Best Glamping near Smithland, KY

Canal campground is right on the canal that connects Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake at the north end of Land Between the Lakes. Sitting on the north side of the Canal, just outside of Grand Rivers, KY, where the famous Patti's Settlement boasts a two inch thick pork chop and home cooked everything. Canal campground books fast, and offers a substantial number of activities for all ages. Very well upkept and constantly making improvements, this is a favorites campground for folks from miles around.

Right on Lake Barkley where it joins Kentucky Lake. Over 200,000 acres of lake. We had sites 76 and 77. The roads to the sites have a lot of curves be careful not to clip your trailer on a tree. Our sites were easy to back in, plenty of room for the two tables that were there. The sites are gravel, but you do have water and electric hookups. Very quiet and peaceful place. Bath houses were clean and stocked, campground was clean. There is a beach area and also a playground for the kids. While your here be sure to go to the elk and bison prairie.

Very beautiful campground and park. Very spacious sites, and there was hardly anyone there , so it seemed like we had the campground to ourselves. So peaceful. The shower house was very nice and clean and had flush toilets. However the other restrooms were not so nice (pit toilets with spiders and mosquitoes everywhere). The campground host was really nice. Also note that there is no place to buy ice or firewood nearby. We crossed the ferry and went to Marion Kentucky and found some there. The park and ferry is really cool. There is a lodge that has a nice restaurant and a bar. If you want to buy alcohol the nearest place is Elizabethtown where they have a liquor store. Overall this is a wonderful campground and we will return someday!

Had a great 3 day 2 night stay here. All you need to camp here is a camping permit from Land Between the Lakes which is 30 dollars online. If you have a Kentucky resident sportsmans licence this permit is included in that! Each site has a 2 foot across firepit with a grill plate that is hinged so you can flip it on or off the fire. Some of the sites are about 10 to 15 yards from the water while others are a good ways from it. There is no electricity at any of the sites however there is a central dumpster for trash and a composting toilet as well as a boat ramp. The sites are gravel pads with a fire pit and a concrete picnic table. Easily fit my 3 person tent with a 9 x 12ft tarp as a foot print and two vehicles with still room to walk around easily in the site.

Redd Hollow Campground is one of many dispersed campgrounds in Land Between The Lakes(LBL), Ky. 

30$ annually and you can set up camp almost anywhere in LBL. There are basic campgrounds and you can backpack in to primitive sites.

Redd Hollow has site posts, cement picnic tables fire rings and a pit toilet. There are several sites water level where you can put in to the lake and there are some very picturesque sites that overlook the lake. First come first get. It was a relatively peaceful area sans the generators;)

Things to do: 

There is a North/South trail that runs the length of LBL. There are several access points where you can hike sections of the trail. 

We visited the Elk and Bison Prairie near Golden Pond Visitors Center. A drive through observation area. The visitor center also offers planetarium shows and nature programs. 

Nearby: Off Rt 68/80 , 15 miles away is Cadiz, Ky. An opportunity to be a tourist in small town Kentucky. Farmers Market and antiques, plus a yearly ham festival. Try out “Ferrell’s Snappy Services”, a hamburger restaurant that’s been around since 1929.

Paducah is a cute little city in Kentucky that my family and I love to visit whenever we get the chance. The town is really cool, and has that "old" town vibe. The buildings are beautiful. There are actually a few campgrounds in this town, one of them "I-24." This campground has a country feel, and it more so for people who are traveling and making a pit stop to rest. There are a lot of RV's. There are quite a few beautiful rivers close by, and there are also 2 lakes nearby. We spent a whole day at the lake when we stayed. It was busy, but nice to be on the water. We saw people enjoying fishing, water tubing, water skiing and jet skiing. We also saw people on kayaks, which looked like a blast! There is a golf course nearby too, although we didn't enjoy this close amenity. One thing we did enjoy was hiking some of the trails nearby. We went late spring and the wildflowers were out in full effect. The colors of the flowers were gorgeous, and I couldn't help but take hundreds of pictures of these beautiful flowers. One of the hikes brought us to a point where we could see one of the lakes. It was magical. Also-side note, there is the "National Quilt Store" in the town, and of course we had to stop because my mom requested this. It was incredible how much fabric there was. If you are in to this, I would highly recommend stopping! The campground itself was "okay." It was a little run down, but since we were in our RV we didn't really notice it much. It was also pretty busy when we went, so I'm glad we made reservations ahead of time.

We stayed at site D3 over Memorial Day weekend. I was pretty nervous when we first saw the site, it was literally on a hillside. We have two small kids and were with family (in adjacent D4) so we really hoped for a site with flat space for the kids to play in, but there was absolutely no grassy area. That didn't stop us from having a good time!

The D loop was nice and quiet with very little traffic. We were very close to the lake to drop our kayaks in the water or fish without going far, always a plus!

Bathrooms were very clean for camp restrooms. The showers were in their own rooms, so that was really nice. Great water pressure and it wasn't a push button shower like some campgrounds have!

Since we have kids, we had to check out the play ground. It was pretty disappointing with only a couple swings, a hot metal slide and a climbing bar. The beach was far from impressive with basically gravel as half of the beach. I wasn't expecting Florida beaches in Kentucky, but in Indiana we have nice sandy beaches at lakes so I was disappointed.

