Best Tent Camping near Lexington, KY

Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Lexington, KY has a lot to offer. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Lexington camping trip.

Detours Nearby

LOCAL FAVORITES PRESENTED BYToyota Trucks
Wildcat Creek Farm

Wildcat Creek Farm

24 min away

Hidden Lake Farm Camp

Hidden Lake Farm Camp

31 min away

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Best Tent Sites Near Lexington, Kentucky (8)

    1. Wildcat Creek Farm

    4 Reviews
    Lawrenceburg, KY
    19 miles

    $32 - $82 / night

    "A campsite settled upon the bank of the Kentucky River with a friendly farm cat, goats, horses and cow we delighted in a campfire as the sun set and the stars came out."

    "Neighbors were quiet as well. Even though we had an accidental mishap. Kevin was super cool. Would definitely recommend. Will be coming back for sure. "

    2. Red River Gorge Campground

    22 Reviews
    Slade, KY
    43 miles

    $10 / night

    "No fee, but you do need a permit which you can buy at nearby town. Camping is in the forest, so lots of shade. There is no water. Trash disposal and vault toilets at the parking lots at trailheads."

    "primitive and paid campsites both available, depending on your comfort level and preference."

    3. HomeGrown HideAways

    3 Reviews
    Bighill, KY
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (859) 986-3478

    $15 - $75 / night

    "Nestled in a narrow valley between high ridges of The Knobs, this campground gives the feel of secluded country living with your own trails and creeks to explore."

    "Instead of sleeping in it, which would have been perfectly comfortable, we actually used it as more of an extra shelter and we pitched out tents in the field in front of the Yome."

    4. Bourbon Trail Campground

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    Lawrenceburg, KY
    25 miles
    +1 (502) 316-1712

    $39 - $55 / night

    5. Red River Gorge Adventures

    8 Reviews
    Slade, KY
    47 miles
    Website
    +1 (606) 663-1012

    $8 - $20 / night

    "The campsites are fairly primitive, only including a fire ring and a nice picnic table. They do not have any water or electric hookups and no cell service, which is all a plus in my opinion."

    "The spots were all primitive with rock fire rings. One site had a pic nic table. During our two night stay the other sites were all filled with families, so very kid friendly. Not a lot of amenities."

    7. Tree Line Retreat

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    Williamstown, KY
    37 miles
    +1 (859) 242-6664

    $20 / night

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Tent Camping Reviews near Lexington, KY

500 Reviews of 8 Lexington Campgrounds


  • R
    Aug. 13, 2018

    John Swift's Lost Silvermine Historic Campground

    Great family-friendly, primitive car camping

    This campground is easy to access and good for individuals or groups; it's mostly covered with grass though there are areas that are more dirt, closer to the river. It's nestled between the Red River and Highway 715, so you are pretty close to the road and will hear some road noise, but it's a pretty quiet 2-lane highway. There are picnic tables and fire-rings at each campsite, and it is easy to pitch a few tents in close proximity if you are there with a group. The toilets are port-a-potties scattered throughout the campground. You are asked to sign a waiver and agree to the quiet hours (11-6). The campground is gated and the gate is closed and locked at 10 pm (but the campground manager sleeps on-site). The firewood we purchased here was very wet though, and never burned well. This is typical of much of the firewood purchased at the RRG though, unless you buy kiln-dried from the store. Canoe and kayak rentals happen at the site as well. This was perfect for camping with my 10-month old, without needing to hike in from the car. A good balance between a crowded state campground and backcountry camping.

  • Jeffrey A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 25, 2023

    Koomer Ridge Campground — Daniel Boone National Forest

    Lovely NF Campground

    Koomer Ridge is really an excellent campground!  As of April 2023 all sites were first-come, first-serve (no prior reservations permitted).  We camped one night and thoroughly enjoyed it!  No hook-ups but the site was level for a 21" campervan and had a HUGE tent pad, 2 lantern posts, fire ring and picnic table in a spacious site.  Plenty of trees for hammocks, too!  Sites were more than adequately spaced out around the campground and some were quite private.  Multiple trails leave straight out of the campground and head into the Red River Gorge, a nice feature.  Campground is heavily wooded, too, so plenty of shade should be available during the summer months.

    The shower house is next to Site 14 and was clean though chilly but had hot & cold running water and was modern/updated.  Only ding here was that a couple of the toilets were out of service during our stay - no big deal as the campground was fairly empty and I hope they'll be addressed before summer crowds arrive.

    The campground is on a ridge - so apart from the sites themselves, there is very little flat ground to be had.  Not a drawback, just an observation.  But the hills make for a lovely setting and beautiful sunsets/sunrises filtering through the trees.  Only criticism is the proximity to the Mountain Parkway nearby; had we been tent camping, the traffic noise would have been a nuisance all night.  But in the campervan it wasn't noticeable, fortunately!  Not enough to cost a star, but worth noting if you're using a tent or soft-sided camper.

    Red River Gorge is an extraordinary and beautiful place to explore, and Koomer Ridge is an excellent basecamp from which to do so!

