Best Glamping near Louisville, KY

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.

Wow! Super cute and tranquil surprise right outside of Louisville (20 minutes). Great little stop over if you are hitting the Bourbon Trail! Clean, quiet and spacious!

Great location close to Louisville. Local hiking in the park is good. Enjoyed just the weekend, likely not a ton to do for more then a weekend.

The Louisville South KOA is approximately 25 miles south of downtown Louisville in Shepardsville, KY. The location is easy to find off the exit of 65(which also has a Walmart and other stores nearby to resupply). 

The campground has both pull through gravel sites, back-in, and tent sites. The sites were close to each other but provided plenty of space for the average sized rig. Many were longer than other KOAs, which enabled the tow vehicle and TT to be parked. Full hook-ups and 30/50 amp services at the sites, some leveling required. The campground store is well stocked and the employees are very friendly. 

There is a pool(no hot tub-filled in with stones), play/game area, bounce pillow, and 2 miles of hiking trails around the campground. While the campground was nice, there is a lot of“stuff”(old broken trailers, mowers, etc) laying around the edges and in need of mowing between the sites. These items tend to take away from the overall welcoming feeling of the campground. 

This being said, the wifi was strong and it is very convenient to sightseeing around Nashville, especially for the price of$54 per night.

This is a great little well-kept campground. Unfortunately it’s in the departure path of Louisville’s airport, so be prepared for once-a-minute takeoffs if the airport is using its southbound runways for departures. UPS releases about 100 planes from around 3-5am.

For some this is a problem, for others or if you use ear plugs maybe not so much. Others might even like the drone of jet engines. Just something to keep in mind. The trails nearby are nice as well.

I've camped here around 10 times. The location to trails, access to water, latrines, secured gate access are all nice. It's about 10 minutes to a nearby gas station but you'd never know it.

The issues and why I no longer go here. The large group sites are peppered throughout the family sites so if you happened to have a loud crowd on your weekend then you'll hear the music and shouting sometimes well into the night despite quiet hours.

The campsite rests below the route to Louisville's international airport. For a hour or two in the morning and in the afternoon huge jets fly right over the campgrounds. Really throws me outta my mood.

The disrespectful large crowds are what really did it for me. Many people treat the campgrounds like thier backyards and that's unfortunate.

My husband & I spent 5 nights at Charlestown State Park in mid-September 2020.  Campground was nice with concrete pads and full hookups. Campground was not heavily shaded, but we didn't mind that at all.  We biked throughout the park and hiked 4 of the trails, 3 of which were pretty rugged and all had elevation changes for a good hiking challenge.  From here as a base we also spent half a day in Madison Indiana, (shopping, dining & winery) and biked the Ohio River Greenway path - nice 7 mile one way bike path from Jeffersonville to New Albany and stopped for lunch before turning around to head back.  The bike trail also has a bike/pedestrian bridge across the Ohio River to the trail which runs along the river on the Louisville side.  Would absolutely recommend and would go back again.

Honestly, I would give this campground 5 stars but we had a big safety issue at our site. At site 11 and a few others, they had no backstops at the back of the blacktop pad. If the site was level, it wouldn’t have been as bad. Upon setting up our 16’ camper, it began to slip backwards down toward the woods. Our wheel blocks were probably placed, but the grade was just too much. We ended up pulling the camper higher up on the blacktop almost in the road and had no issue. No other RV sites were available to move to. Other than that, the campground was very nice. Trails were very well kept, playground equipment looked new and safe, workers were friendly, and bathrooms were clean. The golf course wasn’t operational (exept mini golf was neat and working) and there were a lot of tree stumps left from all the cut Ash Trees that were affected by the emerald ash borer beetle. The State Park did have informational signs explaining the effect on trees in the area. They have many cabins of various sizes and in great shape. Workers were seen cleaning everyday. The Butler Mansion was well taken care of though we didn’t make it there when it was open. Our campsite was nice. We lucked out that our neighbors were tent campers because our two sites were so close together. Heads up to check the map and Google Earth when booking. Some sites have a lot of room and others are super close to neighboring sites. The Kentucky Speedway is about 15 minutes away. Louisville an hour. And if you want to checkout a cute little town, stop in La Grange, KY (30min drive) See the “Trains on Main”, drink at La Grange Coffee Roasters, antiques, local artist shops, and eat BBQ at Big R’s & Shannon’s Bar-B-Q.

I have camped at this site several times. Ear plugs are a must as it is in the direct flight path of a major airport.  My boyfriend had a Fitbit and was able to spot how many times an airplane flew over our tent in the evening/early morning hours.  It must be a UPS hub or FedEx as the planes were huge and at all hours. 

