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Best Tent Camping near Mammoth Cave, KY

559 Reviews

Tent camping near Mammoth Cave, Kentucky provides secluded options within the national park's boundaries and surrounding areas. Houchin Ferry Campground, located along the Green River about 15 miles from the main cave complex, offers primitive tent campsites in a natural setting. This small campground in Brownsville features spacious sites with concrete picnic tables and fire rings at each location. River Floodplain Campsites provide additional tent-only camping opportunities within the park, while backcountry tent camping is available along trails like First Creek Trail, which has three dispersed campsites on its western side.

Primitive tent camping at Houchin Ferry Campground includes basic amenities with porta-potties but no showers or running water. Campers should bring all necessary supplies, including drinking water. The campground is accessible via drive-in sites, though some visitors note the access road is somewhat remote. Fire rings are provided at each site, and fires are permitted when conditions allow. Cell phone reception is extremely limited, with most campers reporting virtually no signal. The campground is open year-round, though it fills quickly on weekends, especially during summer months. Tent sites near the river offer scenic views but may have limited direct water access depending on conditions.

The tent camping experience at Mammoth Cave features natural surroundings with opportunities for wildlife viewing. According to reviews, summer campers at Houchin Ferry witnessed "hundreds of lightning bugs" creating a magical nighttime atmosphere. The secluded nature of these tent campsites provides a quiet retreat from the busier areas of the park. One visitor noted that "sites 1-6 were pretty close together" while recommending site 8 for more privacy. The location offers convenient access to water recreation, with campers reporting, "We kayaked the Nolin and Green rivers. Both were very pretty!" Backcountry tent camping requires more preparation but rewards with greater solitude. The campground's distance from the main cave entrance (approximately 20 minutes by car) means fewer crowds but requires planning for daily cave tours or hiking excursions.

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Best Tent Sites Near Mammoth Cave, Kentucky (4)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Mammoth Cave, KY

6 Photos of 4 Mammoth Cave Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Mammoth Cave, KY

559 Reviews of 4 Mammoth Cave Campgrounds

  • Shea M.
    Apr. 3, 2020

    Houchin Ferry Campground — Mammoth Cave National Park

    Cave Camping

    We really enjoyed this place! It's located on the green river and has very spacious campsites. Plenty of room for the kids or dogs to run around. Very secluded. There is a concrete picnic table, pole and fire pit at each spot. Across the road to the ferry is a large pavillion with several more picnic tables for bigger gatherings. There are a few porta potties and no water or hookups. Primitive camping only. We tent camped here in July and saw hundreds of lightning bugs (see video)! It was magical, that really made the experience so much better for us!

    Highly recommend a cave tour as well at Mammoth Cave National Park. You will not be disappointed!! Can't wait to go back!

  • Peg D.
    May. 1, 2019

    Mammoth Cave Campground — Mammoth Cave National Park

    Best weekend ever

    Loved staying at the mammoth cave state park last weekend. April 26th-28th 2019.

    No reservations are needed until May 1st. It was Walk up First come first serve from March through May. The last weekend of April was perfect and was not over crowded but had a good amount of visitors. We had perfect weather as well. The camp grounds are clean and nice looking , bathrooms also very clean and have normal toilets, laundry room had new washers and dryers and very roomy & clean with attached bathrooms & showers for men & women. The camp store was nicely set up and had plenty of foods and stuff Incase you forgot anything. However they do not sell real fire wood. They do sell compressed fire bricks. That Looks-like compressed sawdust bricks. So if you want real fire wood you have to go off trail and find it. Recommend and saw to cut it up but there was plenty of dead branches to be found through out the park and you are allowed to pick it up and burn it. The cave tours are fun and educational however if you lack fitness some of them will test your limits. So know your limits before booking. Highly recommend buying your tickets before you arrive as they fill up super fast and they offer more tours during the peak season than they do in spring.

    The lodge is nice has 2 restaurants one is sit down one is fast food snacks like setting. There are 5 gift shops in all between the camp store has 1 the lodge has 2 and the visitors center has 2. It’s worth the trip if your in to caving and hiking. Unfortunately there is lack of access to the river unless you go backwoods hiking/camping But all in all it’s a fun time!

  • Shelly S.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 20, 2018

    Mammoth Cave Campground — Mammoth Cave National Park

    Base Station

    Mammoth Cave Campground is in the country but centrally located between several nice size cities and right off I65.

    No signal once you get in the park except if your lucky at the lodge. We tuned in to WIFI whenever we passed through the Visitors Center/lodge restaurant in the morning.

    The campground is primitive, no electric with parking pads, picnic tables and fire rings. There is a restroom in the campground and a shower house, laundry room, post office and store adjacent. The dump station is next to that facility right outside the front “gate”.

    There is enough space between camp sites to have some privacy and the trees provide natural noise block and shade. There be critters in the woods so protect your food! You may see deer and turkey, you won’t see the little shit raccoon that runs off with dog toys and any food left out ;)

    There are several trail access points directly from the campground. Including two easy trails to the visitors center.

    Aside from the obvious, cave tours, there are several other options on how to spend your day and nights.

    If your coming for the cave specifically make sure you reserve your preferred cave tour way ahead of time!

    If you are coming for the trails, enjoy! There are multiple options. I run the trail near the visitor center year round. It is technical and hilly, not stroller friendly.

