Looking to go glamping near Parkers Lake and enjoy a rustic retreat into nature? The Dyrt lets you enjoy a unique, rustic Parkers Lake experience while glamping. You're sure to find glamping for your Kentucky camping excursion.
Blue Heron Campground is a rustic and spacious campground, situated on the Kentucky side of The Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area--a vast and scenic expanse of land that offers visitors countless recreational activities.
Numerous trails snake through the Recreation Area, offering mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding for visitors. The main river of the Big South Fork is also a short drive away, offering fishing opportunities.
The Big South Fork is located in north central Tennessee and southeastern Kentucky in some of the most rugged terrain of the Cumberland Plateau. The park encompasses approximately 125,000 acres of both rocky gorges and forested plateaus. Numerous pristine streams unite with the free-flowing Big South Fork of the Cumberland River. Over thousands of years, this ceaselessly moving water has carved the sandstone of the plateau into impressive cliffs, arches and chimneys that are found throughout the park.
Just a few miles from the campground is Blue Heron Mine, also known as Mine 18, a historic abandoned mining town that has been rebuilt as an outdoor museum. Visitors can hear audio presentations from actual people who lived in the community in the 1950s. The Big South Fork Scenic Railway Depot is located about 9 miles away in the town of Stearns, which offers train rides and other educational opportunities for campers. More information can be found online at https://bsfsry.com. Additional attractions include the Daniel Boone National Forest and Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, offering additional recreation opportunities.
$30 - $35 / night
This recreation area is part of Lake Cumberland
Waitsboro Campground is at 500 Waitsboro Road and is situated on beautiful Lake Cumberland in southern Kentucky.Click here for the Lake Cumberland virtual tour.
Lake Cumberland is the largest man-made lake east of the Mississippi River. Its large surface acreage and over 1,200 miles of shoreline provide a myriad of recreational activities. The lake has an abundance of largemouth, smallmouth, white and Kentucky bass, bluegill, crappie, rockfish and walleye, making it a favorite among anglers. The Black Walnut Nature Trail, located near the lake office, is a self-guided educational trail. The trail is open Monday through Friday 8:00am to 4pm EST.
The campground overlooks the main body of the lake, offering sweeping scenic views. Dense stands of mature hardwoods forest the site, offering scenic views, pleasant shade and wildlife habitat. Because of the temperate climate and relatively long recreation season, the lake provides varied outdoor recreational opportunities for millions of visitors each year.
General Burnside Island State Park is nearby. It was named after Civil War General Ambrose Burnside, who led patrols along the Cumberland River, circling this 400-acre island to keep watch for Confederate soldiers. Visitors come today to enjoy boating, fishing, golfing and picnicking on Kentucky's only island state park. Burnside Marina is 10 minutes away, with boat rentals, a restaurant and general store.
$16 - $42 / night
$25 - $174 / night
This recreation area is part of Lake Cumberland
The Great Meadows Campground, located on Stearns District of the Daniel Boone National Forest, is developed on both sides of the road. Deer Loop is on the right; Raccoon Loop is on the left. Deer Loop is open year round; but the water is shut off during the winter season. Raccoon Loop is April 1 - November 15. Make this page look nicer by submitting photos of your visit to Great Meadows Campground. Learn more... View Great Meadows Guide and Map Rock Creek, a designated Kentucky Wild River, runs along the Raccoon Loop. Rock Creek is stocked with rainbow trout March - June and September - December.. Campsite availability is on a first-come, first-served basis. Trails nearby: Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail - Section 37 and Section 38; Mark Branch Trail # 635 and Gobblers Arch Trail # 636.
$10 - $15 / night
Traveler
The campground has all of the glamping necessities. Water hook-up, electrical, dumping station, clean hot water showers, etc. It's pet friendly and the campground is very clean. The location is excellent for those who love rock climbing (sport and trad), easy and moderate level hiking, white water kayaking, or maybe want to spend a day or two also doing some backcountry camping. There are bears and other curious wildlife so make sure to keep your stuff in the provided bear boxes!
Guide
Great option for young families. Many activities at the park and it is also close to the birth place of Kentucky Fried Chicken. They have nice sites for larger campers and some for small units that are more shaded.
