Charlestown State Park Campground near Crestwood accepts pets at all campsite types including tent, RV, and cabin accommodations. The park's spacious campsites feature natural grasses between them for added privacy, with paved and level sites available for RVs with full hookup options. Bathrooms and shower facilities throughout the campground are consistently clean and well-maintained. Dogs must be kept on leashes at all times while in the park. The campground is extremely quiet compared to other area options, with sites spaced generously to provide a sense of seclusion despite neighboring campers being within 30 feet.
The extensive trail system provides excellent options for hiking with dogs, including the historic Rose Island trail that features the ruins of an old theme park. Pets are welcome on all hiking paths but owners should be prepared for some challenging terrain, as certain trails involve significant elevation changes including a 400-foot climb. Louisville South KOA offers an alternative pet-friendly option with amenities specifically designed for campers with dogs. The campground provides trash receptacles for pet waste disposal and maintains clean facilities. Wildlife sightings are common throughout the area's campgrounds, so owners should keep pets secure, especially during early morning and evening hours when deer are frequently spotted grazing near campsites. Veterinary services can be found in nearby Shelbyville and Louisville.
$33 - $40 / night
"The spots were decently spaced out, the bathrooms are clean, and there are some hiking trails from the campground."
"There is always a bathhouse close by and they are usually very clean. Staff is always super nice."
$20 - $30 / night
"Lots of mud still around the camp sites. A nice parking lot in front of sites to back your rig up. Pads are small in length so be aware of that when it mentions it on the website."
"RV sites and tent sites lakeside. Fishing, ducks. $5 swimming pool nearby. $20/night tents. Showers and restrooms. Nice parks nearby for equestrian, playground, disk golf course."
$20 - $45 / night
"We had a pretty decent time at Taylorsville Lake. The spots were spacious, and very nice picnic tables. We did a trail which was nice and went down to a boat ramp to see the lake."
"Better if you have a boat ( or rent one at the marina across the lake) good access to the lake, gets busy in the summer. Stores in decent proximity off property. Can get loud at times."
$26 - $64 / night
"There are horse trails, a beach, and great water for swimming/kayaking/canoeing. It is pet friendly as well. The bath house in our area was older but fairly clean."
"Great sites close to the lake"
$20 - $35 / night
"Most of the sites border wooded areas, so they are in the open. Great access to the hiking trails, and the nice lodge for those who may want to check-in to a room or enjoy the indoor pool."
"The water was down a bit so the falls were not very large but the trails were really great! It was hot (July) and the wooded hiking trails helped keep us comfortable."
$40 - $45 / night
"If you are looking to be close to downtown Louisville, this is the campground for you. The staff was super nice and the location is very convenient for getting downtown."
$15 - $30 / night
"Tent sites have so many trees surrounding them. If you're looking for more privacy anything off of the loop will do just fine."
"Having lived 62 years in Kentucky, less than twenty minutes from the Jeff. Forest, leaving to explore USA, then returning to my home state allows me a unique point of view."
"Close to shopping and restaurants. We will stay here again when back in the Louisville area."
$25 - $200 / night
"Offering beautiful scenery, this is a great place to get away from it all."
"Great location. Very very friendly staff with special giveaways lol. Will return if in the area."
"There was corn hole, ladder ball, pool, walking trails, access to the river, cat fish pond, small dog park, and washers & dryers."
"Full hookups, dog park, lots of places to walk, even trails. We had a great stay here and will most likely come back next time we’re near Louisville."
GuideThere was lots to do at this KOA. There was corn hole, ladder ball, pool, walking trails, access to the river, cat fish pond, small dog park, and washers & dryers. You could bring your RV, travel trailer, tent camp, or rent a cabin. I’m sure I’m forgetting something. The spots were close together. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The park was clean and well maintained.
GuideWe had a pretty decent time at Taylorsville Lake. The spots were spacious, and very nice picnic tables. We did a trail which was nice and went down to a boat ramp to see the lake. You can also rent boats there as well. The bathrooms in my opinion needed a major cleaning. They were nice just not very clean. We most likely won’t visit here again but was nice to hit a Kentucky campground. I have found that camping in Kentucky is much cheaper than in Indiana. Definitely worth a checkout.
