Best Tent Camping near Slade, KY

This campground is easy to access and good for individuals or groups; it's mostly covered with grass though there are areas that are more dirt, closer to the river. It's nestled between the Red River and Highway 715, so you are pretty close to the road and will hear some road noise, but it's a pretty quiet 2-lane highway. There are picnic tables and fire-rings at each campsite, and it is easy to pitch a few tents in close proximity if you are there with a group. The toilets are port-a-potties scattered throughout the campground. You are asked to sign a waiver and agree to the quiet hours (11-6). The campground is gated and the gate is closed and locked at 10 pm (but the campground manager sleeps on-site). The firewood we purchased here was very wet though, and never burned well. This is typical of much of the firewood purchased at the RRG though, unless you buy kiln-dried from the store. Canoe and kayak rentals happen at the site as well. This was perfect for camping with my 10-month old, without needing to hike in from the car. A good balance between a crowded state campground and backcountry camping.

This is my all time favorite campground. (When I’m not looking for a lot of amenities). This campground is actually a veteran owned boating rental/shuttle service with an attached campground. It’s very spacious, I’ve camped on holiday weekends and never had other campers within 100 ft of my site. I’ve also been on weekends where I was the only camper there. The campsites are fairly primitive, only including a fire ring and a nice picnic table. They do not have any water or electric hookups and no cell service, which is all a plus in my opinion. But they do have a trash bin and portable-potty’s scattered around and they sell firewood on site. Oh and the grass is always maintained. There is so much room and there are a variety of “types” of campsites. By that I mean there are wide open spaces, sites in the trees, sites with sandy floors, etc. The entire campground runs alongside the river bank, so you can put in your own kayak/canoe or rent one from them. I just love this place. It is super family friendly, they have an 11pm quiet time and strict alcohol policy. The owners and all staff are the friendliest people I’ve ever met. Two of the owners know me and my friends by name and strike up convo with us every time we’re there and we’ve only been 3-4 times a year for the past 3 years. This campground is only a two mile paddle to the infamous jump rock and swim hole. Also, you are just 10 minutes from slade, where you will find Miguel’s, (the best pizza you’ll ever eat), gas stations, and cell signal. You’re also only 20-30 minutes away from Muir Valley, an excellent rock climbing destination. And if you have made It this far, I don’t mind sharing with you that if you wade out into the water about 15ft upstream of the boat launch, the river is relatively flat with a sandy bottom that is about 5’ at normal water level. Excellent place for an afternoon swim or a rinse after a hot day of climbing. I looked for photos, I just have one from our trip and It was after we packed up. See below. Happy Camping my friends!

Koomer Ridge is really an excellent campground!  As of April 2023 all sites were first-come, first-serve (no prior reservations permitted).  We camped one night and thoroughly enjoyed it!  No hook-ups but the site was level for a 21" campervan and had a HUGE tent pad, 2 lantern posts, fire ring and picnic table in a spacious site.  Plenty of trees for hammocks, too!  Sites were more than adequately spaced out around the campground and some were quite private.  Multiple trails leave straight out of the campground and head into the Red River Gorge, a nice feature.  Campground is heavily wooded, too, so plenty of shade should be available during the summer months.

The shower house is next to Site 14 and was clean though chilly but had hot & cold running water and was modern/updated.  Only ding here was that a couple of the toilets were out of service during our stay - no big deal as the campground was fairly empty and I hope they'll be addressed before summer crowds arrive.

The campground is on a ridge - so apart from the sites themselves, there is very little flat ground to be had.  Not a drawback, just an observation.  But the hills make for a lovely setting and beautiful sunsets/sunrises filtering through the trees.  Only criticism is the proximity to the Mountain Parkway nearby; had we been tent camping, the traffic noise would have been a nuisance all night.  But in the campervan it wasn't noticeable, fortunately!  Not enough to cost a star, but worth noting if you're using a tent or soft-sided camper.

Red River Gorge is an extraordinary and beautiful place to explore, and Koomer Ridge is an excellent basecamp from which to do so!

