Searching for a place to camp with your dog near Paducah? Find the best sites near Paducah where you bring your dog and enjoy a scenic view. Search nearby campgrounds that allow pets or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Hillman Ferry Campground offers 374 well-defined lake front and wooded sites capable of handling a variety of camping units from tents to large motor homes. Basic, electric, water, and sewer sites are available. Campers have access to modern facilities, including a large swimming area, archery range, ball field, bike trails, campfire amphitheater, hiking trails, two boat ramps, fishing dock, picnic tables, and fire rings. During the summer season we offer recreation programs for all ages.
Located in the Middle of Southern Illinois just Off I-24 it is a great place to stay while you explore all the the Shawnee Forest. From Giant City to Garden of the Gods. The Tunnel Hill bike trail is a half mile away and Cache River is just down the road. We have 60 Full Hook up sites. Large pull through sites up to 120 feet long. We have Shower Houses and Laundry Facilities. Our Campground is Open Year Round.
$40 / night
We are a Good Sam Park and a family-owned campground that was established by Fern and Sam in 1977. Our beloved, Sam, passed away December 20, 2018. Greg and Deanna Bazzell are the second generation campground hosts who live on the property. Whether you want to spend the night or stay longer to visit or work in the area, we can accommodate you. From tents to the largest campers and motor homes we have a convenient site for you. Our entire team is committed to meeting your needs. As a result, a high percentage of our business is from repeat customers.
We would welcome the opportunity to accommodate your stay and deliver you the best service in the industry. ~ Greg and Deanna Bazzell
$10 - $48 / night
Bell Smith Springs is one of the most beautiful recreation areas the Shawnee National Forest has to offer. It contains a series of clear, rocky streams and scenic canyons bordered by high sandstone cliffs and an abundance of vegetation unique to Illinois. The trail system consists of eight miles of interconnected trails featuring strange and wonderful rock formations, such as Devil's Backbone, Boulder Falls and a natural rock bridge. Hiking this system of trails is a favorite activity because of the rock features, scenic overlooks, hidden springs and lush flora and fauna.
$15 / night
One of the most photographed locations in the state, Garden of the Gods' scenic beauty is extraordinary. In the recreation area you can hike, camp, nature watch or picnic.
The Observation Trail features unique sandstone rock formations and panoramic views of the surrounding Garden of the God Wilderness. Interpretive signs explain the geological history. The 1/4-mile trail is made of natural sandstone and takes about an hour to walk. It contains short, steep grades and steps; benches are located along the trail and as a whole the trail is not tiring. Caution should be used due to the high cliffs in the area.
Overnight parking allowed at Backpacker's Parking Lot only (Indian Point Trailhead). Pets are allowed only on a leash. Picnic areas and Observation Trail are open 6am-10pm. Use trash receptacles where available. Pack It In, Pack It Out while on trails. Camp only at designated sites in the campground. Disposable food and beverage containers are not permitted on the Observation Trail. Stay on the designated trail and leave the beauty of the rocks and plants for others to enjoy.
$10 / night
Situated along a peninsula between the lush shorelines of Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake, Canal Campground offers modern camping and provides the ideal setting to enjoy nature at its best with family and friends. Visitors can enjoy a stunning view of the Barkley Dam and boats traveling through the canal from the comfort of their campsite. The campground faces Barkley Lake, and the shore of Kentucky Lake is a brisk one-mile walk across the canal.
From water sports to wildlife viewing to hiking and biking, Canal Campground is the perfect setting for outdoor activities. Eagle nests can be spotted throughout the grounds, and its not unlikely for visitors to encounter deer and other wildlife. A short hiking trail allows campers to enjoy the outdoor scenery at their leisure. Fishing is also a popular pastime, and during warm months bass and catfish are plentiful in both lakes.
From water sports to wildlife viewing to hiking and biking, Canal Campground is the perfect setting for outdoor activities. Eagle nests can be spotted throughout the grounds, and its not unlikely for visitors to encounter deer and other wildlife. A short hiking trail allows campers to enjoy the outdoor scenery at their leisure. Fishing is also a popular pastime, and during warm months bass and catfish are plentiful in both lakes.
Lake Barkley, as part of a dam project at the Cumberland River, spans 134 miles along the Kentucky landscape, offering countless recreational activities to visitors. The canal connects Lake Barley with Kentucky Lake, forming one of the greatest freshwater recreational complexes in the country.
Grand Rivers, a short drive from the campground, has several restaurants and two public marinas.
