Camping near Mammoth Cave

Our family (which includes three little ones ages 7, 5 and 2.5) will be travelling to the Mammoth Cave area in June. Our budget allows camping for lodging, but we do prefer a place which provides electric and showers. I%26#39;m leaning towards the Barren River Lake State Park or Nolin River State Park, but I%26#39;d love to hear from others who know from experience. It will be our first trip to Kentucky. Any input is appreciated! Thanks so much.

Camping near Mammoth Cave

Sorry. It%26#39;s Nolin Lake State Park. Not Nolin River ...

Camping near Mammoth Cave

Bronsmel.....you MUST go to Nolin Lake State Park! We live right here at Mammoth Cave National Park and we love camping at Nolin! It is a very small, quiet campground with elec, water, bathhouse w/laundry, playground, and beach area. You will LOVE it there. Barren River is a much much larger campground and you will find a lot goes on there. Partying for one.... We have camped at Nolin several times and we have never been disturbed by loud, unruly campers. As you enter the campground there are spots along the way and up near the bathhouse and then you will come to a loop. The loop is right on the lake with spots on the inside and outside of the loop. This is the area where we like to camp. It is a great place to ride bikes with your kids too because of being small and not much traffic. Are you tent campers or do you have a rv? I can recommend some good spots if you tell me what you would like. Near the water or not. There is only one bathhouse so you may have to walk a little .... but it is not that bad. Just ask if you have more questions!

Thanks SO much for your insight. We are tent campers, and I%26#39;d love some tips on good sites. With the little ones, I haven%26#39;t decided whether it would be better to have a site near the water or not. Maybe a couple of options? We%26#39;re really looking forward to exploring the area. Any tips are appreciated! :-) Thanks again.

Glad to help. I do recommend making reservations. If you don%26#39;t, you may arrive and not find anything. You can do this online if you prefer. Google Nolin and you can see a map of the campground. If my memory serves me correctly, sites #2 and #4 are both pretty much shaded. (I%26#39;ve just noticed these two while walking) Both are located as you first enter, and are not on the water. They are both tree lined with no one behind you. If you want closer to the water, site #22 and #25 are really nice. #22 is on the inside of the loop and will have a couple hours of sun around midday but then shaded. You will have neighbors here but keep in my mind that these sites are alot larger than typical campgrounds and further away from other campers. #25 is on the outside of the loop. It has alot of shade and it is located on the tip end of the loop. Sites #27, 29, 30, 31, and 32 are all located on the outside of the loop and have a wooded view of a quiet cove but have a little more sun. Be glad to answer any more questions! :)