Short answer: it depends where you're camping. Here's how each option works.
Backcountry / dispersed camping — no reservation. You can camp for free almost anywhere in the national forest backcountry; you just need a recreation/overnight parking pass for your vehicle ($5 for a short stay, $7 for a longer one), sold at the Gladie Visitor Center and gas stations near Slade. No site to book — but follow Leave No Trace, camp at least 100 feet from roads, trails, and water, and no camping or fires within 100 feet of a cliff base or rock shelter.
Koomer Ridge Campground — reservation optional. This is the only developed Forest Service campground in the Gorge, off KY-15 about five miles from exit 33. You can reserve a site in advance on Recreation.gov, but sites are first-come, first-served if not reserved. On busy spring and fall weekends they fill up, so if you want a guaranteed spot then, reserve ahead. Vault toilets are open year-round; flush toilets, showers, and drinking water run seasonally (roughly April through October).
State park and private campgrounds — reserve ahead. Natural Bridge State Resort Park and the private campgrounds in the area (and Miguel's, a climber favorite at a couple dollars a night) generally take reservations, and the popular ones book out on peak weekends.
Or skip the permits entirely
If you'd rather not gamble on a first-come site or juggle permits, a cabin is a guaranteed bed with a hot shower, a real bathroom, and a hot tub — and you're still minutes from the same trails. That's the trade: camping is cheaper and rawer; a cabin is certain and comfortable. Simply Irresistible, Great Expectations, and Manor House are good places to start. Browse all our cabins →
Common questions
Do you need reservations to camp in the Red River Gorge?
Mostly no. Backcountry and dispersed camping in the Daniel Boone National Forest is free and needs no reservation — you just need a recreation/overnight parking pass for your vehicle. Developed and state-park campgrounds are another story and can be reserved ahead.
Is Koomer Ridge Campground first-come, first-served?
Yes — sites are first-come, first-served if not reserved, but you can reserve ahead on Recreation.gov. On busy spring and fall weekends it fills up, so reserve if you want a guaranteed spot.
Do you need a pass for backcountry camping?
There's no site to reserve, but you need a recreation/overnight parking pass (about $5 for a short stay, $7 for longer), sold at the Gladie Visitor Center and gas stations near Slade.