$256 / night
Eureka Campground sits on Lake Barkley among wooded rolling hills and abundant wildlife. Fishing is a well-loved sport here; Kentucky's largest yellow bass was caught in these waters, and anglers flock with hopes of breaking the record.
Hikers and bikers are fans of the 2.5 mile Chestnut Oaks Trail that starts here. Other activities include boating, fishing and swimming.
Hikers and bikers are fans of the 2.5 mile Chestnut Oaks Trail that starts here. Other activities include boating, fishing and swimming.
Lake Barkley, the western-most lake on the Cumberland River is connected by a canal to Kentucky Lake, forming one of the nation's greatest freshwater recreation complexes. Between the two lakes is Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, featuring miles of hiking trails and opportunities for off-road vehicle riding.
Visit Fort Donelson National Battlefield, where the Union Army won their first battle of the Civil War. Another great destination in the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, with more than 170,000 acres of public land to explore.
$32 / night
Jackson Falls offers many opportunities for technical climbing and is a beautiful scenic area of the Shawnee National Forest. It is in the general forest area located east of the small town of Ozark, IL. This non-developed area has a small trailhead with a vault toilet. A short trail leads from the trailhead to the top of Jackson Falls. There are high dangerous bluffs in the area, visitors should be cautious and aware of their surroundings. Camping is allowed here at no cost, since this is part of the general forest area and not a developed campground. Access: A narrow gravel road leads to the Jackson Falls Trailhead, but then the road becomes dirt and deadends past the trailhead.
Hosts were friendly, but didn’t brief us on information such as where is the trash bin, what is the WiFi password. Restroom was old but relatively clean. There’s only one valve in the showers so all you get is lukewarm water. Not good on a cool or cold day. Some of the long term people have too many dogs, one had 6 little yippers, kind of annoying. And I’m not against dogs
Pulled in around dusk and there was a deserted camper there, about 4 pull in sites for rooftop campers. The bugs were insane and 40 must’ve flown into my car when i opened the door for a split second. Other than that, good stop for dispersed campers. Bathrooms were vault.
Great little spot right off the interstate. Lots of nice scenery and decent fishing.
A few sites at a boat launch area.
One large site before the main turnaround point and a couple by the water.
Not a ton of space.
4x4 or awd may come in handy leaving the sites (going back up the gravel hill)
Only stay for several hours,haven't spent the night yet,that will be planned next
This will be the next campground to go
This park was very quiet, easy to access and owners were very friendly. The grounds we very well kept. Showers and bathrooms immaculate. We will definitely stop again in the future.
Stopped here for the night driving through the area. Nice campground, clean, safe, and right off the interstate.
This is lakefront with a vault toilet and no running water. On a Wednesday night everything was quiet and peaceful. It is a self serve campground.
There are only two camp site at this location and they are very close to each other. The camp sites are also very narrow. We camped in the lower site and had a difficult time getting everything out of the road.
On the positive side, the site was clean, there was nobody there over the weekend and there was a humming bird. The pond had lots of frogs and and a few fish.
We stayed 4 days and had a great time. The camp was clean and well maintained. The staff are very friendly and helpful and was more than happy to offer places to visit in the area, places to eat and provide assistance as needed. The trails are paved so we had a nice area to walk (twice around the lake from our site was 3 miles). :) We plan to visit again!
We stayed here in our tent. The lady who checked us in was exceptionally nice and the campsites were clean quiet and shady. The restrooms were spick and span. We would certainly stay here again.
Beautiful spot with easy access and not far off the highway
I stayed here and camped for a bike rally. I think you can only camp during an event. And cost is different from each event. Nice place
Stayed here for a week and it was great. Plenty to do to keep you busy. Nice pool with retractable roof. Playset for kids. Full service marina with boat rentals. Golf cart rentals as well.
Great little stop, everything is clean and a fresh shower was refreshing.
Was the only one there $ 20 with Electricity, what a Deal Steve is a great Host Also had free Music….. Cicadas
This is a spectacular place if you are looking for private and semi-private dispersed campgrounds that you can drive up to. Great hiking around the area.
The road to get into the primitive camp area is long, and just a little bumpy but we had no problem in a 4x4, also saw volvos and subarus do just fine. Sprinter vans would be fine. Was pretty dry when we visited, could see the road getting a little sketch after big rain. Definitely not gonna be fun for even small RV's. Tough turnarounds for large trailers or 5th wheels.
Stayed 2 nights. Nearly empty, but we’ll kept camp. Best sunsets!!! Lake is beautiful. Many many lakeside spots. Lots of room.
