Best Cabin Camping near Stearns, KY

sites: horse sites available. wooded area around campground. semi-private sites. amenities: lake. pool. other attractions: lodge/camping cabins. restaurant. I would go back again.

Clean, friendly, reasonable staff with lots of good options for all levels of cabins, camp sites, RV spots, etc. We went with a large group and had people staying in each of these and all were happy. We recommend the Eagle Falls Trail to view the Cumberland Falls and Eagle Falls without the crowds.

Easy to find, well marked. It’s has many (12) trails and many falls. Would definitely recommend shopping before camping, it’s several miles, and mountains, to get to stores. There are several lodging options…cottages, The Lodge, (which is beautiful) tent and RV camping. There are 2 small campgrounds ~ 1) Ridgeline which accommodates RVs up to 26”, water and 10/30/50 amp hook ups. Sites have a fire ring and picnic table. WiFi is available, and there is a dump station. A small playground, office/campstore, and a bathhouse and laundry next to it. 3 sites are walk-in. Big rigs would have to stay elsewhere. 2) Clifty Campground is tent camping only 7 sites offer electric and water. WiFi is also offered. There is a bathhouse and a playground, and these CG’s are pet friendly. (Falls Creek is a few miles up the road…they have pull through and back ins. For bigger Rvs. They also have tents, wagons, cabin rentals, and primitive sites) We had no T-Mobile service, or satellite service in our vehicle. The trails and Cumberland falls were awesome. The horse rides looked amazing, and the Pool was big, with a diving board, and a small fee for campers to use it.

Blue Heron Campground near Trail town Stearns, Ky is my go to when I’m exploring this area.

There are SEVERAL excellent camping locations throughout Daniel Boone National Forest, each has its own atmosphere:) Blue Heron Campground is very basic but reminds me of a little oasis on top of the hill surrounded by adventure (LMAO, lame). Anyway, you have some choices, the driveway in has several sites in a row, more vehicle teaffic but plenty of room to set up your toys. The first loop is just past the dump site with the playground in the middle and showerhouse nearby, not a lot of shade. The back loop to the right offers more privacy and less traffic, more shade also.

The main attraction aside from the extensive trail system in the Blue Heron area is the Blue Heron Mining town and the actual Site at the bottom of the hill.

You can ride the old train from Stearns https://bsfsry.com/to the tipple at the bottom. I took a friend for his birthday a few years ago and we got to ride in the actual locomotive section. Cool stuff if that’s your thing.

As far as the trails go they take you to some awesome overlooks, waterfalls and historic sites. Take a hydration and overnight pak in case of wrong turn ;)

Approximately 4 miles off of exit 144, from I~75. Easy to locate, and a well maintained RV campground! Website has all the info on the different types of sites, cabins and ATV’s. Resources for permits, pricing, and other requirements are also listed. The trails are accessible from the CG. FHUs on Back in and Pull-throughs,bathhouses, on site fishing pond, playground, and Ohhh yes….the ATV wash station! General store is on the right from the entrance, which is awesome! They sell firewood and ice, as well as extreme OHV sporting equipment/gear, snacks, souvenirs….to list a few. Rental cabins are available nearby, for larger families or groups. I believe they thought of almost everything! I would love to come camp here in the fall, as I can imagine that the views are spectacular! They provide WiFi, but my T-Mobile reception was good, at 3 bars.

This is a brand new, small campground with mini cabins. This is a perfect place to stay for a getaway to ride ATV’s in the Big South Fork and Pickett State Forrest area. The campsites are full hook up. Only 10 campsites, so it is not overcrowded. This would be a really great spot to meet up with several friends/family. The campground is also across the street from the Astronomy Field for dark sky viewing.

Con: Located on the highway, so you do have some road noise.

My wife and I happened upon this state park when looking for a last minute substitute for another campsite. We were late arrivals, had no problem finding an open site on a Saturday night in the summer. Plenty of open spots with privacy. This campground offers sites with open space for stargazing and/or sites closer to the timber with canopy cover. The campground was less than 20% occupied, so plenty of great spots available. Great for hammock camping, electric hookups or tent. Bathhouses were clean. Bathhouse also included laundry. Campground offers a large amount of cabins, some can accommodate larger groups. You can access the lake from This campground including kayak, canoe, and boat rentals. You can also find a swimming beach area next to the rental boats. There are a plethora of trails to hike including a suspension bridge over the river, and a number of geological landmark sites to hike to. We enjoyed our stay.

Pickett State Park is a great spot to camp if you like peace and quiet, but don’t want to have to backpack in to a spot. Despite the small campground, it was pretty much empty on the first weekend in August when we stayed. It is near the Big South Fork, and Scott State Forest, so there’s lots of great hiking, horseback riding, river recreation, etc. nearby. From other reviews on The Dyrt, I learned the park is excellent for stargazing, and it is true, you will have amazing views at night, we slept in a tent without a rain fly, just so we could see the stars!

