Canoeing/Kayaking

Soggy Bottoms Campground

11 RV Sites, 3 Tent Sites

Situated alongside the Green River in Casey County near Liberty, Kentucky, Soggy Bottoms Campground is a family-owned outdoor retreat that takes its name from the bottomland character of the river floodplain and delivers a genuine rural Kentucky camping experience centered on the river's fishing, paddling, and swimming resources in a wooded setting well removed from commercial campground infrastructure. The campground's position along the Green River gives it a natural foundation for outdoor recreation that combines the productive fishing and paddling access of a south-central Kentucky river system with the quiet woodland character appropriate to a family-owned property committed to an unhurried outdoor pace. The campground accommodates guests across primitive tent camping and hookup RV configurations, with the wooded riverside character of the property providing natural shade and the ambient sound of moving water that defines the Soggy Bottoms guest experience. Campfire cooking and outdoor cooking on the fire rings are standard features of stays here, and the campground's family-owned character translates to a personalized attention to the guest experience that guests frequently cite as central to the campground's appeal. Clean restroom and shower facilities serve the daily hygiene needs of guests choosing the full-stay experience over a simple overnight stop. The Green River provides the primary recreational focus for guest activity at Soggy Bottoms—a south-central Kentucky river with productive bass, catfish, and panfish fishing accessible from the campground's river frontage. Kayaking and canoeing on the Green River's Casey County section offer paddling on a waterway that flows through wooded lowlands and limestone bluffs in a section of the river upstream from the better-known sections closer to Mammoth Cave National Park. Swimming in the river during the warm summer months is a traditional activity at Kentucky river campgrounds, and the Green River's Casey County character provides a natural pool environment in the wooded bottomland terrain. Casey County and the surrounding south-central Kentucky landscape occupy a position between the Knobs topographic region to the north and the transition zone toward Tennessee's highland rim to the south—a varied terrain of forested ridges, limestone-underlain valleys, and the river systems that drain them toward the Ohio through the Green and Cumberland watersheds. The broader region's connection to Kentucky's outdoor recreation corridor includes access to Green River Lake State Park, Dale Hollow Lake, and—within a longer day-trip distance—Mammoth Cave National Park, one of the world's most extensive cave systems and the natural attraction that most defines south-central Kentucky's visitor identity. Soggy Bottoms Campground is open through the warm-weather outdoor season, with Kentucky's spring through fall climate providing the extended river recreation window that the campground's fishing and paddling orientation demands. Summer is the most active period for Green River swimming and casual fishing, while spring and fall bring the best conditions for more ambitious paddling excursions on the river's wooded Casey County stretches. The campground's family-owned scale means reservation windows can be competitive on summer holiday weekends, and advance contact with the campground is recommended to secure preferred dates during the peak season.

from $15/night

Cumberland Falls RV Resort

25 RV Sites

Cumberland Falls RV Resort in Parkers Lake, Kentucky, offers 25 full-hookup RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 45 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, at the gateway to one of the Appalachians' most extraordinary natural wonders. Premium WiFi, golf cart rentals, a lake, and a fishing pier serve guests exploring the Daniel Boone National Forest. Twenty-five sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp in back-in and pull-through configurations, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. A general store, restrooms, showers, firewood, and both standard and premium WiFi handle the practical side. Pets are welcome. A lake and fishing pier sit on the property, with a river and creek running nearby. Sports courts, pickleball, horseshoes, corn hole, walking trails, a pavilion, and a dog park fill the grounds, with golf cart rentals to cross the property and planned activities through the season. Hiking, whitewater rafting, canoeing, kayaking, stargazing, and birding all run from the area, with boating and a casino nearby. Cumberland Falls is the reason to come. The 125-foot-wide curtain of the Cumberland River plunges 68 feet through a sandstone gorge and produces a moonbow visible by full moon light — a phenomenon found in only a handful of locations worldwide. The state resort park, the Daniel Boone National Forest, and the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area all converge here, with SomerSplash Waterpark and Wildcat Off-Road Park nearby. Full moon weekends draw moonbow viewers specifically. Reserve well ahead for those dates and for October foliage.

