Looking for the perfect glamping experience near Cerulean? Glamping near Cerulean, KY is a great way to go camping with the tastes of home. The Dyrt's camping photos, reviews, and tips are an easy way to find the right Kentucky glamping spot for you.
The park is situated in the middle of 14,000 plus acres of forest. We have a 56 acre lake with pedal boats and row boats. There are miles of hiking trails that meander through the forest. It is a great place to get back to nature. We also have an 18 hole golf course, tennis and basketball court, and a lodge with a full service dinning room. Equine Camping: Pennyrile Forest offers 8 pull-through campsites specifically designed for horse owners. These sites feature electric, water and sewer hook-ups. Each site has its own corresponding hitching posts for up to four horses, picnic table, lantern hanger & fire ring/grill combo. Horse campers have access to all campground amenities, which include bathhouses, laundry area and playgrounds. A new 1.25 mile horse trail near the campground connects horseback riders to the 40+ miles of horse trails on the adjacent Pennyrile State Forest.
This recreation area is part of Barkley Lake
Situated along a peninsula between the lush shorelines of Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake, Canal Campground offers modern camping and provides the ideal setting to enjoy nature at its best with family and friends. Visitors can enjoy a stunning view of the Barkley Dam and boats traveling through the canal from the comfort of their campsite. The campground faces Barkley Lake, and the shore of Kentucky Lake is a brisk one-mile walk across the canal.
From water sports to wildlife viewing to hiking and biking, Canal Campground is the perfect setting for outdoor activities. Eagle nests can be spotted throughout the grounds, and its not unlikely for visitors to encounter deer and other wildlife. A short hiking trail allows campers to enjoy the outdoor scenery at their leisure. Fishing is also a popular pastime, and during warm months bass and catfish are plentiful in both lakes.
Lake Barkley, as part of a dam project at the Cumberland River, spans 134 miles along the Kentucky landscape, offering countless recreational activities to visitors. The canal connects Lake Barley with Kentucky Lake, forming one of the greatest freshwater recreational complexes in the country.
Grand Rivers, a short drive from the campground, has several restaurants and two public marinas.
$20 - $256 / night
This recreation area is part of Barkley Lake
$10 / night
Piney Campground is now open year round and offers 384 well-defined lake front and wooded sites with 283 electrical hookups, 44 sites with electric, water, and sewer, and 57 primitive sites. Most sites are capable of handling large motor homes and campers. Campers have access to modern facilities, including a swimming beach area, archery range, ball field, bike trails, a campfire theater, hiking trails, two boat ramps, and a fishing pier. Piney also has 9 primitive cabins available for nightly rental. In addition, the summer season offers daily recreation programs for all ages. Since 1973 in mid-September Piney holds its popular Camper’s Fair with a variety of activities including a campers’ flea market and dealer showcase of new RVs, fifth wheels, and motorhomes. It is open to the public during the weekend.
Holiday Hills Resort is your premier resort location in western Kentucky. We have lake side lodging units with everything included for your stay. Full kitchen, gas grill, stove, microwave and much more. All you need to bring is your food and clothes. We have a brand new 50,000-gallon swimming pool, 2 playgrounds, a beach, game room and activities throughout the year. We offer water and electric camps sites that can handle anything from a tent to a 36’ camper. Our lake side lodging can fit groups from 4 to 60 people. Call now to book your family get-away
$43 - $999 / night
Legend
Jake from the Dyrt here! Nine Pines has all the glamping amenities you could want, and then some, its not often you find a place set in nature where you have access to a full pizza oven. Check them out and show them some love from the Dyrt!
Legend
Although this is a remote campground, it is situated in a State RESORT park, so it is more like glamping. The resort amenities and features are all accessible through short hikes via well marked and maintained trails, or by vehicle roads. The resort sponsors many amenities, such as an indoor pool, family activities, gym, tennis courts, hiking trails, horseback riding, golf... it is a resort, after all. Within 10 miles of Cadiz, which hosts grocery stores, general merchandise stores, restaurants, small businesses and family activities.
Guide
Piney Campground is part of the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. It is wildly popular among locals and travelers alike. Lots to do for kids - bike paths, basketball court, multiple playgrounds, etc. Beautiful views of Kentucky Lake/Tennessee River, nice campground store.
Scout
We’ve only been once but can say it’s a great campground, with 2 boat ramps, store, regular patrols, a beach, activities for kids and pretty good views of Kentucky Lake. Very large and easy access to sites with larger rigs. Ticks were very bad, but this is no fault of theirs. We’ll be back soon!
Legend
Canal campground is right on the canal that connects Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake at the north end of Land Between the Lakes. Sitting on the north side of the Canal, just outside of Grand Rivers, KY, where the famous Patti's Settlement boasts a two inch thick pork chop and home cooked everything. Canal campground books fast, and offers a substantial number of activities for all ages. Very well upkept and constantly making improvements, this is a favorites campground for folks from miles around.
