We all love roasting marshmallows over a campfire—and you can often still do that while cabin camping in Whitley City. Find the best cabin camping near Whitley City. You're sure to find the perfect cabin for your Kentucky cabin camping excursion.
Blue Heron Campground is a rustic and spacious campground, situated on the Kentucky side of The Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area--a vast and scenic expanse of land that offers visitors countless recreational activities.
Numerous trails snake through the Recreation Area, offering mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding for visitors. The main river of the Big South Fork is also a short drive away, offering fishing opportunities.
The Big South Fork is located in north central Tennessee and southeastern Kentucky in some of the most rugged terrain of the Cumberland Plateau. The park encompasses approximately 125,000 acres of both rocky gorges and forested plateaus. Numerous pristine streams unite with the free-flowing Big South Fork of the Cumberland River. Over thousands of years, this ceaselessly moving water has carved the sandstone of the plateau into impressive cliffs, arches and chimneys that are found throughout the park.
Just a few miles from the campground is Blue Heron Mine, also known as Mine 18, a historic abandoned mining town that has been rebuilt as an outdoor museum. Visitors can hear audio presentations from actual people who lived in the community in the 1950s. The Big South Fork Scenic Railway Depot is located about 9 miles away in the town of Stearns, which offers train rides and other educational opportunities for campers. More information can be found online at https://bsfsry.com. Additional attractions include the Daniel Boone National Forest and Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, offering additional recreation opportunities.
$30 - $35 / night
Holly Bay, located two miles north of the Laurel River Dam, sits on the west side of Laurel River Lake. Visitors enjoy the campground for its proximity to the water and beautifully forested location. Plus, Holly Bay is ideal for activities like power boating, canoeing and fishing. The forest was named after Daniel Boone, a famous frontiersman and explorer who settled in Kentucky in the late 18th century.
Boating and water activities are a big hit. A boat ramp is located a short distance from the campground.Hikers take pleasure in the 4.2-mile Sheltowee Trace Trail that leads from the campground to the dam.
Most campsites are surrounded by a mixture of hardwood trees that provide picture-perfect colors in autumn. Laurel River Lake spans 5,600 acres of deep, clear water and 192 miles of cliff-lined shore. Bountiful hills from the Appalachian foothills create a backdrop for the lake area.
Head to the Cumberland Falls Trail that begins at Cumberland Falls and ends at the mouth of the Laurel River. This trail is a 30-45 minute drive from the campground.
For facility specific information, please call (606) 878-8134.
$38 - $92 / night
$23 / night
Thank you for considering Clayton Geneva memorial campground for your camping trip. Please read the entire description including our rules and regulations. Also be sure to view the site map. The gravel driveway to the sites is passable with any vehicle. If you choose to use our alternate parking there will be a hike to your site, appropriately 1/8 of a mile. I can’t stress enough that it is primitive camping, there is a restroom available at the top of the hill. We are inviting you to enjoy a peaceful, primitive camping experience on a spacious plot right on the sandy banks of the Cumberland River. We offer a tree canopy covered, serene spot that offers river swimming, fishing, enjoy a camp fire or just plain nothing but peace and quiet. Each site is equipt with a fire ring. The drive way to the primitive sites is a little lane that wraps around a mountain side that leads to the primitive sites. We do our best to keep up with it however due to the nature of weather, gravity and water it’s a constant chore. Your welcome to hike in to the sites, it’s not mandatory that you driver on down. If you feel comfortable by all means slowly drive directly to your site. If your not sure of the lane please hike to your site. Hikers, Horses and riders welcome, located a couple miles from Daniel Boone National Forrest, seemingly endless trails through some of the most beautiful country. Bring your canoe and kayaks. Located 16 miles from Cumberland Falls State Park. Located 11 miles from Sheltowee Trade Adventure Park. Located 11 miles from Kentucky Splash Water Park. Located 11 miles from Wal-Mart, restaurants and Pilot
$20 - $70 / night
$25 - $174 / night
This recreation area is part of Lake Cumberland
$18 - $240 / night
True West Campground is OPEN YEAR ROUND!!! We are centrally located by Big South Fork, TN with easy access to a great many outdoor adventures. Saddle your horse up and ride right out of the campground and find the Cumberland Valley Trail head just 1 mile away, there you can take a nice short ride if you wish, find an overlook to stop and have lunch or ride for miles & miles!!! Lots of bicycle trails around here and the hiking is never ending!!
Our facilities include 33 easy access, level RV and camping sites, all with water and electric, some with sewer hookups. Our shower houses are very clean and provide plenty of hot water!
For those who use it, there is WIFI all throughout the 11 acre campground offered for FREE to all our Campers.
Don't have a Camper or Living Quarters? We've got you covered! We have lodging available to rent. Many different options to choose from. There is the Marshal Suite in the main building above the Mercantile Store that sleeps up to 8 or more and the tucked-in-the-woods Miner's Shack Cabin. We also offer the unique experience of sleeping in the Conestoga Covered Wagons for 'Glamping'- with some creature comforts of home (beds & heat/air!!).
