1 campground with availability this weekend
Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park houses the region's most distinctive glamping accommodations within 1.5 hours of Central City, Kentucky. Glamping options at Pennyrile include well-equipped cabin-style structures with modern amenities alongside traditional camping sites. Visitors enjoy comfortable accommodations with electricity, climate control, and proper bedding – a significant upgrade from standard tent camping. "This is such a beautiful park. The views here are breathtaking," noted one reviewer who appreciated the balance of nature and comfort. The park maintains several glamping units throughout the property, each positioned to maximize privacy while providing convenient access to the park's central facilities. These units feature private entrances, dedicated parking, and strategically placed windows that showcase the surrounding woodland landscape and lake views.
Surrounded by a scenic forest landscape and situated near a picturesque lake, Pennyrile's glamping sites serve as an ideal base for exploring the park's extensive recreational offerings. The property features hiking trails, paddle boating, canoeing, and kayaking opportunities that glampers can access directly from their accommodation. Swimming at the white sand beach remains particularly popular during summer months, with glamping guests receiving priority morning access before public admission begins at 10am. One camper enthusiastically shared, "If you want a campground that has it all, Pennyrile State Park is where you want to be! It has a GORGEOUS white sand beach with breathtaking blue water. Crazy to see that in KY!" The eco-friendly glamping experience includes geocaching activities, tennis courts, basketball facilities, and even an 18-hole golf course with pro shop for those seeking more structured recreation during their stay.
"There’s a shower house and a nice pavilion for use. Affordable!!!"
"These sites are right off the green river, there is a boat ramp adjacent. Good people all around , and the monthly is amazingly low. You can opt to pay for 50 or 30 amp service."
"First of all, the drive to Dawson Springs is GORGEOUS. Rolling hills, farmland, trees, really gets you in the mood!"
"Pennyrile Forest State Park off Ky69 outside Dawson Springs, Ky. A newer trail Pennyrile Nature Trail is 13.5 mile long hiking trail, from Dawson Springs to the park."
Available this weekend
from $12 - $40 / night
"Made it less than enjoyable sitting by the beautiful fire pit provided. Had higher expectations for KOA based on other experiences but should have researched to know how close the highway was."
"This was a nice KOA, but some sites were small with all sites having very small fire pits made from only old tire wheels."
"We had initially booked at another campground, and locked our sites in to be close to each other. The campground re-arranged our sites without contacting us at the last minute. "
"It was empty, possibly because it has no direct access to the lake? It is a nice shaded area, very open, spread throughout a small hilly area."
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $20 - $60 / night
"Clean bathrooms. Hear a little bit of highway noise but the beauty and peace far outweighed that."
"Gave it 4 stars for the set up. Cozy little place next to a creek."
from $26 - $44 / night
"The Rough River Lodge , Falls of Rough , Ky no longer has a campground co-located, it was closed a few years ago when the dam was renovated."
"We stay in various places all over the park and the best thing about this is there are no fees to access the public areas of the dam to fish or lake!"
"Pricing is above moderate for offerings at this area, Future electric vehicular racing will be an ear candy."
"The campground was paved and almost every spot had a small grass patch next to it. There were several larger grass spots on the edges of the campground. "
"Park features playground, paved biking and walking trails, disc golf, plenty of shade, lake with boat dock (non-motorized boats only), bath house, and dump station."
"Nice lake, trails, swimming area. Etc. Sites have water and electric, dump station on site. Weekends are busy. We would stay here again."
from $8 - $20 / night
TravelerThe pricing policy is complicated for long term they require $25 each person for background checks. The sites in the back are pretty tight and mostly long term. They do have nice sites near the office. They are pull through.
ScoutWe stayed at Cave Creek recently with 5 other families. We all take an annual trip together with 12 adults, 6 dogs, and 13 kids from 8-18. We had initially booked at another campground, and locked our sites in to be close to each other. The campground re-arranged our sites without contacting us at the last minute. Fortunately, Cave Creek had open sites on a loop, and was able to accommodate us. We stayed at Site 22. with our friends. We have a 30' travel trailer, and this site was large enough to handle our truck and trailer, along with our friends 28' trailer on site 21. It was a little tricky to get backed in, but not impossible. Electric and water both worked great at our site without issue. Campground is fairly nice. Not a lot of amenities, but restrooms and showers were clean. Easy access to the lake, and nice docks, and boat ramp. There's some hiking trails, along with access to a small cave. The camp host Shirley was very friendly, helpful, and hardworking. We saw her checking and cleaning throughout the week, and even stopped at our campsites to check on us. Overall a great experience!
TravelerI had fun being by myself and a few times I got freaked out by a couple of sounds
LegendI stayed here on a whim on my way to a funeral. I just needed a place to rest for the night. This was a peaceful place and clean. Just needs to be updated.
LegendThis KOA was easy to find by following our GPS. We checked in about 45 minutes prior to their 1:00 PM check in time and they didn’t even mention us being early. We decided we didn’t need an escort to our site as it was near the office. We proceeded to deluxe-patio pull-through site H-4 with FHUs. The utilities were nicely placed in the middle of the pad. Water pressure was good at about 50 psi. This site has plenty of shade as does most sites in the campground (CG) due to mature trees, so we did not put out Starlink. We got 4 bars LTE on Verizon and used our MiFi versus Starlink. Site H-4 has a utility box on the yard side, so we had extra space between the adjacent site. They have a decent sized dog park with an agility set up. This KOA has a lot of amenities and lives up to a Holiday KOA rating. The dog park is a nice size. They have a decent laundry room behind the office with 4 washers and 8 dryers. It’s$2.50 to wash and$1.50 to dry. They have 2 fishing ponds. The large one you can keep 2 fish for$20 and the small one is catch and release. There’s some traffic noise from I-65 and surrounding roads. Our main reason to visit the area was to visit the National Corvette Museum. We enjoyed our two night stay.