    The trails on the far side of the Green River ferry have dispersed camping sites and plenty of natural features to discover.

    The float down the Green River is enjoyable. If you bring your own water craft several of the companies will drive you to the put in from the ferry parking area for a nominal fee.

    Also across the Green River is the Maple Springs group and horse campground, I’m not a horse person but I see plenty of them in the area and they seem to be enjoying the trails and campground.

    There is also zip lines in the area, a winery and golfing.

    Fast food and Wally World in Brownsville, other touristy attractions one exit up at Cave City. (Ky Down Under and Dinosaur World, plus a Yogi Bear Campground)

    We spent the weekend hiking in the rain and avoided Green River, it’s a muddy mess right now.

  • N
    Jun. 4, 2018

    Singing Hills RV Park And Campground

    nice campground and friendly owners

    This campground is located just a few miles from Mammoth Cave. It is a small campground, but great for families. The owners are nice, friendly people who take great care of their park. The sites are water & electric only, but there is a dump station. There is a stock pond for kids to fish with bamboo poles that the park provides (catch & release only). We really enjoyed our 2 day stay.

  • D
    Aug. 27, 2023

    Moutardier

    Nice location and views

    Very nice campground right on the water.  D013 is 20 yards uphill from shore.  Very nice gravel or concrete spots.  We were able put kayaks in right at our campsite.  Great views at sunset and sunrise.  Located about 35 minutes from Mammoth Cave.  We used it as our base to go visit the National Park.

    Bathhouses are good 3.5/5 because showers are a little inconsistent - went from cold to scalding to a point that you can't stand under it.  Only other issue was that the fire rings are located right under the edge of your awning.  Your choice is to not pull in the whole way and block up to get it level or pull in so its level and make a very small fire.

    I will stay there again.

  • J
    Aug. 19, 2020

    Bowling Green KOA

    Nice KOA

    This was a nice KOA, but some sites were small with all sites having very small fire pits made from only old tire wheels. This KOA has a pool, fishing, putt putt, dump station, general store, cabins, a little run down restroom/bath houses, kids play scape, large chess board, and a dog park. This KOA was about 20 minutes from Mammoth Cave National Park and the National Corvette Museum. Both are worth the trip to.

  • britni M.
    Mar. 10, 2024

    Bowling Green KOA

    Everything we needed

    Great pull through spots. Every ammenity needed. Pet friendly with dog park for off-leash use. If ever that way again, will definitely us. 30 minites from Mammoth Cave.

  • Christina M.
    Jun. 28, 2021

    Nolin Lake State Park Campground

    Overall good with a few drawbacks

    I was tent camping with my family Thursday-Saturday while visiting Mammoth Cave.

    The good: the tent campground has spacious, level sites. The sites are located in a grove of pine trees, which makes for well shaded sites with a pleasant surface of soft pine straw to pitch your tents. A few sites had trees suitable for hanging hammocks if you enjoy that. There are toilets and sinks in the park office near the primitive campsites. There is a swimming beach and boat ramp on Nolin Lake nearby. Convenient to Mammoth Cave NP and fishing and hiking opportunities abound.

    The bad: the shower house is in the RV campground and too far away to be a convenient walk. You have to drive there which is a pain with kids. There were few shower stalls and they were not kept clean. The park staff were very friendly but just overworked. Thursday night we were kept awake by loud campers and campground staff weren’t around to enforce quiet hours. Quiet hours do not start until 11 PM which is not ideal for campers with young children. The park started filling up on Friday and Saturday and was obviously very crowded on the weekend. Seems like a "party spot" for locals. 

    We might return here but perhaps would choose to camp during the week or during a less busy time of year.

  • Maaya Y.
    Jan. 30, 2022

    Mammoth Cave Campground — Mammoth Cave National Park

    First camping experience!

    Great first camping experience! We got 2 sites and each site was very spacious, with tables and fire pits. It was extremely humid and hot when we went so make sure to bring bug spray! We were about a 5 min drive from Mammoth Cave so it was very convenient. There were clean shower and bathroom facilities but you had to pay to use the shower (back in 2015 at least). I found a faucet right next to the showers and I just bathed there in my bathing suit. Because it was so hot, we wanted to go swimming. The closest body of water we found was a river (definitely was not clean) and it helped cool us down, but we saw a water snake so we all jumped out (yup, we're city folks!). We found a little pond by a residents area so we paid a fishing fee and went fishing. Local small shops were very cool too!

Guide to Mammoth Cave

Tent camping near Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, offers a unique blend of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, making it a perfect getaway for nature enthusiasts.

Tent campers appreciate these amenities

  • Houchin Ferry Campground provides clean porta potties, picnic tables, and fire rings at every site, ensuring a comfortable camping experience.

Some prices for tent camping range from $20 to $30

  • Mountain Top Retreat offers tent camping with amenities like electric hookups and drinking water, making it a convenient choice for families.

Tips for tent camping near Mammoth Cave

  • For a more secluded experience, consider the River Floodplain Campsites, where you can enjoy the tranquility of nature while being close to the park's attractions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Mammoth Cave, KY?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Mammoth Cave, KY is Houchin Ferry Campground — Mammoth Cave National Park with a 3.7-star rating from 9 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 4 tent camping locations near Mammoth Cave, KY, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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