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Recreational
Vehicle Camping in Indiana
RV
camping in Indiana offers peace, solitude and
great destinations to visit. Private RV parks and
public campgrounds offer facilities from full service RV resorts to
primitive campsites. Free dispersed camping (boondocking) is available
on National Forest lands in Indiana.
Free
RV camping, and public campground topographical location maps
follow Indiana RV camping resources.
Indiana
Resources for RV Camping Information
- Private
RV Parks
- Research tools for finding RV parks and campgrounds in Indiana.
- Indiana
State Tourism Website - Where to go, and what to do in
Indiana. Includes campgrounds.
- State
Parks -
Information about parks in Indiana
- Indiana
DNR - The Department of Natural Resources information
about camping opportunities at 15 state forests and recreation areas.
- Current
Weather
- From the National Weather Service.
- Historical
Weather -
Know what to
pack. Includes monthly average highs, lows, mean
temperature,GPS location and elevation.
RV
Camping
pages with more information
- USFS (US Forest Service) - Describes USFS policies and rules about RV
camping. Information about dispersed camping, and tips on how
to find great free RV camping sites
- USACE/COE (Army Corp of Engineers) - USACE (perhaps better know as COE) manages
water recreation areas throughout the USA. Information about
finding USACE lakes, RV camping possibilities, and rules and policies
for use of these water based recreation areas is included.
- NPS (National Park Service) - General information about RV camping and
campgrounds in US National Parks. With campgrounds in the
most historic and scenic places in the country, the NPS offers some of
the best places for RV camping.
- Boondocking
- Learn the rules and regulations, and find out how to find the best
free dispersed RV camping locations on public lands.
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Free
RV Camping and Boondocking
Limited free
dispersed camping (boondocking) is available in Indiana on USDA
National Forest lands, and state, county, private, and city properties
offer overnight RV parking opportunities as well.
FRENCH
LICK 
Free RV camping is permitted at the USDA designated
Shirley
Creek Camp. Great
boondocking location.
HOOSIER
NATIONAL FOREST 
Free dispersed camping
(boondocking) is allowed in
the USDA Hoosier National Forest.
Located in south central Indiana, the forest offers free designated
camping areas, usually called "Horse Camps", that are available for RV
use as well. Check with local ranger districts for
recommended free camping areas.
LOGANSPORT
Numerous pull-offs on S side of US-24 for 3 mi
starting at E edge of town.
NORMAN
STATION 
You can really get away from it all at the
USDA Hickory
Ridge Camp. Free camping is
available with vault toilets
We recommend the Indiana Atlas &
Gazetteer by DeLorme Publishing Company to find RV
camping locations. This Indiana topographic
atlas offers comprehensive detail including trails,
back country roads, lakes and streams, boat ramps, forests, wetlands,
campgrounds, public lands, and hunting and fishing locations.
Information about family trips, wilderness outing
possibilities, and more are included. Put
that together with DeLorme
Topo 6.0 Software and you have a versatile set of tools to
find RV camping sites all across Indiana.
More Free RV Parking Ideas
Here's a list of places
to consider when looking for a free overnight RV camping or parking
location in Indiana. We always recommend asking for overnight RV
parking permission when looking for a free spot to spend the
night. The smaller your RV, the better chances you will have
finding places to stay if you choose not to ask permission. If you
don't ask permission, you end up "sneaking" into places and
hoping nobody bothers you or issues you a
trespassing ticket before you move on.
Be
smart and Be Safe...Ask Permission.
- Truck Stops -
Asking permission is usually not a requirement Be considerate
of the big rigs!
- Walmart - Not all
stores allow overnight RV parking due to city ordinances. Check store
for policy.
- Nightclubs - Had
one too many or just pretending?
- Grain Elevators -
Ask where you can park your RV out of the way for the night.
- Fraternal
Organizations - VFW, Elks etc. may allow members free overnight RV
camping.
- Cemetery - Sounds
creepy to us, but we've also heard they may have water available.
- Fairgrounds - State
and County facilities may allow RV camping when not otherwise in use.
- Parks - City,
County, State, and Community parks often have free RV
camping.
- Churches - You can
almost make "reservations" by calling ahead for permission.
- Hotel Parking Lots
- Assuming a nightclub/bar is inside, had one too many or just
pretending?
- Truck Terminals -
Parking areas for large trucks might allow you free RV camping
permission
- RV Dealers - Pretty
brave to us, but you could fit right in.
- Cracker Barrel -
These nationwide restaurants usually allow free overnight RV parking.
- Movie Theaters -
Too tired to drive home after the late show?
- Highway Rest Areas
- All rest areas allow a few hours of free RV parking, but noisy.
- Drive In Movies -
Got a small RV, park in the back row and enjoy the show. Fell
asleep by accident right?
- Vehicle Repair
Shops - Need to see the repairman first thing in the morning?
- Big Box Retailers -
Kmart, Best Buy, Sams Club often allow free RV camping.
- Roadside Parks
& Picnic Areas - The early day version of the rest
area.
As you can see, there are a lot
of free RV camping and parking possibilities in Indiana. If you are not
asking permission, it's best to keep a very low profile. If your RV has
slide outs, jacks and TV antennas, don't use them so as not to draw
attention to yourself. Consider your surroundings carefully and if you
feel uncomfortable with the area, move somewhere else.
Indiana
Public Campgrounds
Indiana public campgrounds are
great destinations for RV camping trips. Located throughout the state,
USDA Forest Service, State Parks, State Forests, and USACE/COE (US Army
Corps of Engineers) offer facilities from primitive campsites for full
hookup campgrounds.
ANGOLA 
Bordering 2 lakes, Pokagon
State Park offers RV
camping. 200 electric and 73 non electric campsites, playground,
swimming, and more.
BATTLE GROUND 
Camping is available
at the Prophetstown State Park. Be sure to read the web site's
access directions...even if you are not going!
BLOOMINGTON 
200
campsites, some
with electric, others with electric and water, and still more with no
hookups are available at the Hardin Ridge Recreation Area. This USDA recreation area is
packed with outdoor activities for the whole family.
BLUFFTON
Located on Kunkel
Lake, RV camping is available at Ouabache
State Park. Pronounced
"Wabash", this park has 77 electric campsites, 47 not electric sites,
and an RV dump station.
CORYDON
Primitive and
electric
campsites are available at O'Bannon
Woods State Park. Located
near the historic limestone state capitol building. Fishing,
hiking, boating and more.
MICHIGAN CITY 
RV camping is
available at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. 53 conventional drive up
campsites plus 25 walk in sites. First come first serve
campground.
NEW HARMONY 
200 electric
campsites
area available at Harmonie State Park. Boating, fishing, trails, and an
RV dump.
VERSAILLES 
A 230 acre lake and
226 electric campsites are available at Versailles
State Park. Swimming, boat
rental, fishing, hiking, and RV dump.
The
location map images for finding RV camping locations in Indiana are
derived from DeLorme Topo 6.0
Software and
used with their exclusive permission. These map images only display a
very limited area. DeLorme's Topo 6.0 covers the entire USA with highly
detailed maps that can be zoomed in or out, moved, printed, and
interfaced
with GPS units. 3-D views, tracking and route planning, as well as map
annotation ability are included. BLM administered lands are available
free with registration of the program.
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