Best Tent Camping near Cave City, KY

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.

We really enjoyed this place! It's located on the green river and has very spacious campsites. Plenty of room for the kids or dogs to run around. Very secluded. There is a concrete picnic table, pole and fire pit at each spot. Across the road to the ferry is a large pavillion with several more picnic tables for bigger gatherings. There are a few porta potties and no water or hookups. Primitive camping only. We tent camped here in July and saw hundreds of lightning bugs (see video)! It was magical, that really made the experience so much better for us!

Highly recommend a cave tour as well at Mammoth Cave National Park. You will not be disappointed!! Can't wait to go back!

Loved staying at the mammoth cave state park last weekend. April 26th-28th 2019.

No reservations are needed until May 1st. It was Walk up First come first serve from March through May. The last weekend of April was perfect and was not over crowded but had a good amount of visitors. We had perfect weather as well. The camp grounds are clean and nice looking , bathrooms also very clean and have normal toilets, laundry room had new washers and dryers and very roomy & clean with attached bathrooms & showers for men & women. The camp store was nicely set up and had plenty of foods and stuff Incase you forgot anything. However they do not sell real fire wood. They do sell compressed fire bricks. That Looks-like compressed sawdust bricks. So if you want real fire wood you have to go off trail and find it. Recommend and saw to cut it up but there was plenty of dead branches to be found through out the park and you are allowed to pick it up and burn it. The cave tours are fun and educational however if you lack fitness some of them will test your limits. So know your limits before booking. Highly recommend buying your tickets before you arrive as they fill up super fast and they offer more tours during the peak season than they do in spring.

The lodge is nice has 2 restaurants one is sit down one is fast food snacks like setting. There are 5 gift shops in all between the camp store has 1 the lodge has 2 and the visitors center has 2. It’s worth the trip if your in to caving and hiking. Unfortunately there is lack of access to the river unless you go backwoods hiking/camping But all in all it’s a fun time!

We stayed in sites 102 and 104 with 3 other families, and used a total of five 3-4 person tents. We had plenty of [level] room to spread out. Our sites backed up to hundreds of acres of uninhabited forest, while also being within short walking distance of the camp store and visitor center.

Sites were non-electric, and there were no receptacles to be found anywhere close, even at the conveniently located (and very clean) bathrooms. Bring Your Own Electricity, but please note the generator quiet hours. (Solar generators and power stations for the win.) Fire rings are very heavy cast iron with with very sturdy, adjustable-height cooking grates. They really put out some heat once you get the fire going, and are very easy to cook on.

They don't want you bringing in outside wood for obvious reasons, and they only sell compressed saw dust wood bricks at the camp store. They work well once you get the hang of them, don't smoke much at all, and keep you warm. However, at ~$7.50 for a case of 6 blocks, they can get expensive quickly if, like my family, you're the kind of campers that like a good fire.

Overall, park was clean, quiet, and each site has just enough space for you to ignore the people around you if that's what you're into. We love all of the cheesy tourist traps in Cave City, and love the centralized location between Nashville and Louisville--allows me to easily camp with close friends I have in both cities. Already planning on coming back regularly.

I suggest you make a reservation as this campground fills up quickly. Axtel is located on the shore of Rough River Lake and has over 150 camp sites. Almost every site has quick access and/or views of the lake. There is a designated swimming and beach area. There are several restrooms located throughout the campsite. They were clean and stocked with toilet paper and hand soap. There is an easily accessed dumpster area and dump station near the main entrance. WiFi is available however, there is a fee. There is a boat ramp, so you can bring your boat and/or other watercraft. Fishing is allowed as well. There are a lot of sites with electric and water, but some without either. There are sites for tent camping and RV's. Sites have fire pits and a post with a hook for hanging trash and/or lanterns. No alcohol is allowed. Dogs on a leash are allowed. While we were here, several of the sites along the lake were flooded (see pics). The beach had recently been closed due to flooding, but was open while we were there. If you dig down just a couple of inches on the beach, you'll find clay. My kids loved this and made a couple of clay pots (see pics). As with most campsites we visit, people here were friendly and courteous. There is not a market on site, however there was a Dollar General about 13 miles away. They had a lot of the groceries we needed. There were also several gas stations along the way there that had ice and firewood. This is a great place for families to enjoy a beach without leaving KY!