from $69/night

Firefly Hills

13 RV Sites

Firefly Hills in Beattyville, Kentucky, sits in Lee County's eastern Kentucky mountains within minutes of some of the most concentrated outdoor recreation terrain in the Appalachian South — Red River Gorge Geological Area, Daniel Boone National Forest, and Natural Bridge State Resort Park collectively provide hundreds of miles of hiking, world-class rock climbing, kayaking, and horseback riding accessible from a campground that specifically caters to the full-time RVers, adventure travelers, and outdoor enthusiasts who make the Red River Gorge corridor a long-term base rather than a quick passing visit. Fifteen spacious RV sites with full hookups on level concrete pads with picnic tables give guests the practical infrastructure for extended stays, and the campground's brand-new bathhouse with three full bathrooms — including an ADA-accessible unit — reflects the investment in quality daily facilities that sets Firefly Hills apart from older rural Kentucky campgrounds whose infrastructure reflects decades without renovation. An on-site laundry room with card-operated machines handles the needs of longer-stay guests, and a garbage and recycling station provides the waste management infrastructure that responsible extended-stay camping requires. The campground's welcoming atmosphere and explicit inclusion focus create a community environment suited to solo travelers, couples, and families arriving from the widest range of backgrounds and camping styles. RV rentals available through the campground extend its accessibility to guests who want the Red River Gorge experience without owning their own equipment. The campground's orchard provides a pleasant walking and exploration environment between outdoor excursions, the stocked pond offers camp-side fishing in a natural setting, and community campfires serve the social gathering function that the concentrated outdoor recreation community of the Red River Gorge corridor naturally cultivates — guests in this region tend to share climbing routes, trail recommendations, and paddling conditions in the informal evening exchanges that campfire settings specifically enable. Red River Gorge Geological Area in the Daniel Boone National Forest is internationally recognized as one of the finest sandstone arch landscapes in the eastern United States — over 100 natural arches across a deeply dissected plateau of Corbin sandstone, including Haystack Rock, Double Arch, and the accessible Sky Bridge trail that delivers a natural arch crossing experience to casual hikers. The Red River's gorge provides Class I-III paddling through the geological area, and the climbing at the Military Wall, Muir Valley, and dozens of additional crags attracts sport climbers from across the Appalachian region and the Midwest for the concentration of quality routes per canyon mile. Natural Bridge State Resort Park provides the flagship arch viewshed accessible by trail or skylift. Firefly Hills operates year-round in eastern Kentucky's mountain climate, with spring and fall representing the most popular outdoor recreation seasons — spring wildflowers in the gorge from April through May and fall foliage in October through early November create two peak windows of extraordinary natural beauty in the Lee County mountain terrain. Rock climbing season extends from March through November, and the paddling season on the Red River peaks with spring rains and fall precipitation. Reserve sites ahead for the October foliage season, when Red River Gorge area campgrounds fill from the Louisville, Lexington, and Cincinnati markets that specifically target the Appalachian fall color window.

