The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Louisville District has opened bidding to lease and operate the 60-site Pikes Ridge Campground on Green River Lake in Campbellsville, Kentucky, issuing a Notice of Availability that sets an application deadline of July 29, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. EST and offers a July 8 on-site tour for prospective concessionaires official notice.
The shoreline campground features 60 campsites—20 with water and electric hookups—and several lakefront pads with direct water access, along with a playground, hiking trail, swimming beach, boat ramp, courtesy dock, multiple tie-up docks, a fishing pier, parking areas and a shower house, according to the campground overview.
The Corps published the NOA on March 24, 2025, and will host an open house July 8 from 10 a.m. to noon EST, after which proposals are due by 1 p.m. EST on July 29, a schedule detailed in the agency’s timeline document.
Interested operators must submit plans to run the campground, collect fees and maintain all facilities under a long-term lease. The Corps will evaluate proposals based on considerations such as a detailed development description, site plans, estimated costs, environmental quality, sustainability, and stewardship, as outlined in the NOA.
Meanwhile, prospective bidders typically build a 10-to-15-year pro forma that captures seasonal swings, set aside three to five percent of annual gross for capital reserves, order a Phase I environmental assessment, verify how concession fees will be calculated, retain counsel fluent in federal concession law and quantify local economic benefits to strengthen their applications.
The Louisville District is evaluating ways to sustain recreation, including volunteers and public/private partnerships.
Green River Lake itself spans about 32,000 acres in central Kentucky, includes an 8,210-acre reservoir and attracts more than 800,000 visitors a year, supported by multiple campgrounds, boat ramps, picnic shelters and a visitor center, the same release lists among its lake statistics.
For operators eyeing Pikes Ridge, the existing amenity mix lays a base for high-margin upgrades such as premium glamping tents, park-model RVs or tiny homes on waterfront pads and dynamic-pricing software that pushes rates higher during holidays and peak demand.
Adding contactless QR check-in, campground-wide Wi-Fi, solar pathway lighting, kayak or paddleboard rentals and guided sunset tours can lift ancillary revenue while fitting the Corps’ sustainability goals and visitor expectations.
Questions about the opportunity should be directed to Niikorley Norals at 615-736-7881 or [email protected]; comprehensive submission instructions, evaluation criteria and lease terms are contained in the timeline document.
The leasing arrangement allows a qualified concessionaire to earn profit from campground operations while supporting the Corps’ mandate to preserve recreation resources, a prospect described in the leasing offer.
For the outdoor-hospitality sector, Pikes Ridge represents a chance to modernize a popular Kentucky destination and demonstrate how private partnerships can keep federal recreation sites thriving amid tighter budgets.