Beach camping in Kentucky with climbing

Combine camping with rock climbing, horseback riding, and epic views in the Bluegrass State.

98% (874 reviews)
98% (874 reviews)

Popular camping styles for Kentucky

Under $50

4 top beach campgrounds in Kentucky with climbing

98%
(538)

Clayton Geneva Memorial Camp Ground

25 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents18 acres · Williamsburg, KY
Thank you for considering Clayton Geneva memorial campground for your camping trip. Please read the entire description including our rules and regulations. Also be sure to view the site map. The gravel driveway to the sites is passable with any vehicle As long as the vehicle Does not have an aftermarket lowered profile or entirely overloaded with gear. We offer camping ranging from primitive tent sites, to an actual cabin. Hikers, kayakers, canoes, Horses and riders welcome, located a couple miles from Daniel Boone National Forrest, seemingly endless trails through some of the most beautiful country. Bring your canoe and kayaks. Located 16 miles from Cumberland Falls State Park. Located 11 miles from Sheltowee Trade Adventure Park. Located 11 miles from Kentucky Splash Water Park. 11 miles from The Mint Casino!! Clayton Geneva Camp Ground began as a retreat for our family since the 70's. My grandparents, Donald Clayton Russell & Jewel Geneva (Davis) Russell, purchased this little piece of heaven to get away from the hustle and bustle of Cincinnati life. Judy was born in a little cabin just down the road. Judy & Don along with many family members have made cherished memories here over the years. We want to share its beauty with you and your family. Guests love staying here "We stayed in Birdsong cabin for the Halloween campout weekend. The cabin was ready for us upon arrival and very clean. We enjoyed the privacy of our covered porch and fire ring. The bird feeders hanging all around the cabin are wonderful to watch all the birds during the day. The community fire ring is close enough to enjoy with other campers, but not to close that we could hear anyone in our cabin. Amber and Michael checked on our needs many times during our stay. They hosted a chili cook-off that we greatly enjoyed and passed out candy to all the kids. Overall a great time and experience. We will stay here again."
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from 
$15
 / night
95%
(953)

The Slab (by the Barren)

