Looking for the best Kentucky pet-friendly camping? Camping is an adventurous and unique way to escape the city—and you can bring along your furry friend. Each pet-friendly campsite offers quick access to one or more of Kentucky's most popular destinations.
Mammoth Cave Campground puts campers in a prime spot to explore the depths and overland treasures of Mammoth Cave National Park. Mammoth Cave is an underground passageway containing more than 400 miles of naturally sculpted limestone and sandstone. It is the longest recorded cave system in the world. The grand-scale chambers and long, winding passageways were the inspiration behind the park's name. The campground doubles as an entry point to 14 miles of hiking and biking trails. It's also a five minute walk to the visitor center, where cave tours begin.
A must-do activity in the park is exploring Mammoth Cave. Walking tours of the caverns leave from the visitor center daily. There are also miles of bike trails and hiking trails within the park.
The campground is tucked inside Mammoth Cave National Park, which boasts scenic valleys along the Green River. The river is within walking distance of the camp, and the hilly Kentucky countryside expands beyond the valley. Deer and turkeys commonly stroll around the campground, so visitors are likely to see them grazing in the early morning and at dusk.
Nearly 30 miles of the Green and Nolin rivers offer canoeing and boating through the park. Commercial outfitters outside the park rent canoes, kayaks and safety equipment.Most trails north of the Green River are open for horseback riding. Commercial liveries outside the park rent horses and some may provide organized excursions.
For local information, please call (270) 758-2424 or call (270) 758-2180 for general information.
For rules and reservation policies please follow the link below: https://www.recreation.gov/rules-reservation-policies
$50 / night
Zilpo, a large, fun-filled campground on Cave Run Lake, is a prime destination for families. The scenic campground offers a cabin rental, tent camping, RV sites with electric hookups and a selection of lakefront sites. Views of the lake are enjoyed by those who relax on the sandy beach. Tater Knob, a fire tower open to the public, is nearby, offering outstanding views of the area.
Water skiing and swimming are wonderful ways to enjoy the lake. Muskie, large and smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie and catfish attract avid anglers. Hikers are fans of the Zilpo Mountain Loop Trail that extends for 2.25 miles, connecting to a network of other trails around the lake. Nature programs are regularly scheduled during peak season and wildlife watching is rewarding.
Zilpo sits on a peninsula in the middle portion of Cave Run Lake at an elevation of 800 feet. The lake spans 8,270 acres with soft, sandy beaches. The campground is shaded by a stand of mixed hardwoods, and campsites have good privacy.
The nearest community is 12 miles away.
$85 / night
This Campground offers dozens of shaded, wooded campsites. 54 suitable for tents and 19 suitable for a trailer. Camping and fires are prohibited in rock shelters.____
The Red River Gorge offers untouched beauty for hiking enthusiasts. From the campground access: Hidden Arch Trail, Koomer Ridge Trail, Cliff Trail and Silvermine Arch Trail.____
The Red River Gorge offers untouched beauty for hiking enthusiasts. From the campground access: Hidden Arch Trail, Koomer Ridge Trail, Cliff Trail and Silvermine Arch Trail.____
Koomer Ridge is located in the heart of the Red River Gorge on the Cumberland District in the Daniel Boone National Forest. Scenic sweeping views and amazing hiking trails.__
Red River Gorge, NADA Tunnel, Zilpo Campground, Tater Knob, Natural Bridge, Sky Bridge, Clifty Wilderness.
$17 - $33 / night
Come out, relax and enjoy the complete resort atmosphere of the Kentucky Horse Park Campground!
A full service facility, our campground has many extras for your comfort including a grocery store/gift shop and two bathhouses with modern conveniences. During your stay, be sure to take advantage of our tennis, basketball, and volleyball courts, cool off in our junior Olympic-size swimming pool and participate in our planned activities.
For those seeking to stretch their legs a little more, venture out on the Legacy Trail, a 12-mile-long (8.5 miles is currently finished) paved walking and biking trail leading from the Kentucky Horse Park Campground to downtown Lexington.
Campers may also visit the world famous Kentucky Horse Park at a discounted rate and receive free parking with the purchase of their admission tickets when purchased at the Campground Store.
