Best Glamping near Rough River Lake

We stayed here one night. It's a small campground about 35 mins from Louisville and has about 40ish sites for RVs with electric and water, some with sewage. Our site was fairly small and pretty close to other sites but it was easy enough to get into and fit our 12ft pop up without issue. They have 2 bathrooms(the one by the laundry/store is very nice!), a catch and release pond(small, but there are small bluegill and some bass), a nice playground, clean pool, store on site, and overall we had a great time. There are also several connections for wifi, and cable(we didn't try it). The staff seemed very nice. Our site without sewage was $30 plus tax, they also offer tent sites and small cabins($40-50 with air conditioning) if that's your thing. Our site was nice and shaded. We were disturbed a few times by trains in the middle of the night- otherwise it was pretty peaceful and quiet.

When we arrived, the check in process was very easy and staff were helpful and friendly. Ice and firewood can be purchased on site. The efficiency cabin we stayed in was very clean and just perfect for 4 people. The cabin had a bunk bed and a futon bed. The kitchen had a small stove, sink and fridge. The bathroom was small but had a shower and toilet. There was a fire pit and picnic table. The jump pad was fun for the kids. The mini golf course needed a little cleaning/maintenance for the rocks and leaves on the course. The planned fall activities were so much fun for my kids. They did painting, bingo and games. All the staff we came in contact with were friendly. The cabin was situated in a convenient location to all activities. Our stay for this trip was awesome and I would recommend staying at this campground in the fall.

Quiet and laid back. The bathrooms were very clean and also air conditioned, which was a nice treat for a few minutes to step out of the humid June heat. They were flush toilets. There was potable water right by the bathrooms. There were no showers but if you drove right outside the campground in the park there was coin operated showers and laundry room. There was also a camp store and post office. There were trails that ran through the campground and ones right outside in the park. During the day you could schedule tours to the caves which was a great view.

We booked a group site and had 3 tents. It’s very woodsy and tranquil. Bathrooms were close by and air conditioned too! The showers are in the general store building where the post office is so a short walk or drive there. It’s coin operated with a change machine for bills. $1.50 to turn the shower on and insert more coins before it turns off for additional time if needed. The park is amazing and there’s lots of trails that lead to caves and cave openings. All the cave tours within the park were fully booked when we went so we booked some private tours outside the park in the surrounding area. Lots of opportunities to see caves! We stayed for two nights and did some star gazing! Overall great campground and facilities. They also have a kennel for a small fee at the park lodge if you bring your pet and you’re going in a cave tour whether in the park or outside of it. Pets are generally not allowed in caves. Just confirm pet is vaccinated.

I enjoyed 5 days in this primitive campground with my travel trailer. There is no internet or WiFi and I would occasionally get 1bar ATT to send a text message but usually not even that. Generators are allowed 8am to 8pm (but mine wasn’t working so I didn’t get to try it out). The shower house offers showers at $1.50 for 4.5 minutes. More time for more quarters. Great pressure and plenty of hot water. Bring quarters or there is a change machine for $1s and $5s. Great wildlife and trees, bathrooms were always clean and air conditioned so they were my favorite place some days. You can easily walk to the camp store/showers/laundry, quick drive to the visitor center. I would stay there again but would either plan for no electricity or bring a working generator. Solar did not do much in the dappled shade.

We stayed in sites 102 and 104 with 3 other families, and used a total of five 3-4 person tents. We had plenty of [level] room to spread out. Our sites backed up to hundreds of acres of uninhabited forest, while also being within short walking distance of the camp store and visitor center.

Sites were non-electric, and there were no receptacles to be found anywhere close, even at the conveniently located (and very clean) bathrooms. Bring Your Own Electricity, but please note the generator quiet hours. (Solar generators and power stations for the win.) Fire rings are very heavy cast iron with with very sturdy, adjustable-height cooking grates. They really put out some heat once you get the fire going, and are very easy to cook on.

They don't want you bringing in outside wood for obvious reasons, and they only sell compressed saw dust wood bricks at the camp store. They work well once you get the hang of them, don't smoke much at all, and keep you warm. However, at ~$7.50 for a case of 6 blocks, they can get expensive quickly if, like my family, you're the kind of campers that like a good fire.

Overall, park was clean, quiet, and each site has just enough space for you to ignore the people around you if that's what you're into. We love all of the cheesy tourist traps in Cave City, and love the centralized location between Nashville and Louisville--allows me to easily camp with close friends I have in both cities. Already planning on coming back regularly.