Best Tent Camping near Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area

Piney Campground is part of the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. It is wildly popular among locals and travelers alike. Lots to do for kids - bike paths, basketball court, multiple playgrounds, etc. Beautiful views of Kentucky Lake/Tennessee River, nice campground store.

Hurricane Creek Campground is small and intimate while still being close too many amenities. There are adequate RV campsites, and tent sites. Some RV sites require some serious driving skill to back your RV into and we better suited for tents. The tent sites are ample for tents, and two of the five tent sites have Trees close enough together for Hammock Camping.Tent site 11 has two trees that are not too big in diameter for hammocking. Parking for tent sites is above in a lot, and RV's are directly behind you 25-30 feet. I would recommend tenting on an RV site if you want your vehicle close to your site.

Tent camping.

This place is right off the highway close to most things. It’s a cute little place with RV sites and tent sites. The tent sites are located on the lake and have power available. The price was very reasonable and the people here were very friendly and accommodating. The only down fall is the highway noise. Definitely would stay here again given the chance!

Campsite Review

I wound up staying at five different campsites within the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, and this was my favorite. That largely is due to them having showers and canoe and kayak rentals, but hey – when you’re here in the summer, that’s what you want! Actually, Energy Lakes has the most amenities of all the campgrounds – including ice and firewood to buy and some additional common areas like a designated swim area (no lifeguard, but I imagine this makes it easier to keep an eye on kids) and basketball and volleyball courts. The only downside to this place is the lack of boat ramps, which is also surprising considering more primitive sites in the area offer those. I guess that’s the trade off – showers for no boat ramp. Luckily there are ample spots around the rec area in the park if you need to launch your boat. I would highly recommend a reservation here given it’s the most popular campsite in the park and only a few spots will get you truly “lakeside”. It is $10/hr for the boat rentals.

Product Review

As a Ranger for TheDyrt, I am given products to test from time to time. Today I was testing out the Showers Pass Waterproof Socks. You can watch the video review here. I didn't think there was any way someone could make a sock waterproof. I thought it would be more like a dry sack shrunk to mini proportions with some fitting elastic and it would be called a 'sock'. But here's Showers Pass, this Pacific Northwest-based company (I heard it rains there a lot) making this coolmax inner lined comfortable foot shield. Like, how?

I did a few bike rides in these, and the coolmax liner is definitely necessary since the socks are thicker to give you that water protection and in summer heat (it was about 90 degrees most of the days I was in this campground park) I was sweating everywhere. Energy Lakes has canoe rentals so I left my shoes in my car and dragged out a boat into the water and went for a paddle around the lake. It's a super cool feeling to walk into water just wearing socks and not get wet. It's like a wet-suit for your feet.

I did try to soak my feet, see if there was a "breaking point" for these guys. No surprise really, but if you walk into water that goes above the sock line on your leg, water is going to seep in since you've now completely submerged your sock and the elastic holding them against your leg really shouldn't be designed to be airtight, since then you'd have all kinds of other issues going on with the comfort and breathability of this sock. I imagine the majority of people using these aren't canoeing, they're bike riding and so unless you're trying to pedal through a waist deep puddle, I think you're going to be ok.

I do canoe a lot and these are my new favorite accessory. What I think is really promising about their performance too is since these socks were designed for activity, portages would still be enough for these socks to handle. Seriously Showers Pass how did you make these so freaking comfy and waterproof!?

Located on the edge of Paducah, Kentucky this is the perfect place to stay if you are going to the quilt shows or visiting the National Quilt Museum. Supplies are just walking distance away and there is a good 24 hour restaurant across the street.

There are shady pull through sites with full hook ups or tent sites. There is a small stocked lake to fish in. The bathrooms are clean, as is the entire well maintained park.

I called ahead The owner took me in "after hours" walked me to my site and showed me around. Tent camped there, there was room for me- lots of RVs and lots of space for more RVs. Right off the highway, noise was manageable inside my tent- RVs wouldn't hear any highway noise. The showers were clean and had hot water. Had everything I needed

The tent sites were well kept. They are gravel pads with a grill and fire ring. They are right on the water with easy access to put in a kayak. And close to a boat ramp if bringing a boat. It’s shaded. The bath house is a bit of a walk and they have restrooms only, no showers.

Barge Island is boat-ramp and that is all. At the end of Barge Island Rd, to the left, next to Birmingham Point Campground (privately owned) it is functional, has a porta pot, parking and a small dock.

The sign on the way in has a tent camping symbol but I saw no evidence that anyone has ever camped in the thin strip of grass on each side of the road. It is feasible that you could though.

If you continue straight on Barge Island Rd it turns to gravel and you end up on a small gravel beach area, good for fishing.

When I stayed at Prizer Point, I felt as if I were in a small coastal town. It is the first campground I have been to that has condominiums. It doesn’t matter what kind of camping or glamping you do, this campground has it, except for yurts. However, they do have tree houses. There are also choices of cabins,“chalets”(although it didn’t look like a chalet when I looked at one), bungalows, floating cabins, etc. Of course, being a tent camper, that’s my choice. Some of the tent sites are on top of each other, but if you are lucky enough, you can stay at a site beside the woods. You still don’t get complete privacy, but it is better than being on the other side of the path where the tent sites are on top of each other. The tent sites are grassy, which I like. I prefer a grassy site over a concrete pad. Some people love the large campgrounds with lots of activities, especially when there are children with you. Since I am mainly a tent camper, I prefer the solitude of being in the woods. Fortunately, I was there at the beginning of the week, and it wasn’t as crowded as it normally would be. Personally, and subjectively, I would rate this campground one star; but objectively, I have to rate it five stars because it offers so much. While I was there, I toured the campground and was amazed at how much they have. They have go carts, oversized chess, swimming pools, a soccer field, a marina, a restaurant, and a section called Prizer Lagoon. You can also rent golf carts to get around, and you will want to do that unless you want to walk for miles. There, you can play in the inflatable obstacle course or ride in a paddle boat. There is also a zip line that crosses the water. For RVers, you have quite a few options. One section has formal concrete pads with hookups. Another section is not as“sanitized” but offers everything you need for your RV. I was surprised by the size of the marina, which was huge according to my limited knowledge of marinas at campgrounds. There is also a boat ramp for when you want to launch your own boat. If I wanted to RV, I would choose the little peninsula beside the boat ramp. Great view! If I wanted to stay in a cabin, there are some cabins next to the lake that also have great views. Overall, this campground has everything you want in a resort campground.

Nickel branch is the first campground on the north end of Land between the Lakes. the sites are maintained fairly well. There is a boat ramp, a basic outhouse, and good place to swim or fish. nickel branch offers a place for anyone wanting to tent camp. you can basically throw a tent up where ever you find a spot. I stayed there for a week right next to the water and was pretty well left alone by anyone else in the campground. There are hiking trails, fishing spots and being at the north end; your only about 15 minutes away from the closest store. this area requires a backwoods permit which is available at the north welcome station ( also about 15 minutes away)