Dog Creek is our go-to spot for lake camping, and we return every year. It's a smaller campground, less crowded than others on Nolin Lake, and has direct access to the water from many sites. We like the privacy and seclusion of Dog Creek, but our city friends got a bit bored. The only activity offered is the lake, and we spent 3 afternoons floating in the cove at the beach, which wasn't enough to keep their (overactive) grandson entertained. Next time we return to Dog Creek we'll bring the right kind of company who know how to kick back and chill at a campground way out in the country. - Flying Mantis

We really loved the views from most everywhere in the park. Each campsite was clean and spacious. Each is equipped with water and electric except for a few tent sites. People brought their boats and there was easy access to putting them in the water. There's a lovely beach we did not take advantage of swimming there. We found it very comfortable, quiet and people were very friendly. We would strongly recommend this location to people but be aware there is no cell reception. You would want to come well-equipped with supplies. - John-Jean

An older Corps park. Many sites not very level. Quite tight, compared to other Corps parks. In need of some basic maintenance (doesn't look like grass has been cut in weeks). Mostly locals who camp here often, and all seem to know each other, but lots of families and well behaved kids.
Not many sites that are big rig friendly, and a dump station that is very difficult to get in to. (We found it easier to just use our porta tank).
We generally prefer the COEs, but won't return to this one. - Mark&Jane

Great site - 3 bath houses, all sites very long. A lot of folks bring their boat and in many cases room for RV and boat on site. Picnic table, fire ring. Sites have great level portion - but while most are long, not all are level across the length. Great use of trees. Several sites in A loop immediately next to Nolin reservoir shore. Easy access from I65 or Bluegrass Parkway. For RVs of any size. Every site has dry gravel patio as well. - KB Farms

We enjoyed camping at this park immensely and even added a night. We used the park as our base to visit Mammoth cave. Be aware it is about a 45 minute drive to the Cave. The weather and our campsite were so nice we felt pulled to maximize our time there so all of the long driving on windy roads (through what is very pretty country side) made it worth it. The campsites are setup nicely - large, gravel and mostly level sites will accommodate some pretty large RVs. A nice fire pit placed away from the camper, electric and water in the right spots. The dump station is pretty good, except it was obvious we were tipped the wrong way when pulling in. It did work just fine in the end, though. Bath building nice but a fair distance from some of the sites. Three showers in each and laundry on the opposite side. The primitive sites are in a different area near the swim beach. Very nice area for tenters with a few up on a hill overlooking the lake. Some tenters did use the RV sites as well. Of the lake sites, ours did not really have a lake view (29). Some did, plus a few in the middle ring seemed to also snag a lake view because of placement. On the long stretch entering campground, site 2 is the bed for it's nice placement among the pines. The campground office is not always staffed but they are very easygoing and friendly, so proceeding to your site and getting a car tag later is just fine. Wood is $5 a bundle but we also found in on the road leading in for $3. The roads to drive in are newly surfaced but really no shoulder, winding, long and more slow going than you'd like. Which is why the not very long drive to mammoth takes 45 minutes. If you do want to deal with all the that, Cave Country Campground in Cave City would work. From our perspective, the park is not what we'd say is easily accesible. Dodging trucks loaded 2 wide with round bales over the middle line, no shoulder with a large travel trailer = white knuckles. - MNJessieJ

We pulled into Nolin Lake state park expecting great things. Mostly, we got them. The site was only gravel, with a lot of prickers around it, making it difficult to walk around with camp shoes (Crocs or sandals). The site was nice and long though, with plenty of space for our 35ft fifth wheel, and even enough space to pull our 20ft truck in at the front, which is a rarity among most campgrounds. There was no campground Wi-Fi plus weak cell service, and, me, being very attached to my technology, was disappointed. Do not let that affect your idea on this park... that was just me. Went to campground showers for most nights in fear of our gray tank filling up (no sewer hookup) the bathhouses and bathrooms were VERY well-kept, and we enjoyed long, hot showers with flawless temperature control. AMAZING PARK WILL RETURN. - Patty03

Our third year visiting Nolin Lake SP; it has become an annual trip for us because of the draw of the serenity of the lakefront sites. This is a small park, with nicely kept grounds, in an out-of-the-way location. We like the fact that the park has restricted the boat parking to the parking lot, rather than them being scattered all along the roadways. I understand that's not as convenient for those with boats (I guess...), but it sure improves the character of the park. There is NO AT&T mobile signal at site 21; Verizon does work. OTA TV will get a few channels at night, with our new TT having a signal booster (the previous unit received nothing). Webb's Grocery is 3 miles away for necessities. Camp office sells ice and firewood (and laundry soap...of all things...they don't have any W/D... weird). There is a boat rental facility called Moutardier Marina (prunounced Moody Deer ;-) on the other side of the lake that is very affordable for pontoon rental and is about a 20/25 minute drive from the campground. There are also a handful of little country diners on that route. For the quality of the site, with waterfront view and access, with W/E hookup for under $30/night, clean facilities and nice folks, we think Nolin Lake is hard to beat. - fastalker64