from $47/night

Still Waters Campground

22 RV Sites

Still Waters Campground in Frankfort, Kentucky, offers 22 full-hookup RV sites with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 60 feet, in the state capital and the heart of the Bluegrass. Back-in and pull-through categories in both full-hookup and water-and-electric configurations sit beside a lake with a boat ramp. Twenty-two sites run in water-and-electric back-ins, 30/50-amp pull-throughs, and water-and-electric pull-throughs, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted, sized to 60 feet. Cabins and group camping round out the accommodations. Laundry, a dump station, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. The water is the setting. A lake, pond, and creek run the property with a boat ramp for direct access, supporting fishing, boating, canoeing, and kayaking. Walking trails, hiking, and biking run the forested grounds, with a barn and dog park besides, and birding is productive along the creek. A golf course is nearby. Pets are welcome. Frankfort sits at the Kentucky River crossing in Franklin County, which makes it a genuinely central base: Louisville, Lexington, and the Mammoth Cave region are all within day-drive range. The immediate attractions are dense — the Kentucky State Capitol, Liberty Hall Historic Site, the Buffalo Trace National Historic Landmark distillery, the Butterfly Greenhouse, the Salato Wildlife Education Center, Cove Spring Park, and the Sullivan House Visitor Center are all in town, alongside the horse farms and limestone gorge country that define the Bluegrass. Spring and fall are the most comfortable for touring the distilleries and horse farms, and carry the heaviest demand. Reserve ahead.

from $49/night

Camper Village RV Park

8 RV Sites

Camper Village RV Park sits on 20 acres along the shores of Boltz Lake in Dry Ridge, Kentucky, about 45 minutes south of downtown Cincinnati in a part of Grant County that feels genuinely rural despite its easy highway access. The camper village rv park is also just 10 minutes from the Ark Encounter, making it a natural base camp for the growing number of families who travel to northern Kentucky to visit the region's biblical heritage attractions alongside standard outdoor recreation. The park offers full hookup sites with 30 and 50-amp electrical service, water, and sewer connections, with pull-through options available for larger rigs. Tent sites and tiny-home style cabins round out the accommodation options. On-site amenities include a swimming pool, clubhouse with laundry facilities, playground, and dog run for four-legged travelers. Boltz Lake serves as the centerpiece of the campground's recreation—a 200-acre private lake with a boat ramp, designated fishing spots, kayak rentals, and paddle boat rentals that give guests direct water access without leaving the property. Picnic tables, grills, firewood, and WiFi complete the standard amenities, and the park operates year-round for guests who visit outside the traditional camping season. Boltz Lake's private character distinguishes it from public reservoir campgrounds in the region—a relatively small, quiet lake where the fishing pressure is limited to resort guests and the atmosphere reflects that self-contained calm. Largemouth bass, bluegill, and catfish populate the lake, and the kayak and paddle boat rentals allow guests to explore the lake's full perimeter at a gentle pace. The surrounding Grant County terrain is gently rolling Kentucky farmland with horse operations, tobacco barns, and the kind of agricultural landscape that defines this stretch of the Bluegrass State between Cincinnati and Lexington. The Ark Encounter in Williamstown, 10 minutes from the park, is a full-scale replica of Noah's Ark based on biblical dimensions—a 510-foot-long timber structure that is one of the most ambitious religious heritage attractions built in recent decades and draws over a million visitors per year. The Creation Museum in nearby Petersburg provides a related experience for families interested in the natural world interpreted through a faith-based lens. Cincinnati, 45 minutes north, offers a full urban day trip to a city that punches well above its size in culture—the Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Zoo (one of the country's oldest), the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and Great American Ball Park for Reds games all provide strong alternatives to an outdoor-focused day. Camper Village RV Park is open year-round, making it a viable option for travelers who time their visits around the Ark Encounter's year-round schedule or who simply want an accessible Kentucky lake destination with easy Cincinnati access. Summer is the busiest season for the pool and lake recreation, while fall brings lower crowds and the copper and gold foliage of the Kentucky hardwood forests surrounding the lake. Reservations are recommended for summer weekends and any visit that coincides with major programming at the Ark Encounter.

