Warning
GeneralRoad construction near our facility may limit parking or cause traffic delays. Please consider these conditions when planning your travel.
Featured amenities
About Mammoth Cave Backcountry Camping
Number of accommodations: 94
Campground Amenities
-
Pet Friendly
Nearby Activities & Attractions
Hiking
Mountain Biking
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Open year round
This campground is open year round, providing flexibility for your stay.
Sites & Availability
94 Sites Available
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Site Details
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94 Sites Available
No available sites
All sites are booked for your selected dates. Try showing all sites to see booked options, create an alert to be notified when something opens up, or adjust your dates.
Reviews (129)
What Guests Are Saying
Mammoth Cave Backcountry Camping offers clean and scenic campsites, with many having reliable water sources and beautiful views. Popular spots like Collie Ridge and the Bluffs provide a peaceful experience, although some trails can be muddy or overgrown, requiring careful navigation. While there are occasional challenges such as pests and downed trees, many visitors found the overall experience rewarding and enjoyable, making it a great destination for outdoor enthusiasts.
What Guests Are Saying
Mammoth Cave Backcountry Camping offers clean and scenic campsites, with many having reliable water sources and beautiful views. Popular spots like Collie Ridge and the Bluffs provide a peaceful experience, although some trails can be muddy or overgrown, requiring careful navigation. While there are occasional challenges such as pests and downed trees, many visitors found the overall experience rewarding and enjoyable, making it a great destination for outdoor enthusiasts.
Review Summary
Michelle H
VerifiedMay 2, 2024 • Stayed at: Homestead, Loop: Homestead
Really nice campsite. Was entirely secluded. There is a water source close by (it does require a short hike down a hill to access), lots of downed wood suitable for firewood, and a nice flat area to pitch a tent. The hike in is muddy and the trail has been pretty torn up with the horses, but it was not a dealbreaker - just wear boots or trail shoes. Make sure to get a map, do not rely on the directions printed on the website (as there is a trail which goes both directions and you need to select the correct one - the instructions did not specify this).
Riley S
VerifiedApril 8, 2024 • Stayed at: First Creek 1, Loop: First Creek 1
It was magical and lovely, a beautiful hike in and we were all alone in that valley. I would recommend this camp site to anybody and will deffinetly be backcountry camping in Mammoth Cave again.
Jiana K
VerifiedMarch 11, 2024 • Stayed at: First Creek 1, Loop: First Creek 1
Very fun trip, but there was lots of trash at the campsite and the lake was dry.
Richard H
VerifiedJanuary 29, 2024 • Stayed at: Three Springs, Loop: Three Springs
Went backpacking over a weekend that was below 20 degrees, but the park was beautiful and serene. The snow on the ground made it gorgeous. 150% would do again if it is 15 degrees warmer!
Alex H
VerifiedNovember 9, 2023 • Stayed at: Second Creek, Loop: Second Creek
We hiked all the way there and the campsite was closed with no notice.
Barbara S
VerifiedOctober 14, 2023 • Stayed at: First Creek 2, Loop: First Creek 2
The site was great, but hiking back up out of there in a thunderstorm was HARD, lol. Now, if you're like an elite athlete or a 20 year-old combat Marine, you might think climbing out of there back to the trailhead with all your gear on your back in a thunderstorm is super easy. Me, I'm not, and I didn't think that was easy at all. Lol.
There's a small spring near the area where the spur for the campsite heads off the main trail, and that's where I drew my water from, then filtered through a lifestraw. But just FYI, if you look on the map and think, "Hey, there's a lake there! I'll draw and filter my water from that, no problem!" ... well, there wasn't. At least not during the season I was there. It was dry.
Wesley H
VerifiedOctober 12, 2023 • Stayed at: Riverside Camping, Loop: Riverside Camping
We paddled on the Green River through Mammoth Cave. The scenery was beautiful and breathtaking! Keep an eye out for hawks and eagles. I am a hammock camper, and finding two trees at a good distance that are not 20 feet up past the bank is challenging. It is better to plan to camp on an island in a tent. Love this place and would go back.
