Trace Branch Campground

Trace Branch Campground

Trace Branch Recreation Area is in the back of beyond. It is not on the way to anywhere, nor is it easy to reach. Tortuously curvy roads try to find a way through Perry and Leslie counties toward Buckhorn Lake, which is an impoundment of the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River. And just when you begin to think Trace Branch is a figment of a mapmaker’s mind, a road leads steeply down to a secluded, well-kept Army Corps of Engineers campground. And once you get here, there’s not a whole lot to do except relax. Sure, you can swim, fish, and boat, maybe throw some horseshoes, or maybe not. So why come to Trace Branch? For one thing, the price is right – free. You can also avoid the crowds. Being off the beaten path and unheralded keeps the campground empty. I would be surprised if all ten campsites have ever been occupied at the same time. There’s hardly a soul here during the week. And in fall and winter, you can have it all to yourself. I doubt many people from more than 30 miles away have ever been here, no matter the season. And the locals, who are ultrafriendly, aren’t about to divulge their little secret.

See all Campgrounds in Kentucky