Camping near Wellington, Kentucky spans a range of environments from lake settings to forest hideaways. The region sits in the rolling hills between Louisville and Lexington, with most campsites positioned between 500-900 feet elevation. Summer temperatures often climb into the mid-90s with high humidity, creating conditions where primitive sites without hookups can become particularly uncomfortable in July and August.
What to do
Hiking trails: Charlestown State Park offers rugged trails with significant elevation changes. One camper noted, "We hiked 4 of the trails, 3 of which were pretty rugged and all had elevation changes for a good hiking challenge." Charlestown State Park Campground provides access to the historical Rose Island trail, described as having "lots of cool history to learn."
Fishing opportunities: Lake Shelby Campground provides multiple fishing access points along both the lake and the stream below the dam. According to a visitor, "They have a few RV spots, some nice camping by the lake, overflow camping by the river past the dam, and primitive camping in the back along the lake trail - those are my favorite spots!" Lake Shelby Campground includes several docks and boat rentals.
Bourbon trail exploration: Deam Lake State Recreation Area serves as a convenient base for regional attractions. Many campers use the area as "my FOB for a weekend of hiking in southern Indiana." The campground's proximity to Louisville makes it ideal for day trips to distilleries, with visitors noting its "nice weekend getaway" appeal and access to surrounding attractions.
What campers like
Privacy between sites: Jefferson Memorial Forest campsites are positioned to maximize seclusion despite their proximity to Louisville. A camper explained, "The seclusion here and the closeness to nature is a grand slam! Due to fall, the sites seem much closer than they are due to the thinning foliage." Jefferson Memorial Forest Campground provides "roomy campsites" with "lots of trees for hammocking."
Clean facilities: Taylorsville Lake State Park maintains well-kept bathroom facilities. One visitor reported, "The bath house in our area was older but fairly clean. We felt like there was good spacing between the sites, and we weren't too close to our neighbors." Another noted the "big sites" and that the Taylorsville Lake State Park Campground has "plenty of room for camper and car, big grass area and nice bathhouse."
Waterfront locations: Multiple campgrounds offer waterfront sites, with Deam Lake providing electric motor only water access. Campers appreciate the "beautiful in the Fall" setting and that "the lake looked very nice and is electric motor only." The restriction on motors keeps the waters calm for fishing and paddling activities.
What you should know
Train noise: Louisville North Campground sits near active train tracks with frequent nighttime traffic. A camper warned, "OMG, the trains. All night, every night. I'm a heavy sleeper and it sounded like the trains were going to crash into our RV and we were across the row from them." Add-More Campground has similar challenges, with reviews noting it's "mainly a site for full timers" and "more of a stop on your way to a campground."
Airport flight patterns: Jefferson Memorial Forest sits below Louisville's international airport route. A reviewer explained, "The campsite rests below the route to Louisville's international airport. For an hour or two in the morning and in the afternoon huge jets fly right over the campgrounds. Really throws me outta my mood." Another specifically mentioned "UPS releases about 100 planes from around 3-5am."
Site size limitations: Many RV sites in the region have length restrictions. Lake Shelby specifically notes "sites are 20 feet long, but they allow front ends to stick out." This can create tight quarters, especially at peak times when campgrounds reach capacity.
Tips for camping with families
Playground options: Charlestown State Park offers family activities including a "small playground, not much to write home about," but the "paved trail to see Rose Island is about 1/2 mile long hill that is very steep in parts." Brooks RV Park stands out with its "beautiful, safe, big rig RV Park" setting described as a "fairy land RV Park - with twinkly lights that come on every night."
Swimming access: Lake Shelby Campground provides swimming opportunities and rentals. "They have a playground for the kids, paddleboats and such for rent at a reasonable price, firewood for sale, and the showerhouse is clean," reported one visitor. The campground combines water activities with land-based entertainment options.
Weekend crowd management: Jefferson Memorial Forest experiences significant weekend crowds, particularly at group sites. A camper observed, "The large group sites are peppered throughout the family sites so if you happened to have a loud crowd on your weekend then you'll hear the music and shouting sometimes well into the night despite quiet hours."
Tips from RVers
Hookup positioning: Many RV sites require extension cords and hoses for connections. In Taylorsville Lake, campers should prepare for "full hookups but we got one of the handful of full hookup sites." Louisville South KOA cautions that "sites were close to each other but provided plenty of space for the average sized rig."
Leveling requirements: RV sites throughout the region often require leveling equipment. At Charlestown State Park, "all sites are pretty much the same with good spacing between them," but many visitors note bringing leveling blocks is essential at most area campgrounds.