$24 - $45 / night
Hidden deep under the northeast forests of Kentucky, strange formations with names like Giant Turkey, Headache Rock, and The Cathedral mingle with cave corals, underground waterfalls and thousands of endangered bats. This is what awaits visitors to Carter Caves State Resort Park, approximately 90 miles east of Lexington. The park was only established, and the cave environments protected, in 1946. Prior to this, the land—and caves—have a long and storied history. It begins millions of years ago, when North America was in its development stage, with the land rising and falling, cracking and washing away. This began forming the caves as seen today. Fast-forward to the 1800s, and the caves served as a resource during the War of 1812. Today however, this 2000-acre park—both above and below ground—serves as a recreation destination for campers and adventurers. The resort at Carter Caves offers a variety of overnight options, including camping, cottages and a lodge. Campers will find a large campground with 89 RV sites with utilities, 30 primitive tent sites, eight equestrian sites, and two bunkhouses. Most RV sites are back-in, and can accommodate vehicles/trailers up to 60 feet; bunkhouses can accommodate up to six people. The campground features bathhouses with showers, water faucets, picnic shelters, horse stables, and a playground. The park’s cottages are fully equipped with linens, cookware, and most have wood-burning fireplaces; these can accommodate up to eight people. The Lewis Caveland Lodge offers 28 rooms with full amenities, balconies and patios. Dogs are permitted in designated areas, and must remain leashed. Campsite rates are $18–$55/night; cottages and lodge rooms are $75–$240/night. The main attraction at Carter Caves State Resort Park is … the caves! There are six named caves in the park for exploring. Some are open year-round, some are only open during the summer. The park offers guided walking tours in four of the caves. Tours range from 45 minutes to 2.5 hours, and require some stair-climbing and stooping. There are also two caves open for self-exploration. These are undeveloped, and require visitors to provide their own light source. For the adventurous, there are also two cave crawling expeditions. These tours are three hours long, and explore tight, undeveloped passages that require lots of crawling, stooping and duck-walking in muddy conditions. For visitors who would rather stay and play above ground, the park features 26 miles of hiking trails, guided horseback rides, putt-putt golf, rock climbing, and fishing and paddling on Smoky Valley Lake.
Nestled on the shores of Cave Run Lake, this camp is part of the larger Twin Knobs Recreation Area. There are more than 200 sites spread out over 10 loops under a dense forest of mixed conifer and deciduous trees. The recreation area includes two reservable group picnic areas. Group camping is also available.
Summer amphitheater programs and scheduled campground activities provide family fun and entertainment. The campground also has volleyball courts, basketball hoops and horseshoe pits. There is a boat ramp and beach. Popular lake activities include fishing, swimming, motor boating, windsurfing, sailing and water skiing. Scenic foot trails include the 2.5-mile Twin Knobs Shoreline Trail and the 1.5-mile Knob Overlook Trail.
The Daniel Boone National Forest embraces some of the most rugged terrain west of the Appalachian Mountains. The forest lies within the Cumberland Plateau, where steep forested slopes, sandstone cliffs and narrow ravines characterize the land in this region. Cave Run Lake is in the Cumberland District in the northernmost part of the forest. The lake is surrounded by the rolling hills of northeastern Kentucky.
The Morehead Office Visitor Center offers information about the Daniel Boone National Forest in addition to interpretive exhibits. A popular attraction within the Daniel Boone National Forest is the Red River Gorge Geological Area, which features more than 100 natural sandstone arches.
$40 - $43 / night
Hillman Ferry Campground offers 374 well-defined lake front and wooded sites capable of handling a variety of camping units from tents to large motor homes. Basic, electric, water, and sewer sites are available. Campers have access to modern facilities, including a large swimming area, archery range, ball field, bike trails, campfire amphitheater, hiking trails, two boat ramps, fishing dock, picnic tables, and fire rings. During the summer season we offer recreation programs for all ages.
Scout
A secluded lakeside spot with a fire pit. We saw three other spots on the way in which looked nice as well. The road coming in is a little washed out but not too pitted. I’d recommend AWD/4WD and 8+ inches of clearance, especially if it has rained because it’s pretty steep in sections.
Ranger
Quiet setting by a pretty lake. Stayed only one night on a road trip. Paducah a nice town, visited the quilt museum. Nice toilets and showers.
