Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Owensboro, KY

This is a great location near the lake, dog park and community center and has excellent internet access.

Two playgrounds, little petting zoo for kids. Beach area with small fee. Full hook up sites.

Nice beach, trails and playground. Friendly camper. Pet friendly. Would've given 5 stars but our site was tight. Squeezed between 2 sites, out the front door fight to neighbors sewer hose.

Such a wonderful family oriented campground with excellent amenities. Pets are allowed and the sites are gravel or concrete. Relax at the pool, enjoy mini golf, playing at the game room, mining for gems, or shooting some hoops. There is also a shuttle that will take you to Holiday World. Don’t have an RV? Not an issue, choose a cabin, cottage, or stay in one of the rental RVs. They offer restrooms, showers, heat, kitchens and a lot more.

We camped here in the middle of October. The sites are very close together, so when the campsites are full you don't feel like you have much privacy or personal space. It was nice having full hookups for our camper, and there are plenty of hiking trails to get out and explore. Scales Lake is beautiful, my daughter enjoyed the playground and the petting zoo, and we'd probably like to come back, just maybe not on such a busy weekend.

My wife and I camped here in February of 2020. This is a very well maintained park. We had just bought our 29' motorhome. It was too cold to do much, but the campground is nice. There is a petting zoo for the kids, a nice pool with a large water slide, 1 shower house that was very clean. Clean restrooms. A large lake for fishing and swimming. Walking trails, wood available for purchase. They even have cabins for rent, and lots of primitive sites. I recommend this park to all!

Recently tried out Scales Lake...not my 1st choice. Sites were very small and close together. There were several different spots/clusters of camp sites. Some where full hook up, some primitive, some just electric, and all mixed together. The fire rings were very small with no grates to cook on. There was 1 bath house, very nice and clean and cooled, but not assemble to all camping sites. Also there were 2 playgrounds and a petting zoo. Lake has a small beach for swimming, slide with its own catch pool separate. Fishing allowed.

The streets in the town are extremely narrow, making it hard to get into the park.

This was our first time camping and I must say I absolutely loved our site. We were on a primitive site number 109. Though the ground was a little rocky the lake views were spectacular. There was a porto potty in walking distance. When we first arrived it was pretty clean but after the weekend it was really bad and ran out of toilet paper. But the bathroom facilities by the slide were great you just had to drive to it from the primitive sites. Water slide was a blast and loved the petting zoo, also the volleyball court was a fun addition too. Though a little close to the road. All in all we will definitely be staying there again.

What a gem of a park! From the stunning trails to the pristine lake, this place is a nature lover's paradise. The shower facilities are top-notch, ensuring a comfortable stay for all campers. One thing to note is the strict parking rule at camp sites, but don't worry, there's overflow parking available for visitors. It's enforced for everyone's safety and convenience. The highlight for many is the petting zoo—an absolute must-visit for campers of all ages. It's a fantastic experience that adds an extra layer of fun to your stay. While there's no on-site camp store, fret not! You're just a short drive away from a local dollar store and the famous Tastee Freeze. Trust me, their ice cream is out of this world, and the food is equally delightful. I highly recommend treating yourself to a visit. Overall, this park offers everything you need for a memorable camping experience. Can't wait to visit again!

Very nice campground. Had the whole place to our selves a couple of nights. Concrete level sites. Pond to fish in and huge dog run, but not to close to a large number of sites. Definitely will be back. 

Tipsaw Lake Hoosier National Forest is a nice quiet family/group oriented area. There is a basic boatramp with dock, parking and pit toilet. It wasn’t busy so I took the dogs down to the ramp to enjoy a dip in the cool lake water when the Tipsaw Lake Trail ended I thought at the edge of the roadway to the dock. Apparently I missed the turn off :( I later discovered. The trail traverses the lake area. It’s a nice 5.9 mile tromp through the woods but I noticed it was a little unkept. 

The beach is the main attraction to this area of Hoosier NF . A very nice set up on the shore of Tipsaw with sand to get in all those cracks and a play area for the kids. Small pavilions on cement walkways and a picnic area with a pit toilet. Also in need of a good mow, we may have just visited between mowing rotations and with the excess of rain everything is growing well. No dogs allowed in the beach area. There was one pavilion on the far side of the parking lot that was not in the dog restriction area. When I visit again I’m inviting my daughter and granddaughter along because who ever set this area up had kids in mind.

This campground is so much fun. Great for families with kids and dogs. There is so much to do we rarely leave. Pizza,ice cream, camp store, pool, water slides, mini golf... They have scheduled events under the pavilion throughout the day. Nights are ended with golf glow parades or family movie night under the pavilion.

Was looking for a quiet area, and not some drive-through campsite, this fit the bill. Great groundskeepers, good trail for dogs, nice view of the pond from the main RV area, has decent showers and laundry room, and plenty of entertainment close by. If you don’t need full hookups, they have 30a’s in back and by an old ww2 bunker.