Love our 2 night stay here! Waterfront sites are great and we had excellent weather to make it an overall great experience. Will definitely be back! - B and V travels

Would have rated excellent if it had sewer. But restroom was close. Would have been nice if showers had curtain between actual shower and changing area to keep water out of that area. This site is 85 feet long and easy to pull through. Great view of lake. Did get good Verizon cell and MIFI. Also able to get DirecTV satellite connection. - phyllen

I frequently use COE campgrounds, but this one will not be on my return list. It isn't a bad one and would do OK for week-end of family camping. For me, there were too many annoying, pet peeves negatives. First, the interior roads are laid out like a go-cart track: circled, narrow, and curvy. Big rigs can maneuver on them, but it is best to pay attention. There were overhanging tree branches along some parts of the roads and over some sites. Most sites have some degree of sloping; although, none are drastic. The space between sites is less than most COE parks. The hook-up locations are not standard. My site had power on one side and water on the other. All of the lake side sites lack utilities. The noise from someone doing weed eating started at 7:45 am. The roads leading to the park are what would be called "back roads". They are narrow, without a shoulder, hilly, and a chore to drive on with a rig of size. At the time of visit, about half of the park sites are closed due to current administration budget shortages, but that would not be the campground's fault. Now on the plus side: The location is scenic and the sites are long with a nice picnic table and fire ring. There is some nice playground equipment. The bath houses (there are several) are a bit better than average. Utilities were good. 3G cell was 3 bars. Satellite signals would depend on the site due to trees. The rate is based on an A.T.B. Access Card discount. - RLM

Stayed at this park with a group of friends. These are equestrian/group sites and about a 1/2 acre each. There were several groups and several single families spread out over the generous sites. The large sites are very private and we had no trouble with a travel trailer, two tents and 4 cars on a single site. The loop is paved and there are generous parking areas for horse trailers and trucks. There are several adjacent hiking and biking trails as well as a charming dirt road down to an old Baptist Church in the woods. There was minimal evidence of horses but abundant wildlife. This is 20 min and a ferry ride away from the Mammoth Cave visitor's center and cave but it feels like its 100 away. RVs cannot cross the ferry so must come in across other roads. The toilets are well maintained pit toilets and there are no showers. I assume they would let us dump in the main campground but its over an hour drive to get there without using the ferry. Everyone was impressed with this little gem and we plan to be back. - Dennchristen

Great stop for cave tours. Dry camp only, but plenty of water faucets and restrooms nearby. Lots of trees, no satellite service. Spotty cell service. Lots of firewood stacked throughout the campground, free for the taking. It takes an effort to find a level friendly site. - rvrrat520

Great spot for staying while exploring Mammoth Cave. Campground is a short walk from visitor center where all guided tours of the cave start.

If you are into birding there are many different species you can watch from your campsite. There are also miles hiking trails but make sure you take an underground cave tour. We've taken two. and hope to to back and take another.

There are no hookups so if you need AC or water at your site then check the other campgrounds in the area. Just remember it's a few miles onto the park so you will need to drive in from other campgrounds.

During the season you will need to book your stay through reserveamerica.com. Off season (check with them for dates) you can usually just drive in and pick a site.

Sites are among the trees so there is plenty of shade on most sites.

Sites are packed stone and you will need to do some minor leveling on most sites if RVing it.

IMPORTANT!!! There is poison ivy growing on the trees at almost every site!!! Be especially aware if you have small children that may go near it.

This is a National Park so they wont do anything about it.

Campground has water, dump station, and a small general store.

I gave it a rating of 8 since there aren't hook-ups on the sites (although water and dump station are available) and there's poison ivy all over the place. - Old Radios

This NPS Park is really beautiful! It's dry camping at its best. Shade everywhere, quiet, clean, and friendly. Our 28' Allegro had enough room to maneuver the loops, but be forewarned, tree limbs are everywhere. Light scratching to your rig may occur. A $5 bundle of firewood bought at the camp store will last about an hour or so. No outside wood should be brought in due to the emerald ash borer bug. Didn't need the showers, but the price is now $3 for 10 minutes. Dump station and potable water are available at the entrance at no cost. 2 sites at the entrance are full hookup, but $50 per night. Lots are really large, all are paved. Quiet time 10pm to 6am was respected. - mjngerti

