Best Tent Camping near Vicco, KY

Very unique state park. Expensive tent camping $40/night no hookups Visit tunnel at night if open

Tent camped here a few weeks ago. Been on several day trips to the park. I love the trails, the waterpark and the views. Camp site is nice, but could use some work and an update.

This park is so beautiful in autumn! Even if a person comes for a picnic only a couple of hours they will enjoy the scenery. The hike-in tent sites are nice. I did expect a bit more privacy from a walk-in site but it was not busy when we were there, so it wasn’t a great issue. If it was busy, that may have impacted our experience greatly! There is a nice dock area if you have a boat otherwise there isn’t a whole lot to do (no hiking or anything like that). But an okay place to escape for a bit :) (the photo posted by another reviewer is a great view of the tent sites!)

Tent camped for a weekend to hike Devil’s bathtub. Campgrounds were well kept. We had water and electric at our site. Fire ring and table. Level gravel tent pad. Bathhouse very clean. We hiked down to the tunnel. Beautiful. The chair lift was running and the kids loved that. (We rode just for fun) park rangers were friendly. Dogs were welcome leashed.

I have tent camped here a couple of times in the past few years. The campground is clean and neat, and some sites offer great views of the lake and surrounding cliffs. It's a beautiful place to hang out at during sunset or sunrise. The shower and restrooms are clean, and the general store is nice and convenient. The laundry facilities are a nice place to get things cleaned up while you're on the road. The biggest problem I see with this area is the noise. A lot of the Wahweap workers live in an area of mobile homes above the campground, and they definitely like to party at night. A group of motorcyclists also thought it was a good idea to rev their Harleys up at 6 am one day. I am sure camping in and RV would isolate you from the noise, or maybe camping during a weekday would be better. Either way, I would stay here again. As for tent camping, some of the sites have zero shade, so be prepared with your own shelters. Just make sure you anchor them down; afternoons can bring some strong winds to the area.

I camped here back in June 2018. It was one of three sites I camped at that week on my trek to ten VA state parks in the south eastern of the state. This was my favorite of them all. It offered primitive, trailer and tent camping. Since I was by myself I choice the tent. Very clean, helpful and friendly folks. the site was easy to pull through with my truck. I been to some that were not so easy.

Absolutely beautiful park. Nice sized campsites. Perfect for tent camping. Good white water rafting w/dam openings daily

Trails: Needs better signage on trail, especially as trails merge. Very steep switchbacks and difficult trails. Trail markers difficult to read or non existent in some spots. Wash outs and downed trees blocking trail common. Seems to be common in VA state parks, most staff had zero knowledge of their trails.

20 minute drive to grocery, restaurants, etc

When we pulled up to check in we were a little confused about the honor system they run off of but after a quick phone call to the owner we had everything figured out and ended up with a great tent site and wonderful neighbors. Not all sites have electric hookup, when booking call and check. The small lake has excellent fishing for Bluegill

Kingdom Come State Park is a little jewel in southeastern Kentucky! There are 6 tent sites (7 if they allow you to reserve the one next to the duck pond), each with a gravel drive, mulch tent pad big enough for two smallish tents, fire ring, and picnic table. The nearby shelter house provides restrooms and trash cans. The local ranger was most helpful in providing firewood (free!) and offering to bring us water to wash up with or for drinking (there is a water fountain across from the CG, but it wasn't turned on and there is running water in the restrooms). The area is known for bear activity, but we saw none. The surrounding mountains provide many short hikes that can be easily strung together to make for a longer trek if desired. We look forward to camping there again!

One of my favorite places to visit, camp, and hike!! Its gorgeous Appalachia with hikes ranging from casual strolls to very difficult. This park offers all of the amenities, full hookup if you want it or primitive tent sites, a nice lodge and restaurant, horseback riding, and zip lines!!! One of the camp hosts, Teddy, was super friendly and helpful with anything we needed. I LOVE The Breaks Park!!!

