Looking for the best options for tent camping near Shepherdsville? The Dyrt is an easy way to find tent camping spots near Shepherdsville. From remote to easy-to-reach, these Shepherdsville campsites are perfect for tent campers.
Jefferson Memorial Forest features a campground for tent camping and can accommodate both families and groups. Although the Forest is only minutes from Metro Louisville, camping here seems like a much more remote camping experience. Located within the Horine Reservation, the campground is in the uplands of the Forest and has good separation between individual campsites. Seven family campsites and four group campsites are available. Latrines and water are near to all the sites.
$15 - $30 / night
Listed on Rachael Ray Magazine's "8 of America's Coolest Campgrounds" This listing is for tent, car, or small RV camping- We currently do not rent the tree house since it is my home. I may rent it out in the future and I will have a cabin available later in the year We are on a solar powered, off the grid 60 acre homestead that has 54 acres of wooded land and 6 acres of groomed land. Come explore our land and relax in the"Tree Web", see the 2 story tree house that I live in, have fun on the tire swing, or just sit and enjoy all that nature has to offer. You can explore our interesting topography that has close to 100 foot of elevation changes, our(mostly) dry creek system that starts with 2 springs that drain into 3 sinkholes or walk 3 miles of trails (if you follow each trail from end to end). Camping can be in the Black Walnut Grove, in an open field or a shady grove. We like to interact with people or you can keep to yourself and have a quiet getaway in the woods. We love groups- Host your event here or have a group gathering with all your friends and family. We have spaces large enough to host hundreds of people. \- 3.5 miles to Marengo Cave \- 7 miles to the Blue River(canoes, rafting and swimming) \- 30 minutes to Pataka Lake- 37 miles west of Louisville \- 13 miles north of Interstate 64
$40 - $65 / night
$20 / night
Our farm is located on the property where the ferry brought individuals across the KY River from Versailles, KY. We are a private farm and live here for the pleasure of the land, the quiet from the city, and the outdoor activities. We want to share this with our guests.
Come and enjoy bourbon country on the Kentucky River. We are located next door to the Wild Turkey Distillery, and within miles of a few others. Our 35-acre property offers immediate access to the KY River, and is within 5 minutes of an quaint downtown area, should you decide to go to town for a meal. Plenty of restaurants for your choosing! 7 minutes away is a Walmart should you forget anything. Come and relax in our peaceful surroundings. Horses, mini horses, goats, mini mules, all on site and loving attention. Bring your frisbees, cornhole, and yard games.
$32 - $82 / night
Stop and camp at Birdsell Castle. Camping includes: Sit around the campfire with other enthusiast and enjoy a Castle lifestyle. Axe throwing and archery.
The castle has several shops with a variety of items and is actively looking for additional consignments from artistians world wide. Some wholesale items available for vendors as well. Vacation rental rooms are being constructed and hope to be available this fall
$25 - $75 / night
We are a primitive tent camping campground ~ no water or electricity. Family owned. 40$/night. On the Bourbon Trail. Looking for beautiful views with friends and family come stay with us on our farm. Rolling hills, catch and pond, walking creek, friendly dogs. Water hose and portable toilet at barn. Fire pits and tent pads. Generators welcomed. No long term discounts.
$39 - $55 / night
Scout
Has tent and RV camping. I tent camped this trip and stopped by for one night as I was passing through. Cost was about $16ish. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Tent sites are at the front of the property with the RVs to the back. Tent campsites are not defined - just an open area for all to share with picnic tables and grills scattered around. Kids playground next to it. Couldn't find the potable water for the tent area. The RVs had electric & water hookups. Showers and bathrooms available. Right next to a side road with a bit of traffic the night I stayed.
Guide
We have a tent which attaches to our truck— no hook ups. Everywhere we go we get a tent site. This campground would not let us get a tent site because we “sleep in the bed of our truck.” We reluctantly rented a cabin because we needed a place to stay for the night. We told them our set-up & that we’ve never been denied a tent site, but they still refused. WiFi was fickle. Got on then would get bumped off.
Scout
We tent camped and it was not a bad time. Very dead and very quiet, and we met a friendly raccoon.
Guide
The bathrooms were beautiful and air conditioned! They were very clean and smelled like a swimming pool. They were nice and cool after a hot sweaty day and tent camping.