Scout
Spent the last 2 weeks of the season here and enjoyed our stay. We had daily deer visitors at our site and went trout fishing too. The walking trails around the brooke and campground were easy enough even for someone with limited mobility. I would ask COE to correct the women's handicap shower. The hand held shower head is missing even though there is a connection port for it. Shower house is not heated and it is extremely uncomfortable....Be prepared to keep pressing a button every 55 seconds to get water. In addition, there is no way to control water temperature for your shower. In my opinion, this is something that needs to be addressed. The washing machine was out of order.... And the ole sayin"treat things as you would your own" comes to mind and it would be our hope that people would see the benefit in keeping things nice for all to use. The camp host made rounds on the golf cart every few hrs....which is appreciated:) UPDATE: Now both washers have been removed from the annex campground....and we have a week left. Kinda of a crappy thing to do to people....with no warning.
Traveler
James, Lauren and their crew were the best! Everyone was so friendly and helpful. The camping is just so relaxing, right on the river, open space, beautiful land! We can't wait to visit again.
Legend
We found this campground using Google Maps looking for different campground (CG) options. As this was the first week of November on a Tuesday, we did not have any trouble getting reservations to include getting site 25 that we’d seen recommended in reviews. When making our reservation, we were told by the owner, Angie, to follow our GPS to the end of the road where you will find the CG. Angie met us and we were escorted to pull through site 25 with water and electric(50/30/20 AMP). This pull through is a large half moon. It was difficult to get straight on the rig but we made it work for an overnighter. We would not recommended trying to anything longer than a 38’ rig into the site due to the turn to get out. We needed levelers on the door side. Once we were set up, we were delighted with this site’s lake view. The water pressure was good at about 50 psi and no issues with the 50 AMP service. We got three bars on Verizon. We could have put out satellite, but did not for this overnight stay. They have a restroom/bath house, but we didn’t use it. This CG is mostly full of seasonals. We noticed that golf carts are the thing here. As we were here during the week, there was very little CG activity. However, we can guess this place is quite festive during the summer months and associated weekends. From what gather from their website and saw, they keep about 10 sites available for short term stays(max 28). Of the 76 sites total, the only pull through was site 25. We had to maneuver to get out of the site with our running over the railroad tie border. We wouldn’t go in there with anything over 38’. The sites here vary a lot on how close they are to each other. The website states the sites are 50 feet long, which is probably correct. We enjoyed the lake view from our site plus we saw deer and eagles in the CG during our overnight stay. The owner Angie, was very nice and accommodating.
Scout
We spent 2 nights at Cummins Ferry with 2 other families! We absolutely LOVED it! The staff was friendly and the scenery was amazing! Our sites overlooked the river and we loved the walking trails along the river! We had kids that fished and played in the playground and sat by the fire every night! We will absolutely return!
Ranger
Stayed here a week. Had the place pretty much to myself especially on the rainy days. Outstanding features for me were the 4 pull thrus, one of which I scored,. Water is available here and there but not at every site. One side of the campground abuts an asphalt plant which was quit noisy at times. The park is on the river at the bottom of a valley. The highway traffic comes down one side with engine brakes bellowing and the passing lane going back up is almost as loud with truck drivers using every gear to stay up to speed. I noticed the number of dump trucks near the park/asphalt plant on my way in. Near quitting time for the plant the highway many feet above you sounds like the scene in full metal jacket on the beach with the helicopters coming and going, the plant is on the same side of the river next to the bridge. I was very close.
Legend
This KOA was easy to find by following our GPS. We checked in about 45 minutes prior to their 1:00 PM check in time and they didn’t even mention us being early. We decided we didn’t need an escort to our site as it was near the office. We proceeded to deluxe-patio pull-through site H-4 with FHUs. The utilities were nicely placed in the middle of the pad. Water pressure was good at about 50 psi. This site has plenty of shade as does most sites in the campground (CG) due to mature trees, so we did not put out Starlink. We got 4 bars LTE on Verizon and used our MiFi versus Starlink. Site H-4 has a utility box on the yard side, so we had extra space between the adjacent site. They have a decent sized dog park with an agility set up. This KOA has a lot of amenities and lives up to a Holiday KOA rating. The dog park is a nice size. They have a decent laundry room behind the office with 4 washers and 8 dryers. It’s$2.50 to wash and$1.50 to dry. They have 2 fishing ponds. The large one you can keep 2 fish for$20 and the small one is catch and release. There’s some traffic noise from I-65 and surrounding roads. Our main reason to visit the area was to visit the National Corvette Museum. We enjoyed our two night stay.
