Searching for the best camping near Independence, KY? Independence is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. Find the best campgrounds near Independence, KY. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.
East Fork State Park Campground is large with 400+ year-round sites mostly wooded, and located on the north side of the lake. (follow link for reservation details) It offers Electric and Full Hookup sites, including an equestrian camping in Loop A; all with 20, 30, and 50 amp service. Designated hammock camping sites are available.
Each site has a paved pad, picnic table, and fire ring. Bring your own equipment and play cornhole, soccer, basketball; plus enjoy beach and boat ramp access and pay-to-play putt-putt. Visitor’s Passes ($3) are collected from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend and special holidays (ie-Halloween campouts). Leashed pets are permitted in all areas.
$29 - $30 / night
$22 - $30 / night
This recreation area is part of West Fork of Mill Creek Lake
A.J. Jolly Park & Campground is an award-winning, 1000 acre park that offers 83 Camping Spots (47 of which have been improved with water and electric) and many outdoor activities. A.J. Jolly offers approximately 20 miles of trails to enjoy a day out on the horse. We are proud of our new stable and campground, which includes a new 28 stall barn, 12 site campground with water and electric, comfort station, dump station, pavilion with grills, and a playground.
105 campsites total 25 RV back-in sites with full hookup (water, 30/50-amp electric, sewer), gravel pad and patio, picnic table, and fire ring 12 RV pull-through sites with full hookup (water, 30/50-amp electric, sewer), concrete pad, picnic table, and fire ring Water is shut off at all full hook-up sites when winter camping begins. 68 tent sites with 30-amp electric, picnic table, and fire ring 6 rustic camping cabins with one double and three single beds, kitchen table, electric, heat and air conditioning
Campground office
Camp store with café
Washer and dryer
Group activity shelter
Playground
Two dump stations ($11 fee for non-campers)
WiFi access
Walking distance to Winton Woods Harbor
$43 - $73 / night
$25 - $54 / night
The modern year-round campground offers more than 200 Electric sites, including 20 with Full Hookup, and more than 100 Non-electric sites.
228 campsites with electrical outlets 137 non-electric campsites with vault latrines Picnic table and fire ring at each site. Leashed pets are permitted on any site. Showers, flush toilets, laundry, and trailer waste station Recreational amenities include outdoor checkers, basketball and volleyball courts, and playgrounds Water available in winter
East Fork State Park Campground is large with 400+ year-round sites mostly wooded, and located on the north side of the lake. (follow link for reservation details) It offers Electric and Full Hookup sites, including an equestrian camping in Loop A; all with 20, 30, and 50 amp service. Designated hammock camping sites are available.
Each site has a paved pad, picnic table, and fire ring. Bring your own equipment and play cornhole, soccer, basketball; plus enjoy beach and boat ramp access and pay-to-play putt-putt. Visitor’s Passes ($3) are collected from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend and special holidays (ie-Halloween campouts). Leashed pets are permitted in all areas.
$29 - $30 / night
$22 - $30 / night
A.J. Jolly Park & Campground is an award-winning, 1000 acre park that offers 83 Camping Spots (47 of which have been improved with water and electric) and many outdoor activities. A.J. Jolly offers approximately 20 miles of trails to enjoy a day out on the horse. We are proud of our new stable and campground, which includes a new 28 stall barn, 12 site campground with water and electric, comfort station, dump station, pavilion with grills, and a playground.
105 campsites total 25 RV back-in sites with full hookup (water, 30/50-amp electric, sewer), gravel pad and patio, picnic table, and fire ring 12 RV pull-through sites with full hookup (water, 30/50-amp electric, sewer), concrete pad, picnic table, and fire ring Water is shut off at all full hook-up sites when winter camping begins. 68 tent sites with 30-amp electric, picnic table, and fire ring 6 rustic camping cabins with one double and three single beds, kitchen table, electric, heat and air conditioning
Campground office
Camp store with café
Washer and dryer
Group activity shelter
Playground
Two dump stations ($11 fee for non-campers)
WiFi access
Walking distance to Winton Woods Harbor
$43 - $73 / night
Scout
The park is closed and should no longer be listed on the app.
