USDA Forest Service · Kentucky
Zilpo Recreation Area
USDA Forest Service · Kentucky, United States
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 778 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 2
- Cell coverage
- AT&T weak · Verizon weak · T-Mobile none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- ZILPO (NFSR 918) · bituminous surface treatment · high degree of user comfort
- Nearest town
- Salt Lick, KY
About
US Forest Service campground. Zilpo Recreation Area is located at the end of the Zilpo Scenic Byway on a peninsula on the south shore of Cave Run Lake. Zilpo is a prime destination for families. The recreation area includes a large campground, a boat ramp, campground store, a sandy swimming beach, and scenic trails. The scenic campground offers cabin rentals, tent camping, RV sites with electric hookups, and a selection of lakefront sites. A stand of mixed hardwoods shades the campground, and campsites have good privacy. Each site has a picnic table and campfire ring. Electric hookups are available at some campsites. Bathhouses with showers are spread throughout the campground. An RV dump station is available. Camping cabins sleep up to seven, and have beds, table, porch, accessible ramp entrance and picnic tables. A campground store with ice, firewood, camping gear and food is on-site. Nearby Zilpo Mountain Trail #1802 leads to an overlook of the lake and Zilpo Connector Trail #113A provides access to many miles of mountain biking and hiking trails. Open season: March 29 - Oct 31, 2026. Not reservable through Recreation.gov, so plan on first-come, first-served; check with the ranger district for current conditions and fees.
Fees
Overnight Use:
Single Site: $31 per night
Premium Single Site: $45 per night
Double Site: $46 per night
Cabin: $105 per night for up to 6 persons with one vehicle.
Electric hook-up Fee: $13 per night.
Additional Vehicle Fee: $10 per vehicle per night.
Dump Station Fee: $10 per use.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 27° | 0° | 65° | 10 of 11 |
| February | 47° | 31° | 15° | 70° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 58° | 38° | 19° | 77° | 7 of 11 |
| April | 69° | 48° | 30° | 84° | 2 of 11 |
| May | 76° | 60° | 40° | 90° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 82° | 65° | 52° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 86° | 71° | 64° | 94° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 84° | 70° | 61° | 96° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 82° | 65° | 52° | 96° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 67° | 48° | 36° | 84° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 55° | 38° | 21° | 72° | 4 of 10 |
| December | 47° | 32° | 6° | 67° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Zilpo - Daniel Boone Nat. For. · USDA Forest Service · 1 mi · 169 sites
- Claylick Boat-In Campground · USDA Forest Service · 1 mi · 2 sites
- Twin Knobs Group Campground · USDA Forest Service · 2 mi
- Twin Knobs Recreation Area · USDA Forest Service · 2 mi
- Boat Gunnel Group Campground · USDA Forest Service · 2 mi · 1 sites
All public campgrounds in Kentucky · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-06. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.