The campground has several sites with electric and some without. We stayed in B1, which did not have electric. All the sites have picnic tables and fire rings, and the ones on the outside of the loops back up to the woods and trails. All the sites are spacious.

The restrooms were clean, but they must be pretty old. There were some areas in need of tile repair, but it was just a cosmetic issue, so it didn’t bother me. The showers were nice, and everything was clean.

The campground also has cabins, and those seemed to have more guests than the campground. They have a set of cabins that were connected, like apartments, and they have some larger, freestanding cabins too. They had a group site as well, but I did not go to it.

The park has a lake with swimming area, and canoe/kayak/paddle board rentals, a swinging bridge, playground, tennis courts, a gigantic picnic area, and several great trails.

This was a very pleasant find, and we will definitely return!

I LOVE Pickett CCC!! There is so much to do at this park. At the lake there’s kayak and canoeing where you actually paddle under a natural bridge. There’s a swimming area , geese and fishing. The rock formations are awesome. Then there’s the trails. A suspension bridge, another natural bridge and a cave area. These are easy to moderate trails but can be a little hazardous so watch your step. The campground....well, not my favorite. No shade, very close sites AND on a hill. It was crowded and a little noisy. No privacy, small and busy. There are some nice cabins and some older cabins. Sorta old meets new, cause some of these cabins may have been built by the CCC. There’s a museum on site too. Worth a visit!

We rented a cabin during the off-season and our cabin was cute - very old fashioned. What we found out quickly that was everything was pretty much closed, including the main lodge restaurant that we had hoped to eat at.

The indoor pool WAS open and a pretty decent size. Our kids had a blast romping around in it and the next day we hiked one of the Park trails and were able to do some geocaching, which they loved.

It would be a longish walk to the Lodge pool from the cabins. I don’t know if everyone has a golf cart in the summer, but I imagine it gets packed. There was some really cool larger cabins and at least the section we were in, you had a nice view of the marina.

We found the view of the lakes beautiful and would absolutely go back a bit more during the season to take advantage of the lake activities. I say that even though we found mice droppings in our kitchen - the staff took care of it right away and gave us a partial refund.

This is a larger state park that includes a restaurant, golf course, pool, etc. but also some nice trails to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. The Cumberland State Scenic Trail is the local long trail, which can be access from the park. This park is close to town, the highway, and some other natural areas. The campground includes a number of similar loops, all wooded, nice and modern with the typical state park amenities. Cabins are available too They also have a moderate backpacking trail that we didn’t try, but would be perfect for first-time backpackers (since you can shower and eat at a buffet afterwards).

Yay: kayak and boat rentals. Something for everyone. Love the bridge over the water.

Nay: parts can be a little crowded, a little expensive.

Surprise: the on site restaurant is quite fancy---we went to an elegant wedding here and stayed for camping. They have a weekend buffet with rather fancy food and great quality. Also check out nearby Rock Island State Park for surreal waterfall swimming.

Popular for it's clear skys for star gazing. This campsite offers cabins and tent/RV camping. This is a perfect site for those who like to take short , but scenic hikes.

I love coming back to this area - there’s always so much to see! We got a cabin and cooked outside w/marinated chicken breast and charcoal that I brought w/us. Beautiful area!

We went here with family - the cabins have all the comforts of home. Lots of hiking nearby, including the chance to walk along the river to see the moon bow (very developed trails/ infrastructure).

The sites are pretty close together but it does indeed live up to the resort part in the name. You can purchase WiFi access. There’s a pool, cabin, golf course. It’s also a horse camp with several miles of trails.

This is the first State Park I visited in the mid sixties. Great place for a family reunion. There is a small swimming area that is kid friendly, Canoes and kayaks are available. Fishing is allowed with license

There are numerous cabins and lodges. Covered pavilions can be rented for large gatherings as well as a meeting hall. The park also offers a large group camp site with a dining hall and group cabins.

Not all the camper sites have electrical hook-ups, some back-in sites and pull through site available. 

This is not a resort park, so only those folks who truly enjoy peace and quite go there.

The park abuts Big South Fork NRP, so there are plenty of trails to hike.

The park is an accredited International Dark Sky Park, so  bring your telescopes.

BE AWARE, there are black bears in the area as well as poisonous snakes (rattlesnakes and copperheads).

Just a short distance from Windrock. RV sites have power and water, but are very close together, in my opinion. There are also a few tent sites and cabins. Parking for off-road vehicle trailers. Firewood and ice available at the office. Nearest grocery is about 15-20 minutes away.