That being said it is a great price.  The website is tricky to book a campsite as it makes it hard to see when the next possible opening will be for a site. I generally like to call them and talk with them. 

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On each visit, I learn more about the area and the trails.  They have 4 trails that you can explore.  

The sites are mixed which did cause some confusion as other campers were on my site when I rolled in.  I had to explain that I had Group Site 2 and they had Family Site 2.  This is a big difference.  Once they finally believed me they moved onto the next site and already had my camp fire going for me.  

The nice thing is that they deliver firewood to your campsite. You don't have to pick it up at the camp store and make a mess of your car.  For Family sites per night you can order a bundle at $15.00 and for the Group Sites you can order a bundle at $30.00.  I did not feel like the wood was lacking as it was a nice load of wood.  They delivered it while we were out hiking.  I simply ordered some at the main site/office each morning depending on what I felt like later on in the evening based on our group plans/weather. 

Our campsite did have water as you can see from the pump.  Then we had porta johns.  I traditionally come to this campsite every 2 years for a local festival in Louisville.  You will want to notice that the rates can change for certain busy times such as during the races. 

For a group site they only allowed 2 cars.  The rest of the cars had to go to an overflow lot which was near by.  It was a short walk but can be a hassle.  Don't expect to park plenty of cars at the site even if it is a group site. 

They do have dumpsters at the campground aka park but not at your campsite. Be prepared to pack it in and pack it out. I do like how they have a gate with a code but it is heavy.  I had to have my friends help me lift the gate as I am not a strong build. It is the long swinging arm kind and had to be lifted slightly to help me get the lock out of it. 

As I mentioned the location is why we keep coming back.  The folks in the office are friendly and there is lots to do in Louisville.

My husband and I camped here in the May to escape Derby in Louisville. It's close enough to the city that it makes for an easy get-away. Even if you're not camping the hiking is pretty incredible and none of the trails are really to strenuous for an experienced hiker compared to other trails in the region. 

This isn't the most quite campground you're going to find. There is an RV area and a loop for tent camping, the sites are fairly close together with some only having as little as a few saplings or briars between sites. The loop itself is a bulky gravel road that is VERY NOISY when campers drive on it, or in our case... a child drives their Barbie Power Wheels up and down the road until 10pm in the dark. 

That being said.... it's close to the city. It's inexpensive and the firewood bundles are sizable. Our site didn't have a picnic bench, just a fire ring but the ground was mostly grassy and very level. It was a comfortable site and the majority of them looked pretty similar so it's hard to say there's a "best site" for privacy on the loop.  Our site was on the road leading up to the loop and those sites seem best since a few don't have campers across from them and they are spaced out slightly more than the sites on the actual loop... although you're further from water.  

*This campground does allow you to make reservations

This state park could use a little TLC. The acreage is good, nice views of the lake, and it does offer good campsites, however some are smaller than possibly described so use your best judgment. There is a lodge, trails, and fishing. Tennis courts are down by the Butler-Turpin State Historic House. Mini-golf and a gift shop are also available. It looks at one time there was a golf course but it is absolutely overgrown. There was some road construction during our visit so check the Kentucky State Park site before visiting.

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.

Awesome camping for being so close to the city!

Tent sites have so many trees surrounding them. If you're looking for more privacy anything off of the loop will do just fine. We stayed at FS1 and could only catch glimpses of other campers, although you do hear and see folks on trails frequently. The ground is SUPER SOFT due to all the pine needles that have fallen over the years. We moved our tent around a bit to get it anchored firmly for expected wind at night... some spots were to soft, but it made for good sleeping!

Firewood was ordered in advance when I booked the site, delivered to our spot while we were setting up.

We took our dog and he had a great time(on leash of course!).

Restrooms are porta-style but hand sanitizer was everywhere and everything was VERY CLEAN.

Since the camp sites are behind a locked gate there is no through traffic aside from other campers. Very nice!

Going back this upcoming weekend as well! Camped this past weekend at Group Site 3. You could fit 6 tents here and still have space. Couldn't hear any other campers aside from some jerks at Group Site 1 that decided to start howling and barking around 11pm as well as playing a radio very loudly past 9:30pm. Couldn't hear the radio unless I walked up to the porta-potties though.

Even with all of the planes overhead from folks leaving town after Derby the tree cover dampened the noise wonderfully. Love love love camping at JCMF.

We stayed at JMF as a shake down for a primative camping trip to TN. It was nice and quiet - and so close to home!

We will be back for a trip to "get away" for sure!

Awesome campground in the city and one of my favorites!

Had a peaceful couple nights at Site 5.