Tailwater CG - Glasco, KY 1/1/25

(72 yr olds in 27’ trailer.)

Overall Rating: 4 for an overnight stay. Great winter price, but 40 minutes from 65 w trailer. Price 2024: $8 w interagency pass during winter Security: Host’s site at entry. Usage during visit: Only us Visual Privacy Between Adjacent Sites: No Site Spacing: Close. Varies.
Pad surface: Gravel Reservations: Required. Can be made at the cg.
Outside Road Noise: No Through Traffic in campground: No Electric Hookup: Yes, however off during winter 24/25.
Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: Yes Potable Water Available: Yes. Only at one location during winter. Generators: Allowed. Bathroom: Two. Flush Bath and showers bathhouse is closed during winter. Pit toilets at far end open. Pull Throughs: One. Cell Service (Verizon): 1 to 3 bars Setting: Along River Recent Weather: Cold nights.
Solar: Yes Host: Yes, helpful.
Rig Size: Varies between sites. Sites: Some sites back up to the river. These are the best locations, I think.

We camped at site P27, which is in the RV section of the campground, but off to the side and pretty private. Great little spot and had our own piece of shoreline. No electricity or water here but equipped with a picnic table, fire ring, and lantern post. Had to back truck up as best we could and walk a little trail to the site and unload. Had to park by basketball court when done unloading, so keep in mind your vehicle won't be within site. There is a group site off in the distance and they were pretty loud but still a good distance off so it was tolerable. Daughter caught her first fish here. Loved waking up to the fog over the lake. Bath house wasn't as clean as I recall from previous trips but it wasn't anything to get worked up about. Lots of places are short staffed these days so I can't fault them too badly. Nolin is on of our favorite campgrounds!

Campground Review: I have stayed at and reviewed this campground before, however this time I am reviewing our experience at site I158 over Labor Day Weekend while using the Red Ledge Thunderlight jacket. Site I158 has no electric or water. It is a fairly small tent site that is very close to other sites. There is only enough room for 1 tent and 1 vehicle. The fire ring is nice and has a grill attached. There is a large picnic table and a prep table with a tall hook, which we hung our trash on. The site is gravel but I was able to put in my tent stakes with minimal effort. The site is completely wooded, so if you don't like tent camping near trees, this site is not for you. The upside is there are plenty of sticks for kindling. I did however get hit with a few falling acorns, and that did not feel good at all. The quiet time at this campground is respected and followed. The beach is great for hanging out and swimming in the lake. The beach had previously been damaged by flooding but was beautiful for Labor Day Weekend. 

Product Review: As a Ranger for The Dyrt www.thedyrt.com, I get products to test from time to time and today I am reviewing the Men& Women's Thunderlight Jacket from Red Ledge https://www.redledge.com/products/mens-and-womens-thunderlight-jacket?variant=7068462153788. I made a video folding the jacket into the carrying bag after I returned home from camping. 

1. What I liked about this product: The jacket fits great. Using the size guidelines on Red Ledge's website, I ordered the appropriate sized jacket and it fits perfectly. I like the sealed edges that kept any water from getting to my clothes underneath. This jacket is lightweight. It is a great jacket to use anywhere, but this would be great for back country camping. Because it's lightweight and breathable, I also used it for sun protection while sitting on Rough River Lake beach. The hood hangs over a little bit keeping the sun and rain out of your eyes. The cuffs and the bottom of the jacket are adjustable, which I love. Red Ledge offers this jacket in 13 different colors, but I chose Mercury(gray). The price of the jacket is a little higher than I expected, however, I believe this jacket will hold up over time and be completely worth it. As a tent camper, I have learned to spend a little more money on better quality products than to buy cheap stuff and have to keep replacing them. 

2. What I didn't like about this product: I didn't quite understand how the hood adjust worked and it took me a little bit of figuring it out. However, once I understood what I was doing, it worked great. 

Overall, I would recommend this jacket. My son has the youth version of The Thunderlight and he loves it. I think Red Ledge has made a good quality product that anyone can use and appreciate.