We tent camped at one of the hike-in (it's a well maintained gravel path) sites at PLSP, #33. This is the first site on your way in. I was by myself with my son and dog so I felt more comfortable being here near the bathhouse. There are raccoons who like to eat so be sure to put your food up at night. The lake is really calm. There are boats coming in and out but not "traffic" per se, no issues at all kayaking and we went out several times. Fishing was good with rooster tails and panther martin spinners (silver), 1/8 and 1/16 oz. The water was down so there were a lot of places to paddle onto the shore and wade fish. There is some access right at the campground for littles to get in the water. I really recommend water shoes as there are some hooks/lures in the water. We never left the campground during the weekend, so I can't comment on the proximity to restaurants but it was only 5-8 min or so back to town. I had terrible phone service with Sprint here. We did have one new camper come in at 3am on Saturday morning to set up their tent and being so close to the entrance of the hike-in spots, I woke up. That was tough. When we go back, I'll pick a site further back up the hiking path and bring a wagon to tote our stuff. The staff at the gate are amazing and so friendly. The restrooms are clean. Three showers. NO ONE other than the tent campers seemed to use the bath house so I never waited for a shower or anything and there were several families tent camping and the rv sites were completely full. It's a really nice and safe place. I really recommend it and look forward to going back. One thing, the actual tent pad was 11x13 and seemed a bit small but worked fine for us.

We LOVE Woodstock! Such a beautiful, open, peaceful property and each site has its own handmade benches and firepit. Literally right off the road for Red River Gorge so you’re 10 minutes from creation falls, sky bridge, chimney top rock, etc. Also right down the road from Sky Station and The Brick for beers, ice cream and coffee. Also just 15 minutes from the amazing Muir Valley climbing area. Literally couldn’t ask for a better location for a weekend in RRG. Not to mention how peaceful it is, away from the hustle and bustle of the other camps in Slade.

Ronnie is the kindest host, very considerate and welcoming. He helped us when we pulled in to guide our big rig to the best spot (35 foot camper). He has tent sites and space for RVs but it is primitive camping so be prepared - no water or bathrooms available. Oh and cash only!

We can’t wait to be back. Thanks Ronnie!

Campground Review:

If camping with a side of luxury is your thing, then this is the place to be. While this is a huge campground with over 200 campsites, they do a great job of separating tent sites from campers and RV's. There is at least one loop that is tent only, and another that is tents and small campers. The RV's were kept on the far side of the campground away from any possible tents. They also had great (for those who want it quiet) hours/restrictions for generators. Tent sites were level with picnic tables, fire rings, and each had some trees, though small in size, that were irrigated underground so you know they will survive the heat and blazing sun. Each loop had its own very clean and new looking bathroom, and showers were available at the campground general store/check in. I have to tell you, I still cannot believe how much time you get for showers- 15 minutes for $2!!!!!! This is a great location for playing on the lake, taking the dam tour (insert dam jokes here), going to Antelope Canyon (spectacular!!!), Horseshoe Bend, Grand Escalante Staircase, and even going to the Grand Canyon.

Gear Review:

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, from time to time I get to test products. On this camping trip I tested the Klymit Insulated Static V sleeping pad. I was looking for a new pad that was lighter and packed smaller than my old Thermarest. At 25 oz, I thought the Klymit was going to be a bit heavy, but it actually seems much lighter (and in fact is lighter and warmer than the thermarest). And can I just tell you about it's packability? The pad packs down to about the size of a nalgene bottle! I loved that I could roll onto my side and not have my bony hips jam into the ground. The pad was interesting to blow up as it looks huge when un-inflated, but it "shrinks" to the proper size as you add air. It took about 12-14 breaths to blow it up, which I think is reasonable. My friend struggled with the valve a bit, but I had no issues. She also had one night where the pad seemed to deflate some, but I truly think it was her operator error due to her dislike of the valve. Again, I had no problems, found it very easy to blow up to use and deflate for packing, and I'm looking forward to using this pad again on my next camping trip. My former pad has been put to rest, I have a new sleeping pad I love! https://www.klymit.com/insulated-static-v.html

I lived in the Dewey Lake-JWSP area with family members, until 2002. Currently, I live about 10-15 minutes away from JWSP and visit the park at least once a month, depending on the weather. If you want to mix up your trip besides going camping or doing any recreational activities: Jenny Wiley Theater, mid June-early August, Outdoor Theater, (kinda like Summer Stock); Theme or special dinners at the Lodge, (mostly on weekends), year round; the community/ state park swimming pool is currently being "refurbished" and will be reopening, (hopefully) in Summer 2019. And, speaking of recreation, you can "hit the links" at the Stone Crest Golf Course, nearby.

But, as for other recreational activities: there's bike riding, hiking, boating: recreational, travel, kayaking and fishing types. If you want to do any horseback riding, you have to bring your own horse and gear, but contact the JWSP office first on where you can ride your horse. Better yet, you can take about a 30 minute drive from the Lodge to the German Bridge Campground area up Cow Creek, which is also in the Dewey Lake area, Contact the Dewey Lake US Army Corps of Engineers for more details, (in other words, Google it). Plus, there are picnic shelters in different areas of JWSP, some of them right next to Dewey Lake.

