Rock Cabin Camping is located in Cave City, Kentucky, which is found in close proximity to Mammoth Cave National Park. Many other caves can be found in the area, as well as some golf courses, the Green River, and Dinosaur World. People can reserve one of the nine cabins, six RV spaces, the bunkhouse, or a primitive camping site. The business is in operation year-round; however, the RV park and most of the cabins are closed during the winter months to avoid freezing pipes. The owners of the establishment, Ralph and Lina, would like their guests to feel comfortable during their stay. Visitors can bring pets to the campground if they are staying in an RV space, but the cabins and bunkhouse are not pet-friendly. One notable fact about the cabins is that they were originally built in 1928 and have been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Rock Cabin Camping is a family-owned campground that offers various accommodations, including cabins, RV sites, and tent spaces. One can find nine cabins, one bunkhouse, six RV lots, and an area for primitive camping. The cabins are equipped with a private bathroom, a shower, a microwave, a television, and a refrigerator. Depending on which cabin is reserved, occupancy ranges between 2-6 patrons due to the fact that some cabins have one bed while others have two to four. Outside of the cabins, there are fire rings, picnic tables, and charcoal grills that visitors are free to use. The bunkhouse is similar to the cabins, though it offers three bunk beds—full mattress on the bottom and twin mattress on top—allowing up to nine people to sleep per night. Another difference between the bunkhouse and the cabins is that the bunkhouse does not have a bathroom and is serviced by the campground shower house, which is about seventy feet away. Those staying at the RV sites have access to full hookups, including water, sewer, and electricity. Guests can pay a little extra to have up to 50 AMPs of power if they like.
The owner of Rock Cabin Camping, Ralph, explains that few activities can be done on the property itself. He says that guests usually "spend their day enjoying the nearby activities and then come back to the cabins for a chat and some s'mores around a campfire." There are some open areas where you can play catch, corn hole, or throw a frisbee. That being said, the campground is located close to a variety of different attractions in the area. According to Ralph, one of the largest draws to the vicinity is Mammoth Cave National Park, which can provide guided tours of the cave, hiking trails, and recreational water activities in tandem with the Green River. There are many other caves that patrons can visit, including Diamond Caverns, Onyx, and Crystal Onyx caves. Guests often travel to other attractions, such as Park Mammoth Golf Club, one of the nearby horseback riding or canoe liveries, or Dinosaur World, the latter of which is a dinosaur-themed playground. Ralph also provides recommendations to those looking for places to eat. A few that he mentions by name are Watermill Restaurant, Bucky Bees BBQ of Cave City, El Mazatlan Bar and Grill, The Dog Pound, and Five Broke Girls Diner.
The owners of Rock Cabin Camping, Ralph and Lina, would like their patrons "to feel comfortable" during their stay. In an effort to achieve their desired atmosphere, Ralph and Lina try to keep the cabins and grounds clean for their guests and provide supplies that they may need while they are at the establishment. Ralph explains that he interacts with visitors frequently, saying, “I like to go out and meet them all, but I don’t go banging on their door. If they’re outside, I’ll stop and talk with them.”
Many visitors have stayed at Rock Cabin Camping, and some of them have left reviews of their experience at the campground. One person who recently reserved a cabin at the establishment wrote, “We were pleased with the amenities that were packed into our little cabin for the night. So close to the park, yet still close to anything you might need in Cave City” Ralph mentions that the business is likely most known for the uniqueness of the cabins.
There are several policies that people must abide by while they are spending time at the campground. Pets are prohibited inside the cabins, but people can bring their animals if they are in an RV space as long as they remain on a leash and the pet owner cleans up after them. Smoking is allowed on the property but not inside any of the buildings.
Rock Cabin Camping is open year-round, with its peak season usually occurring between Memorial Day and Labor Day. During the winter months of December, January, February, and sometimes March—depending on the weather—the RV park is shut down, and only a few of the cabins and the bunkhouse are available for reservations. Ralph explains that the pipes for the RV spaces are not “winterized,” so they are required to shut them down to avoid pipes freezing and bursting. He mentions that he shuts down some of the cabins as well because it tends to be much slower during the winter. The typical demographic of patrons that visit are usually families and outdoor enthusiasts that are in the area for the hiking trails and Mammoth Cave National Park.
According to Ralph, the current owner of Rock Cabin Camping, the cabins were first built in 1928 for guests to use while visiting Mammoth Cave. The original owners of the campground and cabins maintained the land until the late 50s or 60s. The establishment has had about 14 different owners since then, the most recent ones being Ralph and his wife, Lina, who bought it in 2011. Their favorite part of operating the business has been meeting the people that visit.
Due to how old the cabins are, they have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The cabins saw substantial updates during the 70s, as the owners wanted to add more amenities for the people staying with them. Ralph estimates that the bunkhouse was added to the property during the 80s or 90s, commenting that “it’s probably the most recent thing here.” The establishment has received consistent maintenance over the years in an effort to maintain the premises, and Ralph mentions that he tries not to change much due to the historic nature of the buildings.
5091 Mammoth Cave Road
Cave City, Kentucky 42127
United States
Cabins
Ralph and Lina