My wife, service dog Noobeus and I stayed in a tent one night here. It sits on Rough River. Liked it so much going back for three days this time. It has private shower rooms, beach, rocky shore line, fishing, boating, swimming and so much to offer.
Close to Litchfield in Grayson county KY. Also has people selling wood along the way. Dollar general within a few miles for supplies. Also bank, gas, post office, liquor store, restaurants and much more for a small area. It is ran by the Corps of Engineers. Check out the discount programs they have. If you are a senior disabled or veteran it could be free for life to get card. They have different tiers.
I'm a disabled veteran and have the access card. It gives me half off stays at federally run places and free day passes. Many more discounts yet to discover.

Tipsaw Recreation Area Hoosier National Forest is the place to visit if you have a large group or family event planned.

We had a good time doing basic camping activities while here, nothing flashy just fun water sports, campfire activities and hiking. ( no signal so appreciate the quiet :)

5 camping areas which are mostly group based and reservable. Catbrier Loop is the more wide open campground with large RV sites, a pit toilet, pavilion and small field for group events and a path to the beach. Goldenrod (camping side by side) and Primrose (camping around the loop)offer more shade and area to spread out with pit toilets, picnic tables and fire rings. Dogwood has double RV sites and some singles, and you feel more “in the woods” with full canopy coverage. A showerhouse and pit toilet, picnic tables and fire pits. The largest area is Jackpine Loop, good shade, showerhouse and more privacy. 

The beach area on Tipsaw Lake is very family oriented, nice bathhouse facility, small picnic pavilions on cement walkways and a nice beach with play area for the kids. We did not visit the beach because dogs are not allowed. Adjacent is the boat ramp which is ramp, dock, pit toilet and parking. The dogs had fun here playing in the water along the ramp, not much shore to speak of. 

The Tipsaw Lake Trail is 5.9 miles of technical rolling hills with complete tree coverage. We hiked it and I noticed that it is a little overgrown but overall a nice trail. With all the rain the trail was muddy and several of the small streams still had water in them. Ticks are bad with the rain and overgrowth so apply your bug spray liberally! 

In addition to the recreation area there is the Mogan Trailhead in the area which is shared with horses. A zip line Eagles Wing and Citgo gas station. Tell City to the south has the usual stores and fast food for any needed amenities, the ranger station is also located there but closed on the weekends.

I spoke with several of the camp hosts and they were very informative about the area and took good care of their areas. They also have the firewood if you need some.

Primrose Loop at Tipsaw Lake Recreation area Hoosier National Forest has six sites grouped in twos and would be perfect for a group get together. It’s very basic, no phone signal and a pit toilet. There are nice showerhouses in the adjacent campgrounds.

Tipsaw Lake is in short walking, bike riding or vehicle driving distance and the beach area is very family oriented with small picnicking pavilions a play area near the beach and a sand beach. No dogs allowed though.

We enjoyed the Tipsaw Lake 5.9 mile Trail. I kept thinking Trail Run event! I’m not sure if there’s an active group in Branchville, In area though. The trail is not difficult, it’s hilly and technical, but an enjoyable excursion. 

The trail and picnic area needed some maintenance as in being cut back and down, this and the recent rain made ticks bad so pack your bug stuff and pants if you plan to hike. The mosquitoes weren’t bad when we visited , they might get worse as the summer progresses with all the stagnant water. 

Next visit I’m packing the kayak because Tipsaw Lake looked awesome!

Laurel Recreation Area on Rough River Lake has three separate campgrounds that run along side the road with the boatramp between the second and third areas.

In the very first campground the sites along the road to me are not good if you have kids or dogs due to road traffic.

The “wood” side sites are better in that you can set up a more private area for camp life. 

The second campground area is smaller with less sites. There is a day use area in between the first and second campgrounds with a short nature trail.

The third campground down is the largest and is adjacent to the day use beach area

There were no direct put ins at the first two campgrounds. All three campgrounds had the usual; shower house, picnic tables and fire rings.

The boat ramp is not very long and has limited parking, you will get the opportunity to practice your backing skills with the trailer if you use this one. 

This is a nice camping area but crowded and to use any of the recreation areas you will need to load up your vehicle to get there. The third campground does have some sites with put in possible but you will need to reserve ahead.

Catbrier Loop at Tipsaw Lake Recreation area Hoosier National Forest is an excellent area to reserve if you are planning a family get together, reunion or group camping trip. I say this because most of the RV/tent sites are clustered in the grass island created by the loop roadway. There are a few sites that sit on the right side of the loop. There isn’t a lot of tree cover. There is a toilet facility , picnic pavilion and field area that would work well for group cooking and get togethers on the left side of the loop. 

The back in sites have electric and water hook ups and are bricked so even if it rains you will have traction and the water should drain well. There is a trail to the beach within the loop. 

If your going to the beach it’s best to leave Fido at the campground, no dogs allowed!

 It is a nice beach area with a picnic area , parking lot, bathhouse facility and small pavilions and paved trails. 

The boat ramp is close by, accessible by road or a trail.

The 5.9 mile Tipsaw Lake Trail traverses through the are and though it doesn’t seem to be well used it’s meandering path gives you a good look at the picturesque area around the lake.