Fort Boonesborough State Park Campground Review: Kentucky RV Camping Guide
When we stayed at Fort Boonesborough State Park in Kentucky, we weren’t just there for the history.
We also spent enough time in the campground to get a good feel for what it’s really like to stay there in an RV—and as usual, we found a few things we liked, a few things that could be better, and a couple of practical details that future campers may want to know before they arrive.
Overall, it’s a pleasant state park campground with water and electric hookups, family-friendly amenities, clean facilities, and a convenient location for exploring Fort Boonesborough and the surrounding area.
Here’s what we found during our stay.
Campsites and Hookups
The campground offers water and electric hookups, with plenty of sites available for both RVers and dry campers.
The sites themselves are a little on the older side in terms of layout. Some aren’t especially wide or deep, and the surrounding terrain can make certain sites a little awkward.
Our particular campsite had a nice level pad, but the area immediately outside our door sloped uphill.
It wasn’t ideal, but it was perfectly workable.
The campground staff even offered to show us a few emergency sites if we wanted to move, but we decided to stay where we were and make it work.
Sometimes that’s simply part of campground life.
The Water Hookup Surprise
This is one detail future campers may want to remember.
Our water connection was much farther from the trailer than we expected.
We were already carrying two 25-foot drinking water hoses, and that still wasn’t quite enough to reach comfortably without putting unnecessary strain on the connections.
So Ed made a quick trip to Walmart and picked up an additional 10-foot potable water hose.
Problem solved.
If you’re camping here, we’d recommend bringing more drinking-water hose than you normally think you’ll need.
Interestingly, the campground store sells 25- and 50-foot drinking water hoses, which makes us suspect we’re certainly not the only campers who have discovered this after setting up.
Electrical Service
Our trailer uses 30-amp service, but we also carry a 50-amp to 30-amp adapter, which has come in handy more times than we ever expected.
When Ed tested the electrical pedestal, the 50-amp connection showed an open ground.
The 30-amp outlet tested correctly, so that’s what we used.
This is exactly why we carry an electrical tester and surge protection whenever we travel.
Even in established campgrounds, it pays to check the pedestal before plugging in your RV.
Dump Station
The campground has an easily accessible dump station located along the main campground road.
There are two dump points, which helps reduce waiting when several RVs are leaving at once.
One thing to remember is that the water available at the dump station is rinse water only.
There isn’t a fresh potable water fill at the dump station, so make sure you’ve handled your freshwater needs elsewhere before heading out.
A Creek for General
A small creek runs through part of the campground.
There wasn’t much water flowing during our visit, and portions of it seemed to disappear altogether, but General didn’t care.
If there was water, he was interested.
As our resident water dog, he found plenty of opportunities to splash around and investigate.
Sometimes the campground feature we barely notice becomes the dog’s favorite attraction.
Mini Golf and Playground
Families have several activities available without leaving the campground.
There’s a mini golf course as well as a large playground area for children.
Those kinds of amenities can make a big difference if you’re traveling with kids and want something easy to do around camp between sightseeing trips.
Game Room and Ranger Area
The campground also has a building containing a game room and a state park ranger office.
During our stay, however, the game room appeared to be closed and we weren’t able to determine its operating hours.
If that’s an important amenity for your trip, it’s probably worth checking with the campground office before arriving.
Bathhouses and Showers
There are two main facility buildings containing restrooms, showers, and laundry areas.
The showers were clean and perfectly adequate.
They’re not especially large, and there wasn’t a tremendous amount of space for clothing and toiletries, but they did the job.
The handicap-accessible shower offered more room, seating, and places to hang belongings.
One feature Ed particularly appreciated?
Air conditioning.
Anyone who has tried getting dressed in a hot, humid campground bathhouse after a shower knows exactly why that matters!
Laundry Facilities
The campground also offers coin-operated laundry.
The machines were on the smaller side, so don’t expect to knock out a mountain of laundry in one load.
During our stay, prices were approximately:
- Washer: $1.25
- Dryer: $1.00 per cycle
Detergent was available for purchase, but there was no change machine.
If you’re planning to use the laundry room, bring quarters.
Campground Store
We were actually pretty impressed by the campground store.
It was stocked with more than just candy bars and soft drinks.
You could find:
- Basic groceries
- Camping supplies
- Firewood
- Drinks and snacks
- RV necessities
- Drinking water hoses
The hours were also quite generous during our visit.
If you arrive late or discover you’ve forgotten something important, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to pick up enough supplies here to get you through until you can make a larger grocery run.
Prices on some RV supplies were naturally higher than you’d find at Walmart, but that’s fairly typical for campground convenience stores.
What We Liked
There was plenty to appreciate about Fort Boonesborough State Park Campground.
We especially liked:
- Water and electric hookups
- Easy-to-access dump station
- Clean bathhouses
- Laundry facilities
- Well-stocked campground store
- Mini golf
- Large playground
- Creek running through the campground
- Convenient location for exploring Fort Boonesborough
The campground isn’t fancy, but it covers the basics well.
What We’d Do Differently Next Time
The biggest lesson from our stay was simple:
Bring more water hose than you think you’ll need.
We’d also recommend:
- Carrying an electrical tester
- Using a surge protector
- Bringing a 50-to-30-amp adapter
- Keeping extra quarters for laundry
- Checking campsite dimensions carefully before reserving
Those few things would make setup even easier.
Would We Stay Here Again?
Yes.
The campground showed its age in a few areas, and our particular site wasn’t perfect, but none of those issues were serious enough to outweigh the positives.
It’s convenient, functional, family-friendly, and located right beside one of Kentucky’s most interesting historic destinations.
For anyone planning to explore Fort Boonesborough, Richmond, Lexington, or central Kentucky, this campground makes a practical home base.
And after a full day of sightseeing, it’s hard to complain about coming back to a shady campsite, a quiet creek, and General happily laying in the dirt instead of on the perfectly good outdoor mat we’d bought for him.
That’s RV life.
Continue the Journey
If you’d like thoughtful road wisdom, practical RV tips, and reflections from life on the road, join our email list.