This park was great and the camping in the park was also very nice. The park had free self guided tour the day we went, which was awesome! They have other guided tours as well, that take you to different parts of the cave. The ice cream at the gift shop was delicious after a hike also!!

We went in March and it was chilly! But a great spot for backcountry hiking and camping. We did not see anybody on the trails or on our site! If you want privacy, this is it. We camped at First Creek 1 backcountry site. The caves tours are an amazing experience that I recommend you plan in your itinerary. an 11 mile hike near our camp site has a beautiful little creek and waterfall at the end of the trail.

Fantastic campground with lots of trees. Clean and well maintained this was the best campground I've been to in a long time I went twice in a month. Buy cave tour tickets online before you go as the tours do sell out. If you have kids do the junior ranger program.

We had a great time at Mammoth Caves! The tour of the cave was one of the coolest activities we’ve done camping. Very unique and memorable! The caves are VERY cold so I was miserable without a sweater. But very much worth doing!

I would plan for more time our next visit.   There are so many different cave tours.   We stayed in the cabins.  Nice area and the cabin was very clean with comfortable beds.   The ranger program for the kids is nice and they receive a badge when completed task in the book.  The park area was nice.   We saw deer 🦌 all evening.   No complaints.

If you are looking for something cushy, this is not the campground for you. I happen to love this type of camping, so I'm giving it 5 stars. Here's what to know: No campsite water or electric The bathrooms are just that, bathrooms. Showers are located at the general store which is walkable but it's a small trek. Bring quarters, ones and/or five dollar bills for the shower.
Bring something to carry your water to your campsite for dishes and whatnot. There is a water pump at the bathroom areas. Easy walking access to visitors center. The firewood at the store is BioWood. Good for cooking, burns hot and long. Worth the price. Campsite 20 had a ton of shade trees which helped when it rained but it's in the back and beside a main road.

In May, before Memorial Day, there are no crowds. Bonus! We would stay again if in the area.

Very clean & quiet! The wildlife are very friendly!

Only stayed here for one night, but the campsite had a concrete table and a nice fire pit area! We stayed at site 105 per the ranger’s recommendation. It was set right on the edge of a very large wooded area which was fun to explore due to the lack of underbrush. Nice big visitor center and a good sized camp store. Also wonderfully close to the amazing Dinosaur World!!

Mammoth Cave has several camping options depending on what type of camping you enjoy. I decided to check out several of those to get a full understanding of just what all was out there. Amongst these options are permitted backcountry camps which are hike in camps accessed by free permits.

To get one of the permits you must register with a valid ID and the make and model of your vehicle. This keep unattended vehicles from being towed from parking areas. Camps are as close as half a mile from public use camping areas but scatter over a vast area. They are large enough for groups but also accessed by individuals.

I hiked out to the first of the group camps positioned on my map, which was given to me at the Visitor Center when I registered, no one appeared to be there so I checked it out fully and determined it was perfect for what I needed. There were plenty of trees for coverage or for those wanting to set up a hammock. Fire rings are located at each of the sites and they have been very minimally cleared making for a great area to set up a tent or several small tents.

The first camp is not very deep into the backcountry, yet is still very quiet and perfect for someone who wants a little adventure without a full day of hiking just to get to camp. There was a nearby flow of water and you could use a lifestraw or purification tabs for converting this water, however they do recommend you bring your own water to drink.

All in all, of the backcountry camps I have visited this one was one of the better ones. I didn't check out others on the map on this trip because I didn't want to be as deep into the woods where there was even more chance of encountering bears.

TIPS:

• Get your permit earlier in the day - They issue permits up to 15 minutes before close but only issue certain amount per day, best to get your permit early.
• Tie up your food and trash - This area is known for wildlife so you will want to secure your items up high at your camp to not attract animals into your campsite.

We hiked the First Creek Loop Trail at Mammoth Cave National Park and backcountry camped. The campiste itself was okay. There was a fire pit and log to sit on. There were plenty of trees to hang a hammock. There was a water source, but the park ranger didn't really recommend getting and filtering water from it, and once we arrived, we could see why. You would have a difficult time actually getting down to the water as there was no real clearing or way to it. The also was a very thick, green sludge film on top of the water. So we carried in what we would need for our overnight. The campsite was decent size and away from any others, so it was nice an quiet. We did have to take a very short ferry ride in our car to get across the water.