Best Glamping near Lebanon Junction, KY

Having lived 62 years in Kentucky, less than twenty minutes from the Jeff. Forest, leaving to explore USA, then returning to my home state allows me a unique point of view. 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. Friendly neighbors, standard picnic table/fire pit/port-a-potties/potable water. Roomy campsite and room for my son to visit in his car with my van parked inside the campsite. Lots of trees for hammocking. Lots of downed wood for easy collecting, lots of trails ranging from 1.5 to 13.0 miles through gorgeous mixed forest of old and new growth deciduous and coniferous hardwoods.

This campground is a walking distance to the visitors center. It's a well established campground and geared towards folks visiting mammoth caves. You will find a clean campground as well clean facilities. The sites are relatively close but plenty of space for familiy party's.

Theres many activities to be had here but obviously mammoth cave is what it's all about. After driving past mammoth caves for years we finally decided to stop camp and explore. It was worth every penny. The cave, although geared to tourist is still rediculous. Apparently one of the biggest cave systems in the word. You will enjoy your time here. It's crazy to think your in Kentucky when you in there...we'll except for the accents.

Cheers!

They have recently built a new bath house and it’s awesome. It has rooms that each have a toilet, sink and shower. Total privacy! Nice and clean as well. Big points for this amenity.

We had a new site, 6, totally paved and great view of the conestoga wagons and pastures. Came with a movable fire pit and nice picnic table. I think it’s the best site.

Our main issue was the dump station, horrible layout. What takes us maybe 10 minutes took over 25. Plan ahead or decide to dump elsewhere.

The area around the KOA is a bit suspect. You can see an adult store, pass a confederate store on the way into the KOA and have business that are abandoned . While the KOA cannot prevent these things it’s worth noting for travelers. The KoA is a 4 star, if I factored in the area it would be a 3.

Easy trip down to Mammoth Cave. Very close to Hidden River and Kentucky Down Under.

One of my absolute favorite spots to camp!! We had a blast this past September. A lovely time to camp and still warm enough to swim at their sandy beach. We enjoyed fishing and caught a variety of fish like catfish, bluegill and bass. The bath houses are well maintained and quite clean. Super nice playground which the kids fully enjoyed! Extremely helpful park staff and plenty of firewood and extras available to purchase. Before we arrived it flooded and our site was under water but they were kind enough to move our site back and accommodate our reservation. The sky was so clear and bright. Almost zero light pollution allowed us to see many constellations, the milk way, falling stars and the brightest, most breath taking view of the night sky. This lakeside getaway is one that will keep us coming back!! If you've never been to Kentucky...this will keep you coming back to the Bluegrass to camp for years to come!

I went to Mammoth Cave National Park the first time as a child with my family in the 70’s. I took my children to Mammoth in the 90’s. And I have lived within 45 minutes of Mammoth for the last 10 years. The only time during the last 10 years I was not at the Park at least monthly was during my deployment and when the government shutdown in 2013.

In all that time I have visited the cave maybe 10 times. Spelunking was the most exhilarating visit. Make sure you check out the tour offerings online https://www.nps.gov/maca/planyourvisit/gocavetours.htm well before your visit and reserve a place. If you wait until your visit you will probably have a hard time getting past the cathedral.

All the other visits were spent enjoying all the other things there are to do at Mammoth.

First and foremost is the camping. Mammoth has a campground adjacent to the Visitors Center which is basic except for two sites. There are reservable as well as walk up sites. A store, showerhouse, laundry and post office are co-located at the front of the campground and there are toilet facilities in the campground. I used the access points in the campground to hike some of the trails and walk to the visitors center.

An aspect that I have just recently started exploring are the several dispersed camp sites throughout the park. These are free but you must check in at the Lodge before hiking to them. A good , waterproof map is key.

In addition at Maple Springs on the far side of the Green River Ferry ( yes, there is a cool little two car ferry) is the Maple Springs horse and group site camping area. Nice basic, shaded area with trailheads in the area.

Now that you have found your home for your stay what to do?

Kayaking/watercraft, fishing: several companies work the Green River. If you brought your own craft they will usually meet you at the Green River Ferry parking area and transport you up river for a nominal fee. Check ahead at least a day so they are tracking you and can coordinate.

Hiking, Trail Running, dirtbiking, , horse, Geocaching: My favorite trail run is from the main picnic area to the ferry, with several connectors. Just technical enough to keep you on your toes, definitely not a mountain but the hills and valleys give you good work out.

