Carter Caves State Park RV & Campground Guide
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Found in Carter County, Kentucky, Carter Caves State Park is a park made up of over 900 acres and is known for its guided cave tours. The largest cave in the park is Cascade Cave, and it features an underground 30-foot-tall waterfall. Parts of the park are also known as areas of protection for Indiana bats, mountain maple trees, and Canada yews. Originally, the park was owned by the Lewis family for over 200 years, but it was donated to the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1946, and it was expanded by other land donations in 1959.
Nearby Cities:
Wolf, KY
Carter, KY
Grayson, KY
Hopewell, KY
Spring 39-68 F
Summer 61-83 F
Fall 30-60 F
Winter 20-39 F
RV Resorts & Campsites in Carter Caves State Park
Campground Accommodations
Carter Caves State Resort Park Campground
Water hookup: Yes
Electrical hookup: Yes
Sewer hookup: 18 sites
Wi-Fi: At campground lodge
Pet-friendly: Yes
Max RV length: 57 feet
Other amenities: Bathhouses, dump station, golfing, horse rentals, picnic shelters
Carter Caves State Park Campground
Despite its rural location, Carter Caves State Park Campground is very accessible. Though the park's focus is on the cave systems, there are several other activities in the surrounding area that families enjoy. Along with the cave spelunking opportunities at this park, there is an 18-hole miniature golf course, 26 miles of trails for hiking and biking, guided hiking, spelunking, and canoeing trails, and plenty of streams and lakes large enough to accommodate boats, canoes, kayaks, and paddleboats. There are 129 campsites at the park, 90 of which have electrical and water available for RVs.
Water Hookup: Yes
Electric Hookup: 30/50 amp
Sewer Hookup: Yes, for 18 of the 90 RV campsites
Wi-Fi Available: Yes, but only in the office
Pet Friendly: Yes
Fee: $30-$37 per night
Office hours: The office at the resort is open 24/7
Zilpo Campground
Zilpo Campground is part of the Danial Boone National Forest Recreation Area. The campground offers 169 campsites, of which 150 are available for RV camping. Only 30 of the sites have electricity provided for an extra charge. The campground sits on the shore of Cave Run Lake. Amenities include restrooms with flush toilets, showers, picnic tables, and fire rings. A camp store serves as the office for the campground. The whole of the campground sits on a peninsula with several sites near the shore of the lake. Fishing, waterskiing, boating, canoeing, hiking, biking, and kayaking are among the favorite activities found at this campground.
Water Hookup: No. Central drinking water are located in every loop
Electric Hookup: 30/50 amp
Sewer Hookup: No. A dump station is available
Wi-Fi Available: No
Pet Friendly: Yes
Fee: $30-$35 per night
Office hours: 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. daily
Twin Knobs Campground
Twin Knobs Campground also sits on the shores of Cave Run Lake, about 30 miles southwest of Carter Caves State Park. The campground has over 200 sites, some with electrical hookups only, others with water hookups added, and a few with sewer hookups. Amenities include a swimming area, a concrete boat ramp, showers, restrooms with flush toilets, and a camp store. The favorite activities found at this campground are hiking, biking, boating, fishing, swimming, and canoeing.
Water Hookup: Yes, at 51 sites
Electric Hookup: 30/50 amp
Sewer Hookup: Yes, at 20 locations. A dump station is available for those sites without sewer hookup
Wi-Fi Available: No
Pet Friendly: Yes
Fee: $35 per night
Office hours: 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. daily
4 Guys RV Park
About 50 miles southwest of Carter Caves State Park is the 4 Guys RV Park. This park offers 45 RV sites with amenities that include a fishing pond, bathhouse with private baths, flush toilets, showers, a swimming pool, and picnic areas. The 4 Guys fishing pond is well stocked with largemouth bass and other gamefish. Angling lessons and guides are available for kids. The area is covered with trails for hiking and biking opportunities.
Water Hookup: Yes
Electric Hookup: 15 amp
Sewer Hookup: No
Wi-Fi Available: No
Pet Friendly: Yes
Fee: $39 per night
Office hours: 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. daily
What to Do at
Carter Caves State Park
Many visitors come to Carter Caves State Park to explore the caves, and daily tours of the park’s Cascade Cave and X-Cave are offered year-round. Additional seasonal tours of Saltpeter Cave are offered in the summer, and helmets, headlamps, coveralls, and kneepads are included with tickets for any cave tour. The Carter Caves Gem Mine is also open from April through November, and visitors can mine for real gems and fossils at a gemstone flume there. This park also has a seasonal 18-hole miniature golf course and a rappelling and rock-climbing area.
