swim at their sandy beach. We enjoyed fishing and caught a variety of fish like catfish, bluegill and bass. The bath houses are well maintained and quite clean. Super nice playground which the kids fully enjoyed! Extremely helpful park staff and plenty of firewood and extras available to purchase. Before we arrived it flooded and our site was under water but they were kind enough to move our site back and accommodate our reservation. The sky was so clear and bright. Almost zero light pollution allowed us to see many constellations, the milk way, falling stars and the brightest, most breath taking view of the night sky. This lakeside getaway is one that will keep us coming back!! If you've never been to Kentucky...this will keep you coming back to the Bluegrass to camp for years to come!

They have recently built a new bath house and it’s awesome. It has rooms that each have a toilet, sink and shower. Total privacy! Nice and clean as well. Big points for this amenity.

We had a new site, 6, totally paved and great view of the conestoga wagons and pastures. Came with a movable fire pit and nice picnic table. I think it’s the best site.

Our main issue was the dump station, horrible layout. What takes us maybe 10 minutes took over 25. Plan ahead or decide to dump elsewhere.

The area around the KOA is a bit suspect. You can see an adult store, pass a confederate store on the way into the KOA and have business that are abandoned . While the KOA cannot prevent these things it’s worth noting for travelers. The KoA is a 4 star, if I factored in the area it would be a 3.

Easy trip down to Mammoth Cave. Very close to Hidden River and Kentucky Down Under.

I went to Mammoth Cave National Park the first time as a child with my family in the 70’s. I took my children to Mammoth in the 90’s. And I have lived within 45 minutes of Mammoth for the last 10 years. The only time during the last 10 years I was not at the Park at least monthly was during my deployment and when the government shutdown in 2013.

In all that time I have visited the cave maybe 10 times. Spelunking was the most exhilarating visit. Make sure you check out the tour offerings online https://www.nps.gov/maca/planyourvisit/gocavetours.htm well before your visit and reserve a place. If you wait until your visit you will probably have a hard time getting past the cathedral.

All the other visits were spent enjoying all the other things there are to do at Mammoth.

First and foremost is the camping. Mammoth has a campground adjacent to the Visitors Center which is basic except for two sites. There are reservable as well as walk up sites. A store, showerhouse, laundry and post office are co-located at the front of the campground and there are toilet facilities in the campground. I used the access points in the campground to hike some of the trails and walk to the visitors center.

An aspect that I have just recently started exploring are the several dispersed camp sites throughout the park. These are free but you must check in at the Lodge before hiking to them. A good , waterproof map is key.

In addition at Maple Springs on the far side of the Green River Ferry ( yes, there is a cool little two car ferry) is the Maple Springs horse and group site camping area. Nice basic, shaded area with trailheads in the area.

Now that you have found your home for your stay what to do?

Kayaking/watercraft, fishing: several companies work the Green River. If you brought your own craft they will usually meet you at the Green River Ferry parking area and transport you up river for a nominal fee. Check ahead at least a day so they are tracking you and can coordinate.

Hiking, Trail Running, dirtbiking, , horse, Geocaching: My favorite trail run is from the main picnic area to the ferry, with several connectors. Just technical enough to keep you on your toes, definitely not a mountain but the hills and valleys give you good work out.

The Maple Springs Trailhead is the major access point for all things backpacking and horse back riding. It even has a handicap accessible horse “loading” area which is wheelchairs friendly.

If your going to geocache pre-save your coordinates and instructions cause there is no signal in the park. If you visit the restaurant at the lodge they have WiFi but it’s slloooowwwww. When we stay over I always try to do my site surfing first thing in the morning.

If you are dirt biking check your trails, some are limited access.

On our most recent visit we explored the new construction on the ferry trailhead. Pictures included.

Not Mammoth related or affiliated but a few things you may want to try while in the area:

http://www.kentuckywine.com/cave-valley-winery-at-park-mammoth-resort/

Guns and wine, can’t get much more Kentucky then that!

https://dinosaurworld.com/kentucky/

Dogs allowed ;)

http://kentuckydownunder.com/

Educational and fun, who knew!

http://mammothcave-adventures.com/

You will drop some green here but it is a lot of fun!

And there’s more ;) Happy Camping

Never a Dull Moment at Mammoth!

Campground/Park Review:

We first entered the park via the "secret" entrance, byway of a narrow road at the very north of the park, in which we had to take a single car automated ferry across the green river, which was enjoyed by all, and we appreciated avoiding the main entrance besieged by spring break campers!

