Best Tent Camping near Cynthiana, KY

Recent Tent Reviews near Cynthiana, Kentucky

522 Reviews of 12 Cynthiana Campgrounds

• 

  Kelsey M.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 11, 2020

  Kincaid Lake State Park Campground

  Scenic Drive In

  I visited mid/early July and the drive in was incredibly beautiful. It’s a little bit remote and my phone didn’t really have service, but that’s my favorite kind of camping. It was predictably hot and muggy until a rainstorm rolled through. The host and staff were very friendly. There’s no drinking water in the campground. Because of COVID-19 the only park of the park that was open was the campground but usually there’s a small store where I imagine you could buy water. The RV sites are on top of a hill where the facilities and playground are. The tent sites are down a steep hill towards the lake. If you are tent camping and can snag a site by the water, it may cost a little more but is worth it! The sunrise on the lake is beautiful. Because of the steep slope down to the water, many of the tent sites aren’t all that flat. Heads up, if you are driving out in the early morning keep and eye out for the dozens of deer and woodland creatures along the roads. Also, bring bug spray.

• 

  Crystal C.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 31, 2018

  Camp on the Kentucky

  Seasonal Campground With Great Pricing

  Something that sets this place apart from others in the area is long term tent camping!! Yes you read that right, LONG TERM TENT CAMPING! For most of those who travel you know they often offer long term services for those in RVs which provides a discount for staying more than a night or two, but at this campground you as a tent camper can find a location that suits your Kentucky home needs on the road for a day, a week or even a month!

  But what does that entail exactly?

  This site is really nice, with level sites for RVs or tents, padded grass which is well maintained, nice gravel roads around camp and a river frontage with views which will make you just want to stop and take in the scenery.

  When I visited I noticed a lot of people staying here near the weekend were visiting to launch their boats and troll the river fishing for what looked like some pretty large fish. It was pretty cool to see some of the people setting up their campground fish fry, and they were even friendly enough to invite me to join, though I don't eat fish so it didn't really work out that way.

  The tent sites were shaded and had several different options, you could choose primitive which is only $17 or for a few dollars more you could have electricity. All sites come with a picnic table and fire ring and a pull in to keep you and your things closely together.

  There was a playground and volleyball, but I didn't see anyone using these when I was there. A small camp store has a lot of the essentials in case your forgot something or just needed to pick up a snack. There was also firewood available, a big plus!!

  This place is a bit older looking in appearance but it is charming and the owner is very cool. I didn't meet a single person there that wasn't just enjoying life.

  TIPS:

  • If you are trying to check in the office has kind of strange hours. They are only open until 2 Sunday through Tuesday, not sure why but call in advance if you are running later than this time and want to check in.
  • Check their online event schedule! This campground host tailgating for UK so you can find a good tailgate party if you plan in advance, right at your campground!!
  • This is nearby the Bourbon Trail as well as so many other places where you will find activities. I was here to check out the Castle (I have attached a few photos) Can't miss this stop!!!
• 

  John M.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 1, 2020

  A.J. Jolly Park & Campground

  This Campground is Fantastic.

  This Campground is Fantastic. My Wife and I camped here for the first time last September 2019, we Camped in a tent and it was just Beautiful there. We will be going back this year but this time we will be going in a Camper fhat we just bought. We can't wait to go back.

  Thank you A.J. Jolly Campground.

• B

  Ben M.

  Traveler

  

  Jan. 3, 2022

  Kincaid Lake State Park Campground

  Nice park, well maintained

  Park is nice, tent sites along the lake are beautiful and very peaceful. Unfortunately most tent sites are not very level, it can be a bit tough with larger tents. The park is very clean and well maintained and I will definitely be staying here again.

• 

  Nicole B.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 17, 2021

  Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park

  Nice Spot

  Very popular for RV. I was just tent camping. Decent sized plots. Bathroom facilities were good. Nice stay.

