Best Cabin Camping near Laurel River Lake

Clean, friendly, reasonable staff with lots of good options for all levels of cabins, camp sites, RV spots, etc. We went with a large group and had people staying in each of these and all were happy. We recommend the Eagle Falls Trail to view the Cumberland Falls and Eagle Falls without the crowds.

Easy to find, well marked. It’s has many (12) trails and many falls. Would definitely recommend shopping before camping, it’s several miles, and mountains, to get to stores. There are several lodging options…cottages, The Lodge, (which is beautiful) tent and RV camping. There are 2 small campgrounds ~ 1) Ridgeline which accommodates RVs up to 26”, water and 10/30/50 amp hook ups. Sites have a fire ring and picnic table. WiFi is available, and there is a dump station. A small playground, office/campstore, and a bathhouse and laundry next to it. 3 sites are walk-in. Big rigs would have to stay elsewhere. 2) Clifty Campground is tent camping only 7 sites offer electric and water. WiFi is also offered. There is a bathhouse and a playground, and these CG’s are pet friendly. (Falls Creek is a few miles up the road…they have pull through and back ins. For bigger Rvs. They also have tents, wagons, cabin rentals, and primitive sites) We had no T-Mobile service, or satellite service in our vehicle. The trails and Cumberland falls were awesome. The horse rides looked amazing, and the Pool was big, with a diving board, and a small fee for campers to use it.

Approximately 4 miles off of exit 144, from I~75. Easy to locate, and a well maintained RV campground! Website has all the info on the different types of sites, cabins and ATV’s. Resources for permits, pricing, and other requirements are also listed. The trails are accessible from the CG. FHUs on Back in and Pull-throughs,bathhouses, on site fishing pond, playground, and Ohhh yes….the ATV wash station! General store is on the right from the entrance, which is awesome! They sell firewood and ice, as well as extreme OHV sporting equipment/gear, snacks, souvenirs….to list a few. Rental cabins are available nearby, for larger families or groups. I believe they thought of almost everything! I would love to come camp here in the fall, as I can imagine that the views are spectacular! They provide WiFi, but my T-Mobile reception was good, at 3 bars.

This is a brand new, small campground with mini cabins. This is a perfect place to stay for a getaway to ride ATV’s in the Big South Fork and Pickett State Forrest area. The campsites are full hook up. Only 10 campsites, so it is not overcrowded. This would be a really great spot to meet up with several friends/family. The campground is also across the street from the Astronomy Field for dark sky viewing.

Con: Located on the highway, so you do have some road noise.

My wife and I happened upon this state park when looking for a last minute substitute for another campsite. We were late arrivals, had no problem finding an open site on a Saturday night in the summer. Plenty of open spots with privacy. This campground offers sites with open space for stargazing and/or sites closer to the timber with canopy cover. The campground was less than 20% occupied, so plenty of great spots available. Great for hammock camping, electric hookups or tent. Bathhouses were clean. Bathhouse also included laundry. Campground offers a large amount of cabins, some can accommodate larger groups. You can access the lake from This campground including kayak, canoe, and boat rentals. You can also find a swimming beach area next to the rental boats. There are a plethora of trails to hike including a suspension bridge over the river, and a number of geological landmark sites to hike to. We enjoyed our stay.

Pickett State Park is a great spot to camp if you like peace and quiet, but don’t want to have to backpack in to a spot. Despite the small campground, it was pretty much empty on the first weekend in August when we stayed. It is near the Big South Fork, and Scott State Forest, so there’s lots of great hiking, horseback riding, river recreation, etc. nearby. From other reviews on The Dyrt, I learned the park is excellent for stargazing, and it is true, you will have amazing views at night, we slept in a tent without a rain fly, just so we could see the stars!

The campground has several sites with electric and some without. We stayed in B1, which did not have electric. All the sites have picnic tables and fire rings, and the ones on the outside of the loops back up to the woods and trails. All the sites are spacious.

The restrooms were clean, but they must be pretty old. There were some areas in need of tile repair, but it was just a cosmetic issue, so it didn’t bother me. The showers were nice, and everything was clean.

The campground also has cabins, and those seemed to have more guests than the campground. They have a set of cabins that were connected, like apartments, and they have some larger, freestanding cabins too. They had a group site as well, but I did not go to it.

The park has a lake with swimming area, and canoe/kayak/paddle board rentals, a swinging bridge, playground, tennis courts, a gigantic picnic area, and several great trails.

This was a very pleasant find, and we will definitely return!

We rented a cabin during the off-season and our cabin was cute - very old fashioned. What we found out quickly that was everything was pretty much closed, including the main lodge restaurant that we had hoped to eat at.

The indoor pool WAS open and a pretty decent size. Our kids had a blast romping around in it and the next day we hiked one of the Park trails and were able to do some geocaching, which they loved.

It would be a longish walk to the Lodge pool from the cabins. I don’t know if everyone has a golf cart in the summer, but I imagine it gets packed. There was some really cool larger cabins and at least the section we were in, you had a nice view of the marina.