We were very pleased with this campground. When we first checked in, the smell of the food in the campground store was to die for. We had plans to cook at our campsite, but the specials that night were very tempting. The staff was kind and helpful, and provided us with a map of the property. The bathhouse was a nice touch! There are many campsites of multiple types available, but there are several primitive sites that still feel secluded and surrounded by trees. There are several sites that can be accessed by a sedan, but some of the sites farther back really require something more suited to off-road driving. We were in a Subaru Forester and had no issues, but did actually have to help push a Camry out of a rut. We visited in October 2021 and it seemed like the area we selected was still slightly under construction. The campsite was wonderful, but the picnic table was sitting on a slope and we were having a difficult time preventing our food from falling off. A flatter spot for the picnic table would be our only suggestion to the owner. My friend used a tent and was happy to see a flat spot cut out of the slope our site was situated on. I used a hammock and didn’t have any trouble finding suitable trees. We loved it and will definitely be back!

We've stayed at Twin Knobs twice now in our popup camper. First time was at F26, second was at F24. We love how the outer loop sites have such quick access to the water.

Both sites are shaded very well and the sites themselves are huge. We could see other campers through the trees but we felt pretty well secluded.

Each site has several tall poles with hooks for trash bags/food storage. as well each site has a large fire pit with flip-over grill for cooking.

The firewood bundles are a bit pricey ($7) at the checkin shack, but I'm glad they are available. we purchased at least 7 bundles to have a pretty much constant fire through the day and night.

The bathrooms are clean and easily accessible. There was a bit of an overflow issue our first day on site but it was resolved in less than an hour by the loop hosts.

Pop's bbq was a hit both nights we were there. We ordered carryout (covid) and ate at camp on the provided picnic tables. The Dollar General is also adequately stocked.

All in all a fantastic visit which we will repeat ASAP. it's too bad they close at the end of October. I bet winter camping there would be a treat.

Cheers,

Chris

Arrived late and took a minute to find the actual campsites. They aren't right next to the fireplace shelter, rather just around the corner. Had the place completely to myself on a thursday night/friday morning. Biting bugs weren't bad,(late May) but there were still a ton of other varieties. Several toilets on site, but no water. Picnic tables, tent pads, and fire rings at each site. There are only 10 tent sites, and the ones by the shelter are for picnics only. I wouldn't recommend a long RV up there, although there seems to be another 10 or so sites big enough for RVs and trailers. I was really impressed by the overall quality of the campground, but the distance from everything is a big negative.  The northern road in isn't all that bad, but the south road is what I NEEDED to use to get to my various destinations, and it was a rough one. I made it in and out twice in an HHR, but I was bottoming out on gravel and such. Overall, the HHR handled it fine, it just wasn't worth it, so I ended up only staying the one night. If not for distance from everything and the road conditions, it would've scored a 5.

We have stayed in four sites her during the past couple of month. There are two walk-in sites (10 & 51). Both were pleasant, nearly level, close to amenities, but were under no shade. [Site 10 is presently inhabited by a large family with a sign that says “Camp Host out front. I have not seen them do anything for campers here, and the site is kept in disgraceful cluttered condition.] we next stayed on Lot 13, which backs up to the primitive campground. Quite nice, but beware: this site as well as about half of the other sites at this campground require the use of electrical and water extensions because the connections are on the “wrong” side of the RV, and quite a distance away. For Lot 13, I needed over 50’ of extensions. We then stayed on walk-in lot 51. I was able to “self permit” at the gate…it’s first come first served, no online reservations. Nice, but no shade. Finally, we’re on Lot 47. Eureka! This is my favorite so far. It’s one of the “premium sites” with wooden deck and nicer picnic table for only $2 additional per night. View is phenomenal, and it’s close enough to dumpsters and gatehouse. Notice that I didn’t mention anything about sewer hookups. That’s because there are none. There is a single, very popular dump station near the entrance/exit.
There are several miles of decent trails here, a swimming pool, putt putt golf, a pioneer museum, and a lodge with a good restaurant. The campground is easily accessible and is very kid and pet friendly. Nice sites for tent camping. Facilities are a bit dated, but clean and well maintained. All RV sites are back-in, and some are limited length. (Though some campers have rather cleverly managed to pull through a couple of the sites.) Some are quite unlevel.
Overall good family campground on rich historical site.