Best Equestrian Camping near Mammoth Cave National Park

We have camped twice at this campground. Here's what you should know about our experiences. We tent camped at an improved site, so most RV knowledge on my part is limited. I do know that it is a one lane, paved road coming in (Lincoln School Rd). There is a sign telling you to call before you start down the road with your RV so they can make sure no one else is going to block you. If you are in a vehicle, you do not need to call. When you arrive, most likely, Dave or Rocky (the owners) will greet you with a big smile and a howdy! The horse barn is the first building you will see on your left. You continue on your way and you will see the owners house and then you will see a small shed and a gate arm to the entrance of the campground. There is a call box if no one greeted you on your way in. Someone will either come and collect your payment or they will give you the box code and meet you at your site. All the improved campsites are easily accessed and easy to find. Each improved site has a light post with electric,water, picnic table and fire ring. All the sites are flat and perfect for a tent or RV. The sites are surrounded by a gravel loop, so you can pull straight in and when you leave, pull straight out. The sites are not shaded but the entire property is surrounded by trees of Mammoth Cave National Park. The restrooms/showers are just steps away and easily accessed. All the times we have stayed, the restrooms were well maintained and clean. There is a covered pavilion with seating just outside the restrooms. A perfect place to gather for shade or to get out of the rain. Connected to the pavilion is a room with a tv and is typically used for entertaining. Double J does offer party packages for weddings, parties and meetings. Ice and firewood are available for purchase. There is not a store on sight, but there is a little country store right down the road where you can get gas and snacks. You can bring your own horses and they can stay in the field overnight or in a covered stall with shavings. All the stalls were dry when we were there during a very heavy rainfall. If you don't have your own horse, they have the BEST horses for trail rides! The guide will take you directly into Mammoth Cave National Park. They are the only guided horse trails that authorized to go into the National Park. At only $25 for an hour ride and $35 for a 2 hour ride, it's less expensive than a lot of other places I have been. They also have a 4 hour trail ride available. Since Mammoth Cave National Park is just steps away, you can also easily go hiking without having to drive to a trail head. There is a playground for younger kids to play on. While we were there the owners were fundraising so they could improve it further. Overall, I would and have recommended this place to all my friends who love camping and horses. This campground is maintained by people who love it and it shows! Check their website for weekend events like Derby, ladies getaways, kids day camps and more! You should call in advance for reservations as most of their events book fast and sell out!

We hiked the First Creek Loop Trail at Mammoth Cave National Park and backcountry camped. The campiste itself was okay. There was a fire pit and log to sit on. There were plenty of trees to hang a hammock. There was a water source, but the park ranger didn't really recommend getting and filtering water from it, and once we arrived, we could see why. You would have a difficult time actually getting down to the water as there was no real clearing or way to it. The also was a very thick, green sludge film on top of the water. So we carried in what we would need for our overnight. The campsite was decent size and away from any others, so it was nice an quiet. We did have to take a very short ferry ride in our car to get across the water.

I visited the Maple Springs Campground in Mammoth Cave National Park for a total of 3 days/2 nights. I chose this site because it was pet friendly. Each site was spacious with room for up to three tents without feeling crowded. The sites were also spaced far enough apart that you never have to interact with your neighbors. Each site has two grated fire pits as well as picnic tables.

The campground offered several facilities such as a communal fire pit and a few privies and water supply stations. Everything was clean and in order while I was there.

Horses are allowed in the campground and you will see a lot of people taking their horses for a few runs around the road through the campsite as a warm up in the early mornings. My dogs did not like the horses at first but they got used to it as the trip went on. Keep this in mind if you plan to bring any four legged friends!

The only downside to the entire trip is that the park is infested with seed ticks and deer ticks. I was pulling ticks off of every inch of me even though I was coated in several layers of hardcore bug spray and my gear had been treated with permethrin. Seriously, the ticks were gnarly.

Overall, this was a great place to stay. I would happily go back if I felt that I had more control over the bug situation. I hope I can learn a little more about tick control and make my way back there soon!

Like most, we were here to visit Mammoth Cave National Park. We stayed on the Maple Springs side of the Green River to be closer to the mountain bike trails and are glad we did. The trails were great for both of us and we could ride straight from the campground. If you are in a RV note that you can't go across the ferry with your rig!!! You have to go around the park to access this campground. We are so glad we realized that ahead of time and didn't have to back track. The campground was quiet and we had it completely to ourselves one night. The campground had pit toilets but no shower. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we almost stayed an additional night! If you plan to visit the cave, be sure to book your tour ahead of time. The tours were all sold out when we got there!

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

Tucked away on the backside of Mammoth Cave NF, Ky, you want to find this Horse Camp.

Not huge and not to small, you can easily bring a small group of friends here for a private horsing around retreat ( pun intended) Direct access to several horse trails in Mammoth Cave. Spend your day riding and then kick back at your site and relax. There is an area in the “back” to park your rig and set up your glamping area. Stalls if your horse likes it fancy. A nice camp store and friendly staff to assist you. We visited while in the area, my favorite thing is the out of the way location! (Check out their page for events too.)