Red River Gorge Retreats (Miguel's Pizza)

This campground and purveyor of pizza caters mainly to the climbing community. Camping is only open to climbers.

Pros: It is incredibly cheap at $3 per person per night. You have food for purchase, paid showers, great community, and picnic tables/ pavilions if you want to bust out the stove and cook for yourself.

Cons: Can be a little loud especially spring break weekends.

Excellent campground... for dirtbag climbers

Miguel’s is a great place to camp if you are climbing in the Red River Gorge. I have stayed here many times and really enjoy it. Great campground with awesome people. It offers so many things such as a basketball court, quite heated areas, covered cooking, bathrooms, etc. I highly recommend if your in the area. 

Awesome campground for climbers

"You haven't been to Red River Gorge if you haven't been to Miguel's." -- Actual words from a local.

Miguel's is a climber's mecca. Camping is primitive, but a big shower hall with a number of stalls, and covered areas for cooking offers all the amenities a "dirtbag," climber could need. It's a great place to hang with a network of passionate climbers. 

Miguel's pizza is damn good pizza, by any standards. It's also open every day of the week, unlike other restaurants in the area which usually operate Thursday-Sunday when visitors are at their peak. Miguel's also serves coffee, breakfast burritos, and sweet potato pancakes which are incredible and affordable. 

A comprehensive rock climbing gear shop is on-premise if you follow the path around back to the basement of the house at the bottom of the hill. An array of clothes, climbing shoes, chalk and climbing gear will have you covered for whatever route you decide to do.

A lot of climbing routes give directions starting from Miguel's, which tells you what a central point it is for the climbing industry here.

Dirtbag Climber Mecca and Heartbeat of Community in RRG

Great place to relax after a long day of rock climbing. Showers are 1$ for 4 minutes and the camping is so cheep! They have food on site to buy and gear for climbing! Very friendly! Make sure you put your tent up on a hill if it is going to rain! 

Climbing campground 

Camping for ~exclusively~ climbers at Red River Gorge. Have been dying to go see that pretty sandstone for years. Miguel’s is infamous. $4 camping a night. Great food. Great pizza. Big climbing bro energy. Campsite is a big field. Has a pavilion, showers, restrooms, tables, and an infamous pizza shop. Sells beers for evening chats about that daily pump.

A Gaint Climbing Circle Jerk

It says "climber only campground", but you don't need to prove to anyone that you climb. I think they just put that sign up there to let visitors know that its not a place to go to be noisy and obnoxious all night long; there are quiet hours that are typically well respected, beginning at 11pm.

This isn't a fancy campground, but it has everything you need for primitive camping, and many people park and sleep in their class B RVs. 

There is only a community fire pit - you can't have fires next to your tent.

Here are some of the cool things at this campground.

Great breakfast, lunch, and dinner at their on-site restaurant. 

Yoga/stretching room - had a ping pong table in it earlier this year, but was not there when I went a couple weeks ago.

Slacklines, to work on your balance.

Sand volleyball court - not the nicest sand, but it works.

Half basketball court.

Plenty of grass for throwing your ultimate frisbee around.

Its dog friendly.

There are usually people with instruments.

There's a lounge under the restaurant where you can use the internet and charge your devices.

The climbing gear shop has nice clothing and a bunch of odds and ends. My friend got nail clippers in there, and I usually buy a pair of climbing pants when I visit. They are just good all around pants you can use for many different sports. I also wear them to work. They are expensive, but they will last you a decade or more. 


I've been here 3 times this year. May, September &amp; October.

Under $4/night. First place I've rated 5 stars. Inexpensive & Excellent. 

The camp is in a beautiful spot for one of the cheapest prices I have seen around. The thing I liked the most was how all the people I ran into at the campsite were all really friendly and just good people. Hard to find nowadays. 

Beautiful, Inexpensive, Comfy

I visited RRG and needed a place to crash before and after a backpacking trip. Miguel’s was cheap, close, and clean. I was a little apprehensive due to the sheer amount of people present and the fact that I was a solo female traveler. Some aspects were confusing for a first time visitor (parking, laundry room access for shower tokens, etc.), but easy enough to ask other patrons questions as (most) everyone was friendly. The friendliness of the other visitors I talked to really helped ease my apprehension. It was quite an experience. 