Scout
All around probably the best camper lots in the area. Very quiet and tucked away but still close enough to run into town. Ms. Cindy is very nice and more than willing to help with anything. The views here are amazing, if you’re wanting to really see Kentucky this is probably the best spot to be.
Scout
I am a long term camper. This park has all the utilities water, electric, sewer. I haven't had issues with the free wifi and am able to stream movies and TV with no buffering.
They have a community building with restrooms, showers, laundry, kitchen area, and mail pick up. They also have an outdoor community area with a fire pit, lounge chairs, and grill.
They have been having events for the children. Movie night, outdoor games, and a camp fire with smores.
It's quiet and 5 minutes away from town. Door dash delivers.
The manager is a sweetheart and makes sure any issues are taken care of.
Legend
We found this new and wonderful glamping and event center with 5 FHU sites and 2 water and electric sites when looking for a campground (CG) to visit friends. We called and were able to get a FHU site for Mon- Thur. Our RV GPS, plus using Google Maps, brought us in on KY-34 heading east. There are two Chenault Bridge road turns. Be sure to take the turn near CR-1329(second going east or first one if coming in from the west) that took us about a half mile to the LockRidge Park. Their regular check in time is 4:00 PM, but we called and had permission to come on in early around 2:30 PM. When we arrived, we pulled up front and went to find an office to check in. Everything was closed up but we were soon greeted by two ladies(owner and manager) who took us down around the entrance parking lot to back-in site 5 with FHUs. There was no formal check in but we did receive an email prior to arrival with the shower house code. The cost for a FHU site was $50. The gravel at this time was fairly new and thick, so we had to be careful as we maneuvered our 40’ fifth wheel down a slight incline to get to the CG area. We were“wowed” by the boulder landscaping and how wide and deep the sites were. The sites are close together but the way they are designed give you a spacious and private feeling. Sites 1-4 are easy back-ins as you have a good sized parking lot in front of them. Site 5 is a little more challenging as you need to go down the exit road to get your back-in angle. The utilities are essentially in the middle of the pad, but as stated prior the sites are long, so we maneuvered to get centered to fit our hookups and to be able to put our patio down. The water pressure was around 60 psi and we used a reducer. There are trees that border the area, but we had no problem getting a Starlink signal. For site 5, we placed the antenna on the roof. For Wifi, ask for the password so you can connect to a strong signal. Performance was way above average. We got 4 bars LTE on Verizon. We were pleasantly surprised that they had laundry, which is on the side of the main bathhouse. There are two washer/dryer combos for$6 per load to wash and dry, which is paid on the honor system via scanning a QR code. An amazing“work in progress,” LockRidge is a park that offers unique overnight stay options, including tube rooms, underground rooms, silo rooms, container rooms, RV spots, and Conestoga wagon rooms. They also have a parking area near the entrance for Harvest Host. There’s also a small restaurant and event center for weddings etc. The owners, Heather and Brian, have worked hard to make LockRidge a unique experience.
Ranger
We came in on a Friday late afternoon and there were only a few camping sites available. We found a spot right on the lake.
Our first morning a heron was fishing in the lake less than 100 feet from us. We saw him catch a fish. There were woodpeckers, hawks and several other birds I did not recognize.
The view of the lake from our camp site was amazing. Very picture worthy!
The campsites are pretty close together providing less than optimal privacy. Some of the campers stayed up late but they kept the noise level down.
While there we saw one group hang a deer carcass in a tree. Good times!
Scout
Until midnight there was a loud microphone with drunk people trying to sing karaoke where it was heard around campground. Slurring speech and cursing. No respect to others trying to sleep.
Was booked for the weekend but leaving after night 1.
Legend
Found this campground on the map near Haneys Appledale Farm in Nancy Kentucky. Nice, new, “shiny” campground. The owner was extremely friendly and we spoke briefly about the place. As listed above there’s no showerhouse, so bring your own if you want to visit. There’s also no shade, they are creating their campground in a very nicely tiered field and working on getting a pond going to fish in. Nice size sites with easy access power , water and sewer. Gravel drive and pads, fire ring and picnic table. There is an AWESOME playground and pavilion set back in the trees! My grand loved the ropes course. We stayed in the back of the campground on a full moon night so I can’t say how dark it is on a no moon night, it was very quiet and we enjoyed our visit.