from $63 $55/night

Nashville Shores Lakeside Resort

49 RV Sites, 23 Cabins

Nashville Shores Lakeside Resort offers 49 RV sites and 23 cabins on Percy Priest Lake in Nashville, with 20, 30, and 50-amp full hookups, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 45 feet, behind a gated entrance. Lakefront premium and lake view categories join a water park, zip line, lazy river, and marina. Forty-nine sites span standard, lake view, lakefront premium, and pull-through categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. The lakefront premium category is worth requesting early. Twenty-three cabins round out the lodging. A general store, boutique shop, laundry, restrooms, showers, firewood, and boat storage handle the practical side. Recreation is extensive. A full water park, lazy river, and zip line anchor the summer, with a marina, beach, boat rentals, and kayak rentals putting guests on the lake for boating, fishing, paddle boarding, and water sports. A library, walking trails, sports courts, volleyball, horseshoes, corn hole, a playground, pavilion, dog park, on-site dining, and a snack bar fill the rest, with live music and planned activities through the season and strong stargazing over the water. Pets are welcome. One practical note for RV arrivals: GPS often routes you onto Mills Road after Exit 221 (Old Hickory Boulevard). Avoid that turn and follow the resort's posted RV directions instead. Summer is decisively the season. Reserve well ahead.

from $81/night

Elm Hill RV Resort

Nashville is many things — the country music capital, a culinary destination, a bachelorette party hub, a city of unexpected depth and creativity. What it isn't, by reputation, is a city with a 14,000-acre lake lined with sandy beaches and marinas twelve miles from Lower Broadway. That's the hidden advantage of Elm Hill RV Resort, a lakefront property on J. Percy Priest Lake that makes it entirely possible to spend your mornings on the water and your evenings on the Honky Tonk Highway. Every site at Elm Hill RV Resort is a full hookup site built on a level concrete pad, with 50-amp electric service, water, sewer, basic cable TV, and complimentary Wi-Fi. Each site includes its own fire pit and picnic table, bringing that essential campfire element to what otherwise feels like an upscale resort. Pull-through availability makes arrival simple for large rigs. The on-site marina, golf cart rentals, propane fill service, and gated entry complete a setup that handles both practical needs and leisurely wants in equal measure. Percy Priest Lake provides the natural centerpiece of the Elm Hill experience. The resort's private sandy beach is the gathering place on warm afternoons — swimming in the lake, lounging in the sun, and watching boats cruise in and out of the marina. On-site boat, kayak, and paddleboard rentals mean you don't need to bring your own watercraft to enjoy the full 14,000-acre playground. The boat docks accommodate guests who do bring their own. A covered playground with nearby seating for parents overlooks the water, and shuffleboard and cornhole courts provide easygoing entertainment for all ages. A brand-new bathhouse and laundry facilities round out the amenities. Nashville's magnetic pull means you'll spend at least a few evenings off-property. Lower Broadway's honky-tonks, the Grand Ole Opry, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Ryman Auditorium are all within a 12-mile drive. The city's food scene — from legendary hot chicken to farm-to-table fine dining — is reason enough to plan a trip. For nature lovers, Percy Priest Lake offers dozens of additional access points for hiking, additional launch sites, and quiet coves to explore by kayak. The lake's shoreline parks — including Long Hunter State Park — provide miles of well-maintained trails through cedar glade habitat that is ecologically unique to the Middle Tennessee Nashville Basin. Elm Hill RV Resort is open year-round, and the shoulder seasons of spring and fall are particularly rewarding — the lake is peaceful, the summer crowds have thinned, and Nashville's live music calendar never really slows down. Whether you're here for a weekend of lake life and live music or a longer stay to explore everything Music City has to offer, Elm Hill makes an exceptional home base. Book your site today and stake your claim to that private sandy beach before someone else does.