  • Angie A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 8, 2024

    Turkey Foot Campground

    Excellent find in the woods!

    Found the perfect spot for our trailer and our friends car camping. Clean vault toilets. Each site has fire ring and picnic table. Pack in pack out even though some didn’t get the memo yet park service was there in the morning to clean. Limited to no cell service.

  • M
    Jan. 26, 2022

    Callie’s Lake and Campground

    Impressive

    We were very pleased with this campground. When we first checked in, the smell of the food in the campground store was to die for. We had plans to cook at our campsite, but the specials that night were very tempting. The staff was kind and helpful, and provided us with a map of the property. The bathhouse was a nice touch! There are many campsites of multiple types available, but there are several primitive sites that still feel secluded and surrounded by trees. There are several sites that can be accessed by a sedan, but some of the sites farther back really require something more suited to off-road driving. We were in a Subaru Forester and had no issues, but did actually have to help push a Camry out of a rut. We visited in October 2021 and it seemed like the area we selected was still slightly under construction. The campsite was wonderful, but the picnic table was sitting on a slope and we were having a difficult time preventing our food from falling off. A flatter spot for the picnic table would be our only suggestion to the owner. My friend used a tent and was happy to see a flat spot cut out of the slope our site was situated on. I used a hammock and didn’t have any trouble finding suitable trees. We loved it and will definitely be back!

  • Kenny P.
    Jul. 21, 2021

    Turkey Foot Campground

    Turkey foot Campground

    All tent pad sites with fire ring/grill and lantern hook. Vault toilets are available. No garbage pickup so pack it out!! Hiking and fishing are done activities

  • Crystal C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 31, 2018

    Camp on the Kentucky

    Seasonal Campground With Great Pricing

    Something that sets this place apart from others in the area is long term tent camping!! Yes you read that right, LONG TERM TENT CAMPING! For most of those who travel you know they often offer long term services for those in RVs which provides a discount for staying more than a night or two, but at this campground you as a tent camper can find a location that suits your Kentucky home needs on the road for a day, a week or even a month!

    But what does that entail exactly?

    This site is really nice, with level sites for RVs or tents, padded grass which is well maintained, nice gravel roads around camp and a river frontage with views which will make you just want to stop and take in the scenery.

    When I visited I noticed a lot of people staying here near the weekend were visiting to launch their boats and troll the river fishing for what looked like some pretty large fish. It was pretty cool to see some of the people setting up their campground fish fry, and they were even friendly enough to invite me to join, though I don't eat fish so it didn't really work out that way.

    The tent sites were shaded and had several different options, you could choose primitive which is only $17 or for a few dollars more you could have electricity. All sites come with a picnic table and fire ring and a pull in to keep you and your things closely together.

    There was a playground and volleyball, but I didn't see anyone using these when I was there. A small camp store has a lot of the essentials in case your forgot something or just needed to pick up a snack. There was also firewood available, a big plus!!

    This place is a bit older looking in appearance but it is charming and the owner is very cool. I didn't meet a single person there that wasn't just enjoying life.

    TIPS:

    • If you are trying to check in the office has kind of strange hours. They are only open until 2 Sunday through Tuesday, not sure why but call in advance if you are running later than this time and want to check in.
    • Check their online event schedule! This campground host tailgating for UK so you can find a good tailgate party if you plan in advance, right at your campground!!
    • This is nearby the Bourbon Trail as well as so many other places where you will find activities. I was here to check out the Castle (I have attached a few photos) Can't miss this stop!!!
  • Andrew G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 2, 2019

    S-Tree Campground

    A quiet well maintained stopover, or a woodsy weekend retreat; your pick

    Arrived late and took a minute to find the actual campsites. They aren't right next to the fireplace shelter, rather just around the corner. Had the place completely to myself on a thursday night/friday morning. Biting bugs weren't bad,(late May) but there were still a ton of other varieties. Several toilets on site, but no water. Picnic tables, tent pads, and fire rings at each site. There are only 10 tent sites, and the ones by the shelter are for picnics only. I wouldn't recommend a long RV up there, although there seems to be another 10 or so sites big enough for RVs and trailers. I was really impressed by the overall quality of the campground, but the distance from everything is a big negative.  The northern road in isn't all that bad, but the south road is what I NEEDED to use to get to my various destinations, and it was a rough one. I made it in and out twice in an HHR, but I was bottoming out on gravel and such. Overall, the HHR handled it fine, it just wasn't worth it, so I ended up only staying the one night. If not for distance from everything and the road conditions, it would've scored a 5.

  • Ella L.
    Mar. 23, 2023

    Taylorsville Lake State Park Campground

    Stellar Staff, great amenities, good for kids and big groups!

    The shower/bath house is on a European level of well-equipped. Reasonably clean(a little bit of boot muck on the floors but you should be wearing shower shoes anyway in a public facility) Self flushing toilets, air dryers for your hands.

    Well thought out for handicap accessibility as far as the toilet and shower stalls. Hand sinks could be a bit lower for folks using a chair but they do have a low hand dryer and no threshold in the doorway to get over.

