Houchin Ferry Campground
The Quick Take
Houchin Ferry is the campground you pick when you want Mammoth Cave National Park without the Mammoth Cave National Park crowds. Tucked against the Green River at the end of a dead-end road near Brownsville, this tiny dozen-site loop feels more like a quiet fishing camp than a national park campground. The trade-offs are real: you're a solid fifteen miles from the Visitor Center and the cave tour staging area, there are no showers or flush toilets, and cell service is nonexistent. But that distance buys you something the main campground can't offer -- genuine solitude on a riverbank, year-round availability, and twenty-dollar nights that feel like a steal. If you're the type who considers "no cell service" a feature rather than a bug, and you don't mind driving a bit to catch your cave tour, Houchin Ferry is the move.
Booking
Reserve Your Campsite
All 12 sites are reservable.
Book at Mammoth Cave LodgesWhat You Get
Sites & Setup
RV Information
RVs allowed. No electrical hookups. Generators permitted during designated hours.
Accessibility
Accessible restrooms available. The sites in this campground are on unimproved ground, with gravel-paved approaches. Unpaved Roads - All vehicles OK in good weather
Rules to Know
- Generators:• Quiet hours: 10 pm - 6 am.
- Bear Safety:• Store your camp food inside a vehicle to prevent wildlife access.
- Checkout:• Check-out time is 11 am.
- Occupancy:• Maximum of 8 persons per site.
- Stay Limit:Maximum 14 day stay in calendar year.
Pro Tips
Book your cave tour tickets before you book your campsite. The fifteen-mile drive to the Visitor Center means you need to plan around tour times, not wing it. Morning tours work best so you can spend afternoons back at camp on the river.
Bring a canoe or kayak -- the Green River access right at camp is the real draw here. The stretch near Houchin Ferry is calm enough for beginners and surprisingly scenic. If you don't have your own boat, outfitters in Brownsville rent them.
Pack everything you need, including firewood and ice. There's no camp store, no host on site, and Brownsville is your nearest resupply point two miles back up the road. Potable water is available, but that's about where the amenities list ends.
Photos
NPS Photo
NPS Photo
NPS PhotoGetting There
Directions
Follow I-65 to Ky-70W to Brownsville, Kentucky. At the intersection of Houchins Ferry Road on your right, turn right onto Houchins Ferry Road. Houchins Ferry Road ends at Green River. Houchin Ferry Campground is at the end of the road.
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