The Maple Springs Trailhead is the major access point for all things backpacking and horse back riding. It even has a handicap accessible horse “loading” area which is wheelchairs friendly.

If your going to geocache pre-save your coordinates and instructions cause there is no signal in the park. If you visit the restaurant at the lodge they have WiFi but it’s slloooowwwww. When we stay over I always try to do my site surfing first thing in the morning.

If you are dirt biking check your trails, some are limited access.

On our most recent visit we explored the new construction on the ferry trailhead. Pictures included.

Not Mammoth related or affiliated but a few things you may want to try while in the area:

http://www.kentuckywine.com/cave-valley-winery-at-park-mammoth-resort/

Guns and wine, can’t get much more Kentucky then that!

https://dinosaurworld.com/kentucky/

Dogs allowed ;)

http://kentuckydownunder.com/

Educational and fun, who knew!

http://mammothcave-adventures.com/

You will drop some green here but it is a lot of fun!

And there’s more ;) Happy Camping

Ranger Review of Boost Oxygen at Nolin River State Park

Campground Review: Nolin River SP is one of our area favorites. Near Brownsville, Ky and a little off the beaten path. But definitely worth a visit or two.

This is not a huge State Park but it sits on Nolin River Lake and offers plenty of water sports to keep you entertained. The campgrounds were crowded when we visited.

The RV campground sits behind a gated entry and has sites that have direct lake access. Very clean and well maintained, not a lot of shade or privacy though. The primitive/basic area is crowded. The sites are walk in and placed pretty close together under cedar trees. There is a fresh water point and the beach is a short distance away. There are some sites on a small hill lakeside that give an excellent view and have picnic tables.

Obviously the main attraction is the lake, there is a lot of traffic on the lake. I kayak so at times it can be a little stressful when your wondering if that speedboat flying at you over the water sees you. I stayed close to the shoreline and did not attempt to cross the main thoroughfare. There are inlets that are less busy , you will usually see fishermen in those areas and travel is safer.

In addition to the water Kentucky Mountain Bike Assiciation(KYMBA) has built a very nice trail system in the woods. I’ve never hiked the longest loop but the two shorter ones are challenging and fun to hike. Mountain bikers would find them very technical.

On this visit we saw a new privately owned campground being built in front of the park entrance. It will be opening this season , graveled RV sites and a smal basic area for tents.

Product Review: As a Dyrt Ranger I had the opportunity to use and review Boost Oxygen https://www.boostoxygen.com/ last summer. I recently received the smaller version of Boost Oxygen to take with me adventuring. Boost comes in three sizes and the one I reviewed is the mid-size version.

I took Boost along with me on a vigorous hike in humid weather. It was more beneficial due to the humidity then the level of excercise.

Pro: smaller size fit in one of my hydration packs front pockets

Pro: easy to use

Con: filling up those land fills

Pro: it does make recovery faster

Con: for amateur athletes/ sports enthusiasts not really sure it’s cost effective

In conclusion if you are an extreme, high altitudes, low drag kinda adventurer this would be a worthwhile investment into your performance. For me, I can just as easily sit down and take a break, I’m in no hurry;)

Never a Dull Moment at Mammoth!

Campground/Park Review:

We first entered the park via the "secret" entrance, byway of a narrow road at the very north of the park, in which we had to take a single car automated ferry across the green river, which was enjoyed by all, and we appreciated avoiding the main entrance besieged by spring break campers!

The Campground itself's best feature is its proximity to the main park attractions. It's a few minute walk to the visitor's center, from which you can catch daily tours of all types ranging from themed cave tours to botony forest walks and guided history walks. Our normally restless kids were so taken by the 2 hr cave tour that they remained in near total silence and awe as we tunneled through this slow moving guided cave walk. You've got to make a reservation for tours - be warned, they fill up quickly. I recommend making a reservation at least a week before in the busy season (March-Sept), although up to a couple days before, you can usually get in, albeit not at your ideal time, most likely. Adjoining the campground is a more than adequate camp store, with all the common items and a few groceries you may need while there. Across a short walkway from the visitors center is also 2 restaurants, if roasting dogs on the fire isn't you thing, one cafe style with an ice cream shop, and another more formal table service in the historical Lodge.

