Best Tent Camping near Cadiz, KY
Tent campsites near Cadiz, Kentucky focus primarily on primitive, dispersed options with several notable locations within the Land Between the Lakes (LBL) National Recreation Area. Old Boy Scout Campground and LBL FS154 offer walk-in tent sites directly along the water, both requiring backcountry permits available from the Golden Pond Visitor Center. Cravens Bay provides more established tent camping options with basic amenities while maintaining a natural setting approximately two miles off the main LBL thoroughfare.
Most tent camping areas around Cadiz feature minimal amenities with basic conditions. Sites typically have natural surfaces, some with gravel bases and occasionally including fire rings. According to one visitor, "There are ZERO AMENITIES, which means you need to know and understand sanitation ('cat holes') as there are no port-a-johns or vault toilets, there is also NO POTABLE water." Campers should pack in all supplies, including drinking water, or bring water filters for lake use. The area features both drive-in access points and walk-in tent sites, with some roads requiring higher clearance vehicles, especially after rain. The land management follows a first-come, first-served policy at most locations, with permit requirements for dispersed camping.
Walk-in tent locations throughout the region provide significant privacy and natural immersion. Old Boy Scout Campground occupies a small peninsula with water access on multiple sides, while LBL FS154 offers secluded tent sites on a finger of land extending into the lake. A camper noted the area is "quite remote feeling, but for a dispersed site, it is absolutely the BEST, which is why it is sometimes difficult to secure it." These primitive tent campgrounds generally feature established fire rings from previous use. Seasonal visitors may encounter variations in water levels, with winter pool conditions exposing more shoreline for easy water access. Forest Service rangers periodically check these areas, enforcing stay limits and ensuring proper use of the backcountry tent campsites.
