Indianapolis is Indiana's capital and its most populous city. Naturally, sometimes you want to get out of the city and away from the crowds. What better way than to enjoy some of the great camping the area has to offer? Indiana has many beautiful state parks with woods, lakes, waterfalls, and unique features. Whether you live in Indianapolis, or are just visiting, you don't have to go far to access inspiring wild places and experience peaceful nature. From cabin rentals or tent camping to glamping, here are some great camping spots near Indy that you and your family can enjoy this summer.
Bill Monroe's Music Park and Campground
Home of world-famous music festivals, Bill Monroe's Music Park is one of the largest campsites in southern Indiana. It's located at a convenient distance of only 40 miles from Indianapolis, which you can get to in just over an hour by driving south. They have several popular music festivals throughout the summer, so you'll want to buy tickets early if you plan to attend. If you just want to camp in their wooded park, it'll be less crowded when there isn't a festival. They offer campsites, RV sites with hookups, cabin rentals, and you can even book their space for weddings.
Brown County State Park
Image via Flickr by Paul J Everett
Located about 60 miles south of Indianapolis, Brown County State Park can be reached by a 1.5-hour drive. This park has been nicknamed “The Little Smokies,” because it resembles the Great Smoky Mountains of the Appalachians. It is Indiana's largest state park and features many campsites, hiking trails through wooded hills, and a 90-foot fire tower with panoramic views of the area's landscape. Melting glaciers from the last ice age formed the area's narrow ridges and steep slopes. At the park's nature center you can see the rare timber rattlesnake and learn about the local wildlife.
Shades State Park
Shades State Park is about 60 miles west of Indianapolis and takes a little over an hour to get to. Once you reach it, you'll find yourself near sandstone cliffs along Sugar Creek, shady ravines filled with beech, oak, and tulip trees crossed by hiking trails ranging from easy to rugged. Sugar Creek is especially popular for canoeing. You can choose from over 100 camps sites, including ones at Canoe Camp, Youth Camp Areas, and the Back Pack Camp, which is reached by hiking 2.5 miles of trail through relatively flat terrain from the parking lot.
Turkey Run State Park
If you're looking for something a little more upscale in the same area, Turkey Run State Park is only 11 miles southwest of Shades, and offers cabins and accommodations at Turkey Run Inn, along with over 200 campsites. The inn features over 60 rooms, a restaurant, an indoor pool, and conference rooms, and you can even find horseback riding at Saddle Barn. The park has several historic sites you can visit, including the Colonel Richard Lieber Cabin, who is known as the father of Indiana's state parks. Hiking trails cross streams, passing beneath tall sycamore and black walnut trees.
Clifty Falls State Park.
Clifty Falls State Park lies around 90 miles southeast of Indianapolis and can be reached in under two hours. It's named after its waterfalls which spill through Clifty Canyon. Clifty Creek contains fossils from a former marine ecosystem, but collecting them is prohibited in the state park. However, you can find plenty of nearby collection sites where it is allowed. Activities and facilities that are available at the park include hiking on its many trails, picnicking, reservable shelters, tennis and games, and camping at electric and non-electric campsites. Or, you can stay at Clifty Inn and dine in their restaurant.
Indiana Dunes State Park
Indiana Dunes State Park is in the north of the state beside Lake Michigan. It's just over 160 miles from Indianapolis, which is a 2.5-3 hour trip. The park was founded in 1925 to preserve the unique landscape. It has over three miles of shoreline, with acres of sand dunes rising nearly 200 feet beyond. The dunes have formed along the lake edge over thousands of years, and have been partially stabilized by vegetation such as a black oak forest, wildflowers, and grasses. Hiking trails traverse the dunes, and you can reserve one of their 140 campsites.
Cecil M. Harden Lake
The Cecil M Harden Lake Park is only 50 miles due west of Indianapolis, and the drive takes under 1.5 hours. The lake is not natural but was created with the damming of Raccoon Creek for flood control. The lake is now a popular spot for boating, fishing, and swimming. Another attraction of the park is a historic flour mill from the 1880s, which uses authentic grinding equipment and offers tours and demonstrations so you can learn how cornmeal was made. The campgrounds have over 300 campsites, including electric and non-electric, while hikes give you open views of the lake.
Hardin Ridge in Hoosier National Forest
Hardin Ridge is 70 miles south of Indianapolis and takes about an hour and a half to drive. It's in the Hoosier National Forest near the largest lake in Indiana, the Monroe Reservoir, offering 197 campsites and two cabins. Popular activities to enjoy in the national forest include swimming at the 300-foot swimming beach and hiking nearby trails such as the Hardin Ridge Trail which is easily accessible and offers a scenic overlook of the lake. Fishers come to look for bluegill and bass.
The memories you make camping with the family will last a lifetime, from hiking through unforgettable scenery, swimming in clean lakes, to chilling around the campfire with your best friends. Indiana has many beautiful parks and campsites within easy reach of Indianapolis for you to choose from. Do you go camping every summer? Do you have a favorite spot you go to every time? Or, do you prefer to try a new park every chance you get? At Tom Wood Ford we'd love to hear from you to know the place you most recommend.