from $69/night

Four Corners RV Resort & Marina

79 RV Sites, 3 Onsite RV/Trailers, 2 Tiny Houses, 4 Boat Bungalows

Four Corners RV Resort and Marina in Nashville, Tennessee, offers 82 full-hookup RV sites and six boat bungalow and tiny house units on J. Percy Priest Lake, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 70 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, open all year. Dedicated fifth wheel categories join lakeside and deluxe back-in tiers, with a marina, pool, fitness center, and bar. Eighty-two back-in sites span deluxe east, deluxe west, lakeside east, fifth wheel deluxe, fifth wheel lakeside, and fifth wheel standard categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 70 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Dedicated fifth wheel categories are genuinely uncommon and worth knowing about if that is what you tow. Six boat bungalows and tiny houses plus cabins round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. Check-in is 2pm and checkout noon, with early and late options for a fee. The marina anchors the property, with boat rentals opening the lake for boating, paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking, water sports, and fishing. An outdoor pool, fitness center, clubhouse, sports courts, pickleball, basketball, golf cart rentals, hiking, biking, a playground, pavilion, dog park, on-site dining, and a bar fill the rest, with live music through the season. Twenty miles from downtown means kayaking at sunrise and a Broadway honky-tonk by evening. Summer lake season and Nashville's event calendar both drive demand. Reserve well ahead.

from $54/night

Pigeon Forge Landing

99 RV Sites

Pigeon Forge Landing in Sevierville, Tennessee, offers 99 full-hookup RV sites along a lazy river, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 50 feet at a brand-new resort. Executive Waterfront back-in, Mountain View Executive Plus, and Executive+ pull-through categories join standard tiers, with a pool, fitness center, and clubhouse. Ninety-nine sites span Executive back-in, Executive+ pull-thru, Executive waterfront back-in, Mountain View Executive Plus, Mountain View, and pull-thru categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 50 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Naming categories by outlook — waterfront or mountain view — tells you exactly what you are booking. A general store handles the practical side. One policy to clear first: the resort has a ten-year age restriction on all RVs, though older coaches are reviewed for approval — send a photo to [email protected] before booking. An outdoor pool anchors the property, with a fitness center, clubhouse, playground, and dog park filling the grounds. Canoeing, kayaking, pickleball, and hiking round it out. Pets are welcome. The property is new throughout, which shows in the finishes. Sevierville sits minutes from the Pigeon Forge entertainment corridor and the western entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park — the most visited national park in the country at more than 12 million visitors a year. Summer and fall foliage drive demand hard in the Smokies. Reserve well ahead, and clear RV approval early if your coach is older.

from $66 $57/night

Buddy Bear in the Smokies RV Campground

25 RV Sites, 1 Cabin, 3 Cottages

Buddy Bear in the Smokies in Sevierville, Tennessee, puts guests in the heart of the Smoky Mountain tourism corridor — a full-service campground with RV sites and cabin accommodations, a swimming pool, Wi-Fi, paddleboarding and kayaking, and mountain views in a community whose geographic position between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Pigeon Forge's entertainment district gives every guest the double access to one of America's most visited national parks and one of its most densely programmed tourism strips. Sevierville's position at the mouth of the mountain corridor makes it the natural first stop on any Smokies visit, and Buddy Bear's combination of outdoor amenities and community atmosphere gives guests a camp to return to that rivals the attractions themselves in evening appeal. RV sites with full hookups and cabin rentals cover the accommodation range for groups, families, and couples whose Smokies plans require either their own rig or a turnkey lodging option. The swimming pool provides the midday recreation anchor on warm mountain days when a cool dip between excursions is more appealing than another trail, and the paddleboard and kayak access gives guests a water activity option within the campground that complements the mountain hiking and park visitation that define the broader Smokies itinerary. The campground's community orientation — the evening gathering culture that the owners cultivate as an explicit part of the experience — creates the social dimension that transforms a campground from an infrastructure provider to a genuine destination community. Pets are welcome. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited National Park in the United States with over 12 million annual visitors, encompasses 522,000 acres of Appalachian highland ecosystems spanning the Tennessee-North Carolina border — the world's most biologically diverse temperate deciduous forest, where over 19,000 documented species of plants and animals inhabit an elevation range from 875 to 6,643 feet. The synchronous firefly display in the park's Elkmont area each June is one of the rarest and most sought-after wildlife events in North America, and the park's salamander diversity, spring wildflower profusion, and October hardwood foliage represent three additional world-class natural events accessible from Sevierville. Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, repeatedly recognized as the top theme park in the United States by Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards, provides the regional entertainment anchor that sustains the Smokies corridor's visitor economy alongside the national park — a park whose combination of Appalachian heritage music and craft demonstrations, nationally recognized roller coasters, and genuine Southern hospitality gives it a cultural authenticity rare in the theme park industry. Soaky Mountain Waterpark, adjacent to Dollywood, provides the aquatic complement for summer visits. Buddy Bear in the Smokies operates year-round in Sevierville's mild Appalachian climate, with spring wildflower season from late March through May and October foliage driving the two most competitive booking windows. Dollywood's season typically runs March through December with peak programming in summer, and the combination of the park, the national park, and Sevierville's Christmas holiday programming sustains strong visitor demand well beyond the summer peak. Reserve cabins and hookup sites well ahead for the June firefly season, October foliage, and any major Dollywood festival weekend.