The Campground itself's best feature is its proximity to the main park attractions. It's a few minute walk to the visitor's center, from which you can catch daily tours of all types ranging from themed cave tours to botony forest walks and guided history walks. Our normally restless kids were so taken by the 2 hr cave tour that they remained in near total silence and awe as we tunneled through this slow moving guided cave walk. You've got to make a reservation for tours - be warned, they fill up quickly. I recommend making a reservation at least a week before in the busy season (March-Sept), although up to a couple days before, you can usually get in, albeit not at your ideal time, most likely. Adjoining the campground is a more than adequate camp store, with all the common items and a few groceries you may need while there. Across a short walkway from the visitors center is also 2 restaurants, if roasting dogs on the fire isn't you thing, one cafe style with an ice cream shop, and another more formal table service in the historical Lodge.

We went in April, one of the area's wetter months, and found the campsites to be well maintained, drained and free from debris. While no one enjoys wet camping, the great thing about this park is that the main attraction is always the same comforatable temp and weather year round - and you can spend a dry several hours while you avoid the rain spurts outside. The camping was quiet although crowded for spring break, sites were averagely spread apart (those near the front and the store had a bit more room) and included hook ups for campers. There's even a place to park your horse if horsecamping is something that interests you, very Kentucky, indeed. Bath houses are average but well maintained as all the park is.

Product Review:

Being a Dyrt Ranger, I sometimes have the chance to try out new products on our adventures. This time I was able to test out the Birler Axe by #CRTK.

As anyone who's ever had to camp in moist conditions will tell you, it's no fun having to cut through a damp piece of kindling or wood. While we could purchase dry firewood at the campground, we had to chop our own kindling, which we found dry on the inside and wet on the bark...the Birler cut threw it like butter.

It's compact size was easy to pack, and while I'd guess it weighs in at about just over a pound, and wouldn't be ideal for most backpackers, it was perfect for some average campsite wear. The quality was high, and it split a log like no body's business. There's enough heft behind it to make chopping easy, yet a short enough handle to maneuver. Balance was great. A leather sheath is sold separately, and while the axe comes with a rubber blade guard, is highly recommend a sheath for it as it's extremely sharp, unlike our old axe which had a hard time cutting through a carrot. We were the envy of the campground.

We had a great time! It’s not drive in and there isn’t always a clear path to your campsite; the restrooms are a bit but of a walk. It’s all worth it for a less than 15 minute walk to the beach tho. The campground is very well maintained and the restrooms are very clean. There are trash cans as well as water spigots throughout the camp sites. Would definitely camp again - it’s worth the work. Also of note, there is the possibility of a burn ban due to all the pines.

My husband and I, along with our dog Frank, found site P27 using Google Maps Satellite view and saw that it was juuuuust far enough away from the RVs to feel like we were camping in the woods. 

The site itself doesn't allow you to have a vehicle at site and the short wooded trail to the site does get incredibly muddy when it rains heavily. However, your vehicle is close enough but you can't see it easily due to the wooded area between the site and the rest of the campground/parking lots. I felt that aspect made this site all the better. HOWEVER, you will be carrying your firewood into the site if you buy it at the campsite store so keep that in mind depending on your physical abilities. P27 wouldn't be very convenient for strollers and definitely not wheelchair friendly unfortunately. 

The site itself is mostly rock and gravel as you look towards the lake with the rear portion of the site turning to the wooded area. There is decent enough shade for your tent and a friends tent if you're using 1 to 4 person set ups... but the tents will be CLOSE. 

There isn't a great hammock set up option at this site. We had two with us and could only hang one, the trees were fairly young and on the edge of a small drop off to the rocky beach. That was a decent spot to hang a hammock but a double with adults would be detrimental to the trees perhaps. 

There is a picnic bench that is staked to the rock with a chain so you have limited options of moving that closer to the fire pit or further away. Table was in great shape. 

The bath house was super nice but a bit of a walk from this site. Toddlers wouldn't be stoked on it more than likely. 

We visited Halloween weekend and there was a huge thunderstorm for the majority of the two nights we spent here. The site got incredibly muddy by the fire pit, like... boots sticking in the mud wet Ky clay. 

All that aside, we will be camping here. The RV section was packed and they had trick or treating for the kids but we couldn't hear any of it from this site. Waking up in the morning to the fog on the lake was super beautiful. Watching people fish from their boats Sunday morning and walking the shoreline looking for cool rocks... it's a great campsite. It's an awesome tent site and everyone that worked at the campground was great. A young man came to check on us because of the thunderstorm as well. 

*tent stakes work just fine at this site. It's not just a rock outcropping.

Our site was huge, with enough space for our RV, truck, dog fence and fire area. The gravel pad was recently maintained. The bathrooms were cleaned regularly. The showers were hot and free! Washer/dryers on-site for $1.5 a load. The hike to the waterfall was muddy and there were downed trees from a recent storm - but the park was working on it.
We loved that hiking in Mammoth Cave National park was only 15 min away!

