Houchin Ferry Campground

Quiet, off the beaten path place with 12 sites. Easy to find and reserve a place.

Was great! Weather was fair but overall can't complain. Cleanest port a potties I've ever used. Very clean overall

Excellent campground! Very pretty location by the river and fairly quiet. The site was level and setting up a tent was easy. I stayed here in February and only one other site was occupied, but I am sure in the summer it would be very full.

This was a beautiful campground right on the river. We were there in February and only two other sites were taken. There was plenty of downed wood around for our fire and tons of birds. A bald eagle flew right up the river in front of us when we first arrived. We had a great experience.

Lovely campground, each site with a cement picnic table and fire pit. Beautiful views of the river, too. The only downside is that there is no accessible hiking or trails from this campsite and it's about a 20 minute drive to the main area of Mammoth Cave. We stayed in mid-February and had nice, crisp weather.

I believe people using primitive campgrounds are looking for a different experience that full service campgrounds. Isolation, solitude and natural surroundings are keys and Houchins Ferry delivered these. The discounted fee with my interagency pass was also a factor.

Spaces are a little tight but it was quiet when I was there. Few random visitors in the night, came down did a burnout then left. Loud mall walkers in the morning doing their morning hike through the sites.

Houchin Ferry Campground is fine if you're looking for an out-of-the-way and primitive camp spot. Be aware it is ~20 min drive from the main Mammoth Cave entrance / visitor center / trails, etc. and the last mile or so of the lead-in road is narrow and hilly. We would have preferred to stay in the Mammoth Cave or Maple Campgrounds - which are next to/walking distance from the above - but for some reason, those campgrounds were closed in mid-Dec 2022 when we wanted to book. There are no facilities other than some water spickets and port-a-potties. There is a large shelter with picnic tables. The camp spots are all just gravel, so be careful with the bottom of your tents. Due to the narrow / hilly road to get down here, tight-looped driveway, and small camp spots, I would not recommend large RVs / trucks with camper trailers attempt to camp here (it may not even be an option on Rec.gov).

This campsite is a wonderful place to kick back and relax. We went during Thanksgiving week and while it was cold it was beautiful and quiet which is what we were after. Place to launch our kayaks albeit a bit steep. Water pump nearby and portapotties were spacious and clean. Lots of downed wood to collect and we loved the little table with lantern hook near the fire so we see and cook easily. Short 20ish min drive to the caves. 5/5!

The problem encountered was not with the campground but with the necessary burn ban imposed, no fires or charcoal. We were there from 3 states and only get together on rare occasions so the trip itself was excellent and we managed to survive the cold temps without fires.