Best Glamping near Russellville, KY

What can I say, but Bailey's is our happy little piece of paradise! I've camped here since I was in my early 20s in tents, to camping in a camper in my 40s. Most sites have electric and water. Many sites have incredible views of Barren River Lake and some are downright on the banks. Bath houses are climate controlled and CLEAN. Bailey's is a large campground but it's not usually crowded with loud, obnoxious people. There's nearly a camaraderie here between the campers and while everyone is friendly, they tend to keep to themselves. We like loops B and C the best for a combo of waterfront views and shade trees. Something about watching the moonlight sparkle on the lake with a warm, crackling fire nearby. Bailey's is it!

 Whooping Crane Farm is a private glamping site that you can find on Tentrr. The property is 12 minutes from downtown Nashville, making it a perfect Glamping location. Being close to great restaurants is definitely a plus. The site is gated and right on the river, so the only traffic you have to worry about are the barges that are passing by on the river, or any boaters that are out. There’s a pond on the property, and they advertise kayak rentals. You could ride a bike around the property also, if you bring your own bike. The canvas tent was decorated nicely, with some cool lanterns and a wood burning stove. There was a battery powered fan, that lasted most of the night. The bed was comfortable for glamping. There’s a picnic table with a cooking station, and a charcoal grill. Plenty of cut firewood for the fire pit. There is a restroom, but it’s not a flush toilet, just a bucket toilet, but was nice to have while camping. This is a great spot, convenient to town, perfect for a relaxing weekend.

Whooping Crane Farm is located In such a great spot, just outside Nashville, it is easy to get to, but convenient to everything. The camp spot is fantastic! Right on the Cumberland River, the spot is very secluded, and plenty of space for a group. 

 I would recommend bringing camp chairs, in case you want to sit in a shady spot, or by the water. The site has a picnic table, grill, and solar shower, however I would bring a tarp for privacy if you actually plan to use it, as the river is a busy place in the summer, and the shower is in clear view from the water. 

  There is a pond on the property, which the host, Ellen, allowed us to fish in. The River would be difficult to access, at least while we were there in late August, as there is a big drop off from the bank. I’m not sure if this is normal, or if the water lever was low. 

  The“loo” is a pop up tent with a bucket toilet in it. It was equipped with poop bags and toilet paper. The glamping tent was awesome. The bed was very comfortable. 

  We had some heavy rains overnight, and did have some dripping water from the center seam of the tent and had to scoot the bed over, but other than that, I slept like a baby. We love this spot so much, we plan to return later in the fall!

This campground was very convenient for those visiting the Nashville area, its just off the highway and they offer shuttles for a fee to downtown and opryland. The check in process was quick and simple, the staff were genuinely friendly and helpful. Our campsite was easy to find and very clean. The shower house was one of the best I've seen mostly because it is air conditioned. The showers are all very private and clean with plenty of room. The waterpark is just steps away, I would suggest not eating food within the park it is over priced and not very tasty, go to the marina restaurant or eat at your campsite. They have a dog park to exercise your dogs and you can't beat the views. I would recommend this campground.

I was tent camping with my family Thursday-Saturday while visiting Mammoth Cave.

The good: the tent campground has spacious, level sites. The sites are located in a grove of pine trees, which makes for well shaded sites with a pleasant surface of soft pine straw to pitch your tents. A few sites had trees suitable for hanging hammocks if you enjoy that. There are toilets and sinks in the park office near the primitive campsites. There is a swimming beach and boat ramp on Nolin Lake nearby. Convenient to Mammoth Cave NP and fishing and hiking opportunities abound.

The bad: the shower house is in the RV campground and too far away to be a convenient walk. You have to drive there which is a pain with kids. There were few shower stalls and they were not kept clean. The park staff were very friendly but just overworked. Thursday night we were kept awake by loud campers and campground staff weren’t around to enforce quiet hours. Quiet hours do not start until 11 PM which is not ideal for campers with young children. The park started filling up on Friday and Saturday and was obviously very crowded on the weekend. Seems like a "party spot" for locals. 

