3.73225 reviews
Select a month, then check for open campsites
Price
$20/night
Booking
Reservable
Sites
12 campsites
Season
Year-round
Cell
No Service
Pets
Very Pet Friendly
Select a month, then check for open campsites
Price
$20/night
Booking
Reservable
Sites
12 campsites
Season
Year-round
Cell
No Service
Pets
Very Pet Friendly
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Houchin Ferry Campground, Houchin Ferry Rd., Brownsville, KY 42210
Winter and fall campers who want riverfront access on a budget will find this hard to beat at $20 a night. Sites 9 and 10 get the most shade and the most distance from neighbors. The boat ramp is right there for kayakers, and Mammoth Cave tours run year-round from a 20-minute dri
No cell service on Verizon or Sprint, no showers, and neighbors as close as 10 feet on sites that can't always fit a large tent on level ground. Summer draws noisy crowds and locals who sometimes use the area after dark, with no staff on site to do anything about it.
Official information for Houchin Ferry Campground from the federal Recreation.gov facility record. View official page →
This lush campground is located 15 miles from the park's Visitor Center, along the south bank of the Green River. Houchin Ferry Campground offers 12 primitive, tent-only campsites with beautiful riverfront views. Serving as a day-use area, it's an ideal spot for birdwatching, fishing, canoeing, and picnicking. If you're looking to explore more, take a short drive to the Visitor Center to plan your tour of Mammoth Cave, the world's longest cave system.
A must-do activity in the park is exploring Mammoth Cave. Walking tours of the caverns leave from the visitor center daily. There are also miles of bike trails and hiking trails within the park.
The 12 primitive campsites are nestled among aromatic trees, offering a peaceful experience with the Green River just steps away. Potable water and portable restrooms are available at the head of the campground. This is a primitive, tent-only campground and also serves as a day-use area. The picnic tables and shelters are available for public use, and the boat launch is open for public access.
This campground is part of Mammoth Cave National Park, a 52,800-acre park that includes the Green River Valley, rolling Kentucky hillsides, and the expansive Mammoth Cave with grand-scale chambers and long, winding passageways.
This remote campsite is quiet, peaceful and ideal for those who want to be immersed in nature. Wildlife includes deer, turkey, and coyotes.
Nearly 30 miles of the Green and Nolin rivers offer canoeing and boating through the park. Commercial outfitters outside the park rent canoes, kayaks and safety equipment. https://www.nps.gov/maca/planyourvisit/canoeliveries.htm
Most trails north of the Green River are open for horseback riding. Commercial liveries outside the park rent horses and some may provide organized excursions. https://www.nps.gov/maca/planyourvisit/horseback.htm
For rules and reservation policies please follow the link below:
https://www.recreation.gov/rules-reservation-policies
<p>Note: Do not rely exclusively on your mobile GPS, Google Maps or similar automated navigation systems to get to the Houchin Ferry Campground. Routes can be misleading and incorrect.</p> <p>Directions from the North: Take Interstate 65 to Exit 53 (Cave City Exit). Turn right onto KY-70. Follow 70/255, about 4 miles you turn left on 255 just before entering the park, follow this to Brownsville Rd, turn left and follow this all the way until it ends at Hwy-101, turn right go about a quarter mile to Houchin Ferry Rd. (Minit Mart on corner), turn right and follow this to campground.</p> <p> </p> <p>Directions from the South: Take Interstate 65 to Exit 48 (Park City Exit). Turn left onto KY-255 follow this into the park, when you come to the stop sign turn left and follow this to Brownsville Rd, turn left and follow this all the way until it ends at Hwy-101, turn right go about a quarter mile to Houchin Ferry Rd. (Minit Mart on corner), turn right and follow this to campground.</p>
Context for the broader area surrounding Houchin Ferry Campground, sourced from the federal Recreation.gov rec-area record.
Rolling hills, deep river valleys, and the world's longest known cave system. Mammoth Cave National Park is home to thousands of years of human history and a rich diversity of plant and animal life, earning it the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve.
DO NOT FOLLOW YOUR GPS! From the North: Take Interstate 65 to Exit 53 (Cave City Exit). Turn right onto KY-70. Follow 70/255 as it becomes the Mammoth Cave Parkway in the park. Follow the Mammoth Cave Parkway to the Visitor Center. From the South: Take Interstate 65 to Exit 48 (Park City Exit). Turn left onto KY-255 and follow 255 as it becomes the Park City Road into the park. Follow Park City Road until it joins the Mammoth Cave Parkway; turn left. Follow the Mammoth Cave Parkway to the Visitor Center.
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Best season: winter. Winter offers the quietest, most solitary experience at Houchin Ferry — expect daytime highs around 40–50°F and nighttime lows near 20–30°F, with crisp, clear mornings and frequent frost on the riverbanks. Low visitor numbers make tent-only sites feel especially secluded and wildlife viewing (including wintering waterfowl and deer) is excellent, while Mammoth Cave tours remain available year-round and provide a welcome, constant ~54°F refuge. Shorter days and still air also produce memorable sun Peak months: January, February, December
Winter is described as the quietest time with low visitor numbers and frosty mornings.
Reservation tips, booking windows, and free cancellation alerts.
Houchin Ferry Campground offers a primitive camping experience with basic amenities. Each of the 12 campsites includes a fire ring and a picnic table. Potable water is available via hand pumps at the head of the campground, and portable toilets are provided. There are no staff, showers, Wi-Fi, or trash/recycling services on site. Campsites are situated near the Green River, providing a peaceful natural setting.
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