Guide
Autumn is the best time to camp in Ohio. Lots of small bathrooms. Lake access. Only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was due to the fact there was no quick reentry. Had to wait for rvs in front of me to register.
Legend
General: Huge state park with over 400 sites. All are pet-friendly and electric. About 20 are FHU. While tent camping is permitted, certain sites are not recommended for it as there would be no place to pitch a tent. One loop is for equestrian camping but when we were there, I only saw one horse trailer, and the rest were occupied by RV campers.
Site Quality: All camper pads are paved and most appeared level or just very slightly sloped. A picnic table and fire ring complete the site. Some sites have more trees to provide privacy while others are closer together with little separation.
Bath/Shower House: Not all loops have their own bath house and the I loop where we stayed was one of them. We used the one in the H Loop. The bathhouses were clean, and the shower had nice hot water, however, it doesn’t seem like there were sufficient facilities for how large the campground was (H Loop had two showers, two toilets, and three sinks). Hooks or shelves would have been appreciated.
Activities/Amenities: Many activities can be enjoyed here including mini golf (small nine-hole course), soccer, basketball, tennis, volleyball, corn hole, boating, and bicycling. Playgrounds are in several loops (I saw them in C and G). Rentals are available but most are only in season (ended September 30). There is a nature center and several hiking or paved biking/walking trails. There is also a camper beach for boating and swimming.
When we reserved months earlier, we knew that our first night (a Saturday) was 100% full as we got the very last site. What we did not know is that there was a HUGE Halloween celebration complete with 30-40 decorated golf carts parading through the campground. The road was closed until 6:45 pm (we arrived around 7 pm) and cars lined both sides of the approximately two-mile road! If that's your thing, great but it wasn't necessarily ours!
I appreciate that this park encourages so much outdoor activity, but it is not very pedestrian-friendly. I walked the road from one end to the other and there was no shoulder and, in many spots, no place to safely step off into the grass. I’m guessing it is assumed you will either have a car or golf cart to get around.
One final note: for a park so close to a large city (Cincinnati), I was surprised the cell service was so lacking (on Verizon). We eked out one and occasionally two bars of 4G.
Guide
Well kept campground with a pond. Bathrooms were well maintained and clean. Lots of stars at night!
Guide
Lots of run down RV’s and shanty town in the back of the park. More long term renters than weekend warriors. One dump station, no sewage on the sites. One bathroom, for the whole Park. lots of tents sites (that were busy) makes for poor bathrooms. Not to mention its outhouse style with no climate control. 1/3 men’s bathrooms were out of order and 1/3 urinals were too. 2/3 showers where out of order and the two useable toilets, the door locks were broken. No wifi. Fires are allowed. Fire pits are run down so be mindful. 2/5 bars for ATT services. Sites aren’t labeled or labeled extremely bad. Electrical seems very out dated. Make sure you have protection. Over priced at $60 + tax for the night. Scattered shade. Pull through sites mainly. Picnic tables have seen better days (years more like it). Good space between sites and access to the river for water sports. Little lake for fishing. No pet area and strict leash laws. I wanna give this a 2/5 because they were pleasant. They encouraged me to review on multiple sites but I think that would be bad for them so I’ll stick to my main review site. 1/5, if the price was better like 30-40/night maybe 2/5 but for the price of a motel 6 and only electrical and that is sketchy. Save your money book elsewhere or avoid.
Traveler
RV Sites are gravel w electric hookups. close to major highways. staff were friendly.
Guide
We stayed one night— fine for the quick in and out. Did NOT have sewer hookups as advertised, so plan to dump before you park if you’ve been traveling. Spaces are narrow— though we were able to navigate the area, I wouldn’t necessarily call it “Big Rig Friendly” Road behind is loud but the campground itself was quiet.
ScoutFinal approach/exit to the park is very steep. Beautiful sites but fairly close together. Gravelled roads and pads surrounded by forest with three small streams cutting through. Sites are not particularly level. Bathrooms are clean and the hosts are attentive. The only trash bin is near the office by the out of service pool.