Guide
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, the activities were good had to pay for them not very much. The miniature golf course was good but a little expensive. The beach was amazing but it’s first come first serve regardless if u camped there. It opens up at 10am. The lodge restaurant was amazing buffet and the banana pudding was amazing as well. They do serve a sandwich called Hot Brown I guess it known in Kentucky was good.
Legend
Paris Landing State Park has about 70 campsites, most with water and electric hookups, but it is not easy to fine a level site. (There are 18 “primitive campsites” with no service. My brother stayed at one of their cabins.) The campground is in a hardwood forest, so there is lots of shade. Plus, it is right on Kentucky Lake, so there is swimming, fishing and boating. There is a pool and golf course. There is canoeing nearby.
TravelerRight on Lake Barkley where it joins Kentucky Lake. Over 200,000 acres of lake. We had sites 76 and 77. The roads to the sites have a lot of curves be careful not to clip your trailer on a tree. Our sites were easy to back in, plenty of room for the two tables that were there. The sites are gravel, but you do have water and electric hookups. Very quiet and peaceful place. Bath houses were clean and stocked, campground was clean. There is a beach area and also a playground for the kids. While your here be sure to go to the elk and bison prairie.
Guide
Boswell Landing is a quiet spot of the park with gorgeous views of Kentucky Lake where you can pull up a chair (or tent!) and relax. Be advised, this is a "backcountry site" which basically just means there are no electric hookups. There are restrooms available. The trails that are nearby are overgrown and not so great, so I wouldn't recommend hiking over here. However within walking distance of the campground, down the paved road are a few notable things: Buchanan Cemetery, which is a civil war cemetery, and the site of Fort Henry. From what I understand, this is a pretty quiet spot in the park. The trade off is that it is not near a ton of stuff.
LegendPennyrile 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. There is also a site for the Pennyrile Trail which is a 75 mile driving loop connecting several Kentucky parks.
The park is multi-leveled with the views and some cool rock formations. The beach has some confusing parking signs, but we figured it off. It was busy and had some loud visitors with loud vehicles and loud vehicles. Not surprising considering the neighborhood it is located in.
The campground has some interesting sites all along the roadway. The campground and horse campground are connected. Several of the sites can be challenging due to not being level or being shallow, but they are workable.
I'm not sure if biking would be great due to the hills but it would be challenging. Hiking and backpacking definitely and of course swimming and horseback riding( on your own horse)
Guide
Very beautiful campground and park. Very spacious sites, and there was hardly anyone there , so it seemed like we had the campground to ourselves. So peaceful. The shower house was very nice and clean and had flush toilets. However the other restrooms were not so nice (pit toilets with spiders and mosquitoes everywhere). The campground host was really nice. Also note that there is no place to buy ice or firewood nearby. We crossed the ferry and went to Marion Kentucky and found some there. The park and ferry is really cool. There is a lodge that has a nice restaurant and a bar. If you want to buy alcohol the nearest place is Elizabethtown where they have a liquor store. Overall this is a wonderful campground and we will return someday!
Traveler
Had a great 3 day 2 night stay here. All you need to camp here is a camping permit from Land Between the Lakes which is 30 dollars online. If you have a Kentucky resident sportsmans licence this permit is included in that! Each site has a 2 foot across firepit with a grill plate that is hinged so you can flip it on or off the fire. Some of the sites are about 10 to 15 yards from the water while others are a good ways from it. There is no electricity at any of the sites however there is a central dumpster for trash and a composting toilet as well as a boat ramp. The sites are gravel pads with a fire pit and a concrete picnic table. Easily fit my 3 person tent with a 9 x 12ft tarp as a foot print and two vehicles with still room to walk around easily in the site.
LegendRedd Hollow Campground is one of many dispersed campgrounds in Land Between The Lakes(LBL), Ky.
30$ annually and you can set up camp almost anywhere in LBL. There are basic campgrounds and you can backpack in to primitive sites.
Redd Hollow has site posts, cement picnic tables fire rings and a pit toilet. There are several sites water level where you can put in to the lake and there are some very picturesque sites that overlook the lake. First come first get. It was a relatively peaceful area sans the generators;)
Things to do:
There is a North/South trail that runs the length of LBL. There are several access points where you can hike sections of the trail.
We visited the Elk and Bison Prairie near Golden Pond Visitors Center. A drive through observation area. The visitor center also offers planetarium shows and nature programs.
Nearby: Off Rt 68/80 , 15 miles away is Cadiz, Ky. An opportunity to be a tourist in small town Kentucky. Farmers Market and antiques, plus a yearly ham festival. Try out “Ferrell’s Snappy Services”, a hamburger restaurant that’s been around since 1929.
