Carter Caves State Resort Park

We went with three small kids. Great facilities, hiking, caving etc. We plan to return because two nights was not nearly enough to do all the things we wanted to. The tent sites are close together so we may not have enjoyed it as much if it were busier but we were lucky enough to get a site with no immediate neighbors. Pictures online made it appear that tree cover was not as good as it actually was.

There’s a quiet time reserved for after 11pm. Apparently no one cares because people were LOUD the first night we were there. The second night was less crowded and much more enjoyable. There’s so much to do at Carter caves that I didn’t mind it too much. Lots to do within walking distance of the campground too.

The area is very pretty, lots of hiking and plenty of things to do. The campground itself is nice, sites aren’t very level side to side or front to back and the hookups are very far from the site. Be prepared to bring extra electric cord and hose. The spacing is good though on some spots. The ones that back up to the woods are pretty.

All sites are small and on top of each other. Low water pressure (20) weird placements for water and electricity. However the things to do at this park are great from hiking to cave tours and more.

The night we arrived it was pouring rain. After sleeping in the car to stay dry we explored the park. The park really came alive with the rain, which really made the trip. Water was running over the edges of cliffs and boulders throughout the park into the river that flows through the park. The cave tours were cheap and interesting, although the self guided tour was closed due to flooding. We did the Three Bridge Trail which was moderately challenging but worth the unique geology and natural bridge formations.

The tent campground was quiet but the RV campground was pretty full and lively. At site 110 we struggled to find a flattish spot—the sites closest to the road to the horse campground were much better. The bathrooms were randomly closed one night on a Saturday which was a little annoying. There wasn’t any clear communication of restroom hours.

It was hard to find firewood nearby, we ended up seeing a sign of a guy selling firewood and we called him. It was $23 for 35 logs delivered to the site. This ended up being way more than we needed and we left some behind after giving some out for free to other campers, which was a cool experience.

We left for the day on our second to last day and packed up most of the site in the car as we’d be gone a while. When we came back what we left was gone along with our reservation slip at the site entrance. It seems the rangers took it that we left and now I’m out a water jug.

There was some scavenger hunt race going on too and people would come out of the forest and run through our campsite with no regard to us being right there which was a little odd.

Overall I didn’t know what to expect as an out of stater but had a great time through the weather and all.

The coolest things about this campground are the access to caves and hikes. Tent sites are closer together than photos made it seem. It wasn’t BAD but it also wasn’t my favorite campground I’ve ever been to. Bathrooms were fine. Firewood was expensive but there isn’t another place to buy that’s close, so prepare for that. $25 for 3 bundles. Best sites are 102 or 100. Campground is patrolled often by security/staff (?)

Full hookups at a reasonable price. 10% senior discount. Beautiful location. My only complaint is the bath house. The shower floor was slippery and dirty. Painted black for some reason. Drains were clogged. Happy that we had full hookups.

This campsite is great, nice if you’re okay being a bit closer to other campers but definitely not cramped. The bathrooms are showers are very nice and clean and the camp store is super convenient and has whatever necessities you’d need and some nice gifts. Having a table is super helpful as well. It is beautiful and this time of year the fireflies are gorgeous in the trees. We visited this site on the way in and out of our trip because we enjoyed the first stay so much and felt safe staying here.

It gets 3 stars for the campground only. The activities would get 5 stars. There isn’t a level site that a 45 motor coach can get to because of trees. Site 88, our site, was impossible to level. We knew going in that the site was only 30amps, no problem right!! See pic. The breaker was held in with duct tape! One chilly morning we turned on the fireplace heater and within three minutes the breaker tripped. Nothing else was on in the coach. I would say 75% of the sites require an extension for your power cord to reach the breaker box. You will need at least 50’ of water hose, oh, the best water pressure we got was 20lbs. Had to fill fresh tank and use it the entire time. The park itself is awesome. Lots to do. Hiking, geocaching, exploring, mini golf, fishing and of course caves. We would stay elsewhere if we go back and go to the park during the day.

Stayed 3 nights. Plenty to do like cave tours, fishing, mini-golf, hiking, etc. Bathhouse showers were a little cramped and outdated. Some sites a little small for bigger rigs. Friendly and helpful staff.

We arrived on Sunday, when most people leave. The campground was a little confusing at first because the sign says next left, when the next left is the out driveway. The camp office/store was very clean and had practical items like batteries, firestarter, snacks and ice cream for the kiddos. There is also firewood for purchase. We stayed on campsite 057, which is in full sun as it has no shade but does have full hookups. The site was very well kept and clean but could use some privacy from the roadway. Be sure to look at google maps satellite before arriving as most of the sites that are labeled electric share one electric box for 2 campsites and can be pretty far from your pad. Also make sure to check in the details, which sites have sewer as they don't label it full hookups up front. The line of sites along the road into the campground all have sewer holes. The park is amazing and I have no idea how it took me 39yrs to find it so close to home. The caves are absolutely amazing and the park has some of the best natural bridges I have ever seen. Make sure to get a permit for Horn Hollow on a day of no rain or else you will not be able to enter it.

