Camping at Mammoth Cave: 3 NPS Campgrounds, Fees, and Reservations

By David Sanchez · Data: National Park Service · ← Complete guide Mammoth Cave

Mammoth Cave National Park manages three campgrounds with a total of 130 sites: a large campground with full services, a primitive riverside campground, and a group campground. You can reserve all three through Recreation.gov. The park doesn't have a gate that closes at night, so you can access the campgrounds at any hour.

Campgrounds in the park (3)

• Campground Mammoth Cave Campground see NPS · 111 sites Directions ↗
• Campground Maple Springs Group Campground see NPS · 7 sites Directions ↗
• Campground Houchin Ferry Campground see NPS · 12 sites Directions ↗

Show interactive map Base map © OpenStreetMap · © CARTO

Can you camp inside the park?

Yes, camping at Mammoth Cave is absolutely allowed. Two rules apply: stay in a designated site, either an official campground or a marked backcountry site, and have a valid reservation. Camping outside an authorized site isn't allowed.

Above ground, Kentucky has hot, humid summers and cool winters. Spring is the wettest season, and storms can roll in at any time of year. About 300 feet underground, the cave temperature stays constant at 54°F.

To choose your dates based on weather and crowds, check the guide to the best times to visit Mammoth Cave.

Campgrounds in the park

Mammoth Cave Campground

This is the park's largest campground, with 111 sites, including 10 tent-only sites and 4 group sites. The nightly fee is $12. It has the most complete facilities of the three campgrounds: restrooms, showers, running water, a dump station, a store, firewood, and laundry. RVs up to 38 feet are welcome.

Its location is ideal, just a few minutes' walk from the Visitor Center and the departure points for guided cave tours. During the busy season, from June through August, the loops fill up several weeks in advance. The campground closes every winter, from December through late February.

Reservation: Recreation.gov

Houchin's Ferry Campground

This primitive campground follows the Green River along the park's western side. All 12 sites are tent-only, at $10 a night. Facilities are limited to restrooms and water, with no showers or electricity. It's the most secluded of the three campgrounds and the only one open year-round.

The final stretch of the access road follows an unpaved forest road. After heavy rain, check conditions before taking a low-clearance vehicle down it.

Reservation: Recreation.gov

The park's third campground, Maple Springs Group Campground, is reserved for groups. It has 7 sites with electricity and accepts RVs up to 40 feet, at $50 per site. Facilities are limited to restrooms and water. Like Mammoth Cave Campground, it closes from December through late February. Reservation: Recreation.gov.

RV or tent: which site should you choose?

At Mammoth Cave Campground, RVs up to 38 feet are welcome. Maple Springs Group Campground can take even larger vehicles, up to 40 feet, but it's a group campground. No site in the park offers simultaneous water, electric, and sewer hookups. The dump station at Mammoth Cave Campground makes up for that limitation to some extent.

If you're traveling in a large RV, check the length restrictions when you book through Recreation.gov. Some loops aren't suitable for longer vehicles. The Mammoth Cave RV camping guide covers access for large vehicles.

Tent campers can find a suitable site in every loop at Mammoth Cave Campground. Sites along the forest edge offer the most shade and privacy. Houchin's Ferry Campground is tent-only and the most secluded option.

Camping nearby: options outside the park

When the park is full, Rock Cabin Camping is one of the closest private campgrounds. It offers historic cabins, RV sites with hookups, and tent sites.

Cave City and Park City, about 9 miles away, have several other private campgrounds with full hookups. For lodging, the Mammoth Cave accommodations guide lists lodges, motels, and vacation rentals in and around the park.

Primitive and backcountry camping

The park has backcountry sites scattered through its wooded areas, away from the developed campgrounds. You'll need a free permit from the Visitor Center before setting out.

These sites have no facilities: no drinking water and no restrooms. Bring a water filter and plan a waste-management system that follows park rules. Follow leave-no-trace practices. Fires are subject to seasonal restrictions, so check the current status on the day you leave.

Access routes to the sites and trail logistics are covered in the Mammoth Cave hiking guide.

How and when to reserve a campsite at Mammoth Cave

Reservations are made through Recreation.gov. The booking window opens six months in advance on a rolling basis. For example, sites for July 15 become available on January 15. For a peak-season stay, aim for the first day of availability and book as soon as the site opens that morning.

Outside June through August, availability is much less tight. Sites are often still available a few days before arrival between November and March. Keep in mind that Mammoth Cave Campground and Maple Springs Group Campground close from December through late February. Houchin's Ferry Campground is the only one open year-round.

Fees: how much does a night of camping at Mammoth Cave cost?

Fees vary by campground: $10 a night at Houchin's Ferry Campground for tents only, $12 a night at Mammoth Cave Campground, and $50 per site at Maple Springs Group Campground for groups, with electricity included. Recreation.gov service fees are added to each reservation.

Park entry is free, with no gate fee. Guided cave tours cost extra and can also be reserved through Recreation.gov. Our National Parks fees and passes page explains entrance fees and passes.

Camping safety and best practices

Wildlife and food storage

Raccoons and white-tailed deer regularly approach campsites at night. Black bears are present in the park. Food-storage rules apply in every case: keep food and scented items in the vehicle's locked trunk or in the designated storage locker, leave nothing outside overnight, and never use a picnic table as a pantry while you're away.

Storms and weather

Storms form quickly in Kentucky, sometimes bringing high winds and hail. As soon as you arrive, locate the shelter closest to your site, and check the forecast every evening. In winter, ice can make the park's interior access roads slippery.

Don't follow your GPS

GPS devices sometimes direct drivers to the wrong access points. The main entrance is reached from I-65 via Exit 53, then KY-70 to Mammoth Cave Parkway. Follow the NPS's brown signs. For other ways to reach the park, the Mammoth Cave access guide has the full details.

Which campground is right for you?

Family with a tent. Mammoth Cave Campground, a non-hookup site in a wooded loop within walking distance of the Visitor Center. Showers and a store are on site.

RV camping. Mammoth Cave Campground, with RV sites up to 38 feet and an on-site dump station. Book several weeks ahead between June and August.

Group camping. Maple Springs Group Campground, with 7 sites offering electricity, RVs up to 40 feet, and a $50 site fee.

Looking for solitude. Houchin's Ferry Campground has 12 tent-only sites, costs $10 a night, stays open year-round, and sits along the Green River.

Last-minute arrival or a full park. Try Rock Cabin Camping, a nearby private campground, or campgrounds with full hookups in Cave City.

For everything related to activities in the park, the Mammoth Cave things to do guide and the park guide round out your trip planning.

Frequently asked questions