• 

  Kevin T.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 18, 2020

  Guist Creek Marina & Campground

  Had a nice evening

  The staff were very friendly and accommodating. I asked for the most remote location to set up my tent. It’s still pretty close (across the gravel road about 100’ from RV/trailer campers). The row of tent sites backed up to a fence line. There are trees along this row so you’re not in full sun all day. I wish the tent sites were along the edge of the lake, but this is safer for small children. I’d camp here again possibly. There is a shower house but I did not use this facility. A Rural King store and other retail businesses are less than 5 miles from the location if you happen to forget something.

• 

  Crystal S.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 21, 2018

  Red River Gorge Campground

  Spring visit

  We fell in love with The Gorge in April and will be back in September and at Christmas! Several kid friendly (ages 8, 4, & 2) spots and while we went the cabin route, we'll be tent camping next round!

• L

  Lisa S.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 11, 2018

  Kincaid Lake State Park Campground

  Breathtaking scenery

  The boating area is nice and has your typical “outdoor “ facilities you would find at a rest area. The scenery of the water and trees are amazing. The campground is good for tent camping but iffy for others. I would definitely bring extra leveling blocks.

• C

  Cheerio

  Scout

  

  Oct. 12, 2023

  Twin Knobs Recreation Area

  Beautiful Area

  Stayed on the F Loop next to the lake, fire pit, picnic table, level tent site and bathroom showers a short walk. Camp hosts very friendly and helpful. campsite are close together.

• J

  Jan C.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 12, 2021

  Three Springs Campground

  Beautiful, friendly campgrounds

  Enjoying our stay. Owners are updating as we speak and have many more planned. No sewer hookups but have a dump station on site and honey wagon service at trailer for a fee if needed. Tent camping also available. Well off highway so. I road noise to deal with, just lots of squirrels and chipmunks.

• S

  Shaun B.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 31, 2019

  Twin Knobs Recreation Area

  Beautiful!

  Grew up going here and still to this day it is my absolute favorite place to camp. You can tent camp which is what we did growing up or you places for campers. Most of all of the sites are shaded. Close walk to the lake with quite a few walking trails. Nice bathhouse’s.

• 

  Ko L.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 28, 2020

  Zilpo Campground

  A feel of wild camping

  The site I m at H37 is perfect site for tent camp which is a step below road level give you a necessary privacy you look and shade while you are camping . Only downside picnic table broken . The shower room is ok to do its job but which might need some maintenance. As two of 3 showers were broken .

• K

  Karen P.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 12, 2019

  The Ole Cornfield

  Great place to unwind and enjoy the river.

  The campground is brand new and it has new bath/shower houses.  It has 10 RV sites and riverside tent sites.  The sites are level and pull through with 50 amp service.  There is city water available and a dump station.  Very clean place and the staff are great to work with.  They have kayaking at the campground or shuttle service if you bring your own kayak.  The ride from the dam down to the campground is beautiful and serene.  It is great for beginning kayakers.  The tent sites along the river are so peaceful with the river running below you.  There is a lot to do in the area with Cave Run Lake for water adventures and Lockegee Rock and the Sheltowee Trail for hiking.  The Licking River has several fish species from the fun to catch bluegill to the Muskellunge.  This is a must see place that I will definitely return to.

• 

  Brandon E.

  Scout

  

  May. 8, 2021

  Guist Creek Marina & Campground

  Courteous staff, not best site itself

  Staff was very courteous. I was given very clear directions to the site and couldn't miss it. The lake is beautiful. Dog and I took a little canoe ride. My only issue was that the primitive tent sites were so close to the camper sites which likely couldn't be helped.

• 

  Wayne H.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 1, 2019

  Twin Knobs Recreation Area

  Twin Knobs

  This drive in camp site is a pay only and it’s best to call a couple weeks before your trip to reserve you spot! You can tent camp, pop up, or set up your pull behind. Twin Knobs is very clean and spacious campsites and most are on the water! This campground has basketball courts, a beach area, restrooms and more. Pet friendly but must stay on a leash.