We went in April, one of the area's wetter months, and found the campsites to be well maintained, drained and free from debris. While no one enjoys wet camping, the great thing about this park is that the main attraction is always the same comforatable temp and weather year round - and you can spend a dry several hours while you avoid the rain spurts outside. The camping was quiet although crowded for spring break, sites were averagely spread apart (those near the front and the store had a bit more room) and included hook ups for campers. There's even a place to park your horse if horsecamping is something that interests you, very Kentucky, indeed. Bath houses are average but well maintained as all the park is.

Product Review:

Being a Dyrt Ranger, I sometimes have the chance to try out new products on our adventures. This time I was able to test out the Birler Axe by #CRTK.

As anyone who's ever had to camp in moist conditions will tell you, it's no fun having to cut through a damp piece of kindling or wood. While we could purchase dry firewood at the campground, we had to chop our own kindling, which we found dry on the inside and wet on the bark...the Birler cut threw it like butter.

It's compact size was easy to pack, and while I'd guess it weighs in at about just over a pound, and wouldn't be ideal for most backpackers, it was perfect for some average campsite wear. The quality was high, and it split a log like no body's business. There's enough heft behind it to make chopping easy, yet a short enough handle to maneuver. Balance was great. A leather sheath is sold separately, and while the axe comes with a rubber blade guard, is highly recommend a sheath for it as it's extremely sharp, unlike our old axe which had a hard time cutting through a carrot. We were the envy of the campground.

If you need to make a one night stop en route to somewhere along I-65, this park is less than 2 minutes from the highway. It’s old school and a little creepy, but convenient.

Lots of trees and a nice fishing pond. The bathrooms were clean. Very affordable. We checked in late and left early so we didn’t get to see the little store. When I called to make a reservation the lady was very nice and helpful.

The bathrooms were beautiful and air conditioned! They were very clean and smelled like a swimming pool. They were nice and cool after a hot sweaty day and tent camping.

Nice shady relaxing camp ground.

The people here are friendly. It's nice and clean would come back here anytime they have a nice pond and pull it's nice all around

We stayed here almost 3 weeks and will visit again. It's a great little stop, almost right in town. Review doesn't include any wifi services or the pool because it was closed for the season. It's also not a place that has a bunch of organized activities etc but we don't care about that. Anyway, it's easy to navigate (we have a triple axl), clean, and owners were very nice and responsive. It's very shaded and pretty quiet. Huge open area for pets, and a nice little pond for catch and release. We didn't see the bath house but did use the washer/dryer area which was nice. Literally the only gripe I can make is the playground just needs torn down. Not repainted etc, just destroyed. It's so old and has some safety concerns, so we only used the swings.

Spent 2 nights here while passing through on our way to Mississippi. We had full hook ups on a pretty level pull through site. Wifi and cable was good and we had decent Verizon service. Although our spot didn't have leveling challenges, I noticed some did. One class C I saw had his front wheels 6 inches off the ground. The people in the office were friendly and accommodating.

We stayed here one night. It's a small campground about 35 mins from Louisville and has about 40ish sites for RVs with electric and water, some with sewage. Our site was fairly small and pretty close to other sites but it was easy enough to get into and fit our 12ft pop up without issue. They have 2 bathrooms(the one by the laundry/store is very nice!), a catch and release pond(small, but there are small bluegill and some bass), a nice playground, clean pool, store on site, and overall we had a great time. There are also several connections for wifi, and cable(we didn't try it). The staff seemed very nice. Our site without sewage was $30 plus tax, they also offer tent sites and small cabins($40-50 with air conditioning) if that's your thing. Our site was nice and shaded. We were disturbed a few times by trains in the middle of the night- otherwise it was pretty peaceful and quiet.

Very helpful got a spot at last minute Not the most level spot but adequate

Very nice campground the tent sites even have electric and water but my advice is try not to setup tent near the little pond they have, it stinks. Showers are great, if your tall like me, your gonna have to bend a knee to get underneath the shower head. LOL bathroom water pressure could be better. Very affordable!

Tent sites: steep hill with rodents living there. Gravel driveway leading to tent sites: a trench sure to rip the exhaust off your car. The RVers and workers: they make it obvious you are beneath them. Pets allowed: you WILL be up all night with the barking chihuaua on the next site. Airplanes flying over head as you are getting ready to sleep. Traverse the lawn to the faraway bathroom to ruin your shoes at 2am. Laundry on-site but the workers will scowl while you use it. Catch all this ire for the grand old price of $50+ per night.