Best Glamping near Versailles, KY

We decided to go down for a weekend to see how we'd like it. It's situated high up on the Kentucky river bank which is nice but there's little access to the riverbank except from the floating dock and boat ramp. When we arrived there was left overs from the previous flood which made it very muddy. It's definitely dog friendly but with no trails to really walk them on. We found a game trail that took us down to the riverbank at the end of the campground and found a goat hanging in a tree from the previous flooding. Perfect campground for partiers who don't respect quiet hours and those who stay at their camper the whole time.

Nestled in a narrow valley between high ridges of The Knobs, this campground gives the feel of secluded country living with your own trails and creeks to explore. The coffee is locally roasted, fair trade, and most importantly, served fresh, early and rich. All are welcomed here, including the primitive camper, the glamper, and the yurt goer along with the farm chickens and neighbor dogs. My personal favorite sleeping spot is in the tipi, which is large enough for a small crowd but private enough for a single sleeper. Facilities at the site are plentiful and clean. Art and crafts festivals as well as music festivals occur frequently here so check the calendar and plan to stay for a while!

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.

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.

General Butler State Park had a lot to do on site and wasn't too far from the town's nearest amenities like a grocery store and a few places to dine out. 

Things to do: Scenic overlook- great view- as a short person I couldn’t see a ton though as the trees were impeding on my view. Hiked the Butler Lake Trail with dogs this was a fun trail We tried to hike the Woodland Trail- unfortunately it had just rained for the few days before that and it was too sloppy for us and our dogs General Butler State Park

Laundry Facilities- Only two washers and dryers that I could find at the entire park. Luckily no one was there when I went to do laundry but several came after me that had to wait.

Pool- There was a pool available for free to any of the campers- we did not get a chance to check this out.

Showers/Bathrooms- Showers and bathrooms were good, generally clean two shower houses at the park. The one I tried worked well.

Two Parks for kids to play at and a lot of room to walk just around the campgrounds on the cement for our dogs with ample available grass area for our dogs to go potty.

Really beautiful park overall.