80 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents500 acres · Fountain Run, KY
Welcome to Heaven on Earth for those that love the Great Outdoors!! If you cant find something to do here then you obviously don't want to do anything and thats ok we have ya covered there too!! We will be hosting some special events in 2024 that we would like to make you aware of first thing so you can plan your visit accordingly!! Labor Day Weekend!!!! The last weekend of the year for Lazy River Tubing and the Water Slide!!! Tanking, Kayaking, Camping, and the Trails will remain open Year Round. We will be hosting 2 concerts in the barn for yall Labor Day Weekend!! Tickets for the ALL of the Concerts are $15 a person ages 10 and up and are REQUIRED for all campers that are on the farm on Friday or Saturday. Friday Aug 30th Wes Shipp and his whole band will be performing from 7-11 AND Saturday Aug 31st Bugtussle Blues will be performing from 7-11. Oct 11 & 12 is our Smoke the Slab BBQ cookoff and off road Olympics weekends. Live music all weekend plus games and all kinds of activities for the whole family. Tickets are $20 for ages 10 and up for the whole weekend!! Coolers are fine at your campsites and while on the water but they are NOT allowed in your vehicles or anywhere around the barn. We will be licensed to sell malt beverages that weekend so we will have all of your adult beverage needs covered. Parking for these events will be across the road in the field, there will be no parking around the barn. October 11 & 12!!! Our 1st Annual Smoke the Slab Backyard BBQ Festival!!! Tickets for this event are $20 per person ages 10 and Up for the WHOLE WEEKEND!! Everyone is welcome to enter any of the contests or just come spend the day enjoying all of the activities. Contact Carrie at 812-653-0102 for more info if you would like to enter the BBQ contest or set up to be a vendor Friday Oct 11th. We will have vendors set up selling their wares, food trucks, bounce houses, face painters, a sauce and chili cook off AND a concert by Ryan Daniel and his band from 7 till 11 or until we decide to let him off the stage!!! Saturday Oct 12th all of the fun stuff will still be going on along with the BBQ contest AND..... our annual Shop with a Cop tractor parade thru the country will take off from the barn at 10 am. We have plenty of wagons for you and your friends and family to ride on and only ask for a donation which we will gladly pass on to Macon and Monroe county Shop with a Cop programs for kids Christmas presents. This Parade is NOT limited to only tractors so bring your SXS, 4 wheelers, dirt bikes, or even just your car or truck and join in on the fun. At 1 pm the Tractor Olympics will start!!! You're welcome to join in or just watch some friendly competition for a great cause. Cost for this is $10 per event with 100% being donated to the Shop with a Cop programs. We will have Trophies for the Winners!! Also from 1-5 pm Bugtussle Blues will take the stage in the barn followed by No Deposit Band from 7-11. This event will have the same rules for coolers, alcohol and parking as the Labor Day event. Tanking, kayaking, camping and the trails will remain OPEN year round!! Now that all of that is out of the way... Let me introduce you to our little hidden gem in scenic Monroe county Kentucky.  The Slab by the Barren campground is an outdoor recreation area like no other!!!  We are the perfect place for all of your family fun in the sun!!!   We have 75 very large shaded primitive sites spread out all over our 500 acre farm with nice gravel roads to most of the campsites.  We do NOT have any hookups but can accommodate RV's on most sites and you are welcome to run a quiet generator. ( We will be setting up at least 3 sites this winter with hook ups for Rvs. Please follow us here or on facebook for updates on those sites) Sites 1 - 40 are located on the banks of Salt Lick creek and Barren River with direct water access. The gravel bars are open for all campers to enjoy. Camping areas A, B, and C are spread out across different sections of the farm. Even though they aren't directly on the water you are still welcome to go down to the creek at any site and swim and fish and just enjoy the water. If you need any help in choosing the perfect site for your stay feel free to message me or call the office at (812)653-0102 and I will help in anyway I can. On to our amenities!!!! THE BARN!!  Is our converted milk barn where Kent and his mother Linda used to milk cows. The tank room is now our office for check in and camp store that we try to keep stocked with the best ice cream and anything else you might have forgotten at home. The old milk parlor where they actually milked the cows has been converted into 4 separate shower houses that are open 24/7. The Holding barn is currently undergoing some major changes this winter. It was such a large room that we have decided, in order to maximize its space, to split the barn in half and make 2 separate areas out of it. The front half by the showers will remain the kids and family play area, it will still have the pool and air hockey tables, family friendly games, tables and chairs. We will be adding more games to this area this winter and adding some exciting outdoor activities for the whole family for this summer. The other half of the barn is currently becoming the Jenkins Joint at The Slab. The Joint will be our full service bar where those 21 and older can enjoy a cold beverage, a game of pool, live music, karaoke, or just hang out. We will have a food truck set up every Friday thru Sunday until we get our kitchen completed and can serve our own food. The food truck and the kitchen will be available for anyone that would like to order food, especially those that check in late and don't feel like cooking their first night. KAYAKING!!! Take a relaxing paddle down the river in your kayak or ours. We have multiple trips 1, 2, 3, 6, and 10 miles and offer a shuttle service, and kayak rentals for those that don't have their own. LAZY RIVER TUBING!!!! Go with the flow in your tube or ours and float your cares away on our 2 mile float down Barren River. Float as many times as you would like per day, stop at the rope swing, or hang out at your campsite and then take off again. TANKING!!! Yes you read that right we now offer Tanking!! I'm sure you have never heard of it but let me tell you, as one group of campers exclaimed... "It is the most genius, redneck, fun thing we have ever done". Depending on the size of your group we will either put you in a 6ft or 8ft round metal cattle water tank and float you 2 miles down the river in it!! We have designed them for the maximum amount of fun and relaxation you can have on the water without getting wet... unless you want to. We have installed benches in them so all you need to bring is your cooler and friends and come spend the day on the river with new unique experience. FISHING!! Multiple fishing holes where you can catch stripe, small mouth, rock bass, Kentucky bass, channel cats, flat heads, and walleye on a regular basis. HIKING We have trails all over the farm from the scenic views on top of the bluffs to the quiet spring fed slate rock holler there is a trail for everyone to enjoy while you explore the farm.  WATER SLIDE!!!! On the upper side of the Slab bridge is a 75 ft long water slide into one of our many swimming holes. It is steep and fast and you are sure to make a splash!!! SLIP N SLAB 600!!!! New at the end of 2023... is my Greatest Creation!! The Slip N Slab 600. What is it you might ask.... well.... It is the LONGEST Slip N Slide in ALL of Kentucky!! Come take a ride down our 600 Ft long Slip N Slide!! It starts up at the top of the hill by the office and you slide down the natural hollar and end in the pond just below the amphitheater. It really is Fun for the WHOLE Family!! We have had people as young a 2 and as old as 73 slide down it and each and every one of them came back up to the top with a smile on their face and was ready to do it again!! NOW ON TO THE RULES!!!! NO OUTSIDE FIRE WOOD!!!  We sell large bundles for $10 at the camp store. We DO NOT allow ANY outside fire wood to be brought onto the farm!! DO NOT CUT DOWN ANY TREES ON THE FARM NO MATTER HOW SMALL!!! CAMPSITES WILL BE CHECKED AFTER YOUR STAY.  IF WE FIND ANY TREES CUT DOWN ON YOUR SITE  YOU WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE AND WILL BE CHARGED 7 TIMES THE MATURE VALUE OF THE DAMAGED TREE. BOOKING A CAMPSITE AT THE SLAB BY THE BARREN THRU THIS SITE MEANS THAT YOU AGREE TO THESE TERMS.  We hate to have to do this but we have had trees chopped down for no reason. There is firewood available at the camp store and you are welcome to burn anything laying on the ground, trim low hanging branches, or pull stuff out of our brush piles. just don't cut down any trees. NO GLASS BOTTLES ARE ALLOWED ON THE FARM!! If we see them we will confiscate and dispose of them!! We are a WATER park and people run around barefoot. The last thing we need is broken glass all over the farm and people cutting their feet. So leave the GLASS AT HOME!! DIRT BIKES AND ATVS ARE NOW ALLOWED ON THE FARM!! Rider be respectful of our campers and ONLY ride on the designated trails!!  There are idle only areas around Pickett Bottom cabin and ALL Campsites. If you are caught riding with throttle down the gravel roads in the campground or thru campsites you will be given ONE WARNING!!  THE SECOND TIME it happens YOUR VEHICLE WILL BE IMPOUNDED for the remainder of your stay and you will receive A LIFETIME RIDING BAN FROM OUR CAMPGROUND. Be respectful and courteous and we will all have a great time!! We are trying to be inclusive to new activities while still staying the quiet peaceful slice of heaven that everyone has come to love. Please bear with us while we grow and try to work with everyone to make the Slab a place that everyone can enjoy. Thank you for your interest in our campground and we look forward to meeting you this 2024 camping season. God Bless!!
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
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Showers
from 
$30
 / night
94%
(43)

