Best Tent Camping near Mount Eden, KY

The rural landscape surrounding Mount Eden, Kentucky offers several tent camping options for those seeking a quiet outdoor experience. Wildcat Creek Farm stands out as a highly-rated tent campground with riverside sites along the Kentucky River. Bourbon Trail Campground provides walk-in tent sites for campers exploring the region. Both locations cater specifically to tent campers looking for established sites with basic amenities while maintaining a connection to the natural environment.

Tent campsites at Wildcat Creek Farm feature level ground with both shaded and riverside options. The campground provides drinking water, toilets, picnic tables, and allows campfires with firewood available on-site. Sites are reservable and accommodate standard tent setups. Campers should note that while primitive tent camping experiences are available, these established sites include amenities that enhance comfort without sacrificing the outdoor experience. Most tent-only camping areas in the region maintain a balance between accessibility and natural setting.

Visitors to Wildcat Creek Farm frequently mention the peaceful riverside setting and clear night skies. According to reviews, the "island" site offers a shaded area above the riverside with stairs leading down to the water, perfect for relaxing with a view. One camper noted the exceptional stargazing opportunities, with Orion's Belt and the moon visible directly above the river on clear nights. The farm setting adds a unique dimension to the tent camping experience, with friendly farm animals occasionally visiting campsites. Campers reported that despite the presence of other sites, the area remains notably quiet, making it ideal for those seeking backcountry tent camping atmosphere with the convenience of basic amenities. The combination of riverside location, dark skies, and peaceful environment creates an appealing destination for tent campers in the Mount Eden area.

Best Tent Sites Near Mount Eden, Kentucky (4)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Mount Eden, KY

3 Photos of 4 Mount Eden Campgrounds


Tent Camping Reviews near Mount Eden, KY

409 Reviews of 4 Mount Eden Campgrounds


  • Ella L.
    Mar. 23, 2023

    Horine Reservation Camping at Jefferson County Memorial Forest

    Know the flight path schedule for UPS and you'll have a GREAT TIME!

    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.

  • Heather K.
    Jul. 22, 2019

    Horine Reservation Camping at Jefferson County Memorial Forest

    Close to town with a country feel

    To find the campground, follow your GPS to Horine Reservation at 12304 Holsclaw Hill Rd. If you follow GPS to Jefferson Memorial Forest, you will end up at the zipline & welcome center. Once on Holsclaw Hill Rd, follow the road & signs to the campground until you reach a gate. A 4 digit code is given to you when you make a reservation. The gate gives a nice sense of privacy & security for the campsite. The camp sites are easy to find and well marked with big signs. I was at Group Site 1This site is huge! Just a guess, but I would say around 1.5 acres. About 2/3 of this site is open, grassy field. The other 1/3 is shaded. The shaded area has 3 large picnic tables, water, fire ring & a private latrine. I purchased firewood in advance & it was delivered to our site before we even arrived. The dumpster is conveniently located near this site. The private latrine is a small, open-air structure near the shaded area of the site. There are 2 composting toilets & the toilet paper was fully stocked. The building is partially open the elements, so it was a little dirty (to be expected) but we used our hose and sprayed the floor clean. The toilets are "squatting" toilets. Which mean they are close to the floor (see pic). There are plenty of wooded areas to explore & hiking trails nearby & several great areas for hammocks. The site looks well maintained & had recently been mowed prior to our arrival. There are enough trees & space to give plenty of privacy between sites. This site is perfect for a large group or family wanting to tent camp together. The picnic tables are the large, sturdy kind. The fire ring was huge with an attached grill. There was another fire ring and 2 more picnic tables in the open grassy area, closer to the road.  Designated parking is near the road, which is a bit of distance for carrying a lot of gear. However, since the ground was completely dry, we dropped our gear at the shady area and then parked our car at the road. Overall, this is a great space with unexpected beauty!

  • 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!!!
  • Rachelle W.
    Aug. 5, 2018

    My Old Kentucky Home State Park Campground

    Primitive tent camping at My Old Kentucky Home

    The primitive tent camping is located in a grove of beautiful, mature trees. Fire rings & picnic tables are dotted throughout the trees. There is a highway right beside the campsite so you will best cars, but it is not a high traffic area.

  • 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!

  • D
    May. 25, 2019

    My Old Kentucky Home State Park Campground

    Works in a pinch

    Has tent and RV camping. I tent camped this trip and stopped by for one night as I was passing through. Cost was about $16ish. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Tent sites are at the front of the property with the RVs to the back. Tent campsites are not defined - just an open area for all to share with picnic tables and grills scattered around. Kids playground next to it. Couldn't find the potable water for the tent area. The RVs had electric & water hookups. Showers and bathrooms available. Right next to a side road with a bit of traffic the night I stayed.

  • 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.

  • Tonya D.
    Aug. 12, 2019

    Taylorsville Lake State Park Campground

    Quiet, bathrooms lacking.