• J

  Jeffrey

  Guide

  

  Oct. 12, 2021

  Red River Gorge Campground

  Red river gorge

  Well traveled trails easily followed. Clean campground. Very scenic as one would expect. Local food is good a lot of small mom an pop establishments. 30/50 amp service at most if the campgrounds all have tent camping. Cell service is very spotty WiFi was the same pet friendly. Did see signs for ADA sites. Found food and supplies available found a few outfitters for camping and rafting gear

• 

  Sara S.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 25, 2016

  Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park

  maybe try a cabin next visit...

  Short visit here, but it was enjoyable :) This park as a few shorter hiking trails, which were nice, as well as historic sites, mini golf, and a pool. The park has a lodge and cabins as well as a campground. In the campground area is basketball and volleyball. Campground is not very large, but ‘secluded’ is not a word I would use when describing it. The tent camping sites, ‘primitive’ were not :( It was an okay experience, but there was road noise and no seclusion (we were in a field essentially with the other tent campers).

• J

  Jeffrey

  Guide

  

  Jul. 25, 2021

  A.J. Jolly Park & Campground

  Aj jolly

  Campgrounds we’re designed for pop up campers limited sites for RVs an Travel Trailers electric was dependable water at most sites plenty of tent sites. They have some equestrian sites and one or two trails For what it is a the location it’s not a bad place. We have camped there. Many many times. Really a good campground for new campers. Close to what ever you may have forgotten or need

• J

  Joseph R.

  Traveler

  

  May. 13, 2020

  The Ole Cornfield

  Very Cool Spot

  This place is new and under great ownership. Justin took the evening call, guided us in then got us quickly settled and told us “ the just right “ amount of info on the campsite and area. The tent sites are very cool. They have a large flat grassy area with lots of sites right beside the river. The RV sites are new, drive through and flat , with electric , and water. There something cool to be facing the cornfield and being in unique open space. Our dog loved it !

  Highly Recommend!!

• 

  Maddy B.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 17, 2020

  East Fork State Park Campground

  Decent campground

  This campsite is HUGE. Has over 400 campsites and the first 17 have places you can keep your horses! Something I have never seen before. Some sites are not okay for tent camping and when we got there we had to go back to the office to see if we could change our site. Lucky for us you get one free site switch a stay, so that was nice. The beach is big but unfortunately no dogs allowed. It would be nice for them to include a section where dogs were allowed so we could enjoy. We spent our day on the trails instead. A lot of RV camping but overall it was a great trip!

• 

  William C.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 12, 2022

  Callie’s Lake and Campground

  Great versatile campground

  RV park in the front, more primitive tent camping in the back. There is a pond/lake just big enough to fish and swim in, and there’s a rope swing the kids loved. This place has pretty good food made on site and had karaoke on Saturday nite with a good crowd. The spots were good, if not a bit close together. We didn’t have a picnic table but we brought a table so it wasn’t a big deal for us. Also I think they would get you one if you didn’t have one. Staff was great. Fire pit was Flinstone style: just a ring of rocks. But it got the job done. Very close to Slade and Stanton.

• C

  Crystal H.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 8, 2019

  Fort Boonesborough State Park

  Nice!

  This is a very nice park. There were lots of activities going on the weekend we were there. Playground was really good. Many of the sites were small. They had about 30 sites that have sewage. The rest of the sites had electric and water. There were tent sites also. The bath house was nice and clean. The staff was super friendly. There is miniature golf and a small store on site. There is a walking trail trough the woods to Ft Boonesboro (a recreation of the original fort). Unfortunately it was a wet rainy weekend when we went, so we didn’t get to tour the fort. We would definitely go back.

