Of the many adjustments we’ve made in the COVID-19 era — a time when many of us are desperately seeking some kind of reprieve — cancelling our vacations and summer weekend road trips has been one of the hardest. For those who still want a relaxing break, a camping trip at a nearby location can be a safe and refreshing way to get away from it all.
But for folks who don’t have much camping experience or own their own gear, the idea of camping can be daunting. Many people don’t know where to go, or even know what supplies are needed to spend a few comfortable days enjoying our state’s bounty of natural resources. Thanks to Kentucky Camp Company, a new local business designed to make camping easier and more accessible for Lexington-area folks, these barriers to a camping trip no longer need to be a concern.
The idea for Kentucky Camp Company traces back to this past New Year’s holiday. Shane Tedder, sustainability officer at the University of Kentucky, and his wife, Jarah Jones, founder of ARTPlay Children’s Studio, were visiting Topsail Hill Nature Preserve in Florida with their two children. During the trip their oldest child, Pax, came up with the seeds for the business plan based on a simple question: How cool would it be to help families learn how to camp?
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Kentucky Camp Company provides all the equipment needed for a comfortable and relaxing weekend in the woods, including tents, cots, hammocks, tables and chairs (campers bring their own bedding and food). The equpment can be picked up in Lexington, or set up on-site for an additional fee. Photos by Kelly Hieronymous
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Kentucky Camp Company provides all the equipment needed for a comfortable and relaxing weekend in the woods, including tents, cots, hammocks, tables and chairs (campers bring their own bedding and food). The equpment can be picked up in Lexington, or set up on-site for an additional fee. Photos by Kelly Hieronymous
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Kentucky Camp Company provides all the equipment needed for a comfortable and relaxing weekend in the woods, including tents, cots, hammocks, tables and chairs (campers bring their own bedding and food). The equpment can be picked up in Lexington, or set up on-site for an additional fee. Photos by Kelly Hieronymous
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The equpment provided by Kentucky Camp Company is well-planned to allow for a relaxing time outdoors without having to worry about all the logistics related to camping gear and packing. Photos by Kelly Hieronymous
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Cave Run’s campsites feature fire rings with grill grates. Gas camp stoves are also provided with the Kentucky Camp Company bundles. Photos by Kelly Hieronymous
“We let the idea go for a few months, but then took a trip to the [Red River] Gorge in April after closing the doors at ARTPlay because of the pandemic,” Jones explained. “We were brainstorming ways to make safe changes to ARTPlay, and the idea for Kentucky Camp Company reemerged. We started making it come to life right away.” Pax, age 10, and his sister Isabel, age 7, were both involved in creating the vision, researching and writing the business plan.
“We believe in the positive impact of being outdoors for individuals and for families,” said Tedder. “We sent out a survey, and 95 percent of people who responded said they had been tent camping at some point in their life. Of that group, more than 50 percent said they hadn’t been since childhood, but they all had a high opinion of camping as a way to have fun, a way to connect to friends and family, a way to connect to nature and a way of improving their health and wellness.”
According to the survey, the three main barriers included not having enough time, not owning the necessary gear and the hassle of setting everything up. The company’s business model was designed to help alleviate those obstacles.
The model is simple. The couple currently works with the U.S. Forest Service’s Twin Knobs and Zilpo campgrounds, both located at Cave Run Lake. Clients choose a weekend, and Kentucky Camp Company books the site for you and prepares the camping gear you need — with instructions — based on the size of your group. You can either pick up the equipment from them and return it at the end of your adventure, or pay an extra fee to have them to set up and tear down the campsite, allowing you to show up to a fully constructed camping spot.
Not owning or having familiarity with camping gear isn’t the only barrier Kentucky Camp Company strives to eliminate. Because they work with established U.S. Forest Service campgrounds, facilities are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The sites also have access to restroom and shower facilities and running water, with ice and firewood for sale.
Equipment at the campsite includes tents, hammocks, tables and chairs, a camp kitchen with all the tools you need to prepare and serve meals, lanterns, trash bags, firewood and ice, matches and starters, a first-aid kit and more. Everything you need to have a fun and comfortable trip is provided — including a cooler of cold Ale-8-One and fixings to make s’mores. Packages also include camping cots, which make sleeping more comfortable for many, including those with mobility issues that make sleeping at ground-level challenging.
“We make it so even the most novice campers can participate,” explained Tedder. “You should pack the same way you would if you were going to a hotel, except you bring your own pillows and bedding and your food. Everything else is provided. And we’re happy to talk customers through very specific questions about how things work and walk people through using any of the gear.”
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Cave Run’s Zilpo and Twin Knobs campsites are both lcoated in close proximity to the lake. Photos by Kelly Hieronymous
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Cave Run’s Zilpo and Twin Knobs campsites are both lcoated in close proximity to the lake. Photos by Kelly Hieronymous
The service just launched in August, and Tedder and Jones said they would like to expand beyond the two current campgrounds next year. “We’d like to be partnering with the Forest Service across the Daniel Boone [National Forest], because there are such neat experiences in Big South Fork and in the Gorge, and there are great experiences to be had on Kentucky lakes,” Tedder said. “There are three or four locations that we’d like to be operating in next year, with multiple sites at each location.”
Ultimately, the goal is to help others make the same kinds of memories that their family has made.
When asked what they want their customers to get out of their experience, Tedder says that memories, connections and an appreciation of the outdoors are at the top.
“Fostering a sense of ownership and stewardship of our public lands is something we want to see, [as are] intergenerational connections and lifelong memories,” he said. “For us, there are really rich and vibrant experiences we’ve had in the outdoors with friends and family, and we want to share that with others.”
“We want it to be easy for people to see themselves as campers,” Jones added. “You can do this with babies. Very small children can be a part of this. It might be new for some people, and they may have anxiety about it — it’s also totally OK to just walk away from it. You could have a great time but decide you don’t want to spend the night, and that’s fine. You’ve succeeded just by giving it a try.”
Kentucky Camp Company prices start at $125 for one night for DIY set-up; $200 for full service set-up. Visit www.kycampco.com for more information and to book your getaway.
Twilight on beautiful Cave Run Lake. Photo by Kelly Hieronymous
Camping at Cave Run Lake
Located about 90 minutes east of Lexington in the northernmost part of Daniel Boone National Forest, Cave Run Lake offers two campgrounds overseen by the National Park Service: Zilpo and Twin Knobs. Both camping areas can accommodate tent camping as well as RVs / trailers, with each established site featuring picnic tables, fire rings and parking. Most sites are located a very short walk to public bathhouses with sinks, flush toilets and showers, and are a short walk to great spots for lake swimming during warmer months. Click here for a guide to 4 other great campsites in the area!