We travel in a triple axl so apply that to the review. Roads getting in are super winding but go slow and enjoy the stunning views! The site we got upon arrival had electric and water, but upon pull in we noticed all the hookups are shared between 2 sites and not very close. 37 ft away to be exact. The site itself (#8) was very shady and pretty decent sized so we were kinda bummed to have to move. We moved to a full hook up site and hookups werr closer, but it sat right on leading into the Campground. We have a toddler and 2 dogs but figured people coming in wouldn't be hauling butt. We were wrong. It is noisy (arrivals at all times coming in) and nerve-racking as people drive entirely too fast. I took some of the pics standing in the road. You can See our back deck down almost touches it. The water on this site was shared too and while it's closer to the hookups, we had nearly zero water pressure. We ended up filling our tank and running off that, and refilled when needed. The pressure was so low from sharing our sink would barely stream when turned on. In the end we wish we wouldn't have moved in the first place.

the area itself is beautiful and the property is well kept and clean. We only needed 2 nights passing through.

I love going hiking in this area and we definitely come back to it time and time again!

The site are spacious and the park is beautiful. They had some great walking trails and very informative tours. I highly recommend this campground. The only issue was that some of the sites were around 50 ft from the electric hook up. Thankfully we were able to switch spots instead of renting an extension cord.

Great little camp ground. Quiet, clean, and affordable. Most of the trails and caves are only seconds away.

The camp site we reserved wasn’t where it wasn’t indicated on the map. It had no fire ring or picnic table and the person in the site next to our site had his tent in our site because his site had a bunch of trees in his and where his tent should have gone the people in the next site had put their tent there... Campsites had no borders so there was no telling where one was compared to the next. The center section the sites were basically all on top of each other. There were ton of kids playing throughout (no problem with the kids) but because there was definition between sites they would come running through our site. We have a dog so we worried about the kids getting tripped by the dogs rope and just coming over to visit the our dog.

Also since the sites were so close to each other, it was great to be able to hear the neighbors get falling down drunk, make x-rated prank phone calls and try to fight each other. Very entertaining

We went in March and the campground was pretty empty and a lot amenities were still closed but the sites were cleaned up good from the ice storms.  The sites are a little closer than we prefer but if its not busy then you have plenty of room.  Lots to do in the park with plenty of hiking and exploring available.

Threw a surprise camping trip for my boyfriend and it turned out AMAZING! Love this campground and can’t wait to check more of it out again!

The park was beautiful and on a Tuesday/ Wednesday the tent sites were practically empty. Some sites are much more level than others, mine(114) wasn’t very level but was ok. The trails are beautiful definitely recommend the 4Cs trail if you have time they also had a cute little gift shop at the entrance. I definitely would bring your own firewood theirs that you can purchase wouldn’t light for anything..

Get place to camp, bring longer hoses and power cords, leveling blocks will be needed but the sites are not bad for gravel. Best sites are - 1,17,19,22,25,26,27,30,32,35,36,37,49,50,55a,66,67,69,48,73,72,74,75,76,77,80,82

This is our second time staying here. I love to tour the caves. We stayed for a week and had no issues except for the A/C being down during the middle of July! 🥵 The office didn’t have any POC for us to find help to fix the A/C. Would have been nice if they had a list of local people. We ended up finding someone on google. 🎉

The pool was closed because of the pandemic. Face masks were required in the office and the bathhouse.

Nice big camping area, a few short spaces and some were really close together. So check the size limit on the spots. A lot of the spaces are really not level.

Verizon phone service is available here.

Drive down and see the lake.

We have enjoyed our time here.

We reserved for the weekend. When we drove up to the campground we did not like the feel so we left. There is no space between sites. I was turned off when I saw a Lazyboy by a camper. The state park looks pretty, but not campground.

Primitive camping and rv space. You can rent a cabin and such. There is a resort.  Everything always looks really nice. So many recreational activities, caves, hiking, horses and a lot more. I would really recommend visiting.

Great place

Nice caves & trails, but the campground is not best. Kentucky's sharing power poles make finding a level site with reachable power even tougher. Weekends are crazy crowded. Staff is friendly. Would never attempt to stay here without a reservaton.

Love this place. So much to do and explore. A great community feel with it being a very woodsy feel. The equine sites are the best by far and the only pull through sites I believe. We stayed there for thanksgiving and loved it.

A few sites have full hookup. Caves are great for touring.

We camped here on a stormy weekend but the weather didn’t stop the exploring. There are amazing areas to hike and explore. The staff was super friendly as well.

This is a beautiful state park with breathtaking views of creeks along the roadway, wonderful landscape designed by nature, good hiking trails, peaceful campground, and a nice lodge. The campground is a bit tight, especially when lots of cars are in visiting the campers, very peaceful though as the night goes on. The road to the lake could use a little TLC. Trails are marked nicely, as well as how to get to the equestrian site, Day use area, pool, lodge, and restaurant. Restaurant was very good buffet and menu items available. Lodge was clean and well kept. Very relaxing state park.

Park was nice, clean and has friendly staff. We liked that we could walk to the bathrooms and not have to drive there. We stayed at site 100 and really enjoyed the shade trees. Showers are small but they work and there are only 3 stalls of toilets and 3 showers ( I believe) in the women’s side- unsure of men’s. Plenty to do, including a playground, pool, miniature golf, bike riding, horse back riding, hiking, etc. All sites have a picnic table and a grate over the fire pit. Water wells are easily accessible and they have washers and dryers as well. Check-in location was a bit confusing but eventually figured it out.