Camping, trails, maps & photo credits — Daniel Boone National Forest
Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky offers Forest Service recreation at Zilpo Recreation Area, Twin Knobs Recreation Area. For a walking or hiking visit, start with Official Daniel Boone hiking and trail maps. Each recreation site has its own facilities and access rules; use the official maps and current site instructions to plan your visit.
Camping & reservations
Reserve Zilpo Campground through the official Recreation.gov page. Twin Knobs has a separate reservation page; other sites may use different arrangements.
Zilpo Recreation Area ↗
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. 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…
Reservations: The cabins and campsites may be reserved at www.recreation.gov .
Twin Knobs Recreation Area ↗
Twin Knobs is a 700-acre campground that provides outdoor recreation with lots of amenities. Nearly 200 campsites are developed to accommodate RVs and tent camping. Twin Knobs is located at Cave Run Lake on Cumberland District . The campground facilities include bath houses with showers and flush toilets; three group-use areas; scenic foot trails with overlooks; and nearby boat ramps with vehicle and boat trailer parking. The campground also has volleyball courts, basketball goals and horseshoe pits. A sandy beach with a roped swimming area offers visitors a spectacular view of the lake. Boats are allowed outside of the swimming area. The beach and bath house are accessible. The Twin Knobs store is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., 7 days a week. Your one stop shop to purchase food, floats, ice, wood, etc. during your beach and camping stay. Restrictions: No more than 4 customers at a time in store. 3 Group Use Areas: East (capacity up to 100 persons), West (capacity up to 180 persons), and Tent Area (capacity up to 60 persons) View Twin Knobs Campground map (pdf) Nearby Trails: Twin Knobs Shoreline Trail #1702 Knob Overlook Trail #1700 Cave Run Lake is nestled among the beautiful…
Reservations: The amphitheater, campsites and group-use areas may be reserved at https://www.recreation.gov/ or by calling 877-444-6777 (877-833-6777 for hearing impaired) or 606-780-7818.
Truck-camping & permitted overnight use
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. 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…
The official recreation inventory lists Red River Gorge Geological Area, Tunnel Ridge Road, Cave Run Lake for dispersed camping. Read each site’s current rules; this does not authorize camping on every forest road.
Cave Run Lake ↗ — Cave Run Lake is nestled among the rolling hills of northeastern Kentucky. It is located on the Cumberland Ranger District of the Daniel Boone National Forest. This 8,270-acre lake provides flood protection and a clean water supply to area communities. Tourists enjoy the lake for its scenery and excellent recreation opportunities. Boating, camping, fishing, hiking, hunting and wildlife viewing are some of the activities enjoyed by visitors. Campgrounds: The Twin Knobs and Zilpo campgrounds provide nearly 400 campsites, some with RV hook-ups. The campgrounds also have swimming beaches and group-use picnic areas. Boat ramps: Cave Run Lake has…
Activities, hiking & trails
Official Daniel Boone hiking and trail maps ↗
Use the Forest Service map collection for current trail routes, district maps and road access. Confirm closures and route difficulty before starting.
Maps & road access
Consult the current Motor Vehicle Use Map for permitted motor routes, vehicle classes and seasonal designations. A route on an MVUM is not a guarantee that it is maintained or passable. Check current road closures and conditions with the district; carry an offline map.
Use the official directions for the exact named campground or trailhead; forest boundaries and administrative offices are not campsite entrances. Official directions / site access ↗
Before you travel
Check the forest’s current alerts, seasonal services, fire orders and campground rules. Download the relevant official maps before entering areas with limited reception.
Source review: 2026-11-01. Conditions, fees, permits and availability can change. USDA Forest Service official information ↗
Photograph sources & licensing
Banner: Outdoor exploration in Daniel Boone National Forest
Daniel Boone National Forest
Credit: Norm. Original source ↗ · Public domain ↗. Resized and cropped to match the profile display framing; original image source linked.
Second large photograph: Forest visit, Daniel Boone National Forest
Daniel Boone National Forest
Credit: Norm. Original source ↗ · Public domain ↗. Resized and cropped to match the profile display framing; original image source linked.
Photographs are real images of the named unit; no AI-generated photographs are used. Federal photo credit register.