The Hoosier state is a beloved vacation spot for out of doors fans, boasting breathtaking pure magnificence and charming proof of glaciers in its lakes, low hills, and boulders. The state parks are house to a number of the finest tenting websites within the Midwest.
Indiana, being a four-season state, presents state parks that stay open all 12 months, offering loads of indoor and out of doors actions to get pleasure from whatever the climate. You’ll be able to plan your Indiana state parks tenting journey in any season.
Hold studying to study tenting in Indiana state parks. We’ll additionally share with you the most well-liked actions, which parks to go to get pleasure from them, and what to convey with you!
What to Count on When Tenting in Indiana State Parks
Since Indiana is situated within the Midwest, you’ll be able to count on abrupt climate adjustments in your Indiana State Parks tenting journey. Dramatic temperature adjustments can happen inside days (and even hours!).
Northeast Indiana is the place you’ll see the proof of glaciers, which helped form Indiana’s panorama. You could find the consequences of glaciers in Chain O’Lakes State Park and Pokagon State Park.
In case you final visited Indiana state parks earlier than 2020, you’ll be able to count on large updates to the parks’ tenting areas. The Indiana Division of Pure Assets (DNR) launched a 5-year strategic plan targeted on campground enhancements in 2019.
Indiana has 32 state parks with greater than 2,000 buildings, 700 miles of trails, 636 lodge rooms, 17 marinas, 75 launching ramps, 17 swimming swimming pools, 15 seashores, 7,701 campsites, over 200 shelters, round 160 playgrounds, and 150 cabins.
Guests to Indiana state parks can count on to have fun-filled days in nature. Indiana state parks are excellent areas for images shoots or huge occasions like wedding ceremony receptions.
Packing for Your Indiana State Parks Tenting Journey
Because the state is thought for abrupt temperature adjustments, we suggest packing layers on your Indiana state parks tenting journey. In case you are planning to camp within the winter, these posts on winter tenting will likely be useful.
Make sure you take a look at all of our gear evaluations when planning your Indiana state parks tenting journey and confer with our final tenting guidelines.
Mosquitos are additionally an enormous concern in Indiana, with the West Nile virus being essentially the most commonly-reported mosquito-borne illness within the state. It’s essential to guard your self with mosquito repellant in your Indiana state parks tenting journey. Take a look at our publish on our favourite mosquito repellants.
Actions and Facilities
Biking
Deliver your bike with you in your Indiana state parks tenting journey as a result of many Indiana state parks supply bike trails.
Some Indiana state parks even have mountain bike trails. Bikers planning to make use of mountain biking trails tougher than the Newbie ranges should have an Off-Street Biking Allow. Log on to see the complete listing of Indiana state parks with mountain bike trails.
These are the most effective Indiana state parks to get pleasure from simple leisure bike using:
- Fort Harrison State Park (Harrison Hint Path)
- White River State Park (White River Canal Stroll)
- Potato Creek State Park (Potato Creek Trails)
Mountaineering
In case you’d reasonably hike than bike, Indiana state parks supply gorgeous mountain climbing trails filled with pure magnificence. These state parks supply a number of the most unusual mountain climbing trails within the state:
- Turkey Run State Park
- Shades State Park
- Spring Mill State Park
- Potato Creek State Park
- Mounds State Park
- Brown County State Park
Boating
In case your Indiana state park tenting journey takes place within the summertime, you is perhaps searching for the most effective place to park your boat (or lease a ship). Privately-owned boats should have a Lake Allow in most Indiana state parks.
The next Indiana state parks supply boat ramps for personal boats:
- Versailles State Park
- Chain O’Lakes State Park
- Ouabache State Park
- Lincoln State Park
- Spring Mill State Park
- Summit Lake State Park
- Whitewater State Park
- Potato Creek State Park
These Indiana state parks supply boat leases:
- Pokagon State Park
- Spring Mill State Park
- Versailles State Park
- Lincoln State Park
- Chain O’Lakes State Park
- Trine State Recreation Space
- Ouabache State Park
Fishing
Flip your Indiana state park tenting journey right into a fishing journey. You need to acquire a fishing license earlier than fishing in Indiana. Go to the state’s Division of Pure Assets web site for licensing choices and costs.