Close to Adventure

1 site · RV, Tent44 acres · Frenchburg, KY
My place is secluded and peaceful. Its a wooded country setting and is a primitive site. There are no facilities or utilities, there is an outhouse/self composting (follow up your business with dropping leaves in after). It may not be suitable for children as there are active brush/wood burn piles on the land. See all photos and ask questions, please. I want it to be enjoyable for all who book. It’s also noteworthy that there are dogs in the area that roam free, it’s way out in the country, there are no leash laws. I’ve never had any issues with unfriendly dogs, but always be aware. It’s at a dead end road, no thru traffic. You can stay and enjoy some amazing stargazing, (there is minimal lighting and a very dark, clear view of the night sky) and lots of peace and quiet or explore the Daniel Boone National Forest surrounding the property or travel a short distance and see so many nearby amazing areas…Red River Gorge, Natural Bridge State Park, NADA Tunnel, Sky Bridge, Cave Run Lake, Twin Knobs and Zilpo Recreation Areas, Carter Caves State Park, Grayson Lake, Rudy’s Ranch. Learn more about this land:
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$18
 / night

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Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field
Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field

Beach camping in Kentucky with climbing guide

Overview

Kentucky camping adventures are never boring. Whether you want to saddle up and gallop the bluegrass hills, scale the soaring cliffs of the Red River Gorge, or explore the world’s longest cave system, this southern state provides endless ways to get outdoors. Kentucky’s six national parks and 45 State Parks are brimming with woodlands, waterfalls, and waterways where you can hike, bike, paddle, raft, or even play a game of golf. The natural landscapes are at their most ravishing in spring and fall, but camping is a year-round pastime with RV sites, cottages, and rustic cabins to see you through the winter chill.

Where to go

Bluegrass Region

The state capital of Lexington is the gateway to the Bluegrass Region, where Kentucky’s horse racing legacy takes center stage. Once you’ve visited Kentucky Horse Park and followed the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, experience 18th-century life and camp with full hookups at Fort Boonesborough State Park, go kayaking along the Licking River, or camp by the lakeside at Kincaid Lake State Park. 

Appalachian Plateau

The misty peaks, sweeping gorges, and natural caves of the Appalachian Mountains blanket Eastern Kentucky. Adventurers will find plenty of fun here, whether rock climbing in the Red River Gorge, riding your ATV through the Black Mountain Off-Road Adventure Area, or hiking, camping, and horseback riding at the many state parks. If we had to pick the highlights, they’d certainly include caving at Carter Caves State Resort Park and admiring the “Niagara of the South” at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park.

Central Kentucky

Bourbon distilleries, historic sites, and natural wonders abound in central Kentucky. Once you’ve experienced Kentucky Derby fever in Louisville and enjoyed the urban hiking trails in Elizabethtown, stop by the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park. Further south, there’s rustic camping and UNESCO-listed caves to explore at Mammoth Cave National Park and popular campgrounds Green River Lake and Taylorsville Lake state parks. Or why not rent a houseboat and cruise around Lake Cumberland?

West Kentucky

It’s not all about bluegrass music and BBQ in west Kentucky—there’s also some great lakeside camping. There are myriad ways to get on the water at the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, from kayaking and tubing to jet skiing and waterskiing, and you’ll find campgrounds at Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, and Lake Malone State Park. Or, combine camping and Civil War history at Columbus-Belmont State Park.

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