Campgrounds and RV parks near Leitchfield, KY

The headline attraction is Mammoth Cave itself. Walking tours of the caverns leave from the visitor center daily, and the cave system has more than 400 miles of mapped passageways, ranking as the longest recorded cave system in the world. Above ground, the park offers miles of trails for hiking, bike-friendly roads, and nearly 30 miles of the Green and Nolin Rivers for canoeing and kayaking. At Nolin Lake State Park, the 5,795-acre lake holds bass, walleye, crappie, and catfish, with a boat ramp and a sand beach along the shoreline. Swimming and lake paddling are the main summer draws, and short hiking trails wind through the surrounding hardwoods. Horseback riding is a signature activity around Maple Springs and the equine camps, with most trails north of the Green River open to horses.

The main NPS camping season runs from early March through late November. Mammoth Cave Campground sits about a quarter mile from the visitor center and offers 111 sites, including tent-only sites, ADA-accessible sites, and group sites. Maple Springs Group Campground follows the same March-through-November calendar, while Houchin Ferry Campground is open year-round and offers 12 tent-only sites for travelers arriving in winter. RVs and trailers are not permitted at Houchin Ferry. At Nolin Lake State Park, Kentucky State Parks cannot guarantee the availability of water or other resources at campgrounds during inclement weather months when freezing temperatures are possible, so travelers should contact the park directly when temperatures could drop below freezing. The park's camping inventory has also been closed indefinitely due to substantial flooding, so confirm current status before planning around it. Summer weekends and holiday periods draw the heaviest demand, and all of the park campgrounds are known to fill up. April, May, September, and October bring cooler weather and easier availability.

Expect a mix of primitive and developed camping within a short drive of Leitchfield. Inside the national park, hookups are limited: there is no sewer or dump station at Maple Springs, and Mammoth Cave Campground has only two full-hookup RV sites, offered first-come, first-served. Dump and fill stations are located in the Camp Store parking lot. Plan on filling fresh water and dumping before arrival if staying multiple nights. Access to Maple Springs can be tricky for larger rigs. RVs cannot board the Green River Ferry, and when the ferry is not running, the detour through Brownsville adds roughly 45 minutes to reach the visitor center. Maximum RV length at Mammoth Cave Campground is 38 feet. Kentucky State Parks prohibits the importation of firewood from any state outside Kentucky to help prevent the introduction of the Emerald Ash Borer. Firewood is available for sale in the state park campgrounds.