Dog Creek Campground in Kentucky on map
Dog Creek Campground
Dog Creek offers high-quality tent camping on Nolin Lake.
The Army Corps of Engineers named this campground after a nearby stream, Dog Creek, which flows into Nolin Lake. While we can only speculate how Dog Creek got its name—maybe a dog was lost or found or born here, way back when—we do know that Nolin Lake received its name from the Nolin River, which is impounded to form the lake. The name Nolin comes from early area settlers who were overnighting on the river. A young girl named Lynn wandered away from the riverside camp and became lost; other members of the group looked for her to no avail, returning to camp day after day uttering the words "no Lynn." (The father, after giving up on Lynn, died of a broken heart.) You will not want to wander away from Dog Creek Campground, with its many lakeside sites overlooking Nolin Lake, but you may get lost in a world of fun and relaxation.
Dog Creek Campground is located on the Dog Creek arm of the impoundment. Pass the campground entrance station and a pond to your right, and then enter A Area. At the front are a few primitive sites that are too open to the sun; come alongside the swim area and find some partially shaded campsites alongside the shore. (Some of the sites away from the shore are more open.) For those making reservations, consider sites 6, 9, 11, and 13. Campers can pull their boats directly up to these sites. The loop climbs a hill and comes to 10 sites with electrical hookups. The big rigs park here.
В Area loops back out toward the lake. There are wide-open primitive sites at the beginning of this loop too. Its electric sites are on the same hill as A Area. These hill sites are well shaded by pine and cedar; the downside is that they aren't on the lake and are a little cramped. Starting with campsite 16, the waterside sites go on to 24, overlooking the clear-green water of the lake, backed by wooded hills and occasional limestone bluffs. Landscaping timbers are used to level these sites, which are well spread apart.
С Area is the smallest, located under a tall grove of pines. Shade lovers will prefer the sites here. A few lakeside sites are here too (sites 10 and 11 are the best in this area). Overall, spaciousness depends on the campsite, and privacy is limited by an understory of mostly grass.
The swim beach is a big attraction on hot summer days. A boat launch is adjacent to the campground, as are a playground and picnic area. Dog Creek is popular with boaters who launch
their boats, then anchor them near their waterside campsites. Those without boats can still enjoy the swim beach and lake views. Anglers vie for bass, bream, and catfish swimming beneath the water. And Corps rangers conduct programs on summer weekends for kids and adults. Also nearby is Nolin Lake State Park, which offers water-recreation opportunities and nature trails. Learn more about the lake at the Nolin Lake Army Corps of Engineers office, and check out the dam and spillway of this body of water. Mammoth Cave National Park is just an hour away to the south.
Pick up your supplies in Munford-ville, as there are not many stores nearby. Dog Creek fills on summer-holiday weekends, but sites can be reserved.
Key Information of Dog Creek Campground
ADDRESS: 2150 Nolin Dam Rd., Bee Spring, KY 42207
OPERATED BY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
CONTACT: 270-286-4511, www. lrl. usace. arm. mil; reservations: 888-459-7275, reserveamerica . com
OPEN: Mid-May-mid-September
SITES: 70
SITE AMENITIES: Picnic table, lantern post, fire grate, tent pad
ASSIGNMENT: First come, first served and by reservation
REGISTRATION: At campground entrance station
FACILITIES: Vault toilets, water spigots; some sites have electricity
PARKING: At campsites only
FEE: $15-19 nonelectric, $15-22 electric
ELEVATION: 515 feet
RESTRICTIONS in Dog Creek Campground
¦ Pets: On 6-foot leash only
¦ Fires: In fire rings only
¦ Alcohol: At campsites only
¦ Vehicles: No more than 2 per site
¦ Other: 14-day stay limit
Getting on Dog Creek Campground
From Exit 65 on 1-65, take US 31 West just a short distance to downtown Munford-ville and KY 88. Turn right on KY 88 and follow it west, passing under I-65 along the 17 miles to County Road 1015. Turn left on CR 1015, and follow it 0.9 mile to the campground entrance on your right.
GPS COORDINATES N37° 19.152' W86° 7.909'
