Go camping in your RV at Barren Lake River in Kentucky and while you might be following in the footsteps of the pioneers of old, you won't have to suffer any of the hardships. Barren River Lake is a beautiful spot for RV camping in ordered surroundings more in keeping with well-maintained parklands than a wilderness location. The ten-thousand-acre lake near the city of Bowling Green was created when the US Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Barren River in the mid-sixties. That flood prevention work left the state of Kentucky with one of its most breathtakingly scenic reservoirs.
Barren Lake River is an immense stretch of water that spreads its shoreline through three separate counties. Dotted with small, tree-covered islands that are rimmed with beaches, it just begs to be explored by boat or canoe. The superb hiking trails around the lake's perimeter, excellent fishing and the opportunity to see a wide variety of wildlife, including otters, make it the perfect place to pitch your RV for a few days. The area is steeped in history and there are historical sites and museums to visit close by. The Mammoth Cave National Park and the Diamond Caverns are just a half an hour's drive from the lake. There are so many things to do at and around the Barren River Lake you may find you need to park up for a month or more to fit it all in.
If you've been over in the east of the state camping out at the Daniel Boone National Forest, you'll have a pretty straight run along the KS 80 through Somerset and Russell Springs. Two hours of motoring down the Cumberland Highway will see you approaching Glasgow. There you'll be able to join the US 31 heading east for about five miles until you need to take the junction onto the KY 252 which will take you to the lake.
If you're arriving at Barren River Lake from the north, once you hit Louisville and join the I 65, you'll have around a hundred miles of motoring still to go. You'll need to leave the I 65 at Smiths Grove. There are two routes to the lake from there though you might find the KS 101 an easier drive if you're in a big rig. If you're coming from out of state from Nashville in Tennessee, after one hour and twenty minutes on the I 65, you'll be parking your RV at the Barren River Lake corps campgrounds while thinking – how easy was that? You'll find all three of the COE campgrounds impeccably maintained with easy to negotiate internal road systems so you'll have no problems there either.
The Tailwater Campground is a quiet spot to go RV camping at Barren River Lake. The Corps campground is located close to the Barren River Dam and has forty-eight campsites spread out along the river bank. It's the most popular campground at Barren River Lake for anglers. The campsites are back-in paved spurs spaced fairly close together but you'll have no problem parking up as there's plenty of maneuvering space for lengthier rigs.
The pitches are standard electric with water hook-ups and there is drinking water available on the campground. The site has accessible flush toilets, showers, and public use hook-ups for water and electricity during the peak season. The campground stays open during the off-season, no reservations are required, but the facilities are downgraded to primitive with no hook-ups and only vault toilets.
The Narrows is a lakeside campground with just under one-hundred pitches for RV campers. The campsite is popular with families visiting Barren River Lake because of the nearby marina, its beach volleyball area, and playground. All of the campsites at The Narrows has water and electricity hook-ups. The on-site amenities include fire pits, barbecues, and picnic tables as well as dump stations. The campsites are situated around two loops. Once through the gates, there's a one-way system in place which means you need to keep right when driving around the campground.
With over two-hundred campsites, Baileys Point is the biggest Corps campground at Barren River Lake. It extends out into the lake on a lengthy, cove-edged and wooded peninsula. Some of the campsites are located on the waterfront and have great lake views. The boat ramp and boat trailer parking area at Baileys Point make it the ideal campground for anyone planning on sailing their craft there.
Many of the pitches have water and electric hook-ups, but not all. The on-site amenities are excellent. There are volleyball and basketball courts, a laundry, vending and ice machines as well as a general store. You'll want for nothing when you're RV camping at the Baileys Point Campground at Barren River Lake and that's for sure.
If you're camping at Barren River Lake at the beginning of the season, towards the end of May, the Glasgow Highland Games is one event you won't want to miss seeing. The annually held three-day-long games are a celebration of the city's Scottish heritage. There are competitions for caber tossing, hammer and weight throwing, live music, lots of food stalls and an excess of men in kilts which all adds up to a very entertaining weekend.
Barren River Lake is one of the most picturesque places in Kentucky for hiking. From the Narrows Campground, you'll be straight onto the Lindsey Nature Trail. The one-mile loop meanders through a wooded area on a clifftop with fantastic lake views. The C E Rager Nature Trail runs along the lakeshore and the Robert Foster Hiking Trail through the surrounding forest. Both can be accessed from the Baileys Point campground and are good for spotting wildlife like woodpeckers and chipmunks.
Floating a boat and going fishing is a favorite pastime with many RV campers at Barren River Lake. And it has to be said, it would be hard to find a prettier and more peaceful place to do it. Regular catches at the lake include catfish, sunfish, and bass. Though fish are plentiful, you'll be competing for your catch with other inhabitants of the reservoir shores like kingfishers and green herons.
A visit to the nearby Mammoth Cave State Park is one of the must-dos when RV camping at Barren River Lake. Take a ranger-led tour through parts of Mammoth Cave, the longest karst cave in the world, and see the amazing subterranean world hiding beneath the terrains of Kentucky. You'll be awe-struck by the stalagmites, stalactites and underground rivers and streams. Don't miss stopping off at the Diamond Caverns after you've been to the Mammoth Caves, they are just as awe-inspiring.
Tee-off for a game of golf on the course at the Barren River Lake State Resort Park. The eighteen-hole golf course is renowned for being challenging so get a few practice drives in before you go. Unless you've got a caddy, you'll be carrying your clubs over hills, down dips, and around the water features. No membership is required to play a round at this Kentucky state-owned course, but you can reserve tee-time in the golf section on the official Kentucky Parks website before you go to make sure you get your game in.
Head to the South Central Kentucky Cultural Center in Glasgow to discover more about the early pioneering population of Kentucky. The museum exhibits artefacts and documents pertinent to Barren County settlers dating back to the eighteenth century. The center also house an art gallery displaying works of local artists and artisans plus a gift shop.