Ranger
First, the good: Lake Shelby was easy to find. The signs were easy to see and tent sites are well marked. The office, RV area and restrooms were easy to find and also well marked. The tent sites were shaded by nice trees and were located right next to the lake. The group tent sites looked nice and had shade and open areas. You can rent a paddle boat or canoe. However, there has to be an adult in the canoe for rental. There are several docks and a boat ramp. You have to pay to launch and there is an honor box for that. The campsite itself, was mostly flat and partially shaded. The fire pit was nice as well. Now, the bad: The lake was brown and had an oily film across the top. It smelled of dead fish and something else that I couldn't identify. I saw people fishing, but I never saw anyone actually catch anything. The tent sites were down a dead end road, however the amount of cars that went past our site made me feel like there was a parade that lasted almost the entire time we were there. The paddle boat lost steering when we were halfway around the lake. The only thing we could do was go in a circle. It took 20 minutes for them to send someone to assist us. There was a trash can next to our site, however, it was nearly full when we arrived and no one ever emptied it. The restrooms are located at the RV parking area, so we had to drive to use them. In my opinion, the restrooms should have been built in between the RV sites and tent sites to make them easier to access by walking. Overall, I didn't hate my time at Lake Shelby, but there was nothing great enough to make me return or recommend it to friends.
TravelerTent sites: steep hill with rodents living there. Gravel driveway leading to tent sites: a trench sure to rip the exhaust off your car. The RVers and workers: they make it obvious you are beneath them. Pets allowed: you WILL be up all night with the barking chihuaua on the next site. Airplanes flying over head as you are getting ready to sleep. Traverse the lawn to the faraway bathroom to ruin your shoes at 2am. Laundry on-site but the workers will scowl while you use it. Catch all this ire for the grand old price of $50+ per night.
Scout
The staff were very friendly and accommodating. I asked for the most remote location to set up my tent. It’s still pretty close (across the gravel road about 100’ from RV/trailer campers). The row of tent sites backed up to a fence line. There are trees along this row so you’re not in full sun all day. I wish the tent sites were along the edge of the lake, but this is safer for small children. I’d camp here again possibly. There is a shower house but I did not use this facility. A Rural King store and other retail businesses are less than 5 miles from the location if you happen to forget something.
Guide
This campground has RV sites and tent sites, pond to fish in and plenty of playgrounds for the children. Clean showers and bathrooms and friendly staff.
GuideThe primitive tent camping is located in a grove of beautiful, mature trees. Fire rings & picnic tables are dotted throughout the trees. There is a highway right beside the campsite so you will best cars, but it is not a high traffic area.
TravelerI don't see how there could be tent camping here, there's no grass. But I wouldn't be able to verify anyway because there was no attendant in the office at 10 am on a Monday morning. No one answers the phone. Doesn't seem like much of a business.
Ranger
Campground Review: I have stayed at and reviewed this campground before, however this time I am reviewing our experience at site I158 over Labor Day Weekend while using the Red Ledge Thunderlight jacket. Site I158 has no electric or water. It is a fairly small tent site that is very close to other sites. There is only enough room for 1 tent and 1 vehicle. The fire ring is nice and has a grill attached. There is a large picnic table and a prep table with a tall hook, which we hung our trash on. The site is gravel but I was able to put in my tent stakes with minimal effort. The site is completely wooded, so if you don't like tent camping near trees, this site is not for you. The upside is there are plenty of sticks for kindling. I did however get hit with a few falling acorns, and that did not feel good at all. The quiet time at this campground is respected and followed. The beach is great for hanging out and swimming in the lake. The beach had previously been damaged by flooding but was beautiful for Labor Day Weekend.
Product Review: As a Ranger for The Dyrt www.thedyrt.com, I get products to test from time to time and today I am reviewing the Men& Women's Thunderlight Jacket from Red Ledge https://www.redledge.com/products/mens-and-womens-thunderlight-jacket?variant=7068462153788. I made a video folding the jacket into the carrying bag after I returned home from camping.
1. What I liked about this product: The jacket fits great. Using the size guidelines on Red Ledge's website, I ordered the appropriate sized jacket and it fits perfectly. I like the sealed edges that kept any water from getting to my clothes underneath. This jacket is lightweight. It is a great jacket to use anywhere, but this would be great for back country camping. Because it's lightweight and breathable, I also used it for sun protection while sitting on Rough River Lake beach. The hood hangs over a little bit keeping the sun and rain out of your eyes. The cuffs and the bottom of the jacket are adjustable, which I love. Red Ledge offers this jacket in 13 different colors, but I chose Mercury(gray). The price of the jacket is a little higher than I expected, however, I believe this jacket will hold up over time and be completely worth it. As a tent camper, I have learned to spend a little more money on better quality products than to buy cheap stuff and have to keep replacing them.
2. What I didn't like about this product: I didn't quite understand how the hood adjust worked and it took me a little bit of figuring it out. However, once I understood what I was doing, it worked great.
Overall, I would recommend this jacket. My son has the youth version of The Thunderlight and he loves it. I think Red Ledge has made a good quality product that anyone can use and appreciate.