RangerBeing close to water is always nice, and our family always looks for this when we are traveling away from home to camp. Kentucky Lake is nearby, and we spent most of our day here. We towed our small boat from home because we wanted to be able to enjoy being on the water (and my dad wanted to fish). There is running water and showers available on site, although I just jumped in the lake and shampooed my hair in their :) Very large campground, which was nice. Lots of room between campsites. Always a plus for us. The campground itself was really nice, we were actually very impressed. The campsites were well marked and had a picnic table, fire ring and a hanging rack which was super nice! We hung our wet suits from being in the lake all day. Great hiking nearby too. We would hike in the morning, and play in the water the rest of the day. The attendants/rangers were awesome, and directed us in the right place for hiking. You can see from my pictures attached that we hiked almost everyday. We would definitely stay here again next time we are in the area.
Guide
We stayed at site D3 over Memorial Day weekend. I was pretty nervous when we first saw the site, it was literally on a hillside. We have two small kids and were with family (in adjacent D4) so we really hoped for a site with flat space for the kids to play in, but there was absolutely no grassy area. That didn't stop us from having a good time!
The D loop was nice and quiet with very little traffic. We were very close to the lake to drop our kayaks in the water or fish without going far, always a plus!
Bathrooms were very clean for camp restrooms. The showers were in their own rooms, so that was really nice. Great water pressure and it wasn't a push button shower like some campgrounds have!
Since we have kids, we had to check out the play ground. It was pretty disappointing with only a couple swings, a hot metal slide and a climbing bar. The beach was far from impressive with basically gravel as half of the beach. I wasn't expecting Florida beaches in Kentucky, but in Indiana we have nice sandy beaches at lakes so I was disappointed.
The lake was gorgeous and perfect for kayaking though, with lots of nice coves to explore and wildlife to see. I saw a doe with a spotted fawn nursing on my first trip onto the water
All in all, if you want flat spaces, don't go to loop D, loop C was much flatter. We probably won't return, but it was a nice stay, but probably better for those without small kids to entertain.
Ranger
Paducah is a cute little city in Kentucky that my family and I love to visit whenever we get the chance. The town is really cool, and has that "old" town vibe. The buildings are beautiful. There are actually a few campgrounds in this town, one of them "I-24." This campground has a country feel, and it more so for people who are traveling and making a pit stop to rest. There are a lot of RV's. There are quite a few beautiful rivers close by, and there are also 2 lakes nearby. We spent a whole day at the lake when we stayed. It was busy, but nice to be on the water. We saw people enjoying fishing, water tubing, water skiing and jet skiing. We also saw people on kayaks, which looked like a blast! There is a golf course nearby too, although we didn't enjoy this close amenity. One thing we did enjoy was hiking some of the trails nearby. We went late spring and the wildflowers were out in full effect. The colors of the flowers were gorgeous, and I couldn't help but take hundreds of pictures of these beautiful flowers. One of the hikes brought us to a point where we could see one of the lakes. It was magical. Also-side note, there is the "National Quilt Store" in the town, and of course we had to stop because my mom requested this. It was incredible how much fabric there was. If you are in to this, I would highly recommend stopping! The campground itself was "okay." It was a little run down, but since we were in our RV we didn't really notice it much. It was also pretty busy when we went, so I'm glad we made reservations ahead of time.
LegendCave in Rock State Park, Il is sorta out in the middle of nowhere. That being said it is an adventure worth the trip. Weekday visits will supply you with more things to do but weekend adventures are just as fun.
If your coming from the Kentucky side first there is Amish country to visit. Check in Marion for what’s available and where (fill your gas tank up!)
Next there is the ferry ride across. If you’ve done it a lot no big deal, but my kids used to love it every time.
Write your directions down for this whole area, the cell phone coverage is spotty and it will keep frustration down.
Signage will greet you as soon as you exit the ferry and Cave in Rock city has several small businesses you might want to visit. Plus a bunch of painted bikes...
To the right down the road a bit and your in the park.
The RV area is spread throughout a hilly, tree’d area, after being in Army Corp of Engineers last week which uses every foot of area available this campground seems huge and vacant. There were many sites occupied they are spread out across a huge area which is awesome. There is a playground near the showerhouse and a pond back in behind the playground.
The primitive area is up another hill back in the woods, my favorite. Two handicap accessible spots next to the pit toilet let’s everyone have some fun.
If you want a shower you have to return to the RV area. These basic sites have a grill, fire pit and picnic table. Some are pretty level some not so much ;) Best of all there are several options if you have a Tentstile.
We took a 2 mile loop hike across to the lodge, along the cliff face and down to the cave. A lot of history here and some nice views.