We might return here but perhaps would choose to camp during the week or during a less busy time of year.

Barren River State Resort Park

Barren River State Resort Park is small but it offers a lot of options.

The campground is off by itself, quiet , with separate areas and pull through options. The campground is somewhat maintained and the sites are somewhat level. I like the back in sites with shade and a small patio to set up on. They have small asphalt pads so you will get your backing skills tested. The middle sites, (I was in site 45 top of the hill, pull thru) are on a hill which ends at the water with a boat ramp and small beach area. I huffed and puffed up and down the hill several times! There is a short trail near the boat ramp, more for fisher folk then a good hike. It ends at a small inlet. You have a strip of grass to your uphill side to use, otherwise not much privacy. The middle sites have pretty much no shade and we sweltered our middays , chasing the limited shade. The showers are newer, air conditioned and clean. Showers are spacious with seating and wall hooks. Luke warm water, which definitely makes for quick showers! A good way to enforce water conservation, lol.

If you are a biker you have some hills to climb in the park. There is a walk/bike trail around the golfing greens, with a dirt trail off the backside. The stable may still be closed. I did not check if they had started a new contract due to Covid restrictions. LOTS of boating options. Bring your own or rent. The lake is huge and busy with a marina. There’s a beach that you will want to drive to, to long of a walk and I didn’t find any cut through trails from our section of the campground.

Two cool events to check out are the Highland Games, ( men in skirts throwing things)and the Bourbonfest a newer event.

Local grocery w/i 10 miles, antiques, restaurants (Funky Paradise Point) and Mammoth Cave, Cave City attractions as well as an Amish Market in Scottsville and seasonal Farmers Market in Glasgow.

This is the upper echelon of RV camping; a true resort with amenities to match. Family and pet friendly with plenty of walking space, playground and multiple fenced in areas for the dogs to play off leash. 20/30/50 amp power, water and sewer hookups at most sites.

As with most RV parks the spaces at the sites are tight, so be ready to get close to your neighbors. The campground requests that all trailers and RV use blocks under their stabilizers and not lay down any outdoor rugs to protect the grass. 

One note for those making use of the sewer connection: The stand pipe sits somewhat higher off the ground than what you may see at other parks, so be prepared to get creative with your waste water hose to make sure you're running downhill before dumping tanks.

We were in Nashville for a national BMX race at great park nearby. Once racing was over we headed to Nashville shores to camp for our first time. At check-in, there was a little confusion regarding our passes to the waterpark and the amenities that were part of the package we had purchased. We were sent to our site with some wrist bands by a young girl at check-in who was a little inexperienced in the whole check-in /package process there at Nashville Shores RV. Someone was going to contact us and let us know how to take advantage of what we had purchased online. Our RV site was right beside Percy Priest Lake. The weather was so nice, not humid like back home in Florida. The sites were well shaded with full hook-ups. Amenities are bathhouse, laundry, camp store, marina, waterpark, playground, horseshoes, nature trails & a zip line tree tops rope course (installed after our visit). We kind of fell through the cracks so to speak and didn't hear from anyone. Off to the waterpark we went to have some fun and speak to a manager. The boys had a blast running under water buckets dumping over them and going down slides, floating down the lazy river or getting knocked down in the wave pool. This was a great place to cool off and so convenient to our campsite (next door) The management treated our family to a private cabana complete with waitress and free food and souvenirs to make up for a mess-up with our package. It was awesome being waited on hand and foot. We also visited the Gaylord Opryland hotel which is pretty awesome. The boys had fun walking around looking at lush plants, synchronized fountains and illuminated domes. We got some good exercise walking up and down lots of stairs in that massive place. All in all, we would definitely come here again as I am sure they have streamlined the office since 4 years ago.