We found the view of the lakes beautiful and would absolutely go back a bit more during the season to take advantage of the lake activities. I say that even though we found mice droppings in our kitchen - the staff took care of it right away and gave us a partial refund.

I LOVE Pickett CCC!! There is so much to do at this park. At the lake there’s kayak and canoeing where you actually paddle under a natural bridge. There’s a swimming area , geese and fishing. The rock formations are awesome. Then there’s the trails. A suspension bridge, another natural bridge and a cave area. These are easy to moderate trails but can be a little hazardous so watch your step. The campground....well, not my favorite. No shade, very close sites AND on a hill. It was crowded and a little noisy. No privacy, small and busy. There are some nice cabins and some older cabins. Sorta old meets new, cause some of these cabins may have been built by the CCC. There’s a museum on site too. Worth a visit!

This is a larger state park that includes a restaurant, golf course, pool, etc. but also some nice trails to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. The Cumberland State Scenic Trail is the local long trail, which can be access from the park. This park is close to town, the highway, and some other natural areas. The campground includes a number of similar loops, all wooded, nice and modern with the typical state park amenities. Cabins are available too They also have a moderate backpacking trail that we didn’t try, but would be perfect for first-time backpackers (since you can shower and eat at a buffet afterwards).

Yay: kayak and boat rentals. Something for everyone. Love the bridge over the water.

Nay: parts can be a little crowded, a little expensive.

Surprise: the on site restaurant is quite fancy---we went to an elegant wedding here and stayed for camping. They have a weekend buffet with rather fancy food and great quality. Also check out nearby Rock Island State Park for surreal waterfall swimming.

I love coming back to this area - there’s always so much to see! We got a cabin and cooked outside w/marinated chicken breast and charcoal that I brought w/us. Beautiful area!

We went here with family - the cabins have all the comforts of home. Lots of hiking nearby, including the chance to walk along the river to see the moon bow (very developed trails/ infrastructure).

Popular for it's clear skys for star gazing. This campsite offers cabins and tent/RV camping. This is a perfect site for those who like to take short , but scenic hikes.

This is the first State Park I visited in the mid sixties. Great place for a family reunion. There is a small swimming area that is kid friendly, Canoes and kayaks are available. Fishing is allowed with license

There are numerous cabins and lodges. Covered pavilions can be rented for large gatherings as well as a meeting hall. The park also offers a large group camp site with a dining hall and group cabins.

Not all the camper sites have electrical hook-ups, some back-in sites and pull through site available. 

This is not a resort park, so only those folks who truly enjoy peace and quite go there.

The park abuts Big South Fork NRP, so there are plenty of trails to hike.

The park is an accredited International Dark Sky Park, so  bring your telescopes.

BE AWARE, there are black bears in the area as well as poisonous snakes (rattlesnakes and copperheads).

A quiet little campground on the river with anything you need, whether you are looking for a place to stay in a cabin, a tent, a car, or RV. Great amenities, including a clean bathroom and shower, water, and vending machines with emergency supplies and snacks. The host was beyond kind and went out of her way to greet us and give us some information. We stayed twice during our week long trip to the Smoky Mountains (it was our first and last stays).

We had a great time. Bring the bug spray, sunscreen and plenty of exention cords. The campground needs investment as majority of the sites are narrow with difficult positions for hooking up and leveling, make sure you pay attention. To each site description. The Full hookup/Ada sites are new, the rest are vintage from the 70s, but have there charm. The park is super hilly and very spread out. The bathrooms and cabins are bare bones, but clean. Our site at 94 was huge double site. Lots of wild life, the mice ate thur what ever they could find and vultures will go through your trash, so button up the site for a day on the lake.

This is a pretty popular park since it’s so beautiful and there are a lot of trails to explore, plus some nice campground resort extras like sports fields and a pool. That all means you need to make reservations in the summer. The campground is simple and clean with fairly basic facilities, though they have showers and a playground. They also have cabins and a lodge to stay in, so everyone in the family can find a place comfortable for them. Campsite wasn’t extremely memorable, but the park itself is great. They have some neat seasonal events like a haunted hike, spring birding hikes, tours of a historic fire tower, etc. Great park for a day visit or a weekend of camping!

This campground is in a great location. Only a 10 minute drive from Somerset, the “big” city, for supplies & food.

Theres a very large walking trail, and archery area. You can put a boat right in at their little dock as well. The lake view is gorgeous. There’s many places for kids to play, a basketball court, volleyball court, disk golf, and a small beach area.

The cost of camping there is very affordable. They also have little cabins you can rent.

Despite the no alcohol rule, there’s still a lot of partying at night. No one really enforces that. It can get loud and I have heard from friends incidences of theft and cars getting scratched up at night.

The campsites are close together, so perhaps we just got unlucky with our “neighbors”. We do visit a lot during the day just to swim at the lake and give the kids playtime.

Weekend getaway!