These are the most effective Indiana state parks to reel in fish:
- Shakamak State Park
- Potato Creek State Park
- Chain O’Lakes State Park
- Ouabache State Park
- Pokagon State Park
- Summit Lake State Park
Swimming
Splashing within the water is the proper solution to cool off throughout scorching, humid summers it’s possible you’ll expertise throughout your Indiana state park tenting journey. Indiana state parks have many indoor and out of doors swimming choices.
These are the most effective Indiana state parks for lake swimming:
- White Water Memorial State Park
- Ouabache State Park
- Lieber State Recreation Space
- Turkey Run State Park
These are the most effective swimming pools at Indiana state parks:
- Brown County State Park
- Spring Mill State Park
- Clifty Falls State Park
- Shakamak State Park
- Lieber State Recreation Space (aquatic middle)
- Versailles State Park
- O’Bannon Woods State Park
These are the most effective indoor swimming pools situated on the properties of Indiana state parks:
- Brown County State Park (aquatic middle inside Abe Martin Lodge)
- Spring Mill State Park (inside Spring Mill Inn) *Closed for renovations till 2024
- Turkey Run State Park (inside Turkey Run Inn)
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Deliver your golf golf equipment with you when you’re staying at Fort Harrison State Park as a result of the Fort Golf Resort is a favourite of golfers in Indiana.
Horseback Using
In case you love horseback using however don’t personal a horse, some Indiana state parks have horse stables the place you’ll be able to get pleasure from a trip. Take a look at these parks with horse stables:
- Turkey Run State Park
- McCormick’s Creek State Park
- Whitewater Memorial State Park
- Fort Harrison State Park
Consolation Stations (aka restrooms)
Heated restrooms with showers are known as consolation stations at Indiana state parks. A number of of those consolation stations are open all 12 months spherical, together with the next:
- Brown County State Park
- Harmonie State Park
- Indiana Dunes State Park
- O’Bannon Woods State Park
- Patoka Lake State Park
- Turkey Run State Park
Forms of Campsites
You’ll be able to test web site availability and look at a full listing of campsites in every class on the Indiana State Parks web site.
RV
Pack up the RV and head out to Indiana state parks. These are the most effective state parks for tenting in your RV with electrical energy and full hookups.
- Brookville Lake: 377 Electrical & 60 Full Hookup
- Mississinewa Lake: 316 Electrical & 82 Full Hookup
- Charlestown State Park: 129 Electrical & 57 Full Hookup
- Spring Mill State Park: 175 Electrical & 44 Full Hookup
- Hardy Lake: 145 Electrical
Cabins or Cottages
These are the most effective state parks for renting a cabin or cottage:
- Potato Creek State Park (17 cabins)
- Lincoln State Park (10 cabins and 16 cottages)
- Shakamak State Park (22 cabins and 12 cottages)
- Whitewater Memorial State Park (20 cabins)
- Harmonie State Park (11 cabins)
Lodges and Inns
Indiana state parks are house to a number of the nicest inns and lodges, permitting you to benefit from the parks all 12 months spherical whereas sleeping indoors and experiencing facilities like sport rooms, indoor swimming pools, and area for weddings and conferences.
