Glamping accommodations near Taylorsville, Kentucky range from basic to upscale sites situated within the rolling hills of central Kentucky. The area sits at approximately 700 feet above sea level with typical moderate southeastern climate patterns. Camping options extend beyond the glamping offerings with numerous established campgrounds located within a 30-mile radius of Taylorsville Lake State Park.
What to do
Fishing opportunities: At Guist Creek Marina & Campground, visitors can enjoy lake fishing from multiple access points. "The lake is beautiful. Dog and I took a little canoe ride," notes one visitor who appreciated the clean facilities despite proximity to RV sites.
Hiking trails: Jefferson Memorial Forest offers multiple trail options ranging from 1.5 to 13.0 miles through mixed forest terrain. "The seclusion here and the closeness to nature is a grand slam! Lots of trails ranging from 1.5 to 13.0 miles through gorgeous mixed forest of old and new growth deciduous and coniferous hardwoods," shares one camper who visited in fall.
Water recreation: Lake Shelby Campground provides boat access with paddleboat and canoe rentals at reasonable rates. A visitor mentions the lake's wildlife: "awesome wildlife for a park within the city: herons, geese (except for poop), ducks, turtles, beavers. We didn't see the coons but put food away every night as they visited our camp on a nightly basis."
What campers like
Natural setting: Camping sites at Cummins Ferry RV Park offer riverside locations with access to walking trails. "The river and waterfall makes it feel like a tranquil place. The walking trail by the river is nice, we walked it almost every day," notes one visitor who appreciated the natural features despite dealing with unlevel sites.
Clean facilities: Charlestown State Park maintains well-kept shower houses and campsites with concrete pads. "Huge state park with long roadway to various trails and shelters. The campground is very large and very well kept. All the sites are pretty much the same with good spacing between them," explains one camper who gave the park high marks.
Wildlife viewing: Many campers note the abundant wildlife viewing opportunities throughout the region's campgrounds. "Big fan of Lake Shelby - they have a few RV spots, some nice camping by the lake, overflow camping by the river past the dam, and primitive camping in the back along the lake trail - those are my favorite spots!" shares an enthusiastic visitor.
What you should know
Site spacing varies: At Otter Creek Park, campsites have different privacy levels. "This isn't the most quiet campground you're going to find. There is an RV area and a loop for tent camping, the sites are fairly close together with some only having as little as a few saplings or briars between sites," explains a camper who visited during Derby season.
Seasonal considerations: Many campgrounds in the area experience high traffic during Kentucky Derby season and summer weekends. "WE went to this KOA during the kentucky derby weekend, so of course you can expect it to be packed, we made reservations months ahead. When we got there is was not only packed, but there was no one enforcing the quiet hours."
Reservation requirements: Most established campgrounds require reservations during peak season, while some sites operate on first-come, first-served basis. "Within an hour of buying my 1966 Airstream (only 17' but I needed a pull through!) I chose this beautiful campground because of the people! Starting with the needed reassurance on the phone, then setting me up."
Tips for camping with families
Playground facilities: General Butler State Resort Park offers multiple play areas for children. "Two Parks for kids to play at and a lot of room to walk just around the campgrounds on the cement for our dogs with ample available grass area for our dogs to go potty," notes a family who appreciated the pet-friendly atmosphere.
Swimming options: Many campgrounds provide swimming access either through pools or natural water features. "They have an indoor and outdoor pool in the other half of the park. Kayak rental available. Host friendly and helpful," shares a camper at Lake Shelby who stayed with family for five days.
Quiet time enforcement: Louisville South KOA enforces varying levels of quiet hours, which affects family experiences. "Friendly staff, clean bathrooms, fair WiFi, cable tv is ok... sites could be bigger but typical for most campgrounds... most activities are closed due to the virus but they did a great job with other things like tie dye T-shirts and movie nights," notes a visitor traveling during summer.
Tips from RVers
Site leveling: Many campgrounds in the region have uneven sites requiring additional equipment. "The sites here are not level. We used our normal 2x green blocks for the Jack, but needed all 10 of our leveling blocks, plus 8 paving stones to get the appropriate height," warns an RVer at Cummins Ferry.
Hookup quality: Water and electric hookups vary significantly between campgrounds. "Only 10 RV spots, 9 have electric and water hook ups (which is what we had). It was awesome backing into the spot as there is ample asphalt in front of all the sites," shares an RVer at Lake Shelby Campground.
Dump station access: Several campgrounds have tight dump station configurations. "To dump afterward was OK to get in but it is a tighter fit and that's the reason for the 4 stars. It would be nice if you could pull through to dump but you have to back in," notes one RVer about Camp Nelson facilities.