LegendWe camped here over the weekend with our dogs. The campground is actually not in Tennessee. It's located on the Kentucky side of Big South Fork. The campsites have a picnic table and a firepit. Our campsite was very nice and private with a big grassy area. The bathhouse was nice and clean. There are hiking trails nearby and access to a small mining village. We would definitely camp here again.
Scout
This is great for a night or two, we have used it as a base camp for property search. For this ise it has been great. The sites are a good size with picnic tables at each site. The only problem right now is construction going on behind it, they are clearing out land to build something and they started work today at 5 in the morning. Also you do get road noise as it is at the intersection of two main Kentucky roads.
LegendAlum Ford Big South Fork Recreation Area is in my top 10 favorite areas.
I try to participate in the Yamacraw Trail Run every year because it is just AWESOME, and this area is part of their route due to the excellent scenery of the area.
If you like trees, hills, streams, falls, historical markers, old cabins and history , plus not much use of modern technology when you camp then you will thoroughly enjoy Big South Bend! If you are a bring the kitchen sink kinda camper you might wanna find a nearby KOA or other type campground.
The campground has no signal, no electricity, no showers, no host. Just you, a tent pad, picnic table and fire ring. Oh, and there is one pit toilet. Bring 5$ cash for the honor pay station and your hiking shoes and watercraft. There is a Trailhead at the back of the 6 site campground and a boat ramp down the hill.
The sites are well maintained and old , probably CCC built with wood steps leading up or down to your site. There is no direct access to the boatramp but there is a short trail that connects the sites to the boatramp that runs along the cliff face down to the ramp.
The trailhead is part of the Sheltowee Trace Trail and connects to the Yamacraw Bridge. You could easily stage a multi day backpacking trip from Alum Ford to take in the local sights.
Not far up the road is the Yahoo Picnic Area. I think it used to be a campground just by the way it’s set up. Picnic tables on pads and a nice old pavilion for groups with a grill. Past that Yahoo Falls. This is a technical, moderate trail down to the tallest falls in Kentucky. Also a very old area but maintained with newer restroom facilities. The loop trail was approximately 1.5 miles long with a metal staircase on one side and trail on the far side. This is also part of a thru trail. Get you an old fashion paper map before coming cause your fancy electronic gear may or may not work here.
This is one of many areas through the Kentucky/Tennessee Big South Fork if you are able plan for an extended stay to check the whole place out;)
LegendBig South Fork NRRA is definitely one of my favorite places in Tennessee. It stretches into Kentucky’s too. So much to do and see, and the hiking and camping is equal to the Smokies in my opinion, except there’s no crowds, no traffic, not many people! It’s great! There’s a few campgrounds in BSF, like Bandy Creek and Station Camp,and they are excellent spots, but the backcountry is where it’s at n the BSF! I have found so many excellent camp sites along the river and in the forest, and I’ve always been able to find one with plenty of privacy on any given weekend. There’s lots of hiking, 4-wheeling, fishing, swimming, mountain biking, horse riding, kayaking, rock climbing, etc here. The possibilities are endless! The sounds at night are so peaceful and relaxing, and the lightning bugs put on quite a show in the summer! I tried to make a video, I don’t think you can see them, but you can hear the woods at night!
Guide
This was a one night stop on our way to Ohio. The property is nice and the sites are spacious. Didn't really like the placement of the fire ring. Had we used it, we would have been listening to our neighbor's music most of the night. We had a W/E site. Our Verizon cell signal was terrible and the campground wifi was not much better. The sites were gravel but were level. We didn't use the showers but they looked clean. The laundry room had only 1 washer and 1 dryer. The playground is best suited for toddlers. The dump station would have been convenient if we were dumping on the way in, but not placed well for dumping upon departure. They did have a zip line and a gem mining station for an extra cost. It was secluded enough that there wasn't a lot of road noise at night. It seems like it would be a nice enough campground during the summer. For the price paid for the site, it would have been nice to have included some of the extra activities. No cell or wifi service would probably keep us from staying here again as it was impossible to get any work done. Be sure to check out the Birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken. We didn't get to go inside the cafe(COVID), but we did have some photo ops outside.
