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Best Tent Camping near Henderson, KY

293 Reviews

Tent camping options near Henderson, Kentucky include several primitive sites within driving distance. Lake Mauzy East in Morganfield, Kentucky offers free tent camping with lake views and basic amenities. Camp Cadiz Campground and Tower Rock Campground in Illinois' Shawnee National Forest provide additional tent camping locations within reasonable driving distance, each with unique features and settings.

Most tent campsites in the region feature simple amenities suited for self-sufficient campers. Lake Mauzy East provides fire rings and picnic tables at tent sites along the shoreline but lacks drinking water and shower facilities. Sites typically include dirt or grass tent pads with minimal development. Camp Cadiz Campground includes pit toilets and potable water from a spigot but no showers, making it suitable for primitive tent setups. A camper noted that "the spaces are wide open and big for multiple tents" with well water and a picnic table at each site.

Tent campers in the Henderson area enjoy a range of experiences from waterfront sites to forested settings. Lake Mauzy East offers lakeside tent sites with opportunities for fishing and boating. The primitive tent campsites remain relatively quiet even during peak season, providing peaceful natural surroundings. One visitor mentioned that "this is an amazing spot for free camping with tent pads right by the water, offering stunning lake views." Tower Rock Campground provides river views with sites spread out well, most featuring fire rings with grill stands and tables. Seasonal considerations affect camping conditions, with some areas like Tower Rock occasionally closing during flood seasons. Saline County State Conservation Area offers larger campsites with lake access, though tent campers should be aware that cell service is limited at waterfront sites.

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Best Tent Sites Near Henderson, Kentucky (4)

    1. Lake Mauzy East

    3 Reviews
    Morganfield, KY
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (270) 389-3580

    "The tent pads are right by the water, offering stunning lake views. Each site comes equipped with a fire ring, picnic table, and access to toilets—everything you need for a comfortable stay."

    "Lake mauzy is very quiet. No hookups but if you want to boondocks this is a great place."

    2. Camp Cadiz Campground

    6 Reviews
    Karbers Ridge, IL
    40 miles
    Website

    "On a gravel road, in the back country like most everything else on this side of Illinois , fill your gas tank up and your food locker or you will be driving back out a ways to refill. "

    "There was potable water from a spigot and lots of kindling around to get fires going. No showers. Over all a nice site. I would stay there again."

    3. Tower Rock Campground

    6 Reviews
    Cave-In-Rock, IL
    44 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 658-2111

    "Campground is smaller but the sites are spread out well, most have fire ring with grill stand and table, firewood available to gather onsite when I was there, vault toilets, right on the river so may be"

    "There is a pit toilet, but no water. "

    4. Saline County State Conservation Area

    2 Reviews
    Equality, IL
    45 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 276-4405

    $8 / night

    "There is a dump station and potable water at the entrance to the campground. There are also some water spigots sprinkled throughout the campground."

    "This was a great campground with fantastic views of the lake.

    We also hiked Garden of the Gods and Burden Falls in the Shawnee National Forest. The hikes were great."

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Henderson, KY

5 Photos of 4 Henderson Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Henderson, KY

293 Reviews of 4 Henderson Campgrounds

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 1, 2016

    Pharoah - Garden of the Gods Rec Area Campground

    Garden of the Gods

    Primative camping at its best. This is heavily used in the summer and early fall. Picnic tables and fire rings, vault toilets. Go in the off season and you will have plenty of privacy. Fairly level tent sites , some with nice trees for hammocks. Close to Little Grand Canyon, a really neat natural bridge, and Illinois wineries.

  • Richy R.
    Apr. 2, 2025

    Lake Mauzy East

    Harris-Dickerson WMA (Free) – A Hidden Gem on the Lake!

    This is an amazing spot for free camping! The tent pads are right by the water, offering stunning lake views. Each site comes equipped with a fire ring, picnic table, and access to toilets—everything you need for a comfortable stay. Despite its remote feel, Walmart is just a 12-minute drive away for any last-minute supplies. We would have loved to stay longer, but incoming storms cut our trip short. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a peaceful and scenic getaway! No electricity or showers!

  • Lane M.
    Jun. 6, 2019

    Pharoah - Garden of the Gods Rec Area Campground

    Great little spot!

    This camping spot is just down the road from Southern IL’s Garden Of the Gods. There were 12 camping areas. Plenty of room and trees for tents and hammocks. Also, there is a good amount of shade so if you tent in the right spot you don’t wake up roasting from the sun. The campsites have a lot of room so your neighbors don’t seem like they are on top of your site. The spots include a picnic table, hanging poles for trash or lantern, and a fire pit with movable built-in grill. The area is very wooded so unless the ground is wet you can find lots of firewood. There is a drinking water pump at the entrance of the campsite but it’s pretty chlorinated. There is no shower or running water and the toilets are pit style; but there are toilets. I don’t know if other sites had this but ours had 2 trails leading right out of the woods. Great for close to home hiking.

    P.S. Beware of tailless raccoon at site 12 that likes to steal Doritos.