If you are in need of horse facilities, we have two large barns with a total of 67 stalls, each with 2 bucket hooks for your water and feed, a saddle rack and a bridle hook. We have two large horse wash bay areas, and a large 60' round pen.
True West Campground has MANY fun filled Events all throughout the year!! Check us out on Facebook to see what's coming up next!
True West also offers parking and the use of the common area to those just passing through for the day and needing access to the trails.
$26 - $165 / night
Guide
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.
Guide
Camp sites were very small and situated on top of each other. Most campers are residents. Cabin camping also very close. Attendant gave us wrong directions to our site and we ended up on a very narrow dead end road.
Scout
This campground is great for larger groups, as they allow multiple tents/campers per site. Most campsites overlook the lake and have a lovely view of sunset. Only complaint is the amount of trash we picked up upon arrival. The beach access was virtually unusable due to trash everywhere, but we spent the majority of our time boating on the lake. Cabins are nothing to write home about, but they were functional and air conditioned.
Traveler
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.
Legend
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.
Legend
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.
Legend
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.
Legend
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.
LegendPickett 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!
LegendI 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!
Ranger
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.
Scout
Nice bathrooms. Great sites, cute cabins great location.
RangerThis 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.
Guide
We stayed there while running the KAT section 2. Great staff. Lots of room for horses. They had campsites, covered wagons and cabin space.
GuideWe stayed here on a KAT section 2 trip. Super friendly and helpful staff. They had campsites, covered wagons, and cabins. The had a small camp store and sold firewood
RangerPopular 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.
GuideI 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!
Traveler
This is a large and clean campground. It has RV sites, tent sites, and shelter houses.. There are several cabins on site. Great lake views and beach. Lots to do at PCP.
GuideWe 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).
Traveler
Located on the beautiful Norris Lake. Our tents were right on the water and a short swim/walk to paddle boats and kayaks! Only thing I don’t like is how close each site is. Their cabins are adorable!!
GuideThe 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.
Scout
Campground has Cabins, Bunk house, full hook-ups and primitive spots. There are stalls and tie lines with round pens and paddocks scattered around. Trail system is wonderful with all the views anyone could ask for. Love this place will be coming back!!!
TravelerThis 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).
Legend
Charit Creek Lodge in Big South Fork is AMAZING! There is a price tag on any unique experience but you do have a choice as to how unique it want it to be.
The Lodge offers group cabins, single beds, tent sites and Tentsile sites WITH a beach ;) What makes it so cool is these are original wood cottages with wood bunk beds and stoves for in the winter. They offer meal packages with your reservations too.
The guy that runs the place looks like a settler from the ole days with a red beard and “earth” attitude.
To get here you have to hike, ride a horse or bike. There is a road in but not for visitors. There are stalls for your horses to as well as a tie out area if your just passing through.
A place to visit even if you don’t want to over night just for the history. The lodge is located at the “intersection” of several trails. My favorite trail down is from the Twin Arches and back through Jakes Place.
There is a large lodge that is split into sleeping areas and a dining area with a nice covered porch with rocking chairs to pass the afternoon away in. Adjacent is the small kitchen that is used to prepare meals and there are snacks that you can purchase(bring cash) There is a restroom above a storage locker which is surrounded by a small kitchen garden. The cabins are behind the lodge as well as an old barn.
We walked back to the Tentsile area that had just been set up with brand new Tentsile 3 person tents. The creek that runs past has a little sand beach and there is an area that is almost waist deep to relax in. You pass a small mowed trail that leads back to two rope hammocks to relax in . On the way back to the cabins you can see the trail that leads in to one of the tent sites that also sits next to the river.
Dogs are permitted in the cabins and tent areas , not in the Tentsile area. Horses are allowed in the stable and tie out areas.
Just an awesome place to visit, it really makes you think about how people used to live in the old days and how remote they actually were.
Legend
Halfmoon Campground is located near Windrock Off-Road Park and has RV sites, tent sites, and cabins. RV sites have power (up to 50amp) and water, and have decent separation between sites. The RV sites are in a grassy field so minimal shade. The majority of the Tent sites are dry camping (no power or water), however, there are 3 tent sites near the bathhouse that do have power and water. The tents site are in the woods so plenty of shade. The cabins have parking that can accommodate multiple vehicles. Clean and functional bathhouse. Dump station near the bathhouse. Fire wood and ice is available near the bathhouse and has a self pay setup. The campground also includes a vehicle wash station and trailer parking area if you trailered in your off-road vehicles. The nearest grocery store is about 15 minutes away. Beautiful views of the mountains from the RV area.
Link to my YouTube review: Campground Review: https://youtu.be/ZOEj0QoXqfM
Legend
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.
Legend
One step up from a parking lot style campground. BUT it has some character. There are cabins, a showerhouse and pavilion in addition to the row of campsites.
Jamestown, Tn is right outside Pickett SP, Big South Fork and Daniel Boone NF so this would be a good base camp in town near amenities.
Cabin camping near Whitley City, Kentucky offers a perfect blend of nature and comfort, making it an ideal getaway for families and outdoor enthusiasts alike.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Whitley City, KY is Cumberland Falls State Resort Park with a 4.3-star rating from 46 reviews.
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