Legend
The sites are inconsistent between their sizes on the Clifty campground. We had two small tents and one car. If we had any more gear or people it would have been uncomfortable.
I had to be careful when parking as I had to avoid the water supply, 2 trees, a safety pole for the water supply (painted brown), electricity box, and then the drop off on the other side of the road. It did take a few turns to get in and out of the campsite. We did have cell phone service (Verizon) at the campground. My friend that was T-Mobile did not have cell service. There are areas in the park where I did not have a signal such as when we went hiking or exploring. I would pre-download maps for the area on All Trails as that was extremely helpful.
Some of the campsites at Clifty were much larger and were 2 of my site. Each site had a water hook up, standard lantern/trash pole, fire ring, electric box, and was a short walk from the Clifty campground bathroom. If you can hand pick your site or scout it out before hand it is well worth doing that if you have a larger sized family or tent.
I actually preferred Clifty over the main campground (Ridgeline). Ridgeline was down a long winding road. It had way more folks. Ridgeline is better suited for the RV and large tent crowds. Look closely as each site is rated for a different RV length and they had one pull in site. At Ridgeline they even have one campsite (tent) that was rated for 16 campers. Generally, each site was rated for 8 campers. Ridgeline also had some horse campers as I was able to see their horse trailers when going through the campsite. I saw 3 riders on horseback when I was driving to the camp store. The stables are in two spots on the road down to Ridgeline.
Taken from Cumberland Falls State Park webpage "Cumberland Falls State Resort Park is the perfect destination to introduce the family to the thrill of horseback riding. The park offers guided trail rides that are easy enough for the first timer and still adventurous for the more experienced. Riders, age 6 and up will enjoy a 45-minute ride through an eastern Kentucky forest, beautiful in any season. The stables open weekends in May and are daily after Memorial Weekend until Labor Day. Also open on weekends during Sept. and Oct. Rides start on the hour from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cost is$20.00 per person. Personal horses are not permitted on the trails at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, but there are several opportunities to do so in the surrounding area. There are many miles of trails and several horse camps in the nearby Daniel Boone National Forest and The Big South Fork National River and Recreation area."
Clifty was smaller and quieter. It felt like it had more trees and only tents on this row of campsites. The campsites are close to each other as we talked with our camp site neighbors on the both sides. When I first booked my site I knew of the difference in locations between Ridgeline and Clifty but I couldn't figure out what the difference in settings/vibe would be like and I am so happy that I had picked Clifty.
The perk about the Clifty campsites is that they are close to the pool. You can easily walk to the pool with your family when it opens. The pool is free for campers. I didn't get to check out their bathrooms but my fellow camper did and she said it was good. I also discovered a trail and more down behind the Clifty campground. I only found it as I noticed yellow blazes by the bathroom and followed it back to the trailhead. Close to the bathroom is the dumpster with a home made jamming device to keep the bears out of the dumpster. The Clifty bathroom was not ADA accessible as no wheelchair bathroom stall. Shower wasn't accessible either if you have any mobility challenges.
Moonbow at Cumberland Falls - We arrived early and had a picnic dinner. The moon bow is best when the moon is high over the falls. We were hoping to see it around sun set at 9:30 - 10:00 but we actually had to stay later. Make sure you take advantage of the picnic tables that are near by and the bathrooms. The best site to see the Moonbow is at the Upper Falls which is close to the gift shop/snack bar. You can see the falls from further down at the other observation decks. We hung out there for some time to avoid the crowds at the Upper Falls.
The parking lot will fill up as it gets closer to the time of the Moonbow. I avoided that by doing the picnic dinner and coming before sun set. The Cumberland Falls remain open till midnight as they know folks will want to see the Moonbow this is only seen at certain times of the year due to the moon. It was nice to notice the ranger at the entrance of the park as we were leaving. He was keeping tabs on the crowds at a distance as he wasn't needed at that time.
Hiking - Ask for a map at the lodge as I didn't see them at the campgrounds or even signs explaining what trail 12 vs 2 was in the area. Also, be aware that the Sheltowee trail is in the area this is a 333 mile long trail and you will see the white blaze or turtle blazes.