  • Tim E.
    Jul. 30, 2018

    Sun Outdoors Lake Rudolph

    Not for Little Kids

    We chose this campground due to its proximity to Holiday World and its family friendly atmosphere.

    The Bad: We took our 5 and 3 year old daughters for their first camp out with the plan to do Holiday World the next day. This place has golf carts zipping all over all hours of the day and night. Apparently it is the thing to do to decorate golf carts with bright lights, blairing music, and megaphones. They even has a golf cart parade that went from 8:30-10:40pm and included thrown candy that ran about 30 feet from our tent! There was no privacy between sites, constant noise, and trash all over the ground! As an advocate for leave no trace camping, I was completely disgusted with the amount of trash on the ground at our camp site.

    The Good (there was some): The shuttle to Holiday World was great, the staff were friendly, they have a great mini golf course that the girls loved, a top notch playground, and scheduled kuds activities (many are free). they also have a pool and water slides, but i cant comment on those as we did not try them.

    At the end of the day, we had a great trip. but if i were to stay here again it would have to be a more secluded camp site without the constant buzz of golf carts. And I sure hope the amount of trash we saw was a fluke.

  • M E.
    Oct. 17, 2021

    Pine Ridge

    Beautiful Area with large sites!

    This campground area is beautiful! We stayed here 3 nights. We arrived on a Thursday and there were plenty of open spots. Friday they open some of the other loops up for more people to stay and it did fill up for the weekend. 

    You can get some cell service but only in choice areas (at the front by the water spigot and some of the roads leading down to the lake. We were not able to get any cell service (Verizon, AT&T, or T Mobile) in the electric loop. 

    This area is a primitive area and is not really set up for RVs. Don't get me wrong... RVs can definitely fit in most of the camping spots but only 1 loop has electricity, there is no sanitary dump station, and the water spigot does not have a way to hook up a hose to fill your tank. If you dump your tanks and fill with fresh water before coming you should be good. 

    It does have vault toilets... no showers. The toilets were very clean for vault toilets. 

    The lake area is beautiful with a swimming area, fishing pier, and pavilion to eat or sit under for shade. It looks like they really keep the area cleaned up!

    Another little note that we learned is that the park rangers can help you move sites... or even campgrounds if your site is not working for you so you don't loose out on money like we did. This only applies to other Shawnee campgrounds of course but there are quite a few to choose from!

  • Abby M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 7, 2021

    Pharoah - Garden of the Gods Rec Area Campground

    Nice little campground

    I arrived on Friday around 2:30pm hoping to get a spot but unfortunately, all spots were already taken (about 10-12). The vault toilet looked decently clean and all sites had a nice fire ring, picnic table and hanging hooks. Some sites were closer together than others but would work for a night or two to enjoy the beauty around! Little picnic area just around the corner and about .5 from several awesome hikes!

  • Ashley D.
    Feb. 24, 2020

    Pike State Forest

    Very primitive

    The park is very primitive with no electricity. There is running water but you have to walk quite a ways to get to it if you arent camping by it. There are no shower houses and the bathrooms are just a glorified porta potty. Aside from lacking amenities it is a very quiet and pretty place to camp.

  • J
    Sep. 1, 2022

    Tower Rock Campground

    Clean, quiet, and great river views!

    Campground is smaller but the sites are spread out well, most have fire ring with grill stand and table, firewood available to gather onsite when I was there, vault toilets, right on the river so may be closed during flood seasons. Will be staying here again!

  • Steve C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 30, 2020

    Pharoah - Garden of the Gods Rec Area Campground

    Basic campsite in a great location

    Basic car camping campsites with a picnic table, fire ring and a food pole at each site. The sites were clean the night I was there but the water seems to have been already turned off for the season (late October). There are vault style outhouses and an honor system check in box $15/night. The best part of this campsite is it’s a 5-10 minute walk to main trail/recreation area as well as the various other trails in the area.

Guide to Henderson

Nestled near Henderson, Kentucky, tent camping offers a serene escape into nature, with several well-reviewed campgrounds that cater to outdoor enthusiasts.

Tips for tent camping near Henderson

  • For a peaceful experience, consider camping at Lake Mauzy East, where you can enjoy the tranquility of nature and spot various wildlife.
  • Bring your own firewood when visiting Camp Cadiz Campground, as fires are not allowed, but the rustic setting makes for a cozy atmosphere.
  • If you're looking for a quiet spot, Tower Rock Campground offers a secluded experience with beautiful river views, perfect for a relaxing getaway.

Local activities for tent campers

Tent campers should check out unique features

  • Lake Mauzy East is pet-friendly, making it a great choice for those who want to bring their furry friends along for the adventure.
  • At Camp Cadiz Campground, you'll find a small, rustic site with only a few campers, ensuring a quiet and intimate camping experience.
  • Tower Rock Campground features a unique rock cliff overlook, providing breathtaking views of the Ohio River, perfect for photography and relaxation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Henderson, KY?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Henderson, KY is Lake Mauzy East with a 4.7-star rating from 3 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Henderson, KY?

TheDyrt.com has all 4 tent camping locations near Henderson, KY, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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