    We had a pretty decent time at Taylorsville Lake. The spots were spacious, and very nice picnic tables. We did a trail which was nice and went down to a boat ramp to see the lake. You can also rent boats there as well. The bathrooms in my opinion needed a major cleaning. They were nice just not very clean. We most likely won’t visit here again but was nice to hit a Kentucky campground. I have found that camping in Kentucky is much cheaper than in Indiana. Definitely worth a checkout.

  • Mary H.
    Jul. 26, 2019

    Louisville South KOA

    Disappointed

    We have a tent which attaches to our truck— no hook ups. Everywhere we go we get a tent site. This campground would not let us get a tent site because we “sleep in the bed of our truck.” We reluctantly rented a cabin because we needed a place to stay for the night. We told them our set-up & that we’ve never been denied a tent site, but they still refused. WiFi was fickle. Got on then would get bumped off.


Guide to Mount Eden

Tent camping near Mount Eden, Kentucky offers secluded riverside experiences within a rural agricultural landscape. The area sits at approximately 800 feet elevation with a humid subtropical climate characterized by warm summers and mild winters. Seasonal considerations affect site availability, with spring and fall providing optimal weather conditions for camping at local farm-based and riverside campgrounds in the Kentucky River watershed.

What to do

Explore local farm animals: At Wildcat Creek Farm, campers can interact with the resident animals. "Such a quiet place. The resident goats, mules, donkeys and horses are very friendly - just like the hosts!" notes Elizabeth R. The animals frequently visit campsites, creating unique camping memories.

Riverside relaxation: Set up chairs along the Kentucky River shoreline for peaceful evenings. "On a clear night it was super relaxing listening to nature and looking up in the night sky," reports Benjamin A. from Wildcat Creek Farm. Several sites offer direct water access with designated areas for riverside relaxation.

Stargazing opportunities: The rural setting provides excellent night sky viewing with minimal light pollution. Kurt B. describes the experience at Wildcat Creek Farm: "The night sky of stars and quiet stillness brought a calm and peace from our busy week." Pack binoculars or a telescope to maximize stargazing potential during moonless nights.

What campers like

Exceptional hospitality: The personal touch at Tree Line Retreat and other local campgrounds stands out to visitors. Katelyn W. shares about her Wildcat Creek Farm stay: "We enjoyed our stay, and our kids loved the animals and the creek! Great hospitality." Most sites are owner-operated with attentive hosts.

Quiet atmosphere: The rural location ensures minimal noise disturbance. Benjamin A. explains that at Wildcat Creek Farm, "Neighbors were quiet as well," despite having multiple campsites in proximity. This creates an atmosphere similar to remote camping but with basic amenities.

Seasonal attractions: Fall camping coincides with bourbon distillery tours in nearby towns. The proximity to the Bourbon Trail Campground provides convenient access to Kentucky's famous distilleries, with walk-in tent sites available for those exploring regional attractions.

What you should know

Site preparation: Many tent sites at Birdsell Castle and surrounding campgrounds are walk-in, requiring campers to transport gear short distances from parking areas. Bring collapsible wagons or duffel bags for easier equipment transport to walk-in sites.

Water accessibility: Kurt B. describes Wildcat Creek Farm as "A campsite settled upon the bank of the Kentucky River," but water levels fluctuate seasonally. Spring camping may encounter higher water levels while late summer often sees lower river access points.

Firewood availability: Most established sites permit campfires with safety restrictions. "Our host had guided us into our weekend home and delivered a wagon load of firewood for a night of warmth and comfort," notes Kurt B. about Wildcat Creek Farm. Firewood is typically available for purchase on-site, with prices ranging from $5-10 per bundle.

Tips for camping with families

Animal encounters: Children particularly enjoy the farm setting. Katelyn W. reports: "our kids loved the animals and the creek!" at Wildcat Creek Farm. Plan morning and evening visits to animal areas when farm animals are most active.

Water safety considerations: Sites along the Kentucky River require vigilant supervision of children. Bring personal flotation devices if planning water activities, as river currents can be unpredictable even during calm weather periods.

Nature scavenger hunts: The diverse ecosystem supports wildlife viewing opportunities. Pack field guides for identifying local birds, insects, and plants to create educational activities for children while exploring campground trails.

Tips from RVers

Access limitations: Most tent camping areas near Mount Eden have restricted RV access. The narrow, sometimes unpaved roads leading to river sites at Wildcat Creek Farm are better suited to cars and small vehicles. Large RVs should verify access before booking.

Alternative accommodations: Some properties offer both tent sites and basic cabin rentals for those seeking more structured accommodations. Reserve well in advance during peak seasons (May-October) as limited availability exists for non-tent options.

Power considerations: Many tent sites lack electrical hookups. Bring portable power banks or solar chargers for device charging, as most campgrounds maintain their rustic atmosphere with minimal electrical infrastructure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Mount Eden, KY?

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

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

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