We rolled in on the day of our stay with no reservations. Sites with no reservation cards are open for one night. There were 2 open when we arrived around 8 pm. After hours, it's an honor system using the envelopes at the entrance. The sites are level with water and electricity. There are lake sites available. Our site was in the open area. This was an overnight stay for us on our way home. The dump station is at the entrance. Bath house was very clean and well maintained.

Pros: very well maintained facilities, toddlers enjoyed playground, able to walk along lake shore, could hear small waterfall behind our campsite, within 20 minutes of Mammoth Cave NP via Green River Ferry Con: sites nothing special for tent camping (probably great if in RV). Very sunny, out in open so windy. But nice to have electric and water when camping with toddlers so worth it. Would agree with previous review that the 1 tent site among all the electric sites looked beautiful- right on the water. If you don’t need electric, go with that one!

Very quiet, clean, and nice campground. Very close to Mammoth Cave. Shower facilities were very very clean. Nice well spaced sites.

Best State Park we have stayed at to date..everything was better than expected. Staff very helpful.

The campsites are surrounded by trees and it’s beautiful. Campsite has good showers too which is a plus. Nearby mammoth caves!

Great place for relaxing

Very nice. Fun and clean.

I can’t wait to go back?

This was our first time staying here, but it won’t be our last. We loved the quaintness of the park, the sites are very roomy and flat. We loved being close to the water as well. The trail system in the park was great and we put in over 14 miles of hiking there. The staff was very friendly and helpful!! I would definitely recommend this park to friends and family. We can’t wait to come back

We camped in tent site 15, which is the far back corner of a large rectangular tenting area. Each site had a table and fire ring, and shared water and trash were located in several central locations. Some sites are between two parking areas (sites 7-9, I think), and some sites are along the lake shore. While most people rate the lake shore sites highly, I think you'd get a lot of headlights flashing at you as they're right along the parking lane. We really liked the back corner for privacy, and relative proximity to the bathrooms (located in what looks like an office). Showers, firewood, ice, playground, and laundry are in the trailer campsite nearby. 

One caveat is that, if fully booked with weekenders, I can imagine this place getting a bit noisy at night. It's also pretty hot, though very well shaded, in July.

Very clean, large, private sites. All of the sites have their own space. They are very well laid out. Small campground and easy for the kids to bike and play. The beach was closed for high water, but it looked like a nice area. Only a couple of minor complaints... people drive way too fast on the roads, quiet time not enforced or observed and no gate or anything to regulate traffic. We were at site 8, close to the front, and people were driving in and out all the time and it made me very worrisome with the kids. We also had a group next to us that were still “hanging out” at 2am. We didn’t complain about it, but nothing else seemed to be enforced aside for not parking on the grass. We aren’t complaining campers, but 2am is pushing the limits a little bit in my opinion. I also am giving some grace bc the whole place was full for the holiday weekend. We will go back, I just hope the speed limit will start to be enforced a little More and people are more considerate of the kiddos playing.

This is our second time here and we love it as much as the first. Will probably be a yearly visit for us. We love all the sites, it’s quiet, near the lake, everyone is friendly. Really nothing bad to say at all(except for all the ticks....spray up)!!!

The camp host are incredibly helpful. We had a few issues with our camper and they did everything to help us trouble shoot it. The area is beautiful, my kids had a blast playing with other kids and running around. Super clean, well laid out, great showers. Lots of families and dogs.

Love staying here! Small campground and hard to get weekend reservations, but it’s a great place for kids to play and adults to relax. Sites are large and level. Easy lake access and a beach for use as well. Only downside is it is open for public use as well. It was very full on Saturday with a lot of people that weren’t campers. Also had some activities for the kids on the weekend we were there too. There aren’t many stores close by so make sure you have all your supplies!

I was tent camping with my family Thursday-Saturday while visiting Mammoth Cave.

The good: the tent campground has spacious, level sites. The sites are located in a grove of pine trees, which makes for well shaded sites with a pleasant surface of soft pine straw to pitch your tents. A few sites had trees suitable for hanging hammocks if you enjoy that. There are toilets and sinks in the park office near the primitive campsites. There is a swimming beach and boat ramp on Nolin Lake nearby. Convenient to Mammoth Cave NP and fishing and hiking opportunities abound.

The bad: the shower house is in the RV campground and too far away to be a convenient walk. You have to drive there which is a pain with kids. There were few shower stalls and they were not kept clean. The park staff were very friendly but just overworked. Thursday night we were kept awake by loud campers and campground staff weren’t around to enforce quiet hours. Quiet hours do not start until 11 PM which is not ideal for campers with young children. The park started filling up on Friday and Saturday and was obviously very crowded on the weekend. Seems like a "party spot" for locals. 

We might return here but perhaps would choose to camp during the week or during a less busy time of year.