TravelerWhen you check out, Eastfork, you should look at it personally instead of just online. My mistake was I did it online and I ended up with My Family being in the middle of the rich snob class of loop I lol.? We did have a very nice neighbor across from us the last couple days. The bathrooms were clean . Our lot was full of acorns very very dry and very very small lot. They say you’re supposed to camp or park your tent from the electric box over.
Guide
This campground has nice big sites, not the tiny sites that some Ohio state park campgrounds have. Most of them looked relatively level. However, there is no privacy, you are smashed right against your neighbors on both sides, and some parts were essentially just an RV parking lot.
The showerhouse was fine, I wouldn't call it clean as there was hair and scummy stuff everywhere, but I was there on a fully booked weekend so I guess you'll have that. The toilet/sink building nearest to our site reeked of urine, think gas station bathroom that hasn't been cleaned in years- looked clean but smelled terrible. There was also just one pedestal sink in this bathroom, so nowhere to put your things if you want to brush your teeth, even wash your hands.
The big problem was the noise. We were there on "camper appreciation weekend" and they way they "appreciated" us was have an extremely noisy, not-very-talented cover band blare extremely loud 70s and 80s music for three hours on Saturday night. They had big speakers, amps, drum set, the whole bit. You could hear it quite clearly and loudly from every corner of the campground. I go camping for peace and quiet, to hear the crickets and birds and the crackle of our campfire. I do not want to have to endure three hours of men wailing on their guitars and belting out every top forty hit ever written by Lynyrd Skynyrd. It was extremely annoying, disruptive and jarring, and took away from our camping experience of sitting peacefully by our camp fire. If I were to return here, I would call first to make sure they are not "appreciating" the campers and putting on an unsolicited rock concert.
Guide
Expensive for what it has to offer. At 48.00 bucks a night yes they do have WIFI in the RV section. They do have concrete pads. It’s a shame they are worthless they are to small to park the average RV on an are on the wrong side of most rigs unless you pull in 1/2 the sites the electric is on the wrong side. The sites are gravel and not level the rest rooms are new and nice. The horse stalks are very nice. If you have a large horse trailer type camper your screwed the sites are small so that only leaves you with the RV sites that are a few 100 feet away from the stables If you want to walk threw the drainage ditch add about 300 ft if you don’t want to walk threw the muck. It’s a shame when they paved the entry road they didn’t spend a little more. “Grant money “ or tax money an do it properly. The main play ground is extremely nice. About 1/3 Mile walk. They do have a small playground in the rv section. For horses again they have a nice setup for big RVs it Sux they have a dump station. Situated in between the entry road to the Fkatwood rv section and equestrian area The main lake is nice you can rent kayaks canoes. Or use your own boat. The boat ramp is nice the other end of the lake at the flat wood rv section. Is t really a lake it’s a back water shallow mud hole depending on the time of the year. Mosquitoes the size of jet fighters. Will rather eat you alive or carry you off. “Lol sorry could t resist “ it gets bad the park is clean and well maintained Except for the camp sites
TravelerMe and my partner went during Labor Day and left the fourth. We were there for three days and two nights. It was amazing. Our spot was a small walk to the water so we could fish and still keep up with the fire. We were right against the woods. There was a perfect flat spot for the tent. The trees were great cover from the bright sun. We were also able to walk to the restroom and could see the whole building from our site. We were site 009. So the bathroom was across the road. Everyone was very friendly there as well! The only downside was the grill for the fire pit. It’s at an angle so cooking on it was difficult as it was hard not to spill food
ScoutCampsites are shady and flat, bathhouse is clean and well maintained. Office staff are friendly and helpful. We had a blast spending the day in the creek! Thanks for an A+ weekend campout!
Scout
We absolutely love this campground, very friendly staff and well kept and clean!! They are pet friendly and allow portable fences.
TravelerLot372 sits in a little into the woods. Makes it cool for camping. Real camping without a camper. lol shade some sun but watch out for the yellow jackets!
