Best Equestrian Camping near Stillhouse Hollow Lake

East Fork Stables is a HUGE equestrian campground that , guess what....you don’t have to have a horse to stay at! They have a whole loop complete with a pavilion cookhouse and annoying triangle bell that’s perfect for campers, tents and hammocks.

The showerhouse is nice and clean. The sites plenty big and mostly shaded. 

Of course you can use any of the loops but the rest will have some really big animals hanging out. 

There are miles and miles of trails. Waterfalls , overlooks and scenery. A nice gift shop/camp office and cabins.

I stayed here for the Cumberland Plateau Stage Race. The race director actually reserved the whole campground for his event.

Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park is right on the Kentucky/ Tennessee boarder and not a short drive from anywhere. It is out in the farmlands, but worth the drive.

I drove to it from Cumberland Parkway, a very picturesque drive. The GPS took me right to the entrance no issues like there are with some other parks.

Once there the main areas are very well marked. The camp store has a somewhat useful map that will get you there by road.

My disappointment and frustration was the trails marked on the map. I'm not sure if some spurs are new, not used often or being reclaimed but we would start down a trail that had a trailhead sign and then the trail would just disappear into the weeds or a field with no signage.

The trail to Eagle Point was well used and a good walk to an awesome view.

The Campground is set up in what I call wagon train circles (lol) if your going with a large group it's perfect. People parked their toys and cars in the middle and set up in the sites around the hub.

if your not with a group you will probably have an opportunity to met your neighbor. There is not a lot of shade. There is a pool on site and cute little blue cabins to rent. Newer restrooms and a dumpstation. Tge horse ampground was adjacent to the regular campground.

The Marina and Lodge are at the end of the road and there was a golf course on the way in. Pretty much covers all the bases of outdoor entertainment.

When I happened upon this campground I was pleasantly welcomed by a visitor center and hiking from the moment I entered the park.  But no matter how nice this area was I wasn’t able to even expect what was to come with the camping facility which by far was a surprise to say the least.   

I had seen great reviews for this place, like many in Tennessee, but the amenities never seemed to stop when I actually arrived.  From an Olympic sized swimming pool, horse stables, a historic chapel, butterfly garden, playgrounds, picnic areas, hiking trails, nature center and even outdoor recreation fields.  It seemed never ending! There was even a cave, that with special permit you can crawl into and explore!

The spaces were closer together than I might have have normally liked, but everyone was so friendly it didn’t seem to matter.  When I was there, there was an event going on that coming weekend so it was a bit more full than typical week day would have been.   

Still despite all the people, it wasn’t loud.  People did not blast music, talk loudly after hours or have generators humming throughout the night.  Instead it was like being in this nice isolated area just with a bunch of neighbors also enjoying the isolation.

I took full advantage of all the outdoor spaces, the only one I didn’t get a chance to enjoy was the pool which was at a point during the season where it was only open on weekends.   

I would stay at this site again if passing through.  Reservations are not required but could be helpful on busy weekends like the one I stayed just before.  I do suggest checking into the office also to get a Passport for the State of Tennessee (a small book you can stamp with each stop you make at a state facility).

TIPS:

• Bring your sense of adventure!  Lots of things to do from birdwatching to hiking and everything in between.
• Sit in the butterfly garden.  The area is so peaceful and beautiful because of the unique selection of plants selected to draw in the butterflies.  It is a perfect place to spend some time in quiet reflection.

Another backside primitive campsite at Mammoth Cave National Forest, Ky.

A lot of people don’t realize the extensive trail system of Mammoth Cave. They come for the Cave and never take the time to enjoy the natural beauty of the area.

Before using this campsite you are supposed to check in at the visitors center. Unfortunately the ferry is closed so it’s a long drive around to the backside.

Turnhole Campsite is a short or long hike from the Maple Springs parking area. Sal Hollow Trail would be the long trail, twisty , turny and moderately challenging. Buffalo Trail is a straight hike in , take a left at the intersection and straight on to the campsite. Difference of about 3 miles-ish.

The trails are used by hikers and horseback riders, are well marked and lotsa fauna to see. No major vistas here, just woods.

The campsite has poles to tie your horses, a fire ring, tent pad and lantern hooks. Pretty easy to find seasoned wood to burn. DARK at night, lots of animal noises ;) not much of a night sky except in the winter months.

The cool thing about this campsite is your sorta on a peninsula of the river. Very private and it’s not on a loop trail so no foot traffic passing by.

Despite this campsite being surrounded by the Green River on 3 sides, water is hard to come by here, and hiking it in may be your best bet. The river is at least 1/2 mile away, through extremely dense brush, and the banks are not easy to access, if accessible at all. We were lucky that a creek just north of the intersection of Buffalo Creek, Sal Hollow, and Turnhole trail had some water to filter from.

This is a nice, secluded spot. You are on the end of a ridge. Clear nights with a bright moon were magical here. It is probably a beautiful spot when there is no foliage, as well. We camped in August.

There is a tent pad, hooks for lanterns or packs, horse hitches, and a fire ring with a grate attached. Hike in is a little over 3 miles, a pleasant hike, but not a whole lot to see in the summer besides a lot of chantrelles.

The Green River Ferry seems to be non-operational a lot. Call the hotline the day of your drive in to see which route you should take: 270-758-2166

We decided to do a day hike on the Sal Hollow Trail. It ended up being pretty exhausting: we believe it is a lot longer than the markers suggest, and a lot of the trail seems pretty unused/not kept up.