White Acres and Little Patch of Heaven

If you are bringing an RV to Bardstown, you have two real choices right now: White Acres Campground on Boston Road and Little Patch of Heaven Campground on Templin Avenue. Both are private, open year-round, pet-friendly and about 3 miles from Court Square. White Acres is the cheaper, bigger, no-frills park at $55 a night, with cabins for non-RVers. Little Patch of Heaven costs more, from $78 a night, but adds a fishing pond, laundry and noticeably better reviews.

First, the state park campground is closed

The campground at My Old Kentucky Home State Park used to be the default choice, but it is closed for a full rebuild. ReserveAmerica posts an alert that the campground is closed for renovations, and the Kentucky State Parks improvements page lists the opening date as to be determined. The rebuilt campground is planned with 39 full-service sites, including eight pull-throughs, and a new bathhouse. Until it reopens, locals and regulars are using the two parks below. You can still visit the park itself, tour Federal Hill and play the golf course by day.

The two parks side by side

White Acres Campground: the value pick

White Acres, at 3022 Boston Road on the west side of town, is the old-school choice: a big, straightforward RV park with 80 sites, all with water, 50-amp power and sewer, according to its website. The base rate is $55 a night for two people, $5 for each additional person, and children 12 and under stay free. Military, Good Sam and AAA members pay $50.

What reviewers like most is practical: level gravel sites. One reviewer sums it up as “No need to use leveling blocks,” which, if you have ever spent 20 minutes fiddling with blocks in the dark, is high praise. The location, a few minutes from downtown, gets good marks too. Nobody books it for resort amenities. There is a bathhouse with showers, free WiFi, picnic tables and a recreation pavilion that groups rent for reunions and events.

The cabins are the other reason to know about White Acres. At $65 a night, each has a full bed, a table and chairs, heat and air conditioning, and a deck. They are simple, but they are the cheapest roof over your head near Bardstown, and a good fallback when the motels are full on a festival weekend. Ask what bedding and linens are supplied when you book.

The practical rules: check-in at 1 p.m., check-out at noon, office hours 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., pets welcome on a leash with cleanup, and a 15-day cancellation window for a full refund.

Little Patch of Heaven: the pond and the polish

Little Patch of Heaven, at 2289 Templin Avenue on the northwest side, is the former Holt’s Campground, now part of Glowfly Resorts. If an old map or GPS sends you to “Holt’s,” this is the place, with a new phone number, (502) 317-8590.

It is smaller, with 33 full-hookup sites, 30- and 50-amp service and pull-throughs, and it has more on-site extras. There are hot showers, laundry, free WiFi, a dump station, a walking trail, a fire pit and a catch-and-release pond. A dog park is in the works. Reviews reflect the extra effort, with a 4.2 average on Google from about 340 reviews, and the campground says 236 of those guests gave it five stars.

Rates start at $78 a night or $350 a week, per its rates page, and long-term sites run from $950 a month. Book online through Campspot.

The FAQ lays out the house rules. Check-in is at 1 p.m. and check-out at 11 a.m., and late check-out costs $5 an hour. Arrivals are self check-in with details sent by email, and there are no check-ins after 7 p.m., so do not plan a late drive in. Quiet hours run from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Fishing in the pond is catch-and-release only and stops at 7 p.m.

Which one should you book?

• Book White Acres if price matters most, you want level gravel pads with full hookups, or someone in your group needs a cabin.
• Book Little Patch of Heaven if you want laundry, a pond to fish, a walking trail for the dog, or simply the better-reviewed park.
• For the Bourbon Festival, the Arts & Crafts Festival in October or Stephen Foster Story weekends in summer, book either one as early as you can. With the state park campground closed, the region’s RV capacity is tight.

Weather and seasons for campers

Both parks stay open year-round, but the seasons change the experience. July and August average highs around 86 to 87°F, so a site with 50-amp power for the air conditioner earns its keep. September and October are the driest, mildest months, with highs of about 81°F and 70°F, which is why they are also the busiest. Winter lows average in the mid-20s in January, so winterize your water lines if you come then. Our weather by month table has the details.

Getting around from camp

Both parks are about 3 miles from Court Square, a 5- to 10-minute drive. Neither is walkable to downtown, and both are a drive from the distilleries. Unhook once, then use a tour company or a designated driver for tasting days rather than moving the rig. Our bourbon tours and transportation guide lays out the options.

If fishing is part of the plan, Little Patch’s pond is catch-and-release; for bigger water, see our guide to lakes, fishing and paddling near Bardstown. Traveling with a dog? Our pet-friendly stays guide and visiting with pets page cover the rest of the trip.

Is it worth it?

Both do their job well for the price. Nightly rates of $55 to $78 are well below anything else in town, where even the cheapest motels ran $64 to $74 on a late-September weeknight and the historic inns ran over $150. For tent camping, glamping or cabins beyond White Acres, see our camping and RV guide and the cabins and vacation rentals roundup.

If you would rather compare a campsite with a motel room or a rental for your dates, the live map on this page shows current prices across Bardstown.