These are the Indiana state parks with inns and lodges on web site:
- Brown County State Park (Abe Martin Lodge & Cabins)
- Clifty Falls State Park (Clifty Inn)
- Fort Harrison State Park (Fort Harrison Inn, Golf Resort & Convention Heart)
- McCormick’s Creek State Park (Canyon Inn)
- Pokagon State Park (Potawatomi Inn & Cabins)
- Spring Mill State Park (Spring Mill Inn) *Closed for renovations till 2024
- Turkey Run State Park (Turkey Run Inn & Cabins)
Group Websites
Six Indiana state parks supply campsites for organized teams. These are the most effective Indiana state parks for group tenting:
- Lincoln State Park
- McCormicks Creek State Park
- O’Bannon Woods State Park
- Pokagon State Park
- Shakamak State Park
- Versailles State Park
Horse Websites
Eight Indiana state parks supply equestrian websites, so you’ll be able to camp along with your horse. A few of these are primitive areas whereas others supply electrical hookups. These are the state parks providing horse websites:
- Brown County State Park (114 electrical and 86 primitive)
- Deam Lake State Recreation Space (97 electrical)
- O’Bannon Woods State Park (33 electrical and 45 primitive)
- Potato Creek State Park (67 electrical)
- Tippecanoe River State Park (54 primitive)
- Versailles State Park (9 electrical)
- Whitewater Memorial State Park (10 electrical and 27 primitive)
Snowmobiling
Snowmobiling is a favourite exercise of holiday makers to Indiana state parks within the wintertime. These state parks have snowmobiling trails close by:
- Miami State Recreation Space
- Salamonie State Park
- Potawatomi state park
ADA-Compliant Campsites
Accessibility is a precedence at many Indiana state parks’ tenting areas. These state parks supply essentially the most accessible campsites, permitting quick access for these of all skills:
- Patoka Lake State Park (23 ADA-compliant websites)
- Brown County State Park (24 ADA-compliant websites)
- Potato Creek State Park (34 ADA-compliant websites)
- Mississinewa Lake State Park (48 ADA-compliant websites)
- Prophetstown State Park (109 ADA-compliant websites)
The best way to Make Reservations
You’ll be able to reserve most Indiana state parks tenting spots, cabins, and primitive areas on the Indiana State Parks Reserve America web page as much as one 12 months upfront.
The next inns, lodges, and cabins could be reserved by means of TripAdvisor as much as one 12 months upfront:
Suggestions and Methods for Your Indiana State Parks Tenting Journey
Meal Planning
Your Indiana state parks tenting journey is the proper alternative to attempt crockpot meals when you’re staying in an RV, cabin, or lodge. Crockpot meals can help you spend extra time having fun with the outside!
Tent campers ought to attempt a few of our favourite make-ahead recipes, so that you don’t must spend your entire Indiana State Parks tenting journey placing collectively a meal.
Many Indiana state park inns have eating places that supply dine-in or carry-out, together with the next:
Security
Bears
Black bear sightings have been confirmed in Indiana lately. In case you see a black bear in your Indiana state parks tenting journey, hold your distance and don’t strategy it. By no means try and feed a black bear.
The Indiana DNR recommends promoting your presence by shouting, waving your arms, and slowly backing away. Those that spot black bears are suggested to report their sighting to the Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife.
At all times clear and put away camp grills and stoves instantly after use. Retailer all meals (together with pet meals) in bear-proof containers. We suggest a sturdy tote that latches and locks.
Burn Bans
Burn bans generally are instated in counties the place Indiana state parks are situated as a result of drought circumstances. At all times test the Indiana statewide burn ban listing earlier than beginning a campfire in your Indiana state parks tenting journey.
Winter Tenting
In case you’re planning on an Indiana State Parks tenting journey within the winter, make sure that to learn our Winter Tenting Guidelines to make sure you’re ready.
Wrapping up Indiana State Parks Tenting
Indiana state parks are enjoyable locations to discover, chill out, and luxuriate in all 12 months spherical. The toughest a part of your journey will likely be narrowing down which Indiana state park to arrange camp at first. Hopefully, this information has helped you identify which parks to go to throughout your subsequent Indiana state parks tenting journey.
Take a look at different State Tenting Guides for extra concepts of the place to go to and what to do!
