What can i say about Houchins Ferry Campground Mammoth Cave NP……
Well 1: pretty drive in, newer highway, wide with no thrilling drop offs or hairpins. Kentucky farmland, mobile homes and a lot of pickups.
2: it’s in Brownsville, Ky back in behind the local High School. There is a gas station and your typical small town stores in the area including Wally World
3: no signal. Your phone will tease you with one bar and occasionally something might get through but it would be easier on your battery to just wait until you get into town.
4: the ferry is no longer in use, right now there is about 10ft of muck between the cement and the river, the kind that sticks to your shoes and just gathers more. With just enough incline to make it a real challenge to get back up to dry land.
5: porta pots, no showerhouse or sinks. One plus there are 4 pots and they are the larger style ;)
6: nice size sites that have some space in between . Unfortunately the ones on the river side have no easy access to the river right now.
7: small unkept picnic area and pavilion for day use. The pavilion is in pretty good shape but the picnic area needs some TLC.
Overall if you are looking for a secluded campsite this one would fit the bill. I do know from past experience this campground fills up with locals who stay the max days allowed and set up homesites. It sorta has the homeless community feel when that happens. Not my favorite of the area and it has the abounded feel to it as far as maintenance goes.
I recently reviewed a map of the area and realized I mistakenly thought there were no trails in the Houchens Ferry area. Unfortunately they are on the far side of the river. There are two trailsheads, First Creek Trail and McCoy Hollow Trail near Temple Hill. There are three dispersed campsite on First Creek Trail (west side of the Houchins Ferry Rd) A good map of the area is available at the visitor center. The drive around is at least 30 minutes , past Nolin Lake access road and down a gravel road. worth the drive, excellent back country hiking shared with equestrians.