This was our second outing with our new to us EVAC Trailer (www.evactrailer.com) I added some metal poles and a tarp and bam! we have an impromptu sitting area. The tool box made a nice meal prep and cooking area. Still looking at other ideas, but it’s a sturdy little trailer that is serving its purpose well!
ScoutI love this park! Camping, cabins, hiking, horseback, swimming, and even mini golf. There are numerous trails, and a plethora of wildlife. We even saw a bald eagle within 15 minutes drive from the park.
ScoutWe stayed at sight #58. We were on the very corner and even though it was close to the road it was beautiful and not super traffic heavy. There was however a streetlight at the corner and it was extremely bright. We were prepared enough though so we put a dark tarp up on the outside of our tent to block it. I do wish we could have seen a better picture of the site before hand it would have made choosing easier. This wasn’t the best spot for a tent, but we made it work :)
ScoutFirst of all, the drive to Dawson Springs is GORGEOUS. Rolling hills, farmland, trees, really gets you in the mood! Upon arrival, the camp store worker was very friendly, gave us a campground map and hiking map and answered all of our questions. We stayed in the regular campground but they also have a campground for people with horses/horse trailers, as the park has horse trails to go on as well! We didn’t swim in the lake, but it did look beautiful and looked to be a nice place to swim and kayak and paddle boat (which they have for rental as well). The hiking trails are gorgeous and vary in length and intensity. The spot that we were at had plenty of room to spread out and relax. One side had the picnic table and fire pit, and the other side was a grassy area with trees where we hung our hammock. It was stunning! We will definitely be back!
TravelerBeautiful area! Really nice swimming beach, hiking trails, and campground. Paved sites, most with plenty of shade. Campground host very nice and people in nearby towns very nice also. Enjoyed talking with the locals. Only reason I don’t give campground a 5 is due to the very sloped sites. Most are very difficult to level up.
LegendPennyrile Forest State Park was a pleasant surprise, especially compared to the many state parks I visited in my earlier years in North Carolina. However, when you reserve your site make sure you ask about the specific site’s terrain. Site 48, where I was, was sloped with no grass and had just been repaired. There were a lot of grassy sites, and they were much better. 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. There is a camp store, although it is small and limited, but they do sell firewood. Not only does this state park have a putt putt course, but it also has an 18-hole golf course complete with pro shop. The thing I enjoyed best about his state park is the waterfront. There is a large sandy beach and a place to rent canoes, kayaks, and paddle boats. Also at the beach are picnic tables, grills, a playground, and concessions. From the beach area, you can hike the lake trail, but it is moderate. There is a good view of the lake from the trail, and if you walk to the left before crossing the wooden bridge, you can see a very small waterfall. Even though you have to drive a little from the campground to get to it, there is a swimming pool and a lodge. Other activities include tennis courts and basketball. Staying at the campground, other than the sloping site, was a pleasant experience. It was not crowded and the bathrooms have hot showers, but I would suggest paying the extra$15.00 to get one of the equestrian sites.
GuidePros Mini golf on site Nice knob showers - not the push button facets Really nice white sand beach Clean campground and bathrooms
Cons Beach is a public beach so really crowded Sites are tight and most are not level Most are not easy to get into. Only one pull thru
TravelerWe like this campground for its beauty and it’s size. Pros: Swimming beach very nice Quiet campground Clean facilities Nice size lake with canoe, paddle board rentals Great kid environment Easy access from Interstate Paved sites
Cons: Sites are very sloped. Worst I’ve ever seen. Major drawback to this campground. Beach is free to public so very crowded and some elements are not family friendly. Prices are higher than most campgrounds. Camp site sizes are small and difficult to navigate.
Summary: I’m really surprised that all sites were paved with such bad slopes. If the state would come back in and level the sites then pave this would be a jewel. Also, charge a fee for beach access to control the rowdy’s from taking over the beach.
Overall a beautiful park that is one of my wife’s favorites.
Travelerwe went there for the night as we was driving through. they had a girl in there by herself and it was her first day and she didn't not know how to do stuff in there and all he sites are off and not even. so you have to go and stay where the horses are cause that area is even.
LegendGreat place to visit. Is beautiful with a lot of walking trails 10 things to do. In summer for swimming and rental boats paddle boats and some battery powered boats.I was there for a fall photography contest it was a little too soon and theirwas very little color. You can camp in tents or campers you can ride horses or enjoy the lake and many miles of walking trails. They also have hotel rooms and cabins if you care to spend multiple nights the beautiful Park and I highly recommend it to anybody that enjoys outdoor Beauty.This year 2019 makes the fifth year tha I've gone to Pennyroyal for the fall photography contest I've also been there a few springs for the spring photography contest. These photos are not the best cuz I took them from the restaurant through a window screen so you can kind of see it in the in the images I'll try to upload better ones later.
ScoutLove this place
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Cerulean, KY is Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park with a 4-star rating from 19 reviews.
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