★ Field-verified · Dave's ownFederal
Trigg County
Drive-up · public land · Trigg County, KY · 36.88452, -88.02164
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Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on public land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
A well-maintained campground offering access to lake in Land Between the Lakes, Kentucky. A $7 backcountry camping permit is required for 3 nights, however with permit one can camp almost anywhere in the forest. Vehicle-accessible camping pads, nice fire rings, tables, vault toilet. Surrounding wilderness is great for overland exploration, with many camping opportunities. Recommended, but not extraordinary and possibly crowded at peak season. Some cell service.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 409 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- ShShower2 mi
- FFuel7 mi
- OOutfitter9 mi
- WWater9 mi
- GGrocery11 mi
- LLaundry11 mi
- +Urgent care12 mi
- @Mail14 mi
- MMechanic16 mi
- HHardware17 mi
- RxPharmacy17 mi
- DDump28 mi
- AAir-up36 mi
- PPropane52 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 7 mi out.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
public land
Elevation
409 ft
County
Trigg County, KY
Coordinates
36.88452, -88.02164
Cost
Fee
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureHematite Lake (water) · nearby
- Nearest townRockcastle · ~2.2 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~9.4 mi
- FuelFuel · ~6.7 mi
- Propane / LPGFortner Gas · ~12.7 mi
- Dump stationDump Station · ~27.6 mi
- GroceriesStore · ~10.6 mi
- PharmacyCVS Pharmacy · ~17.4 mi
- Hospital / clinicTrigg County Hospital · ~11.1 mi
- HardwareBenton Hardware · ~18.0 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
Had a signal
Getting there
Any vehicle managed it
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
Yes
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Vault / pit toiletTaylor Bay Campground · at this camp · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletT.B. Boating Ramp · at this camp · USFS
- Flush restroomWoodlands Nature Watch · ~1.1 mi NE · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletHematite Lake-Picnic Area · ~1.4 mi NW · USFS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Trigg County~0.4 mi · fee
- Trigg County~5.5 mi · fee
- Cravens Bay Campground & Boat Ramp at Land Between The Lakes~5.5 mi
- Birmangham Ferry Backcountry Area & Boat Ramp at Land Between The Lakes~8.2 mi
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (Trigg County, KY). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Finding water out here →Fire rules & restrictions →First-night troubleshooting →Getting unstuck →All field notes →
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →