Mammoth Cave National Park
Camping at Mammoth Cave
There are three campgrounds located in Mammoth Cave National Park that can accommodate tents, RVs and even horses. Headquarters Campground, Houchins Ferry camping area and Maple Springs Campground range in size from 7 to 109 sites and offer a wide range of different amenities.
Campground reservations may be made in advance for Headquarters Campground and for Maple Springs Group Campground. Call the National Park Reservation Service at (800) 967-2283 or reserve online at reservations.nps.gov. Drive-ins will be accommodated if space is available.
Camping fees range from $12 to $40. Discounts apply for visitors with Golden Age/Golden Access passport. Reservations are encouraged.
Picnic shelters are available and may be reserved. One open picnic shelter, $50 per day, limited availability, and one enclosed picnic shelter, $75 per day, available Saturday and Sunday, March 1 through Memorial Day; daily Memorial Day through Labor Day; Saturday and Sunday, Labor Day through November 30.
Headquarters Campground: Open March 1 to November 30. Located 0.5-mile from the visitor center, this campground includes 109 sites with a paved parking area, a picnic table and a fire grate. Restrooms, fresh water, a dump station, garbage dumpsters and a recycling station are available. There are no hookups for electricity or sewer. Check-in time is noon, and check-out is 11 a.m. A maximum of eight people are permitted at each site, and campers can stay a maximum of 14 days.
Houchins Ferry Campground: Open all year, Houchins Ferry Campground is located 15 miles from the visitor center on the south bank of the Green River. This campground includes 12 sites, each with a picnic table and a fire grate. The campground has two chemical toilets, fresh water and an adjacent picnic shelter. This campground is not suitable for large trailers or RVs. The ferry operates daily except when repairs or hazardous river conditions prevent operation.
Maple Springs Group Campground: Located six miles from the visitor center and three miles north of the Green River Ferry, this campground has seven sites with a 24-person capacity per site. It is open March 1 to November 30. The campground has picnic tables, fire grates, chemical toilets, garbage dumpsters and fresh water. Four of the Maple Springs sites have hitching posts and trailer parking for horses. If you plan to hike with a horse, please adhere to the HYPERLINK "ParkRegs.doc" rules and regulations. Maple Springs Campground check-in time is noon and check-out is 11 a.m. Note: The most direct route from the visitor center to the Maple Springs Group Campground requires crossing the Green River Ferry. The ferry has a load limit of eight tons. Please note that high or low water conditions may impede crossing, especially of motor homes or trailered units. The ferry is open from 6 a.m. to 9:55 p.m. daily, except when repairs or hazardous river conditions prevent operation. An alternate route to the campground via state and county roads is 35 miles from the visitor center.
Backcountry Camping
Over a dozen campsites dot the 60 miles of trails on the north side. Hike here and you may not see another living soul. Seek solitude in the rugged hills and deep valleys, camp by river, lake or waterfall, and explore bluffs and ridge tops. Ride horses along these backcountry trails. Drive the scenic routes of Houchins Ferry Road. Seek out the Big Woods, one of the few remaining stands of old-growth timber in Kentucky. See the visitor center for information about obtaining a backcountry camping permit.
Mammoth Cave In Depth
News from the Parks
If It Wasn't a Cougar, What Was It?
October 7, 2008 - 4:05pm
It's a wildlife whodunit. Is there a wild cougar roaming rural Jackson County, attacking livestock and spooking residents? Or is it just imaginations running wild?
October 7, 2008 - 4:05pm
It's a wildlife whodunit. Is there a wild cougar roaming rural Jackson County, attacking livestock and spooking residents? Or is it just imaginations running wild?
Shenandoah Park Making Personal Connections
October 7, 2008 - 4:01pm
A new project at Shenandoah National Park involves creating podcasts that will range from virtual hikes to features on flora, fauna and history. Another is the offering of hand-held "GPS Ranger" view screens that will not only guide visitors along park hikes, but display video clips as they reach spots along the way.
October 7, 2008 - 4:01pm
A new project at Shenandoah National Park involves creating podcasts that will range from virtual hikes to features on flora, fauna and history. Another is the offering of hand-held "GPS Ranger" view screens that will not only guide visitors along park hikes, but display video clips as they reach spots along the way.
Road Trip Reveals Wonder of the West
October 7, 2008 - 3:56pm
For each of the recent past four years, as the temperatures begin to drop overnight, my wife, Judy, and I get the urge to visit the mountains of Colorado. About two weeks ago we put some warm clothing in the Blazer and headed west.
October 7, 2008 - 3:56pm
For each of the recent past four years, as the temperatures begin to drop overnight, my wife, Judy, and I get the urge to visit the mountains of Colorado. About two weeks ago we put some warm clothing in the Blazer and headed west.
Crews Rescue Injured Hiker in Acadia National Park
October 7, 2008 - 3:41pm
Park rangers received the call at about 5 p.m. reporting an injured hiker on the West Face Trail that runs from Bubble Pond to the summit of Cadillac. The trail is rugged and steep and can be treacherous, according to Ranger Richard Rechholtz.
October 7, 2008 - 3:41pm
Park rangers received the call at about 5 p.m. reporting an injured hiker on the West Face Trail that runs from Bubble Pond to the summit of Cadillac. The trail is rugged and steep and can be treacherous, according to Ranger Richard Rechholtz.
Officials Weigh Benefits, Costs of Forest Fires
October 7, 2008 - 3:37pm
When officials decided not to stop the Tehipite fire east of Fresno, they got three big payoffs -- a cheaper fire to manage, reduced risk for firefighters and cleanup of dangerously overgrown forest. But this fire -- which has burned 11,000 acres since mid-July -- worries the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Officials fear smoke and ozone-creating gases might harm air quality.
October 7, 2008 - 3:37pm
When officials decided not to stop the Tehipite fire east of Fresno, they got three big payoffs -- a cheaper fire to manage, reduced risk for firefighters and cleanup of dangerously overgrown forest. But this fire -- which has burned 11,000 acres since mid-July -- worries the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Officials fear smoke and ozone-creating gases might harm air quality.
