Mammoth Cave Backcountry Camping

Absolutely beautiful campsite

Absolutely beautiful campsite

Always have a great time backpacking in Mammoth Cave! The trails were a little messy because of the horses but that is always the case. No biggie!

Always have a great time backpacking in Mammoth Cave! The trails were a little messy because of the horses but that is always the case. No biggie!

Collie Ridge was a great backcountry campsite. There is a spring that was flowing nearby that could be a good water source even though I brought plenty. I don't know if it flows year round.

Collie Ridge was a great backcountry campsite. There is a spring that was flowing nearby that could be a good water source even though I brought plenty. I don't know if it flows year round.

The directions for getting to the McCoy Hollow Campsite are INCORRECT. The actual campsite is PAST the 4.5 mile marker, despite the directions instructing you to look for it 4.3 miles down the trail. I wasted over an hour of precious sunlight and energy traipsing back and forth between the 4 and 4.5 mile markers before getting lucky with some cell service and finding a helpful review on AllTrails.

The campsite itself is nice, though the tent pad is solid rock. If your tent requires staking, this could cause some problems. Other visitors have collected a few flat rocks for makeshift "staking" (pinning the ties under the rocks), but that won't last long if the winds pick up.

For the hike out, keep in mind that the trail is frequently used for horseback riding, and some riders don't bother to keep their horses on the already-eroding parts of the path. There will be mud and it will be deep. I was careful and still found it impossible to not sink calf-deep into sucking pools of mud and manure. Bring quick-drying pants, socks, and hiking shoes.

Aside from one careless smoker's cast-off butts, there wasn't much trash on the trail. I only found enough to fill a 1 liter bag on the ~5 miles of trail I was on.

On the positive side of things, the rock formations are gorgeous. There are numerous little springs that tumble over small outcroppings, each one seeming like a tiny waterfall slowly dripping its way into the caverns below. The sound of the wind through the gorge is hauntingly beautiful. Deer and squirrels have no qualms about going about their foraging while you hike past as long as you don't pay them too much mind. And the coyotes give the nights a delightful eeriness with their howls along the river.

The directions for getting to the McCoy Hollow Campsite are INCORRECT. The actual campsite is PAST the 4.5 mile marker, despite the directions instructing you to look for it 4.3 miles down the trail. I wasted over an hour of precious sunlight and energy traipsing back and forth between the 4 and 4.5 mile markers before getting lucky with some cell service and finding a helpful review on AllTrails.

The campsite itself is nice, though the tent pad is solid rock. If your tent requires staking, this could cause some problems. Other visitors have collected a few flat rocks for makeshift "staking" (pinning the ties under the rocks), but that won't last long if the winds pick up.

For the hike out, keep in mind that the trail is frequently used for horseback riding, and some riders don't bother to keep their horses on the already-eroding parts of the path. There will be mud and it will be deep. I was careful and still found it impossible to not sink calf-deep into sucking pools of mud and manure. Bring quick-drying pants, socks, and hiking shoes.

Aside from one careless smoker's cast-off butts, there wasn't much trash on the trail. I only found enough to fill a 1 liter bag on the ~5 miles of trail I was on.

On the positive side of things, the rock formations are gorgeous. There are numerous little springs that tumble over small outcroppings, each one seeming like a tiny waterfall slowly dripping its way into the caverns below. The sound of the wind through the gorge is hauntingly beautiful. Deer and squirrels have no qualms about going about their foraging while you hike past as long as you don't pay them too much mind. And the coyotes give the nights a delightful eeriness with their howls along the river.

The Ferguson campsite in Mammoth Cave National Park was very peaceful and well kept. The trail leading to the campsite is fairly short, with some moderate inclines. Unfortunately several downed trees made it difficult to traverse and keep track of trail markers once you shoot off for the campsite. It was actually easier to navigate after sunset with the reflective trail markers than it was with the day navigating off trail to go around downed vegetation. We parked at the First Creek trail head, which had lots of Horse trailer activity, which wasn't an issue when we arrived, but a group did confront us when we were leaving about having parked in "the horse area", as if campers weren't welcome.

The Ferguson campsite in Mammoth Cave National Park was very peaceful and well kept. The trail leading to the campsite is fairly short, with some moderate inclines. Unfortunately several downed trees made it difficult to traverse and keep track of trail markers once you shoot off for the campsite. It was actually easier to navigate after sunset with the reflective trail markers than it was with the day navigating off trail to go around downed vegetation. We parked at the First Creek trail head, which had lots of Horse trailer activity, which wasn't an issue when we arrived, but a group did confront us when we were leaving about having parked in "the horse area", as if campers weren't welcome.