Kaylee S
VerifiedOctober 1, 2023 • Stayed at: First Creek 2, Loop: First Creek 2
This campsite was well-established and easy to find once we got to the correct trailhead. Getting to the right trailhead was a different story. The GPS kept wanting to take us over the river as many times as we opted differently. We thankfully had printed directions that allowed us to find the correct road. Again, GPS didn't want to take us any further than the Lincoln Trailhead, whenever we needed the Tunnel Trailhead for our group. AllTrails came through and led us down the road that we needed. We never located the water source near the campsite, either.
Overall, this campsite was clean, well-established, had a nice fire ring and logs for sitting around a campfire. We enjoyed it a lot and had a great time backcountry camping!
Laura D
VerifiedSeptember 25, 2023 • Stayed at: Collie Ridge, Loop: Collie Ridge
Collie Ridge Campsite was great: secluded, quiet, level spot for a tent, and most important: water nearby!
Allie K
VerifiedSeptember 4, 2023 • Stayed at: First Creek 1, Loop: First Creek 1
Lots of downed trees on the way there (started at Temple Hill trailhead, about 1 mile hike in own the mountain). Lake is completely dried up. Some people actually walked INTO THE CAMPSITE asking where the lake was so they could fish.
Trails off from the campsite were so muddy and churned up from horse hooves you can’t use use them. It’s also a bit unnerving hanging out in the middle of the woods and all of a sudden there’s a stampede of horses and people coming through what’s basically your campsite, staring into your campsite, and loudly commenting on what you are doing in your campsite.
You can also clearly hear the people at First Creek 2. So if you’re wanting a primitive experience where you’re “away from it all”… Do not recommend.
Fire pit at campsite was filled with trash from the previous tenants - including granola bar wrappers, packaging from backpacking MREs, and kiwi peels. Thankfully we had an extra bag so we could take care of SOMEONE ELSES trash before enjoying our own stay.
Location Mammoth Cave Backcountry Camping
Address:
Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave, KY, 42259
United States
- Please click the link for "Driving Directions" under the addition links tab on the right hand side of the page for detailed directions.
Policies & Rules
| Category | About |
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| General |
***During the closed season December 1 through February 28 please go to the Visitor Center for all camping permits. All permits must be registered as walk-ups at the Visitor Center during this time.*** |
| General |
Permits Required. Mammoth Cave Backcountry permits are required for overnight camping at designated campsites and floodplain. Permits can be obtained online up to 6 months in advance or in person at the Mammoth Cave Campground kiosk or Visitor Center. |
| General |
Your Camping Permit must be downloaded and printed by accessing your Recreation.gov account up to 14 days prior to arrival. You can not modify your reservation after it is printed. If you cannot print your permit or save to your phone, you may visit Mammoth Cave Campground Kiosk during March 1st through November 30th. During the closed season December 1 through February 28 please go to the Visitor Center for all camping permits. |
| General |
Green River Ferry is subject to last minute closings. Please check the NPS website or call (270) 758-2166 for current Ferry Conditions. When the Ferry is down it can take 45 minutes to get from the Visitor Center to the Maple Springs Campground and Backcountry trail heads. |
| General |
WILDLIFEDo not disturb or kill any wildlife, including snakes. All plants and animals in Mammoth Cave National Park are protected. Collection of any portion of a plant is prohibited unless specifically authorized by regulation. Pets are permitted, but must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet and under physical restraint at all times. Do not leave pets unattended.Ticks are common in the park and their bites can spread diseases. Learn steps to prevent tick-borne illness. |
| General |
CAMPING
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| General |
LEAVE NO TRACE
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| General |
TRAILS
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| General |
REGULATIONS
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Warnings & Advisories
Warning
GeneralRoad construction near our facility may limit parking or cause traffic delays. Please consider these conditions when planning your travel.