Stayed three nights for a visit to the National Park. This KOA is located right off the highway and is VERY noisy. Additionally, the park is located near some rather seedy adult entertainment venues which would make it questionable for those with children. The park itself is well maintained but the pull-through spaces are far from level. Our front jacks were almost completely retracted while we nearly ran out of blocks for the rear jacks. That's a first. Also, there's really no place or space provided to park the tow vehicle, which was a real pain. The staff was friendly and the small camp,store seems well-stocked but the location and noise prevent me from giving this a good rating. - RadioZulu

I have been camping since I was 9 (44 now) had have never had a worse experience. I had a choice to stay in a cabin with a bathroom for $200 a night or this camping cabin for $95 a night. Both outrageous but it was a family reunion so I took the camping cabin. I was told since we have had five I would have to $10 extra a night. :( We arrived and when I saw the cabin I almost fell over. I have seen doll houses bigger. Inside is a full bed (with a sleeping mat, no mattress) and a bunk bed (2 twins). There was no way my daughter (18) could sleep in the cabin and they had to know that when they charged me $10 extra dollars. The cabin barely slept 4. The full bed was like sleeping on the ground. They advertised a putt-putt which was 9 holes of double stacked red bricks around straight putting greens under construction. The Wifi did not work for anyone in our group. The bouncing pillow was their only attraction and it stayed so packed my boys could barely get on it. The pool is just a simple 3-5 foot pool like any motel has. Next year our family will have the reunion somewhere else. We will never stay at Horse Cave KOA again and I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy. Overpriced, under staffed, and highly disappointing!!!! - James Holaday

We stayed here while visiting Mammoth Cave National Park, about 15 minutes away. Access from the interstate is easy but the entrance road is somewhat steep when entering the park. The park is set on the side of a large hill with the parking spaces and roadways terraced into the hill. I liked the unusual layout. The roads approaching and exiting the park are asphalt. The interior roads are gravel. Our site had a large puddle in front of our door that required me to relocate slightly after it rained. The dump station on the exit road is located on the curb side, the wrong side for my trailer. I could connect with a long hose but the outlet on my trailer was on the high side, so that the tank would not completely drain. I had to exit the park then re-enter in the opposite direction so that the sewer connection would be on the downhill side. - R V Camper

Tiny, quirky, and delightful! This unusual property is being revamped by new owners. We scored last minute reservations here on a busy holiday weekend when all other campgrounds were overbooked and overpriced. The property is situated around tiny rock cabins, originally built in the 1930's. Full hookup RV sites are located between and behind the cabins. A large adjacent field also accommodates tent campers. Owner and his dog, Harvey, make the rounds regularly to stop and chat and make their guests feel welcome. He even let our buddy pitch a tent in our site for no extra charge. The property is a little overgrown at the far edges, and a couple of ancient campers are scattered about waiting for renovation. But all that adds to the oddball quirkiness of the place, which we loved! One of the staff gave an aerial show with his RC planes, a group of fire jugglers entertained us in the field at night, and there was a swell fireworks display for Memorial Day. It's cute, it's odd, and it's just our style. - Flying Mantis

Stayed during the eclipse, so park was full and we got the overflow spot ... the barn. I loved it, although it was tight in my 40 ft. MH. I was concerned about some branches and the owner came out and trimmed the tree immediately. Very quiet and nice, although equally rustic. I'd stay there again. For value, it's a 10. But, it's not a resort and lacks entertainment facilities. Great place to set up a tent (or RV) and enjoy peace and quiet. - Therealvor

A little on the small and tight side but very quiet and the staff was extremely friendly. I didn't use it myself, but my wife said the bathhouse is extremely clean. There's also a free catch and release fishing pond on the property and you don't need a license. The only down side was the water pressure at our site was a little weak, though my wife did say it was more than plenty in the bath house. Plenty of shade. If we ever come back to this area, we won't hesitate to stay here again. - DandBHarmon

We stayed here to visit Mammoth Caverns and the surrounding area. This CG is convenient to most local attractions. It is not a resort, but it is quiet. We meet a number of very nice people here. We'd stay again if in the area for a short term. - blues traveler

Just off Interstate. Manager was wonderful. Ushered me choice of campsites. Part of the Thousand Trails. Close to Interstate - Tampajohn

We stayed 5 days in C area. Very nice well maintained Park. Security took me by available sites in a golf cart and we discussed available amenities then chose a site. Will definitely stay here again. - Hobbes

This was just an overnight stop while traveling on I-65 so we did not get to see all the caves and etc that the area has to offer. The setting is very nice and the campground is in a hilly area. This place is 'big rig friendly" - sort of. The roadways are tight and the lot spacing and driveways are close. Do not attempt to drive thru here with the towed vehicle still attached. Seemed pricey given that there is no OTA TV available, no cable and only spotty WiFi. - rv time