ScoutLoved this campground growing up! We tent camped and our relatives RV camped. However they have cut down most of the trees, the facilities aren’t maintained very well and the campground/park looks more run down than ever. It’s sad but I hope they update and maintain it more in the future.
TravelerFun little place. RV sites and tent sites lakeside. Fishing, ducks. $5 swimming pool nearby. $20/night tents. Showers and restrooms. Nice parks nearby for equestrian, playground, disk golf course. Huge mall nearby in Simpsonville KY. Drivable to Louisville. Stop at Wings n Rings, yum. Highly recommend. Closes for winter Oct 31 to tents.
TravelerVery nice campground the tent sites even have electric and water but my advice is try not to setup tent near the little pond they have, it stinks. Showers are great, if your tall like me, your gonna have to bend a knee to get underneath the shower head. LOL bathroom water pressure could be better. Very affordable!
ScoutStaff was very courteous. I was given very clear directions to the site and couldn't miss it. The lake is beautiful. Dog and I took a little canoe ride. My only issue was that the primitive tent sites were so close to the camper sites which likely couldn't be helped.
GuideThere was lots to do at this KOA. There was corn hole, ladder ball, pool, walking trails, access to the river, cat fish pond, small dog park, and washers & dryers. You could bring your RV, travel trailer, tent camp, or rent a cabin. I’m sure I’m forgetting something. The spots were close together. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The park was clean and well maintained.
GuideWe stopped here for one night on the way through on a week night for Covid Camping. We got in late and our site was hung on the wall - we had reservations. They gave us an easy in and out site that was level. Nice nature trail and fishing pond. Pretty empty when we were here. The patio sites looked nice. We might come back sometime. Tent sites look good too, some have a sandy area to pitch your tent and a shelter with a table.
GuideMy wife and I went to Sycamore Springs Park a few weeks ago and stayed for 3 days. We tent camped and it was fantastic. We were right at the lake edge. The campsite had electric but no water, but the water was just across the road at a shelter. The park assigned campers to where they were distanced from each other due to COVID. The showers were the best I've seen, clean and strong pressure. It is also pet friendly. Our Golden loved the camp and the lake. I recommend this camp to all who want a quiet get away.
GuideMy family visited Louisville South at the beginning of June for an extended family trip.
Pros- Lots of activities for kids. Nice pool, great playground, bounce pad. Bike rental. Decent (not spectacular) hiking trails. The RV sites with patio were very nice, but could be bigger.
Cons- some (not all) of the staff. One lady in particular was always rude, and didn’t like answering questions. There was a security light for the bounce pad that was on all night long, and thoroughly illuminated the adjacent tent sites. My brother’s family of 6 did not sleep well. This is something that is easily corrected by installing a shade over one edge of the light, but the staff didn’t seem to care.
TravelerWe stayed here 2 nights as a shake down trip. Bring cash, no credit cards taken. We didn't have enough with us, but the Manager let us set up and Hubby went back home and got some cash. We live less then 15 mins from the park. It was very quiet. Even the local kids were nice and respectful. We did take a walk around the park and the lake is beautiful. It was hot during our stay, so we didn't go to the fishing area. The bath house is old and could really use an update. The gentleman who cleaned it every morning spent about 10 mins just spraying a mystery liquid around. Smelled like bleach. The site was gravel. There are tent sites on the lake and that would be nice for a family with kids.
TravelerWe 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.
ScoutI’m on a month camping trek. This is the third place I’ve stopped in the past week. Beautiful area, tent camping and pull thru available. Camp hosts were knowledgeable, helpful, and kind. Store had everything I needed.
The place is beautiful with river view and valley overlooking sunsets every night. Options of wooded or open concept sites. Picnic tables and fireplaces were in good shape. Thunderstorms came though the night by noon everything was dry and perfect.
Everyone in the store when I arrived was welcoming. Answered all my questions. The have fishing licenses available, along with hunting.
Be aware it is a Marina, this said if fishings your deal everything your looking for in the store. If you’re used to being spoiled in state park camp stores, they have wood and ice and food and coffee. Don’t bank on them have that last minute toothbrush you forgot.
This being said the shower house was immaculate. Been camping since I was six months old. Don’t remember all the shower houses but I’ve never seen one this clean and well maintained.
For sure will be visiting again!
GuideThe Louisville South KOA is approximately 25 miles south of downtown Louisville in Shepardsville, KY. The location is easy to find off the exit of 65(which also has a Walmart and other stores nearby to resupply).