This campground is conveniently located near Corbin, KY. It sits right off the main road on the way to Cumberland Falls. There are plenty of signs and it is well marked, easy to find. When you pull in the gravel road, the main building and check in area is easily recognized and there are plenty of places to park. Check in was easy and fast. The store has a pretty big selection of camping items, clothes, food, accessories, shoes and snacks. There are also souvenirs. Just outside is the White Dog snack bar. A pretty nice menu with burgers, hot dogs, ice cream and fries. There is also an 8 unit restroom between the snack bar and main building. The restrooms are air conditioned and were always very clean and well stocked. Directly behind the snack bar is the circle of covered wagons with a fire pit in the middle of them. These were really cool looking and seemed like a fun way to camp. We stayed in the cozy cabins which are directly behind the wagons. Cozy cabin 2 had air conditioning, a full size bed and and bunk bed. There was a counter, microwave and mini fridge. 3 stools, a broom, clock, lamp, garbage can, ceiling fan and an electric fire place. Really quaint but a perfect way to camp without being too expensive. Electricity but no running water. There is also a small porch with 2 chairs and side table. A ceiling fan on the front porch is nice. There is a fire pit and a separate raised grill for cooking. The cabin was very clean and bug free. It’s walking distance to the restrooms but the wagons are closer. We walked around the RV and other camping sites as well. The RV sites we saw, were pull through sites and seemed very roomy and easy to get in and out of. The entire campground runs slightly downhill but overall offers flat sites. There are nice, shaded tent sites and an open, sunny area for group camping. The zip line runs from the entrance of the campground and runs over the group camp area, ending just beyond it. There are 2 zip lines available for different age groups. They offer many different activities through their company, such as electric bikes, white water rafting, zip lines, and tubing. We did the rafting and tubing. The rafting was fun and a great way to introduce beginners to the sport. The rapids were not too wild and none of us fell out of the raft. There were several areas to jump out and swim and that was fun. At the end of the rafting, a boat picks you up and you eat lunch and take a boat ride back to the bus. To get to the tubing, you have to drive yourself and it’s an hour drive to get there. The tubing trip lasted about 2 hours and was not very fun. The water was very still and basically we just barely floated down the river in the hot sun. There were 2 areas with small rapids but they didn’t make up for the rest of the still water being boring. We also got separated from our group. By the time we made it to the take out spot, everyone else had gotten out of the river and the shuttle left us behind. We waited for about 10 minutes and decided to start walking back to where we got in the water. After a while, the shuttle came back and saw us. He stopped and picked us up but ultimately felt this was dangerous as we were in the middle Daniel Boone Forest, alone, walking on the road. I would NOT recommend the tubing. It was not worth the money or the drive. If I was reviewing just the tubing experience, I would give 1 star. Everyone at Sheltowee were nice and professional. Our guide, Free (yep, that’s his name), was nice and funny and knowledgeable about the river. If we go again, we would request him again. We would definitely camp here again and recommend it to friends. The only reason I can’t give 5 stars is because of the tubing experience and the fact that it was not clear, when the reservation was made, that the tubing was 1 hour away.

Alum Ford Big South Fork Recreation Area is in my top 10 favorite areas.

I try to participate in the Yamacraw Trail Run every year because it is just AWESOME, and this area is part of their route due to the excellent scenery of the area.

If you like trees, hills, streams, falls, historical markers, old cabins and history , plus not much use of modern technology when you camp then you will thoroughly enjoy Big South Bend! If you are a bring the kitchen sink kinda camper you might wanna find a nearby KOA or other type campground.

The campground has no signal, no electricity, no showers, no host. Just you, a tent pad, picnic table and fire ring. Oh, and there is one pit toilet. Bring 5$ cash for the honor pay station and your hiking shoes and watercraft. There is a Trailhead at the back of the 6 site campground and a boat ramp down the hill.

The sites are well maintained and old , probably CCC built with wood steps leading up or down to your site. There is no direct access to the boatramp but there is a short trail that connects the sites to the boatramp that runs along the cliff face down to the ramp.

The trailhead is part of the Sheltowee Trace Trail and connects to the Yamacraw Bridge. You could easily stage a multi day backpacking trip from Alum Ford to take in the local sights.

Not far up the road is the Yahoo Picnic Area. I think it used to be a campground just by the way it’s set up. Picnic tables on pads and a nice old pavilion for groups with a grill. Past that Yahoo Falls. This is a technical, moderate trail down to the tallest falls in Kentucky. Also a very old area but maintained with newer restroom facilities. The loop trail was approximately 1.5 miles long with a metal staircase on one side and trail on the far side. This is also part of a thru trail. Get you an old fashion paper map before coming cause your fancy electronic gear may or may not work here.

This is one of many areas through the Kentucky/Tennessee Big South Fork if you are able plan for an extended stay to check the whole place out;)

Great getaway. You can fish off the banks of the Cumberland river or take a swim. Close to trails and a waterpark too. Love the peace and tranquility. We will be going back again.