RangerMake sure you take the exit they tell you & do NOT follow gps or you’ll go down a long country road. Nice little family owned campground on Elkhorn Creek. Convenient to Frankfort, Georgetown & Lexington. Waterfront sites available, many concrete sites & some gravel sites. From what I hear, they have made many improvements and continue to do so. I believe most sites are full hookup & they are building cute little pergolas on several sites. I had a long, gravel pull thru site. Barely any room on the camp side but both ends were roomy. Cute little general store & a very clean little laundry building w/a change machine. Fire rings on all sites that I saw. I believe there are 2 play areas for kids & a pool. There is a dog park w/a side for large dogs & small dogs. It was shaded and had seating. Convenient to several distilleries including Buffalo Trace & Woodford Reserve. There’s a place nearby that rents kayaks and canoes. They have entertainment & a food truck on weekends.
GuideThe staff are super helpful. The site we had was for a 38’ RV. Full hookups, dog park, lots of places to walk, even trails. We had a great stay here and will most likely come back next time we’re near Louisville.
GuideThe sites here are not level. We used our normal 2x green blocks for the Jack, but needed all 10 of our leveling blocks, plus 8 paving stones to get the appropriate height.
Despite advertising, there is no dog park. There are a ton of dogs, so this would’ve been nice.
The river and waterfall makes it feel like a tranquil place. The walking trail by the river is nice, we walked it almost every day.
Live music and food trucks every Saturday are a nice touch!
GuideThe sites are well-spaced and there’s a beautiful lake where you can kayak, canoe, fish, let your dog swim, etc. Disc golf is the big activity at this park. Awesome walking path and a petting zoo. The park is exceptionally clean. Sites on the lake view side are noisy due to traffic on the highway.
ScoutVery friendly staff. The bathrooms having regular working toilets and showers. The bathrooms are very nice. There is a pool, volleyball courts and a dog park. It is hot in June, so bring a canopy if your RV doesn’t have one.
ScoutOwners are fantastic. They will get to a 5 as they continue their hard work making it an awesome place. New owners took over 4 months ago. They have many activities (was yogi bear till it was sold) put put, bowling, chess, volleyball, fishing. Dog park, Play ground was nicely done. Lake has lots of algae. Pool is brand new. It is by highway however, that did not bother us personally. I will visit again and would consider seasonal. Service id rate them a 5. Wonderful people and the place as much potential.
LegendWe received an information email the day before prior to arrival with general info and wifi password plus how to pre check in. The morning of arrival, we received another email with specific instructions to not trust GPS and follow their instructions. Our Trip Wizard and Waze GPS instructions actually brought us right to the campground (CG). Since we had pre checked in, we were instructed in the directions email to go directly to deluxe pull-through site 78, where our welcome package would be in the electrical box. The site was plenty long enough for our 40’ toy hauler and F450. Not sure why this is a deluxe site as its gravel with a picnic table and portable fire pit? The utilities were more towards the front of the pad with no issues reaching the connections. It was a nice touch to see a small cement circle pad on the sewer connection. This is a new CG, so amenities like the laundry and gift shop were not opened yet. Water pressure was good. We got 4 bars on Verizon and 3 bars 5G on T-Mobile. We used our T-Mobile Internet versus Starlink. It would not have been an issue to use satellite as there are no mature trees in the campground. They have one large(about 1/4 acre) fenced dog area. The dog park slopes down a hill and connects with a fence that goes around the property. Do not throw small balls down the hill as they can go through the fence and there’s no way to recover the ball due to no openings/gates near by to get to the back of the dog park. There’s also a smaller fenced dog area near the front of the CG. Great customer service before and during our stay.
Primitive campsites and RV sites near Crestwood, Kentucky range from grassland areas with 400-foot elevation changes to forested settings along creeks and lakes. The region encompasses several state parks, national forests, and county-managed recreation areas within a 30-mile radius of Crestwood. Camping season typically runs April through November, with some year-round options available at certain locations.
Hiking historic trails: Clifty Falls State Park offers challenging trails with significant elevation changes. As one visitor notes, "Trails are great and have terrain grading that is pretty accurate. Trails are not marked very well so plan for longer hikes than anticipated."
