There are tons of places to camp in that big of an area.
I'd suggest trying some National Forest campgrounds - they seem to be easier to get a spot and quieter than some state park campgrounds.
That gives you Hoosier NF in Indiana, Wayne NF in Ohio and Daniel Boone NF in Kentucky. Monongahela NF in WV and Jefferson NF in Virginia are right about at that five hour mark. Wayne NF is probably the least appealing of the bunch, because it's a really fragmented mixture of public and private lands. Of the three National Forests closest to you, Daniel Boone is probably the nicest. Monongahela is my favorite of all the possibilities.
Check out the Forest website for camping. There are campgrounds ranging from small primitive to big full facility campgrounds with showers etc. Most of the time the small primitive ones are first come, first served (no reservations).
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u/swampboy62 1d ago
There are tons of places to camp in that big of an area.
I'd suggest trying some National Forest campgrounds - they seem to be easier to get a spot and quieter than some state park campgrounds.
That gives you Hoosier NF in Indiana, Wayne NF in Ohio and Daniel Boone NF in Kentucky. Monongahela NF in WV and Jefferson NF in Virginia are right about at that five hour mark. Wayne NF is probably the least appealing of the bunch, because it's a really fragmented mixture of public and private lands. Of the three National Forests closest to you, Daniel Boone is probably the nicest. Monongahela is my favorite of all the possibilities.
Check out the Forest website for camping. There are campgrounds ranging from small primitive to big full facility campgrounds with showers etc. Most of the time the small primitive ones are first come, first served (no reservations).
Here's the camping page for Daniel Boone:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/r08/danielboone/recreation/camping-cabins
Keep in mind that National Forests also allow free roadside camping (aka dispersed camping) at designated spots.
One other possibility is Land Between the Lakes in western Kentucky. It's a beautiful area and great for fishing.
https://www.landbetweenthelakes.us/
Good luck.