Guide
This campground is pretty new and not too large, making it a nice quiet getaway. All the sites are concrete with nice gravel between, along with picnic tables and firepits. Because it's isolated in the trees, you can't even hear the main road!
One thing we liked is the great drainage. Even on the rainy days, there were almost no puddles due to good landscaping and slight slope. The water pressure is really strong, be sure to use your pressure regulator!
The bathhouse is nice and clean. There's a playground with slides and such here, too.
We were here during the month of October and the owners and helpers decorated the area with pumpkins and little scarecrows.
The drive up from the main road is 85% paved with nice new asphalt. Just a short section that's gravel. On the nice days, we would walk all the way from the campground down the hill to the main road and back.
There's Wifi available, and it was at least as good as our AT&T cell connection, and we were able to keep our Starlink on pause, saving us a month's cost there.
We will definitely be staying here again. No question.
The only negative I can add is that there's no real "office" to receive packages. We had to replace our rig's AC unit, and the owner allows me to ship it to his house about a mile away. When it arrived I drove over and picked it up. For other stuff, I just got a post office box in town. (They don't do General Delivery at this USPS location.)
Guide
Just ok. Nothing wrong. Showers old and poorly done but clean. Sites roomy enough but packed in. Have propane and trash. Popular park. Lots of coming ad going.
Guide
The sites are nice and wooded. There is plenty of space between sites to give each camp a little privacy. We were a drive up, no reservation camper. They only took cash or check on-site. Camp host was very nice and helpful.
Guide
We stayed here as the kick off to the KAT. The sites are grassy right next to the river. Bathroom is clean, and there is also a small camp store.
Guide
There are three dispersed camp sites along this road. We stayed at the first and largest of the three. This first site has room for two groups. It also has a small swimming hole with a rope swing.
Guide
One picnic table and fire pit. Dispersed camping. We took our portable firepit and sat by the creek for a beautiful evening.
Scout
The amenities are not worth the price. The bathrooms are not clean. We paid for a campsite that had water and electric but we had to share water with another site. Luckily there were a splitter available. The sites in the 30s look like they may be spacious but you are on top of one another.
The 5 star review on here is regarding the state park camping, not this site. Would not return.
Guide
Well kept campground with a pond. Bathrooms were well maintained and clean. Lots of stars at night!
Guide
Lots of run down RV’s and shanty town in the back of the park. More long term renters than weekend warriors. One dump station, no sewage on the sites. One bathroom, for the whole Park. lots of tents sites (that were busy) makes for poor bathrooms. Not to mention its outhouse style with no climate control. 1/3 men’s bathrooms were out of order and 1/3 urinals were too. 2/3 showers where out of order and the two useable toilets, the door locks were broken. No wifi. Fires are allowed. Fire pits are run down so be mindful. 2/5 bars for ATT services. Sites aren’t labeled or labeled extremely bad. Electrical seems very out dated. Make sure you have protection. Over priced at $60 + tax for the night. Scattered shade. Pull through sites mainly. Picnic tables have seen better days (years more like it). Good space between sites and access to the river for water sports. Little lake for fishing. No pet area and strict leash laws. I wanna give this a 2/5 because they were pleasant. They encouraged me to review on multiple sites but I think that would be bad for them so I’ll stick to my main review site. 1/5, if the price was better like 30-40/night maybe 2/5 but for the price of a motel 6 and only electrical and that is sketchy. Save your money book elsewhere or avoid.
Guide
The campsites are surrounded by trees and it’s beautiful. Campsite has good showers too which is a plus. Nearby mammoth caves!
Traveler
Loud Carson road and kids playing basketball til 11:00 pm. They were very loud and vulgar.
Site had lots of room though. We left after the first nite. Lost our next 2 nites fee but worth the loss not having to stay any longer.
Staff somewhat indifferent.
TravelerBest State Park we have stayed at to date..everything was better than expected. Staff very helpful.
Traveler
The people that work here are so very nice. I love the relaxed chill atmosphere. I always come on a Sunday or a weeknights it is pretty empty and the campsites are too close together for me to go on a weekend. I think the sites should be less than $40 on a slow night but I still love it here.
Kentucky offers a variety of pet-friendly camping options, allowing you to enjoy the great outdoors with your furry companions. From scenic parks to well-equipped campgrounds, there’s something for every pet owner.