RangerAfter completing the warranty work at Camping World, we enjoyed this fabulous campground for two months.
The vibe is great, the campground is clean, and the office staff is fabulous. We enjoyed playing putt-putt golf and fishing in the catch-and-release and paid ponds.
Be sure to check out the Flight Museum across the street, the Corvette Museum, and the friendly people in the area.
The only downside is at night due to the road noise from the I-65/I-165 split.
RangerNice campground but very loud due to interstate. Made it less than enjoyable sitting by the beautiful fire pit provided. Had higher expectations for KOA based on other experiences but should have researched to know how close the highway was.
Convenient to stores and restaurants. Laundry open 24/7 ($2.50). Campstore has most of what you need but you are less than a couple miles from most other places.
Campsites are long and ideal for bigger rigs, but our little 25’ would have been too far back from the pad in order to reach the sewer, even with two hoses, so we disconnected the camper and parked the TV behind the camper. This enabled us to parked the camper on the most level part of the gravel spot without leveling boards and be able to step out on to the concrete pad. We are only here a couple days, so we’ll pump out before leaving. An inconvenience but not a deal breaker.
Looks like a new pool being built near the front!
ScoutGreat pull through spots. Every ammenity needed. Pet friendly with dog park for off-leash use. If ever that way again, will definitely us. 30 minites from Mammoth Cave.
TravelerBeautiful lakeside campsites. Great for small groups or individuals.
Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park sits 49 miles southwest of Central City, Kentucky at approximately 600 feet elevation in the western coal fields region. The park covers over 800 acres with varied terrain including forested hills and a 56-acre lake. Winter temperatures typically range from 25-45°F while summer temperatures average 65-90°F with high humidity.
Disc golf at Cave Creek Recreation Area: Located at Rough River Lake, the course offers wooded fairways and lake views. "There is a disc golf course in the area so if you're in one of the sites near it you might want to keep your head down," notes one Cave Creek visitor.
Fishing at Vastwood County Park: The lake permits non-motorized boats for fishing access with convenient dock facilities. "Very pretty city park with wide sites though some are close together. Nice lake, trails, swimming area," reports a Vastwood County Park camper.
Golfing near Bowling Green KOA: Access an 18-hole course within 15 minutes of the campground. "This KOA has a pool, fishing, putt putt, dump station, general store, cabins, a little run down restroom/bath houses, kids play scape, large chess board, and a dog park," according to one visitor.
Natural swimming areas: Vastwood offers a designated swimming area with gradual entry points suitable for various skill levels. A visitor mentioned, "Beautiful lakeside campsites. Great for small groups or individuals."
Hiking trail networks: Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park features multiple interconnected trails of varying difficulty. "I love this park! Camping, cabins, hiking, horseback, swimming, and even mini golf. There are numerous trails, and a plethora of wildlife," a camper shared.
Photography opportunities: Seasonal photography contests draw visitors to Pennyrile. "I've gone to Pennyroyal for the fall photography contest. I've also been there a few springs for the spring photography contest," reports one regular visitor.
Site leveling challenges: Many parks in the region have significant slope issues requiring extra equipment. "The sites are hard to back in with a camper, we had to buy longer extension cables and a longer water hose, sites are very close together," notes a Bowling Green KOA visitor.
Weather considerations: Summer thunderstorms occur frequently, and spring brings heavy rainfall that can affect trail conditions. "In June, it's hot as heck and 100% humidity here," warns one Cave Creek camper.
Reservation requirements: Peak season (May-September) often fills completely, especially holiday weekends. "Reserve ahead if you want anything close to the water and it's a good chance that this is one of those campgrounds that is booked for the season," advises a camper.
Beach access timing: Arrive early for best swimming spots during summer months. "The beach is free to public so very crowded and some elements are not family friendly," notes a Bowling Green KOA reviewer.
Kid-friendly amenities: Spring Creek Campground offers creek access for safe water play. "Creek is awesome. No shade. Great staff, clean bathrooms," reports a visitor.
Affordable activities: Many parks offer low-cost recreation options. "They have one of the cleanest parks! This is a Corp of Engineers reservoir that is well maintained. We stay in various places all over the park and the best thing about this is there are no fees to access the public areas of the dam to fish or lake! Our children love to camp and play around the lake!" shares a Rough River Dam visitor.
Extension cord requirements: Many sites require longer-than-standard power cords due to hookup placement. "We had to buy longer extension cables and a longer water hose," notes one camper about regional sites.
Road access considerations: Some campgrounds have challenging approach roads. "Cave Creek Campground at Rough River Lake is off a single and a half country road. If your pulling a trailer or RV take your time, curvy road," warns an experienced camper.
Alternative site options: For more level terrain, consider equestrian areas if available. "When I talked to the campground host, he was very pleasant and explained that you do not have to have a horse to camp in the equestrian sites. Those sites are level pull-through sites."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Central City, KY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Central City, KY is Livermore RV Park with a 5.0-star rating from 2 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Central City, KY?
TheDyrt.com has all 11 glamping camping locations near Central City, KY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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