Free camping near Hardin, KY
Within 25 straight-line miles of Hardin, KY there are 30 camps: 4 free, 24 fee, 2 unpriced. The closest is Fenton Campground & Boat Ramp at Land Between The Lakes, 11 miles east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Birmangham Ferry Backcountry Area & Boat Ramp at Land Between The Lakes, 14 miles out. 5 of them are camps Dave has slept at. The circle crosses a state line: KY and TN.
Who manages them: 25 on the Forest Service; 3 on Federal; 2 on an agency our record does not name.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fenton Campground & Boat Ramp at Land Between The Lakes | 11 | Unpriced | Tennessee River (river) | 2.1 mi to Aurora | — |
| Sugar Bay Campground | 12 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Hardin | — |
| Colson Hollow Group Camp | 13 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Dexter | — |
| Trigg CountyDave slept here | 13 | Fee | Tennessee River (river) | 4.6 mi to Faxon | — |
| Smith Bay Campground | 13 | Fee | — | 8.0 mi to Grand Rivers | — |
| Birmangham Ferry Backcountry Area & Boat Ramp at Land Between The Lakes | 14 | Free | Tennessee River (river) | 3.0 mi to Twin Lakes | — |
| Pisgah Point Backcountry Camping | 14 | Fee | — | 5.9 mi to Grand Rivers | — |
| Hillman Ferry Campground | 14 | Fee | — | 5.0 mi to Grand Rivers | — |
| Twin Lakes Backcountry Camping | 15 | Fee | — | 3.5 mi to Grand Rivers | — |
| Jones Creek Campground | 15 | Free | Tennessee River (river) | 4.7 mi to Boatwright | — |
| Rushing Creek Camping Area | 15 | Fee | — | 14 mi to Dexter | — |
| Nickell Branch Campground | 16 | Fee | — | 2.1 mi to Grand Rivers | — |
| Energy Lake Campground | 16 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Cadiz | — |
| Wranglers Campground | 17 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Cadiz | — |
| Demumbers Bay Backcountry Camping | 17 | Fee | — | 4.9 mi to Grand Rivers | — |
| Demumbers Bay Backcountry Area & Boat Ramp at Land Between The Lakes | 17 | Free | Cumberland River (river) | 2.2 mi to Twin Lakes | — |
| Stewart CountyDave slept here | 17 | Free | — | 15 mi to Dover | — |
| Trigg CountyDave slept here | 17 | Fee | Energy Lake (water) | 2.3 mi to Rockcastle | — |
| Trigg CountyDave slept here | 18 | Fee | Hematite Lake (water) | 2.2 mi to Rockcastle | — |
| Ginger Bay Backcountry Camping | 18 | Fee | — | 15 mi to Dover | — |
| Bacon Creek Primitive Horse Camp | 18 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Cadiz | — |
| Trigg CountyDave slept here | 18 | Fee | Lake Barkley (water) | 1.7 mi to Canton | — |
| Cravens Bay Campground & Boat Ramp at Land Between The Lakes | 19 | Unpriced | Cumberland River (river) | 1.7 mi to Commerce Landing | — |
| Cravens Bay Campground | 20 | Fee | — | 7.7 mi to Kuttawa | — |
| Eddyville Ferry Camping Area | 22 | Fee | — | 2.5 mi to Kuttawa | — |
| Kuttawa Landing Camping Area | 22 | Fee | — | 1.3 mi to Kuttawa | — |
| Boswell Landing Campground | 23 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Dover | — |
| Ramey Overlook Camping Area | 24 | Fee | — | 3.3 mi to Eddyville | — |
| Neville Bay Backcountry Camping | 24 | Fee | — | 9.1 mi to Big Rock | — |
| Piney Campground | 24 | Fee | — | 10.0 mi to Buchanan | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Hardin, KY, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.