    There are windows that look into the bathroom and although they are up high, pervs and curious kids will find a way. Campground should def. frost them but if you have the stall door shut to the space you're using you can hide your shame. A+ on the restroom space. Seriously impressed.

    Very well heated on a cold morning and although I didn't use the shower there were plenty of places in the shower stall to keep your things up off of anything wet. Single use stall and there were several. Door shuts and there is also a shower curtain to keep moisture off of your things.

    Outlets by the sinks for hair dryer if you bring one.

    Campground has hit or miss tent spots depending on how much space you need. We had a 3 person tent, 2 hammocks and a dog and we reserved spot 8 on the primitive loop and had more than enough room. There was a fire ring(one at every site) and two picnic tables. This spot, as most of them appeared to have enough room for at least 2 very large tents and a dining fly if that's your thing.

    With the brush cover during May site P10, although small, seemed to be the most private. We were at P8 and couldn't see anything at P10 though the brush.

    If you are looking for privacy, although you are still going to see headlights of cars on the loop road and hear pretty much everyone else on the Primitive loop P10 probably has the most privacy as far as brush shielding you. I would say that everything on the outer part of the Primitive loop towards the back is going to be the furthest away from other people but you are still going to hear everyone else. P6, P7, P8, P10 look the best to me as far as just being chill sites with a bit more space away from others.

     All of the sites on the interior of the loop back into each other and those seemed to be more of the "party sites" the night that we stayed. A lot of competing blue tooth speaker music at very loud volumes well after the quite time of 11pm. Loud music started again at 7:58AM. It was Bollywood music, which was different and honestly kind of fun... we were already awake though.

    Our site itself was fairly even although there were a lot of tree roots. No problem finding a grassy place to set up our tent however. We picked up all the trash, aside from a weird sock, left by previous campers so that aspect was a little sad... campers leaving cigarette butts and plastic water bottle caps laying around. Tree cover would be more than adequate at this site during a hot summer day. Water spigot is next to the dumpster by the shower house btw.

    Bundles of wood were fairly small compared to some other campsites and unfortunately wrapped in plastic but the wood was good quality, dry, and didn't burn overly smoky. There is a nylon strap handle that will be stapled through the plastic wrap into one piece of the wood so if you want to burn that piece you'll need to pry the staples out/cut the strap off.

    The woman working the registration check point, we didn't catch her name, was amazing, pleasant, helpful and gave great directions. She drove by a few times in a golf cart checking on things and didn't hassle anyone. If you ask at the check point for a map you will get a packet of papers with rules and a few different slightly blurry print outs, it's a lot of info and we found it helpful exploring a few of the points of interest in the park that you can drive to. Overall it was a fun experience and although it was louder than I expected when people did quiet down it was VERY quiet and we heard owls all night and what sounded like coyote howling in the distance.

    Super good place for families!

  • Crystal C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 9, 2018

    Fort Boonesborough State Park Campground

    Pricey but interesting

    I was very interested in this area for the living history museum but as a tent camper I had more than a little sticker shock at the $36 price point not to mention the booking fee on Reserve America. That made this one of the most expensive campgrounds I have stayed at including numerous stops in California. 😒

    The sites were well shaded and included the typical set up of fire rings and picnic tables but I did feel a little closer to my neighbor than I would have liked. I can only imagine the feeling to and RV camper would be even more suffocating.

    The campground was noisy and busy as it was a weekend, and while some of that can be expected for the higher price point I would have liked things to have been a bit more accommodating to those times, maybe they should offer a few less sites so there can be a bit more space so if it is busy you don’t feel like you are suffocated by noise.

    With that being said, not all was bad here. The things to do outside of th campground itself were worth some of the inadequacies the camp provided in way of space. The living history museum was one of the best I have seen in the Kentucky or Tennessee area and other amenities such as water access and proximity to hiking was great.

    If I did return it would be during the week and potentially not during summer to avoid the crowd.


Guide to Lexington

Tent camping near Lexington, Kentucky offers a variety of scenic spots where nature lovers can unwind and enjoy the great outdoors. With options ranging from private farms to public parks, there’s something for everyone.

Tips for tent camping near Lexington

  • At Wildcat Creek Farm, you can enjoy a peaceful riverside setting with friendly animals and a welcoming host, making it a great choice for families.
  • Consider HomeGrown HideAways for its community kitchen and shelter, perfect for socializing and cooking meals together.
  • For a unique experience, check out Tree Line Retreat, where you can learn about regenerative farming while enjoying a rustic camping experience.

Some prices for tent camping range from $3 to $25

Tent campers appreciate these amenities

  • HomeGrown HideAways features clean showers and flush toilets, ensuring a comfortable stay for all guests.
  • At Red River Gorge Campground, campers can enjoy picnic tables and firewood, perfect for evening gatherings around the campfire.
  • Wildcat Creek Farm allows pets, making it a great choice for those who want to bring their furry friends along for the adventure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Lexington, KY?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lexington, KY is Wildcat Creek Farm with a 5-star rating from 4 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Lexington, KY?

TheDyrt.com has all 8 tent camping locations near Lexington, KY, with real photos and reviews from campers.