Lake activities: At Deam Lake State Recreation Area, visitors enjoy no-wake boating and swimming. A recent camper shared, "The lake doesn't allow non-electric motors so waters were calm. Caught some bluegills."
Historical exploration: Charlestown State Park Campground features abandoned structures to explore. "Spent 5 nights and had a wonderful time. Enjoyed trails, big lots and lots of stuff for the kids to do," writes one visitor who camped in October.
Wildlife viewing: At Lake Shelby Campground, campers can observe local wildlife along the shore. "Awesome wildlife for a park within the city: herons, geese (except for poop), ducks, turtles, beavers. We didn't see the coons but put food away every night as they visited our camp on a nightly basis."
Spacious campsites: Taylorsville Lake State Park Campground offers generously sized sites. A visitor mentioned, "We really enjoyed this park. Plenty of room for camper and car, big grass area and nice bathhouse."
Clean facilities: Deam Lake State Recreation Area maintains excellent facilities according to reviews. One camper stated, "The bathhouse was really, really nice. Very clean and spacious."
Nature immersion: Jefferson Memorial Forest Campground provides a natural setting close to urban areas. A visitor described it as "Having lived 62 years in Kentucky, less than twenty minutes from the Jeff. Forest, leaving to explore USA, then returning to my home state allows me a unique point of view. The seclusion here and the closeness to nature is a grand slam!"
Water access: Multiple campgrounds feature lakes or streams for recreation. At Hones Pointe Campground, visitors enjoy "the stream which passes through, and watching the geese, Guinea Fowl, and rabbits."
Seasonal considerations: Some campgrounds have limited amenities in off-season. A Clifty Falls visitor reported, "Bathrooms aren't heated in the cooler months. Zero cellular or wifi service so that could be good or bad."
Water conditions: Lake quality varies across locations. At Lake Shelby, one visitor noted, "The lake was brown and had an oily film across the top. It smelled of dead fish and something else that I couldn't identify."
Noise factors: Several campgrounds experience noise from nearby transportation. At Louisville South KOA, a camper mentioned, "The Platz liegt in der Einflugschneise des Flughafens. Auch die ganze Nacht hört man Fluglärm."
Reservation requirements: Many campgrounds require advance booking during peak season. Jefferson Memorial Forest Campground offers primitive sites for $15/night but requires reservations on weekends.
Playground access: Multiple campgrounds offer play areas for children. A Lake Shelby visitor noted, "We had a beautiful, quiet place, right on the lake, and we set up camp as the sun was setting. It was beautiful! There was an awesome play area for the kids."
Activity options: Clifty Falls State Park Campground provides diverse activities. A reviewer shared, "The park is a beautiful park with lots of hiking, 3 waterfalls, a cave, nature center and inn/restaurant. There is also a very nice pool located close to the campground."
Site selection: Choose sites strategically based on amenities and privacy. At Jefferson Memorial Forest, a camper advised, "The majority of the sites are spaced out and private but unfortunately I couldn't find any pictures online of the sites so the one we got was not private."
Wildlife awareness: Teach children about wildlife encounters. At Taylorsville Lake, campers report, "Racoons were in the area. Shaded, plenty of tree cover."
Site limitations: At Louisville North Campground, spaces can be extremely tight. A reviewer cautioned, "We have never stayed in a place that the spaces were this close. I thought about saying all the facts, but If you read any reviews they are all spot on!! We have a 41' Class A towing and I don't think we would fit of any bigger."
Hookup options: Hones Pointe Campground offers electric and water hookups with well-maintained sites. A visitor mentioned, "Great little campground, Steve, the owner, is responsive to getting firewood right to your site. Very narrow road paved road going back to the campground. Great for tents, pop-up campers and smaller RV's."
Leveling challenges: Some sites require substantial leveling. At Clifty Falls, one RVer reported, "Site 22 was so sloped our red levelers barely made it work. Sore needed gravel, it was mostly sticky dirt that got tracked into our travel trailer immediately after sweeping."
Accessibility considerations: Check site dimensions before booking. At Add-More Campground, a visitor advised, "Big Rig Friendly but very tight. Only good thing is the best water pressure I've had in months."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Crestwood, KY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Crestwood, KY is Charlestown State Park Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 37 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 61 dog-friendly camping locations near Crestwood, KY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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