Location is everything and this is well in the middle of a great area in Shawnee National Forest. Garden of the gods, Bell Smith springs, Ferne State park, and on and on. You can spend a week here and not see everything.
There are primitive and electric (with water) sites. There are no sites with sewer hookup. There is a dump station at the entrance.
Sites are generally level and well kept. Very large rigs (35+) will be challenging, but I've seen them - more towards the front. There are some lake front spots that can be had. Sites are first come and there are no reservations taken. During the week, no problem. Weekends would be iffy.
Large lake with swimming, fishing, kayaking. Also has a bike trail around it - maybe 2 miles.
Shower houses are kept clean, but as of this posting, they need some maintenance work.
All in all, this is a must stop if you want to enjoy what the area has to offer.
This is a no frills campground just off of I-69/I-24. Check in was completed online and our site was marked with our name. All sites are full hook up with concrete pads. The county has a trail system that begin just a few hundred feet down the road that is a nice stretch of the legs. The skeleton on the motorcycle welcoming you was interesting, maybe we were really early or really late for Halloween. The campground is in need of some TLC of the grounds. There also seems to be a lot of long term residents.
Primitive campground with electric and water, who knew. Nice sites well kept. Showers were disgusting, drain had accumulated crud. Sinks also gross.
We camped here with our pups to see the eclipse in Paducah. The area is not really pretty or scenic. You can walk to the dam from the campground but it's nothing super special to see. There is dead fish laying around everywhere and it also smells like it. The campsites are very confusing. There is no map anywhere, except online. Sometimes you can't even read the numbers on the piles. The bathhouse was pretty ok. It was cleaned daily and always stocked. The water pressure was very low. Our camp host was super awesome and nice. There are also no hiking trails close by. The town of Paducah was worth a visit, otherwise we would not camp there again.
Very nice campground, better than what I expected. We stayed at site 20 with a 36' travel trailer we had to actually drive all the way to the end of the campground to turn around so we could back into the site. Cravens Bay is secluded and about a 2 mile drive off the main road running through LBL.
There is a attendant at the site that you have to check in with first who will let you know what sites are available and pay after you have chosen your site and settled in. The attendant station did have some snacks for sale as well ice, also in the event that you may need assistance with any problems at you camp site or even with your camper the attendant more than likely has the tools to help you.
The road leading into the campsite is paved but narrow, the roads at the campsite are well hard packed gravel and very narrow. Cravens Bay basically breaks down into two areas, the low ground (first sites upon entering) and the high ground (sites further in at the top of the hill), there are some sites scattered in-between these two areas but for the most part the largest campsites areas are the high and low ground sites. The sites in-between the two high and low ground areas are very private and two are definitely secluded.
We stay three days and during that time other than the occasional fisherman or the attendant driving by it was definitely very private and quite. There were some seasonal campers there who were very helpful and friendly (even cut up some timber for us to burn).
If you don't mind not having any hook ups and dry/boon docking with your camper Cravens Bay has a lot to offer in terms of privacy, peace, boating, fishing, and swimming. Defiantly for the nature lovers out there, nothing like seeing a Bald Eagle hunting fish while drinking coffee first thing in the morning.
We called from the road to get an overnight stop - the staff were super nice both on the phone and in person. When we arrived, the lady who checked us in gave me a coupon for the drive-in movie theater that was literally down the road. Normally, when we camp we arrive so late it’s impossible to take advantage of area attractions so we decided to go and can I tell you, it was awesome!!! The theater accommodated our camper and the food (cheese fries especially) at the snack stand was great. As far as the campground, our site was a bit hilly but we had a nice view of the lake and close proximity to the playground. My kids also enjoyed the pool. Solid place to overnight!
Surprised to find nice porta potty at our site that was remote from others. Potable water and camper registration (but had a boil water warning but that was not normal). 30 min into Cape Girardeau and 15 min to Anna. Nice picnic table and raised fire ring/ grill.
I stayed at two difderent spots in March 2024. You might need 4wd; it had rained all day before I got here and there were some rough/sloppy patches in the road. The pit toilt at the entrance is about a 10-12 minute drive away. Both spots had fire pits
Camping near Paducah, Kentucky, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a peaceful getaway or a family-friendly adventure, there are several campgrounds to choose from.
With these insights, you're all set for a great camping experience near Paducah, KY!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Paducah, KY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Paducah, KY is Hillman Ferry Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 36 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Paducah, KY?
TheDyrt.com has all 112 dog-friendly camping locations near Paducah, KY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