The campground has both pull through gravel sites, back-in, and tent sites. The sites were close to each other but provided plenty of space for the average sized rig. Many were longer than other KOAs, which enabled the tow vehicle and TT to be parked. Full hook-ups and 30/50 amp services at the sites, some leveling required. The campground store is well stocked and the employees are very friendly.
There is a pool(no hot tub-filled in with stones), play/game area, bounce pillow, and 2 miles of hiking trails around the campground. While the campground was nice, there is a lot of“stuff”(old broken trailers, mowers, etc) laying around the edges and in need of mowing between the sites. These items tend to take away from the overall welcoming feeling of the campground.
This being said, the wifi was strong and it is very convenient to sightseeing around Nashville, especially for the price of$54 per night.
Guide
Tent sites have so many trees surrounding them. If you're looking for more privacy anything off of the loop will do just fine. We stayed at FS1 and could only catch glimpses of other campers, although you do hear and see folks on trails frequently. The ground is SUPER SOFT due to all the pine needles that have fallen over the years. We moved our tent around a bit to get it anchored firmly for expected wind at night... some spots were to soft, but it made for good sleeping!
Firewood was ordered in advance when I booked the site, delivered to our spot while we were setting up.
We took our dog and he had a great time(on leash of course!).
Restrooms are porta-style but hand sanitizer was everywhere and everything was VERY CLEAN.
Since the camp sites are behind a locked gate there is no through traffic aside from other campers. Very nice!
Going back this upcoming weekend as well! Camped this past weekend at Group Site 3. You could fit 6 tents here and still have space. Couldn't hear any other campers aside from some jerks at Group Site 1 that decided to start howling and barking around 11pm as well as playing a radio very loudly past 9:30pm. Couldn't hear the radio unless I walked up to the porta-potties though.
Even with all of the planes overhead from folks leaving town after Derby the tree cover dampened the noise wonderfully. Love love love camping at JCMF.
Guide
My husband and I camped here in the May to escape Derby in Louisville. It's close enough to the city that it makes for an easy get-away. Even if you're not camping the hiking is pretty incredible and none of the trails are really to strenuous for an experienced hiker compared to other trails in the region.
This isn't the most quite 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. The loop itself is a bulky gravel road that is VERY NOISY when campers drive on it, or in our case... a child drives their Barbie Power Wheels up and down the road until 10pm in the dark.
That being said.... it's close to the city. It's inexpensive and the firewood bundles are sizable. Our site didn't have a picnic bench, just a fire ring but the ground was mostly grassy and very level. It was a comfortable site and the majority of them looked pretty similar so it's hard to say there's a "best site" for privacy on the loop. Our site was on the road leading up to the loop and those sites seem best since a few don't have campers across from them and they are spaced out slightly more than the sites on the actual loop... although you're further from water.
*This campground does allow you to make reservations
Guide
We had a pretty decent time at Taylorsville Lake. The spots were spacious, and very nice picnic tables. We did a trail which was nice and went down to a boat ramp to see the lake. You can also rent boats there as well. The bathrooms in my opinion needed a major cleaning. They were nice just not very clean. We most likely won’t visit here again but was nice to hit a Kentucky campground. I have found that camping in Kentucky is much cheaper than in Indiana. Definitely worth a checkout.
RangerI suggest you make a reservation as this campground fills up quickly. Axtel is located on the shore of Rough River Lake and has over 150 camp sites. Almost every site has quick access and/or views of the lake. There is a designated swimming and beach area. There are several restrooms located throughout the campsite. They were clean and stocked with toilet paper and hand soap. There is an easily accessed dumpster area and dump station near the main entrance. WiFi is available however, there is a fee. There is a boat ramp, so you can bring your boat and/or other watercraft. Fishing is allowed as well. There are a lot of sites with electric and water, but some without either. There are sites for tent camping and RV's. Sites have fire pits and a post with a hook for hanging trash and/or lanterns. No alcohol is allowed. Dogs on a leash are allowed. While we were here, several of the sites along the lake were flooded (see pics). The beach had recently been closed due to flooding, but was open while we were there. If you dig down just a couple of inches on the beach, you'll find clay. My kids loved this and made a couple of clay pots (see pics). As with most campsites we visit, people here were friendly and courteous. There is not a market on site, however there was a Dollar General about 13 miles away. They had a lot of the groceries we needed. There were also several gas stations along the way there that had ice and firewood. This is a great place for families to enjoy a beach without leaving KY!
Tent camping near Shepherdsville, Kentucky, offers a blend of natural beauty and outdoor activities, making it an ideal getaway for nature enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Shepherdsville, KY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Shepherdsville, KY is Horine Reservation Camping at Jefferson County Memorial Forest with a 4.2-star rating from 17 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Shepherdsville, KY?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 tent camping locations near Shepherdsville, KY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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