Mammoth Cave Campground, the main campground at Mammoth Cave National Park

There are three established campgrounds within Mammoth Cave National Park. The main campground, Mammoth Cave Campground, is within walking distance of the Visitor Center where all cave tours begin. I can’t think of any reason why this shouldn’t be a person’s first choice for camping in the park.

The Houchin Ferry Campground is about a half-hour drive from the Visitor Center. It is much smaller—12 campsites—and thus much quieter, if that is what you are looking for. The downside is that there are no modern toilets, just portable toilets.

There is also a group campground, the Maple Springs Group Campground. The name is somewhat of a misnomer because it is actually open to anyone, not just groups. The “Group” in the name refers to the fact that up to 24 people can camp at one site. Four of the campsites are open to those with horses. Furthermore, this is the only campground in Mammoth Cave with electrical and water hook ups. The drawback is that it is located on the north side of the Green River, just up the road from the Green River Ferry. If the ferry is running, it’s not a problem getting back and forth to the Visitor Center. If it is not running due to low water, it’s a one-hour drive, one way, to the Visitor Center. The ferry can shut down at any time, and it is down as much as it is up and running. I was at the park for three days, and the ferry operated for the first two and was closed on the third day. During a 10-day stop in October and a two-day stop in September, it was closed the entire time.

There are also backcountry campsites, both in the forest on the north side of the Green River for those hiking and on the islands and banks of the Green River for those paddling. See the Backcountry Camping web page here on National Park Planner for more information.

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