The lake was gorgeous and perfect for kayaking though, with lots of nice coves to explore and wildlife to see. I saw a doe with a spotted fawn nursing on my first trip onto the water

All in all, if you want flat spaces, don't go to loop D, loop C was much flatter. We probably won't return, but it was a nice stay, but probably better for those without small kids to entertain.

Cave in Rock State Park, Il is sorta out in the middle of nowhere. That being said it is an adventure worth the trip. Weekday visits will supply you with more things to do but weekend adventures are just as fun. 

If your coming from the Kentucky side first there is Amish country to visit. Check in Marion for what’s available and where (fill your gas tank up!)

Next there is the ferry ride across. If you’ve done it a lot no big deal, but my kids used to love it every time.

Write your directions down for this whole area, the cell phone coverage is spotty and it will keep frustration down.

Signage will greet you as soon as you exit the ferry and Cave in Rock city has several small businesses you might want to visit. Plus a bunch of painted bikes...

To the right down the road a bit and your in the park.

The RV area is spread throughout a hilly, tree’d area, after being in Army Corp of Engineers last week which uses every foot of area available this campground seems huge and vacant. There were many sites occupied they are spread out across a huge area which is awesome. There is a playground near the showerhouse and a pond back in behind the playground.

The primitive area is up another hill back in the woods, my favorite. Two handicap accessible spots next to the pit toilet let’s everyone have some fun. 

If you want a shower you have to return to the RV area. These basic sites have a grill, fire pit and picnic table. Some are pretty level some not so much ;) Best of all there are several options if you have a Tentstile. 

We took a 2 mile loop hike across to the lodge, along the cliff face and down to the cave. A lot of history here and some nice views. 

This was our second outing with our new to us EVAC Trailer (www.evactrailer.com) I added some metal poles and a tarp and bam! we have an impromptu sitting area. The tool box made a nice meal prep and cooking area. Still looking at other ideas, but it’s a sturdy little trailer that is serving its purpose well!

A clean campground right off of the roadway. I can't say much about this place other than the restrooms were clean with the exception of these large biting flies! Campsites with large and well-maintained but very close together.

Stayed 4 nights visiting the area. Close to roads so there is lots of road noise. Clean. Very super friendly helpful staff.

We didn’t know exactly what to expect but we were pleasantly surprised by how kind everyone is. The amenities are clean and the setting is gorgeous. Felt very safe. The water is beautiful and the only sound is nature and the cracklings from the fire at night.

We only stayed one night but staff was very pleasant and sites are reasonable size. There is a nice dog park with disposable bags. Our site overlooks a nice little pond. There is a clean laundry facility and heated restroom and showers. We did not need to use the facilities so I cannot comment on those. Campground is easily accessible from I24. We would definitely stay here again.

Was fortunate to get a short notice reservation for an overnight at this KOA. The hosts were very friendly and helpful, the pool was a hit with the kids, and there's quick food options just down the road. The campground itself is somewhat hilly with plenty of tree cover, but the lots are gravel and fairly uneven. Leveling your camper will take a bit of finesse, which was my only issue getting set up here. Really great overnight spot, though!

We called from the road to get an overnight stop - the staff were super nice both on the phone and in person. When we arrived, the lady who checked us in gave me a coupon for the drive-in movie theater that was literally down the road. Normally, when we camp we arrive so late it’s impossible to take advantage of area attractions so we decided to go and can I tell you, it was awesome!!! The theater accommodated our camper and the food (cheese fries especially) at the snack stand was great. As far as the campground, our site was a bit hilly but we had a nice view of the lake and close proximity to the playground. My kids also enjoyed the pool. Solid place to overnight!

We pulled in and couldn’t believe the gorgeous grounds The manager/owner had just purchased the resort this spring we visited 10/19 the park was quaint Easy space for us to access w slide outs and nice roads the ponds were beautiful we enjoyed watching the kids fish!

We’ve stayed in a cabin twice at this campground. The second time we booked a one room cabin. They had us in their system for a 2 bedroom cabin (which we had the first time we stayed there.) I proved to them I booked a 1 bedroom cabin & it was their mistake to assign us to a higher priced 2 bedroom cabin. Since all the cabins were booked for the night we couldn’t switch to a one bedroom. They would not refund the difference. I called KOA corporate office and the person I talked to was able to see in their computer system what I was talking about. However each campground is an independent business and it was up to each campground to decide how to conduct their business. To me the proper thing to do was to let me have the two bedroom cabin for the one room cabin price. Convenient location.

Spent one night, on our way to Colorado. Excellent host, campground is nice and quiet.

As KOAs go, this is one of The nicer ones! There is actually grass, not gravel, around the sites. There are trees and flowers and it is quite pleasant. With KOA you expect water, electric and sewer hookups. Clean shower/bathroom facilities and usually a pool. This place has that. Along with a small store, fishing lake, propane filling station. A dog park would be nice for the pups, but the do have a large grass area for walking them on lead. Internet connection is spotty! The spaces are a little close, but not as bad as some, and we were on an end site, so we had more room.

Has a little Lake in it to fish. Not far off the interstate makes it handy. Very popular spot.

Most sites here are occupied by full time residents with very impressive setups. We were just passing through on our way from Denver to Myrtle Beach, but we were warmly welcomed by everyone we met for our one night stay. Kids enjoyed the playground and the reservoir is really beautiful. We wish the pool had been open…it’s still in the process of a renovation. Shaved ice was a nice consolation prize for the kids after the promised pool was a bust : ) Very clean facilities and lovely people! We’d stay again…hopefully next time with a pool!