Aside from the guided cave tours at Carter Caves State Park, visitors can explore five natural bridges along the park’s many hiking trails. Visitors can also take a self-guided tour of the Horn Hollow Cave System.
Inside Carter Caves State Park
Carter Caves State Park offers you 20 cave systems to explore. Some cave tours, which are generally accompanied by a guide, include tight-fit places that make you crawl through small openings. One cave has a 30-foot waterfall, a picturesque sight that elicits glee from children. If you want to get out in the open air, there are 26 miles of trails through the surrounding densely packed forest. A 45-acre lake hides in the center of the park; boating is allowed but without any motorized assistance.
Fishing
Smokey Valley Lake is found inside Carter Caves State Park, and this body of water is home to large populations of largemouth bass, bluegill, catfish, and crappie. This lake is also known as Kentucky’s first trophy bass lake, and anglers can rent fishing equipment for free through the park’s fishing loaner program. All anglers who want to fish in this lake are required to have a valid fishing license issued by the state of Kentucky.
Climbing
There is a natural sandstone cliff at this state park that is open for visitors to use for self-guided climbing adventures. The cliff offers a 40-foot climb with a rappelling area that features pre-installed anchors. All visitors who wish to rock climb in the park’s designated climbing area are required to obtain a climbing permit from the front desk of the park’s lodge prior to climbing.
Nature Watching
Lots of visitors come to Carter Caves State Park for nature-watching opportunities, especially for birding. In the winter, visitors can spot northern sparrows, finches, wrens, red-breasted nuthatches, and juncos in the park. In the spring, the park has many migrating species, such as rose-breasted grosbeaks, double-breasted cormorants, and cedar waxwings. In the forests around the park’s campgrounds, visitors can spot birds like nesting warblers.
Hiking
Carter Caves State Park is home to more than 30 miles of hiking trails, and all five of the park’s natural bridges are located along the trails. Smokey Bridge, the park’s largest bridge, is found along the Three Bridges Trail, which is a little over 3 miles long. Other walking trails at the park include Cascade Trail, which passes through Box Canyon; Natural Bridge Trail; and Carter Caves Cross Country Trail, also known as The Four-Cs Trail.
Boating
Carter Caves State Park’s Smokey Valley Lake is 45 acres and has a boat ramp. However, no motorized boats are permitted on the lake, so visitors may only go canoeing, kayaking, or paddling. In the summer, the park offers guided boat tours on the lake, and, in the spring, paddlers can take a trip through Tygart Creek.
Biking
Kiser Hollow Trail is a multiuse trail that extends for 10 miles and is open for biking plus horseback riding. This trail circles the boundary of the park and runs parallel to the Carter Caves Cross Country Trail. Bikers can also use the Natural Bridge Trail, which is paved and runs under a natural bridge for a half-mile.
How to Get to
Carter Caves State Park
To reach Carter Caves State Park, visitors should take KY-2 to KY-182. From there, visitors can enter the park by taking road LC-8024A, which provides access to the welcome center.
Entering Carter Caves State Park
There is no fee to enter or park at this state park.
Carter Caves State Park Park Entry : $0.0
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Frequently Asked Questions About Carter Caves State Park
Perhaps the best time of year to visit Carter Caves State Park is in the summer when all of the guided cave tours are available. In the summer, you can also enjoy the climbing and rappelling area or go boating in the lake.
Carter Caves State Park is most known for its wild birds, which include ruby-throated hummingbirds, red-headed woodpeckers, and red-tailed hawks. Also found at the park are endangered Indiana bats and Canada yews.
The campground at Carter Caves State Park has 90 campsites designated for RVs to use. Each of these sites is marked for RVs between 30 and 57 feet, and some sites allow for pull-through parking while others are only for back-in parking.
All campers who wish to stay at the campground at Carter Caves State Park should reserve a campsite online through the official park website. The price per night to stay at the campground varies by season, but campers can typically expect to pay $25-30 a night to stay there.
Pets are allowed at this park and its accompanying campground. While outside, all pets are required to be on a leash of no more than 6 feet. Horses are also allowed at the park with prior registration by phone.