Bailey's Point Campground in Kentucky on map
Bailey's Point Campground
Make a point to camp at this hilltop campground overlooking Barren River Lake.
As you might imagine by the name, Bailey's Point is on a peninsula; it's also the site of a pre-Civil War homestead. Much of the peninsula, which juts into lower Barren River Lake, is high ground with bluffs overlooking the old Barren River meander. Other parts of Bailey's Point reach gently down toward the lake, forming small coves where campers play and swim. Being at the end of the dead-end road and having a campground host manning the entrance makes for a safe and quiet campground, its own inclusive camping getaway. When you come here, you won't have to leave your watery retreat.
Divided into six areas, the campground is well maintained and in good shape. The graveled sites are kept level and in place with landscaping timbers. Area A is on the bluffs of the actual Bailey's Point, overlooking the main body of the lake. The sites overlooking the lake are coveted for their blufftop vistas, though there is no lake access. Campsites 22 and 23 are my favorites. As you curve around the loop, you will notice the first of five small coves where campers swim; it is as if each loop has its own swim area. Area В Loop has 56 sites and is mostly electric. The best sites, 42 and 43, are nonelectric and on the lakefront. The next best are 48 and 49. If you want to go electric, go with the Area С Loop, which is smaller, with only 23 sites, and is mostly shaded. Good views of the lake can be had from С Loop, though it is well above the water. I would stay in С if it were really hot because I would have shade and could plug in a fan. Area D Loop is decidedly the land of the RV. The sites are well separated and well shaded, and the lakefront sites are desirable. Campsites 13 and 14 overlook a cove and would be good for families— parents can watch their kids swim in the cove. Like the other camping areas, Area D has a large bathhouse.
Area E is the weakest. Though it does have electricity and a lot of campsites, most of these are away from the water. Sites 17 and 23 are the best of this loop. Area F Loop is the redheaded stepchild of the campground, in that it is the domain of the tent-camping purist. The entire loop is nonelectric but is set on rolling terrain above the lake, which adds scenic beauty. It is the most wooded and has the best privacy because of the natural vegetation between sites, as opposed to the grassy manicured lawn that much of the recreation area has. The lack of neighbors adds to campsite privacy—it is unlikely you will have someone camping beside
you, as the electric sites fill first and the nonelectric sites fill only on summer holiday weekends. Some of the sites are a little on the small side, though. Starting with site 11, you begin to gain views of the lake far below. Water spigots are spread though the area, but you have to share a bathhouse with Area E. (As I stated before, sometimes tent campers are treated like redheaded stepchildren.) Between sites 20 and 22, a foot trail leads downhill to a big ol' lakeside rock where campers can bank fish. The loop begins to leave the lake after campsite 23. Seldom-used sites extend all the way up to 45.
The campground is full of paved roads and makes for a great place for casual bicycling, especially since it is at the end of the dead-end road. Most campers aren't in a hurry here anyway (besides, there's nowhere to go!), so you
aren't likely to get run over. If you feel like hiking, two trails, the С. E. Rager Nature Trail and the Robert Foster Hiking Trail, fill the bill. I would hit them early in the morning during the summer, though—it gets hot pretty quickly here. Playgrounds are in the campground for kids. Horseshoes, volleyball, and basketball can be played by young and old alike.
The campground has its own boat ramp, albeit a steep one. Here, campers
can launch their watercraft to tour the lake, or they can fish, ski, or find a great swimming hole. Several islands in the lake add to the scenery. Note that certain sections of the lake have no-water-ski zones. These are far up the arms of the lake (the only such zone close by is up the Peter Creek Arm, near Barren River Lake State Park). After a few days here, you will notice that many campers rarely leave their sites on the peninsula known as Bailey's Point.
Getting to Bailey's Point Campground
From Glasgow, take US 31 East south 14.3 miles, crossing the Barren River arm of Barren River Lake; turn right on KY 252 North, and follow it 1.7 miles to KY 517. Turn right on KY 517, and follow it 3 miles to reach the campground.
GPS COORDINATES N36° 53.390' W86° 5.746'
Key Information about Bailey's Point Campground
ADDRESS: 3147 Bailey's Point Rd., Scottsville, KY42164
OPERATED BY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
CONTACT: 270-622-6959, www. lrl. usace. army. mil; reservations: 877-444-6777, reserveamerica . com
OPEN: Mid-April-late October
SITES: 53 nonelectric, 150 electric
SITE AMENITIES: Picnic table, fire grate, lantern post
ASSIGNMENT: First come, first served and by reservation
REGISTRATION: At campground entrance station
FACILITIES: Hot showers, flush toilets, camp store
PARKING: At campsites only
FEE: $17-$18 nonelectric, $23 electric
ELEVATION: 600 feet
RESTRICTIONS
¦ Pets: On leash only
¦ Fires: In fire rings only
¦ Alcohol: At campsites only
¦ Vehicles: No more than 2 per site
¦ Other: 14-day stay limit in a 30-day period
