4.38147 reviewsPrice
Free
Booking
First-Come
Sites
15 campsites
Season
Year-round
Cell
No Service
Pets
Very Pet Friendly
Price
Free
Booking
First-Come
Sites
15 campsites
Season
Year-round
Cell
No Service
Pets
Very Pet Friendly
We'll monitor this campground and alert you the moment sites become available.
Free to start · paid plans add 2-min scans
256,000+ sites monitored · Email alerts to start; SMS and in-app with an account
Learn more about alerts →Turkey Foot Campground
US Forest Service/US Army Corps of Engineers Resource Managers Office KY-1193 London, KY 40744
Fall tent campers chasing leaf color will find this place near its best in mid-October: creekside sites with real privacy, temperatures in the 50s and 60s during the day, direct access to the Sheltowee Trace and the 4.5-mile Turkey Foot Loop, and no fee. Bring all your water.
No ranger patrols mean Friday and Saturday nights can get loud, with generator noise and unruly campers reported repeatedly in reviews. If a quiet night matters as much as a scenic one, the lack of enforcement is a real problem.
Reference information about Turkey Foot Campground sourced from official USFS records and forestcamping.com. View official recreation.gov page →
<p>Turkey Foot Campground, located on <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/dbnf/recreation/recarea/?recid=39570">London Ranger District</a><a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/dbnf/?cid=FSBDEV3_032651">,</a> is nestled along the banks of War Fork Creek in Jackson County. The road into the campground is fairly steep and may be unsuitable for vehicles towing large trailers. A playfield with a horseshoe pit is located at the end of camping sites alongside the creek. All of the campsites are wooded.</p><p>Directions: From US 421 take KY 587 north and turn left onto Forest Road 4 (Turkey Foot Road). Follow FR 4 to FR 345 (Elsam Fork Road). Turn right onto 345 and follow signs to the campground. From Arvel take KY 587 south and turn right onto Forest Road 4 (Turkey Foot Road). Follow FR 4 to FR 345 (Elsam Fork Road). Turn right onto 345 and follow signs to the campground.</p><p>From Berea: From I-75, take Berea Exit 76. Head east on KY 21. Stay on KY 21E (Big Hill Road) approximately 5 miles until it ends at US 421. Turn right (south) on US 421. Take US 421 west for approximately 18.4 miles to McKee, KY. Turn left onto KY 89. Travel approximately 3 miles on KY 89N and turn right on Macedonia Road for 0.5-mile. Turn left on Forest Service Road #4 (Turkey Foot Road) for 1 mile. The road turns to gravel. After 1.9 miles, turn left onto Forest Service Road 345 (Elsam Fork Road) and follow signs to the campground.</p><p>Each site is equipped with picnic table, fire ring, tent pad, and lantern pole. There is no water, electric or dump station available in the campground. Pack out your trash. All of the sites are within easy walking distance of the creek.</p><p>Use caution at the low water ford across the creek at the campground entrance. Do not cross if flooded. Low lying areas are prone to flooding, so be alert for flooding when driving, camping or crossing streams in this area. </p><p>Campfires are permitted in fire rings only. Make sure fires are out before retiring at night or when leaving your campsite.</p><p>View <a href="https://usfs-public.box.com/s/9cpbos54l97s0vqkhihkaqz0ua8vlt61">Turkey Foot Campground Guide & Map</a> (pdf)<br /><br />Trails nearby:<br />Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail #100. A portion of <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/dbnf/recreation/recarea/?recid=39672">Section 19</a>, from Turkey Foot Campground to Jackson County Road 376, is open to off-highway vehicles less than 50" wide. <br /><a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/dbnf/recreation/recarea/?recid=39626">Turkey Foot Loop Trail System #303</a> (4.5 miles) - hiking only</p>
<p> All campsites are wooded. Each site is equipped with a picnic table, grill, tent pad and lantern pole. The campground has no water, electricity or dump station. All sites are within an easy walking distance to the creek. </p>
The elevation is 900 ft. The campground, situated in mature mixed woods, is adjacent to Shell Towee Trace Trail and War Fork Creek. Access road is gravel and narrow. Campground is not accessible during "high water periods."
Open April 8 through November 21
Parking aprons are gravel.
In McKee, KY, take State Rt. 89 north 6 miles to campground sign (Forest Rt. 4). Turn right onto Forest Rt. 4 and go east for 3.5 miles to another campground sign. Turn left at sign into campground.
Compare with similar sites, watch availability, and build a packing list — Camp Sage handles all of it.
Fall is the peak season. Mid-October delivers the best leaf color, with daytime temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees and crisp nights in the 30s to 50s. Trail conditions stay good, though weekends during peak color get busy. Spring sees wildflowers and high creek flow. Summer offers shade but can be humid. Winter strips the canopy bare and reveals the forest's structure. Heavy rain or snowmelt can flood the creek crossings, cutting off access until water levels drop.
Mid-October delivers peak leaf color and ideal daytime temps—fall is the standout season.
Turkey Foot Campground offers 15 primitive campsites along War Fork Creek. Each site is equipped with a picnic table, fire ring, tent pad, and lantern pole. Vault toilets are available, and there are no showers, potable water, or electrical hookups at the campground. Campers are advised to pack out their trash as there are no waste facilities.
Researching this campground? Ask anything — other campers and our team will weigh in. No visit required.
Short heads-ups about the road in, gear quirks, timing, and more. You don't have to have been here to share what you know.
Rate Turkey Foot Campground
Been here? Tap a star to start. Takes about a minute.
Sign-in required only if you want your name on it.
Be the first to review this campground
Every adventure creates another. Share what you learned so the next camper feels a little more prepared heading out.