Even some of the signs such as where the waterfall was for the near by Dog Slaughter Falls Trail said the falls were 1 mile away but it was actually several more miles. I used the All Trails App and kept track of the miles on my Fitbit. We found the Extended trail on All Trails and that matched up to the GPS tracking we did while on the trail. We found 3 different signs for this hike in 3 different locations and each time the mileage was off.
GuideThis was my first time to the Niagara of the South. My husband and I left our dog back in Louisville for this trip which was originally an attempt to see the moon bow at Cumberland Falls.
We looked at the tent site map on the state resort park map and nothing looked GREAT except for Clifty Campground spots 050, 048, and 049 they all look isolated from any of the other sites with 050 being a site that you have to traverse a grassy/rocky area from your car to set up.
We opted for spot 047 because, on the map, it looked set back from the campground road… and it was… sorta. Nothing at this campsite is going to be private. The majority of the sites do not have so much as a weed between them although the sites themselves are very roomy for car camping. Your vehicle will be a presence at the site, which have electric hookups so if, like me, you have an electric car… it's nice to be able to simply plug the car in. This site did not get a lot of shade except for where we had the tent set up, and still… that would've received sun had it not been raining.
Our site had a good picnic bench, a sturdy wooden post for hanging trash etc and the fire pit seemed pretty new. The grill wasn't bent at all, which was a 1st in my years of camping. The view from this site was pretty cool… we set out tent up at the furthest out spot on the small cliff as we could before it turned to mostly rock and faced the door out over the trails. We hung our rain tarp because, instead of a moon bow, we endured a nearly 24 hour torrential downpour. The tarp, which is small, and having the tent faced appropriately gave us a semblance of privacy although we had a camper van family next to us. Site has a lot of gravel so it was reasonably muddy but not dried out quick.
There are a lot of raccoons that visit the dumpster area so expect it to be a little messy if your fellow campers aren't shutting the dumpster lids. Shower facilities reminded me of middle school camp… kind of mildewed… and well… rustic. Everything functioned and it wasn't "gross" just old. Water was hot. Toilet stalls (ladies) were small. I weight 130 and at 5 foot 2 it was a tight squeeze for me.
We hiked the WIldflower Loop Trail (1.5 miles) in a drizzle and although wet it was safe. When the rain stopped we hiked Eagle Falls Trail and it was very muddy but the views were worth it.
Would love to go back but if camping in a tent it's a must to get one of the two more private spots, or at the very least
ScoutGreat info, except Cumberland Falls State Resort Park isn't "15 miles southwest of Corbin", as stated herein. It's actually in Corbin, KY and has a Corbin address.
RangerThe campground is small and the sites are small. Not for bigger campers. Our is 23 feet and barely made it in our site. They are close together as well. It’s such a beautiful setting we didn’t mind. Love the falls and lots of hiking to do as well.
GuideWe went here with family - the cabins have all the comforts of home. Lots of hiking nearby, including the chance to walk along the river to see the moon bow (very developed trails/ infrastructure).
GuideBe aware, that the campsites are exactly the length as indicated. Not an inch more! Some people were able to fit their rigs in diagonally. The park itself is beautiful, the campground good enough to spend the night. Sites are very close together.
GuideI love that there was a pool to cool off on a hot day at this campground. I love exploring the area, and hiking trails.
GuideI love coming back to this area - there’s always so much to see! We got a cabin and cooked outside w/marinated chicken breast and charcoal that I brought w/us. Beautiful area!
RangerWe stayed two nights in the Ridgeline Campground, site R22. This is a beautiful area, but there is nothing beautiful about the campground. Seemed run down and the spots are right next to each other. Make sure to watch the “max vehicle length” - we have a 21’ van and we barely fit into our site that had a longer max length. Also, the water and electric hookup for this site is very far away from the actual site - we had to use a regular 110 extension cord to get the hookup to our van and we couldn’t use the water at all because we only had a standard length hose. There is also a drop off on the back of the site, so getting in and out of the back of our van was tricky - especially after it rained and that area was muddy. The trail from the campground to the falls viewing area seems like it has zero trail maintenance. Sites 19 and 20 are nice - they are listed as tent only sites, but people had RVs. Both sites have good privacy and nice deck areas secluded in the woods.