Traveler
This is a great place to take the kids. We go here every year. They have an in-ground pool, a small store for camping needs, firewood delivery and propane refills. Cell service here is awful and there is no WiFi. The antenna will pick up several local channels. There is a Dollar General about 10 mins away for grocery needs. They have several pull-through and full hookup options as well. Sites are somewhat level. This park has beautiful landscaping that is always meticulously maintained. They also host events and if you check their event calendar on their website, you can see what’s going on during your stay. We were fortunate enough to see the band Timestamp and loved it! They even had a community bonfire!
Legend
Stayed here a night to go to the Reds game. Easy in and out. Nice sites. Confirmed it all over email. Ubered into the city and back. Nice paved roads. The kids could scooter around. Quiet but full. We’d definitely stay again. Very clean and safe.
LegendWe enjoyed this site a lot. Neighbors weren’t sitting on top of one another. There was a tree for shade and plenty of space and grass to walk our dogs. Shower house was great!
Scout
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. On leash Dog friendly was a plus for us too. The only thing I wish there was were more areas to bike but the walking trails were super beautiful so it wasn’t a big disappointment at all. There is no dispersed camping and we didn’t stay overnight but we did go check out the campground area. It’s pretty large and there were loads of spots that would hold our 30ft bus and 17ft cargo trailer. Since we were just there for the day, however, we just parked at the pool as suggested by the gentleman at the gate. It is a huge flat area that gave us lots of solar power while we were out exploring.
Scout
Hunter is an amazingly hospitable host and was always there to answer any questions and was willing to go above and beyond to make sure our stay was the best possible. Great place to stay if you want to be close to Cincinati without having to stay in the city and pay those crazy hotel prices or the overpriced campgrounds that just make you feel cramped. Not here plenty of space to roam in his backyard. My wife and I actually tried out his disc golf and found out we are better at just tossing frisbee in his spacious backyard. All in all, its a great place with a great host and If plan to be coming back to the area he will be my first call.
ScoutWe've been to Cowan a few times, first time in this loop and was not disappointed. Bathroom was clean and well stocked through the weekend. Additional vehicles have to pay $3.
Scout
Dont go here if you expect peace and quiet. We were in a group campsite and there were partiers on both sides of us. Music blaring and yelling all night long. Complaining doesn't do any good either. Park ranger just went and said quiet time was at 10 but never came back around at night to check to see if people were abiding by the rules. Won't be going back. Too much money to spend only to have to put up with no sleep because of loud music and drunks.
Scout
The check-in was very easy and the camp host met us at our vehicle and gave us all the information about our site. He and his wife had put together a package of literature about the town and places to eat, etc. which was very nice and helpful. They were very accommodating!
Guide
We stopped at the park for 2 nights (Sun, Mon). The park was peaceful and relaxing. We were able to pick up provisions and enjoy dinner in Walton. Site had electric and water. The dump station has 2 stations. One requires circling back through the campground after use.
TravelerOnly A & B loop are suitable for campers. The other loops you have to pull off into the grass and " make it work" challenging to get close to level.
Scout
I have been living here for almost a year now and I will have to say it is really nice and well taken care of it’s not a big campground but it has the best people there and they have so many summer time events you can join in on if you are camping
Scout
Amazing property for quiet relaxing and star gazing.
Camping near Independence, Kentucky, offers a mix of beautiful parks and friendly campgrounds. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or a fun family getaway, there are plenty of options to explore.
Camping around Independence, KY, offers a variety of experiences, from peaceful lakeside spots to family-friendly parks. Whether you're in a tent or an RV, there's something for everyone to enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Independence, KY?
According to TheDyrt.com, Independence, KY offers a wide range of camping options, with 91 campgrounds and RV parks near Independence, KY and 1 free dispersed camping spot.
Which is the most popular campground near Independence, KY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Independence, KY is Big Bone Lick State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 44 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Independence, KY?
According to TheDyrt.com, there is 1 free dispersed camping spot near Independence, KY.
What parks are near Independence, KY?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 26 parks near Independence, KY that allow camping, notably West Fork of Mill Creek Lake and Paint Creek Lake.