Creekside RV Park - TN

106 RV Sites

Creekside RV Park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, offers 106 full-hookup RV sites along Walden's Creek, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 45 feet behind a gated entrance. Creekside categories at both amperages join standard full-hookup and pull-through tiers, with a lazy river, outdoor pool, zip line, and mini-golf. One hundred six sites span 30-amp full hookup, 30-amp creekside full hookup, 50/30-amp full hookup, creekside full hookup 30/50-amp, and pull-thru full hookup categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. The creekside categories put you on the water and are worth requesting early. A general store, laundry, dump station, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. Rates run by season — roughly $55 for 30-amp and $60 for 50-amp in early spring, rising to $60 and $65 through the summer, with separate fall pricing. A lazy river and outdoor pool anchor the summer, with a zip line, mini-golf, pavilion, walking trails, and on-site dining filling the grounds. The creek supports fishing, canoeing, and kayaking, with hiking, biking, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, live music, and productive birding nearby. A golf course and skiing are close. Four miles from Dollywood puts the resort inside the most entertainment-dense corridor in the southern Appalachians, with the national park's 521,000 acres just beyond. Summer and fall foliage drive demand hard. Reserve well ahead.

from $55/night

Mammoth Ridge RV Park

20 RV Sites

Mammoth Ridge RV Park and Campground in Greeneville, Tennessee, offers full-hookup RV sites on a lake with its own beach, a dog park, a general store and golf cart rentals. Sites take rigs up to 75 feet with electric hookups, which accommodates most large coaches traveling the Nolichucky valley between Morristown and Johnson City. Full-hookup RV sites with electric service accommodate rigs to 75 feet, and a dump station is on site. RV storage is available for guests leaving a rig between visits. Bathrooms, showers and laundry cover the practical side of a stay, a general store stocks basics and firewood, and WiFi reaches the sites. The lake is the property's center of gravity. A beach gives swimmers direct access, and fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking and paddle boats put guests on the water without leaving the campground. Walking trails and biking routes run the grounds, volleyball and gaga ball serve the younger crowd, and a covered pavilion handles group gatherings. A fenced dog park is on site and pets are welcome. Golf cart rentals make the property easy to move around, and a golf course is nearby. One practical note: this is bear country despite the populated setting, so store food accordingly. Greeneville is the home of Andrew Johnson, and the National Historic Site downtown preserves his homestead, tailor shop and cemetery. The Nolichucky River Gorge lies 20 miles south in the Cherokee National Forest, where a 14-mile canyon carries Class III–IV whitewater, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park's Cosby entrance is a 45-mile drive southwest. The campground runs spring through fall. Cherokee National Forest wildflowers peak April into May, and October foliage on the northeast Tennessee ridgelines is the busiest window of the year — with the Roan Mountain rhododendron bloom, 40 miles northeast, drawing heavily from mid-June into early July. Reserve ahead for both.

from $60/night