GuideOther reviewers will do this place more justice than I can. It’s already been said. I’ll just say that a 45 minute horse ride for $25 is an absolute steal. Seeing the falls is free. There is a small on-site store and a playground for the kids.
GuideWe stayed in tent site 19. I think it is definitely the best site in the campground. Sites 19 and 20 are a couple of the only sites with any privacy. Site 19 is a walk in (down) but the site itself is huge and the tent platform is built out on a rock outcrop. Overall the campground is nice but the other sites are very close together. The rangers/camp hosts came by while we were gone to warn us about bear activity in the campground, you do need to be careful with food. We went to see the moonbow so it was fairly busy while we were there. We also took a hike to Eagles Falls where it seems to be clothing optional swimming...lol It didn’t bother us but just an FYI. We had a very relaxing 3 days at Cumberland Falls, would definitely recommend it.
GuideWe stayed at site RV33. We have a 25ft travel trailer and it was perfect. There were two tent sites very close to us, but we had more than enough room. If we were to go again, we would pull straight into the site (this would have put our slide towards the road). The tent sites looked to be the best tent sites I’ve seen. The bath house was very clean. The staff was very helpful. There were trails from the campground to Cumberland Falls. We hiked to see Cumberland Falls (from the lodge) and Eagle Falls. After a short drive, we hiked Natural Arch and Yahoo Falls.
GuideThis place is not for you if you are looking for solitude or silence. It might be your scene if you’re into parties. Tent sites were not all accessible by drive up - some you had to park at the top of the hill and walk down. Bathrooms were clean though, and the staff was friendly. Can’t beat the proximity to the falls either.
TravelerBest site for privacy is 49 plus it's pretty big. Sites 40-47 have electric and water. Sites 48-50 do not but all sites are close to the bath house. In my opinion, the privacy of site 49 was worth the lack of electricity and water. Site 50 was pretty close to the parking lot - I would not recommend that one. Site 48 was at the end of the 40-47 row, so I didn't walk down to check it out, but it looked like it had grass and the others didn't.
TravelerI hadn't been here before and unfortunately our campsite was kind of the worst. It was gravel and full sun the entire day. Cumberland falls is ok, it is super crowded, and as another reviewer mentioned there is tonssss of trash. Personally I highly recommend visiting eagle Falls, another waterfall at the park. It's a tough trail to get there but way worth it. Plus you can swim there. All in all the trails are great, the campground not so much.
Also one of the workers tried to tell us we could walk our kayaks to the bottom of Cumberland Falls and head out from there, and no, no you cannot.
ScoutSeeing Cumberland falls was a first for us and we were in awe! Would have loved to seen the legendary moonbow but we had to make our way on the trail for our backpacking trip. Follwed unlong the river almost our entire trip and found some wonderful spots to camp and relax. Only spotted one snake along the trail. Was well marked until we got a few miles in then it got a little tricky but only adds a little more to the fun!
RangerWe had our family reunion here and we all had a wonderful time. Waterfall was beautiful and it turned out the last night we got to see the moon bow
ScoutThe campground is a little small and sites are oddly placed, but a great little hike to the falls makes a great day!!
ScoutThe campground itself was pretty well maintained, the facilities (bathrooms and showers) were clean and well stocked, but the campsites are ON TOP OF EACH OTHER. We could hear the lady in the camper next to us telling her granddaughter a bedtime story... there was an inch clearance between our truck and the tree on the site. The campground seemed to have some nice activities and was conveniently located a short and scenic drive to the falls. Would be nice if they hadn’t tried to crowd 50 campers into such a small space.
GuideCamp ground was small, very close to camp grounds, can’t swim in the river, great for fishing, lots of activities for families. Has small store for ice and the basic essentials, there’s not a big store around if u forget something.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Parkers Lake, KY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Parkers Lake, KY is Cumberland Falls State Resort Park with a 4.3-star rating from 46 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Parkers Lake, KY?
TheDyrt.com has all 25 glamping camping locations near Parkers Lake, KY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
