Best Campgrounds near Lexington, KY

We camped here over the weekend with our dogs. We had campsite 38, one out of 3 that are away from the rest of the sites. The campground is not very big, but very well maintained. The sites are very close together. A big plus was definitely the little creek, perfect for the dogs to play in. The bathhouse was very clean. One of the 2 showers had no bench, which makes it difficult to keep all your stuff dry while you shower. There are 2 trails that you can hike from the campground. Both were dog friendly, the rest of the park is not. Nearby is Miguel's Pizza, which is a pretty place to stop and ear breakfast, lunch, or dinner with outdoor seating
The whole area is absolutely gorgeous. We hiked to Gray's Arch, which is about 15 min from the campground. The skylift to the Natural Bridge is very close by.

This is a true gem and one not to be missed. Unfortunately, our stay was limited to one night, however, we will definitely be returning to take advantage of the many amenities included. Full hookups, laundry, bath house, general store, tastefully designed accommodations, activities, and even an outdoor theatre; everything you need for an enjoyable long-term stay. The Site was quite large and accommodated our 24 ft rig and truck, and FH, which were very clean and well placed. Our site also provided partial shade, which in the warmer months would be very beneficial. Not to mention, the beautiful views with a lovely trail and lookout over Dix River that runs behind the property. Management/Owners were incredibly hospitable and friendly. We loved our overnight stay at Lockridge, it was quiet, peaceful, and absolutely beautiful. We camped at LockRidge Park in a Travel Trailer.

*TIP ~ Dix River runs behind the property, nearby there is a marina, waterfalls, trout fishing, and many other recreational activities. This venue also hosts events and has Harvest Host accommodations.

We were with a group that had reservations here but when we arrived mid-afternoon, the gate was locked, no one was there, and there was no cell service. A member of the group drove to where there was cell reception and called but no one answered the phone. Eventually, we spoke with the father of the outgoing owner who gave us the gate code and we set up camp. The manager showed up a few hours later but the owner did not arrive until early evening; it was then we learned new owners were taking over the next day! 

This is a primitive campground which is not a problem for us, but it had a neglected feeling to it (due likely to pending ownership change). Fortunately, the vault toilets had recently been serviced and were not too bad. Toilet paper but no hand sanitizer. Outdoor non-private solar showers that do not guarantee hot water (and it was chilly when we were there, so no one tried to use them). 

There was no place to put garbage that I saw and there was loose garbage where it should have been collected. 

Most sites had a fire ring marked by rocks.

Some sites had gravel pads while others had grass. They were clearly marked but you had to watch out for the drainage ditch when backing into the site. There is no separation between sites, but we were the only ones there so not a problem for us.

The main draw for this campground is the kayak rentals and transportation to the put-in site. Kayaking was fun, despite obstacles in the river due to recent rains (and parts of the campground were also flooded). The price was reasonable -$10 per person. I am hopeful the new owners made some improvements, although this may raise the price!

General: A mix of electric sites, tent sites, and cottages spread out along Route 11. 

Site Quality: All sites were level; some were paved, and some were gravel (riverfront sites tended to be gravel). Most are back-in, but the middle row has pull-thru sites, however, if you had a large RV with a toad, you would likely not have room for both in your site. 

Bath/Shower house: More than adequate toilet stalls, two sinks, and two showers. Only one sink had hot water. The shower was wimpy at best. Took a long time to coax hot water, and then the flow was very weak. 

Activities/Amenities: Upon check-in, we were given a pamphlet of the many area hikes. There is a sky lift (chair lift) that takes you to Natural Bridge (or you can hike to it). In season, there is a small mini-golf course. Trout fishing is permitted. Closer to the cottages is a lodge, playground, and pool. Ice and firewood are available.

Because of its proximity to Route 11, you will hear road noise at many of the sites, including the tent sites. The cabins are situated further back in the woods, so you won't hear the road noise there. This campground suited our needs for area fun for four days.

Stayed here a week. Had the place pretty much to myself especially on the rainy days. Outstanding features for me were the 4 pull thrus, one of which I scored,. Water is available here and there but not at every site. One side of the campground abuts an asphalt plant which was quit noisy at times. The park is on the river at the bottom of a valley. The highway traffic comes down one side with engine brakes bellowing and the passing lane going back up is almost as loud with truck drivers using every gear to stay up to speed. I noticed the number of dump trucks near the park/asphalt plant on my way in. Near quitting time for the plant the highway many feet above you sounds like the scene in full metal jacket on the beach with the helicopters coming and going,  the plant is on the same side of the river next to the bridge. I was very close.

We found this new and wonderful glamping and event center with 5 FHU sites and 2 water and electric sites when looking for a campground (CG) to visit friends. We called and were able to get a FHU site for Mon- Thur. Our RV GPS, plus using Google Maps, brought us in on KY-34 heading east. There are two Chenault Bridge road turns. Be sure to take the turn near CR-1329(second going east or first one if coming in from the west) that took us about a half mile to the LockRidge Park. Their regular check in time is 4:00 PM, but we called and had permission to come on in early around 2:30 PM. When we arrived, we pulled up front and went to find an office to check in. Everything was closed up but we were soon greeted by two ladies(owner and manager) who took us down around the entrance parking lot to back-in site 5 with FHUs. There was no formal check in but we did receive an email prior to arrival with the shower house code. The cost for a FHU site was $50. The gravel at this time was fairly new and thick, so we had to be careful as we maneuvered our 40’ fifth wheel down a slight incline to get to the CG area. We were“wowed” by the boulder landscaping and how wide and deep the sites were. The sites are close together but the way they are designed give you a spacious and private feeling. Sites 1-4 are easy back-ins as you have a good sized parking lot in front of them. Site 5 is a little more challenging as you need to go down the exit road to get your back-in angle. The utilities are essentially in the middle of the pad, but as stated prior the sites are long, so we maneuvered to get centered to fit our hookups and to be able to put our patio down. The water pressure was around 60 psi and we used a reducer. There are trees that border the area, but we had no problem getting a Starlink signal. For site 5, we placed the antenna on the roof. For Wifi, ask for the password so you can connect to a strong signal. Performance was way above average. We got 4 bars LTE on Verizon. We were pleasantly surprised that they had laundry, which is on the side of the main bathhouse. There are two washer/dryer combos for$6 per load to wash and dry, which is paid on the honor system via scanning a QR code. An amazing“work in progress,” LockRidge is a park that offers unique overnight stay options, including tube rooms, underground rooms, silo rooms, container rooms, RV spots, and Conestoga wagon rooms. They also have a parking area near the entrance for Harvest Host. There’s also a small restaurant and event center for weddings etc. The owners, Heather and Brian, have worked hard to make LockRidge a unique experience.