U.S. Forest Service · Daniel Boone National Forest · KY

Zilpo Recreation Area

Not publishedStatus
UnlistedAccess

The place

Zilpo Recreation Area is a 355-acre campground on Cave Run Lake on Cumberland District . This area has sites for tent camping and RV hookup. Basic rental cabins sleep up to 7, with beds, table, porch, accessible ramp entrance and picnic tables. Bathrooms and water are located nearby at the bathhouse. The campground has bathhouses with hot water showers, hiking and jogging trails, scenic overlooks, a boat ramp and a nearby country store. A sandy beach with a roped swimming area offers visitors a spectacular view of the lake. The Zilpo Store is your one stop shop to purchase food, floats, ice, wood, etc. Keep reading

during your beach and camping stay. Zilpo Mountain Trail #1802 begins across from D loop in Zilpo Campground and loops back around to near the entrance station. Zilpo Campground Map (pdf) Cave Run Lake is nestled among the beautiful mountains of eastern Kentucky. Built for flood protection by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, this 8,270 lake provides flood protection to the lower Licking River valley and supplies water to area communities, improves water flow conditions on the Licking River, and offers habitat for many species of fish and wildlife. The lake is known for its excellent muskie fishing.

SRC · USFS Enterprise Data Warehouse · 2026-08-24

Booking

183 daysBooking window before arrival

Recreation.gov default: most campsites can be booked six months prior to arrival date. Most campgrounds go on sale at 7am PT / 8am MT / 10am ET, but not always; check the facility Seasons and Fees tab. Some locations also offer shorter supplemental booking windows.

Fees

Zilpo Beach & Day Use$10/vehicle for visitor day use. Over 6 per vehicle: $2/person. Walk-in/bicycle $2/person. Commercial buses/vans: $2/person. Vista family annual pass for beach use $50. Interpretive programs $8/vehicle. Firewood $7. Zilpo Cabins $85/night. Up to 6 persons plus a vehicle. Zilpo Campground $25/single. $35/prime single. $38/double. Additional Campground Fees: $10/electric. $8/extra vehicle per night. $8/RV dump station per use.
SRC · USFS Enterprise Data Warehouse · 2026-08-24

Who runs it

Operated by Vista Recreation, a private concessionaire, under permit from the agency.

SRC · Operator link · 2026-08-24

Your representative

This campground sits in KY-05. This member’s public-lands record →

SRC · U.S. Census TIGER · MTJP Scorecard
Zilpo Recreation Area — Kentucky | CAMPANAC