Best Glamping near Burkesville, KY

The campground has all of the glamping necessities. Water hook-up, electrical, dumping station, clean hot water showers, etc. It's pet friendly and the campground is very clean. The location is excellent for those who love rock climbing (sport and trad), easy and moderate level hiking, white water kayaking, or maybe want to spend a day or two also doing some backcountry camping. There are bears and other curious wildlife so make sure to keep your stuff in the provided bear boxes!

We camped here over the weekend with our dogs. The campground is actually not in Tennessee. It's located on the Kentucky side of Big South Fork. The campsites have a picnic table and a firepit. Our campsite was very nice and private with a big grassy area. The bathhouse was nice and clean. There are hiking trails nearby and access to a small mining village. We would definitely camp here again.

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!

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.

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;)

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

Big South Fork NRRA is definitely one of my favorite places in Tennessee. It stretches into Kentucky’s too. So much to do and see, and the hiking and camping is equal to the Smokies in my opinion, except there’s no crowds, no traffic, not many people! It’s great! There’s a few campgrounds in BSF, like Bandy Creek and Station Camp,and they are excellent spots, but the backcountry is where it’s at n the BSF! I have found so many excellent camp sites along the river and in the forest, and I’ve always been able to find one with plenty of privacy on any given weekend. There’s lots of hiking, 4-wheeling, fishing, swimming, mountain biking, horse riding, kayaking, rock climbing, etc here. The possibilities are endless! The sounds at night are so peaceful and relaxing, and the lightning bugs put on quite a show in the summer! I tried to make a video, I don’t think you can see them, but you can hear the woods at night!

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.

I have camped twice at Lillydale campground both times on the island , which is primitive camping but has porta potty toilet hut. Nice sites all are lakeside, only drawback is that you have to park in the parking lot and use one of their carts to haul all your camping gear onto the island which can be quite a chore. Nice views and the site was very quiet in April. You can use the shower facilities in the main campground if needed.

We stayed on the island (walk in spot) and it was quiet and had beautiful views right on the water.  There are also toilets and water available on the island if needed.

family friendly

Lillydale sits on Dale Hollow Lake, which -- for some delightful reason -- has serious limits on development. This makes for green hillsides, clean water, minimal power boats, and very, very few houses or businesses along the shores. 

The campground itself is clean and quiet. Hosts were very kind and helpful. Many of the sites back up to the lake; we were fortunate enough to find one of the lakeside sites, and just dropped our kayaks and paddleboards right into the water. 

The lake has dozens of little "fingers" and "tendrils," making for great little coves to paddle, explore, or just find some peace and quiet.

We'll definitely be back!

Our family just returned from a 4-day stay at Lillydale and we couldn't have been more pleased.  We stayed at site #61 - the lake was literally steps away from our door, and it was a no wake zone (the lake comes to a dead-end back by this row of campsites, so there isn't a lot of boat traffic). I felt completely comfortable with my kids swimming just off-shore next to our site.  The campground was pristine - we saw staff members come around periodically cleaning out fire rings and blowing stray gravels back into the sites. There weren't many extra amenities - we noticed a playground and a few bathhouses with laundry available. There was no wifi or cable/TV connection and we had zero cell phone coverage (our carrier is T-Mobile). However, lack of television or ability to surf the web/social media really didn't bother us much. Our family of 4 (two adults, a teen and a tween) spent most of our time kayaking, biking, fishing, and swimming and were just fine with that.

I will note that the lack of connectivity, although refreshing, was a little terrifying for me simply for lack of text and calling ability - we left several animals back home and were nervous about problems with them or family not being able to get in touch with us, which is why I'm rating 4/5 stars. Other than that, this campground was perfection for us.

Our lot was gravel and almost perfectly level - we didn't have to do anything other than back in and connect our water and power. We loved the picnic table, and also the added grill and grate/grill over the fire ring! We used that a lot for cooking.

We have a rather unconventional RV (a converted school bus - @thesouthernskoolie on Instagram ), and had no problems with anyone in the campground - lots of positive curiosity from staff and other campers! With a school bus, sometimes you get weird reactions, but everyone here at Lillydale was wonderful.  :)

If I could do anything different, I would have stayed at one of the paved sites (I believe they were 66-70, 72, and 73, as the gravels from our site certainly got tracked all through the bus. 

We will definitely be back!

The tent camp sites on the island were aptly distanced from one another. The other campers seemed to have an unspoken sense of support. Multiple people offered ice, and even campground host offered to air up air mattresses.

There was plenty of driftwood on site to burn, but if you're going to cook all your meals, I'd bring charcoal or your own wood. Note: they have wood restrictions - heed those.

There was some noise at night from the boats, but nothing unmanageable or what I would consider a nuisance.

The island tent area is a park and walk and the campground has 2 carts for people to use.

The views from the island are unfathomably beautiful.