• E

  Elle H.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 15, 2019

  Kincaid Lake State Park Campground

  Hilly, beautiful and secluded

  My family stayed here because we were visiting the Ark Encounter.  I’m not sure if there are closer campgrounds, but we chose to primitive camp here for our visit.  We arrived with just enough time to set up up our tent and head back towards Alexandria for dinner and supplies at Walmart.  There is not much variety and choices very close.  The RV and tent area is very hilly.  Our tent ground sloped but it didn’t bother us very much.  The campsites are very close to each other but there was only two other tent campers and they were both over 4 sites over from us. The tent area has portable toilets.  I chose to drive to the shower house when I needed to use the restroom.  The shower house is typical of most campgrounds, a few cobwebs but generally clean with shower and toilet stalls.  There are two shower houses for the entire campground.  The lake is very pretty, a few camp grounds are right off the shore.  The only thing I didn’t like was that there was no water spigot in the main tent camp area.

• 

  Daniel S.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 12, 2017

  Zilpo Campground

  OVER RATED

  "Zilpo, a large, fun-filled campground on Cave Run Lake, is a prime destination for families. The scenic campground offers a cabin rental, tent camping, RV sites with electric hookups and a selection of lakefront sites.  

  Views of the lake are enjoyed by those who relax on the sandy beach. Tater Knob, a fire tower open to the public, is nearby, offering outstanding views of the area."

  We were planning on staying multiple night because of the reviews online but it ended up being a whole lot of families with kids running around like wild beasts for hours on end. it truly annoyed us the entire time we were there and left early in the morning. I'm sure we could have spoke to some one and moved sites. It is advertised as above as fun for the whole family so we felt like dicks haha. whatever. moving along now.

• 

  Bounding Around

  Legend

  

  Nov. 1, 2019

  Twin Knobs Recreation Area

  Awesome campground on the lake!

  This time of year (October) this campground is walk up only. We got there as quick as we could and are glad we did as we were able to grab an awesome site. There are tent sites and RV sites here and the campground is gorgeous. It’s right on a lake(so expect boat traffic) and there are several loops all along the lake. Those loops are connected by a trail that I enjoyed walking on. Internet service is spotty there– our Verizon hotspot worked ok, but the Sprint was super slow. There are mountain biking trails that you can access right from the campground so that was nice. You can also go on a short hike up one of the knobs. However, there really isn’t a good view at the top. I loved this campground and would go back in a heartbeat! In fact, I didn’t want to leave!

• J

  Jeffrey

  Guide

  

  Aug. 23, 2021

  A.J. Jolly Park & Campground

  AJ jolly

  First time we’ve been to the park since they added the “premium sites” what a joke. It’s terrible road it ungraded sites are in level the approach to the sites are terrible it was t planes out very well not well maintained. It would make a better off road park that a premium RV site. When we arrived you have to make a u turn because the ranger station you sign in it on the other side of the actual “premium sites “. The road that use to go back to the equestrian sight is no longer used. No idea why. Probably ooor planning an construction again Water hook ups are on the opposite side of electrical on several sites. They do have nice picnic tables. A fire ring. And a charcoal grill the camp grounds use to be well maintained the staff use to be helpful and friendly. Not so much now. The parks department need to do some work before I would recommend this place to anyone with a trailer or Motorhome been to worse but not much. Tent camping is better suited for this park

• 

  Nicklaus G.

  Scout

  

  Mar. 28, 2021

  Guist Creek Marina & Campground

  Perfect all around!

  I’m on a month camping trek. This is the third place I’ve stopped in the past week. Beautiful area, tent camping and pull thru available. Camp hosts were knowledgeable, helpful, and kind. Store had everything I needed.

  The place is beautiful with river view and valley overlooking sunsets every night. Options of wooded or open concept sites. Picnic tables and fireplaces were in good shape. Thunderstorms came though the night by noon everything was dry and perfect.

  Everyone in the store when I arrived was welcoming. Answered all my questions. The have fishing licenses available, along with hunting.

  Be aware it is a Marina, this said if fishings your deal everything your looking for in the store. If you’re used to being spoiled in state park camp stores, they have wood and ice and food and coffee. Don’t bank on them have that last minute toothbrush you forgot.

  This being said the shower house was immaculate. Been camping since I was six months old. Don’t remember all the shower houses but I’ve never seen one this clean and well maintained.

  For sure will be visiting again!