Now, as for camping, you have 3 type choices... #1. reserving a cabin near the Lodge, (and Dewey's, the local "watering hole"), kinda like "glamping", but it's rougher. (BTW, this area and the Lodge are the best places for getting a cell phone signal). #2. RV (Recreational Vehicle) Camping. There is a RV camping site not far from where I used to live, but from my personal experience, call the JWSP office at least 2 weeks in advance before the date you plan to use the site to see if there is going to be anything available on the dates you want, before making your reservation. First come, first served! #3. A. There are tent campsites next to Dewey Lake in various areas around the lake accessible by boat only, which are overseen by the Corps of Engineers, contact them or the JWSP office. Best place in my opinion: Campsite near the Dewey Dam/ Spillway Area. B. Other Outdoor Camping: Contact the Corps of Engineers or the Park Ranger's at JWSP. If you want to see some wildlife also, contact the local KY State Fish & Wildlife office that handles JWSP and Dewey Lake.

But there's some stuff I've learned over the years living and camping in this area, that I think you must know, some of this you might have run into on other camping trips at other parks...

1. DO NOT DRINK THE WATER FROM THIS LAKE... AND DON'T SWIM IN IT EITHER!
2. FISH AT YOUR OWN RISK,,, CATCH & RELEASE! (Personally, I'd go to a pay lake).
3. FCC LICENCE 2-WAY EMERGENCY RADIO (I prefer the Motorola ones, (white & red, also has a NOAA Weather Radio and FM Radio), you can get a brand new one for between $40-$60. The FCC Licence is currently $70, the feds do a background check on you, if you get the licence, it lasts 10 years).
4. BEAR MACE - A BIG CAN OF IT! Not only do you have the Black Bears to deal with, you have the Coyotes too!
5. IF YOU ARE AT A LAKESIDE CAMPING SITE, HAVE A LIFE JACKET ON AT ALL TIMES! You might fall into the water by accident or you may have to jump into the lake at night in case of emergency!

And last, but not least...

6. DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE A MOTORBOAT! NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ON THE BOAT! EVERY PERSON ON BOARD MUST BE WEARING A LIFE JACKET! The Fish & Wildlife officers do surprise checks on the recreational boats to see if the rules are being followed... if they aren't following the rules... you may have to pay a fine and/or do some time!

Stayed here for one night in late April. Campground was clean, pretty wide open area with nice views to Lake Powell across the street. Little to no privacy. Bathrooms were clean. Showers available for a fee ($2 I think?) next to the camp store/check in area, we didn't use those though. We stayed in a campervan - loop 2 site 51. It was close to the bathroom but not annoyingly so. We had reserved a site ahead of time but your site is assigned to you - first site we were given had a very sloped parking area (fine for a tent, but there was no way to level a vehicle you are sleeping in. Fortunately the campground wasn't full so we drove around and found a few sites that would work better, and they switched us with no issue. There are a few RV loops with full hookups, some tent/campervan sites, and some tent only sites (those had nice level tent pads to pitch the tent on). Wifi is also available if needed but the signal wasn't great near us (I needed to get a little work done while there so the wifi came in handy, signal was fine near the camp store and there are a few tables to sit on outside of it). Not the kind of campground I'd want to hang around in, but it was a convenient stop when we drove from the Grand Canyon to Page. We chose it based on the convenience of booking a site ahead of time, the fact that we were staying for only one night, and its proximity to Page (we did an Antelope Canyon tour). The group in the site next to us was a little on the loud side at night, but that's a risk at most large campgrounds. If we were going to be in this area longer than a night, I'd look for a more remote and peaceful location. Wahweap is a nice choice if you prefer a more "RV" type campground.

Good bathrooms great cleaning area camp sites are not designated you just put a tent where you want and sleep over all good time

Spent the night in a tent at Lovers Leap campground. Campground and park are clean, well maintained and up to date. Canoed Clinch River, caved in the park, and took a short guided hike through Stock Creek to backside of tunnel. Highly recommend!

This small park is located across the street from an exhibition coal mine, portal 31. It is in the former train depots former switch yard. Small, with electric hookups and a communal water spout.

If you want to see the history of coal production in southeast Kentucky, this is the place. If you (like me) are a highpointer, this site is like 4 miles from KY highpoint, Black Mountain. If you want a more “natural” site, check out Kindom Come state park in nearby Cumberland.