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As Indiana’s second state park, Turkey Run Campground was established in 1916. The story behind its name suggests that local hunters would find herds of wild turkeys gathering in the area’s narrow canyon bottoms—called “runs”—and funnel them out for easy harvesting. The area’s natural history goes back a little father—upwards of 600 million years. It was around this time that the sandstone and coal deposits seen in the park were being formed and compacted in a vast, swampy plain. Fast-forward several million years, and Ice Age meltwaters cut and scoured the creeks, canyons, and potholes seen today. Some of the glacial erratics (boulders) seen in the park are actually pieces of bedrock that were transported from as far north as Canada. Visitors to Turkey Run can explore these unique canyons, enjoy the park’s natural scenery, fish and paddle in Sugar Creek, and see several historic sites.
Located 10 miles north of Rockville, and 70 miles west of Indianapolis, Turkey Run State Park is year-round nature and recreation area covering nearly 2,400 acres along Sugar Creek. The campground at Turkey Run features more than 200 tent and RV sites with electrical hookups, picnic tables and fire pits with cooking grills; some sites are ADA accessible. Most sites are back-in and can accommodate vehicles/trailers up to 45 feet; a few pull-throughs can accommodate larger. All sites have access to drinking water, flush and vault restrooms, and showers; two dump stations are available onsite. There are also two primitive tent camping areas for youth groups, several cabins for rent, and the historic Turkey Run Inn, which offers 61 lodge rooms, a dining room, and meeting spaces. Dogs are permitted in the park, but must remain leashed. Campsites raters are $23–$33/night; other accommodations range from $67–$110/night; reservations accepted.
Besides exploring Turkey Run’s canyon runs, the park offers a variety of hiking trails, picnic areas, and sports courts. The park’s nature center showcases a variety of exhibits and interactive activities to educate visitors about the park’s geology, flora and fauna. Park naturalists offer guided hikes and nature walks, animal talks and campfire programs. Swimming is not permitted in Sugar Creek, but anglers can fish for bass and bluegill, and paddlers can head out in canoes and kayaks. Swimmers are invited to enjoy the park’s Olympic-sized swimming pool for cooling off during the warmer months. The park also offers hayrides and guided horseback rides. For a blast from the past, visitors can also tour the historic Lusk Home. Built in 1841, this restored European home displays a lifestyle from a bygone era. Watch out for the resident raccoons.
This recreation area is part of Cecil M. Harden Lake
$25 / night
$22 - $120 / night
$30 - $45 / night
$9 - $49 / night
$35 / night
Scout
Highway is louder than you’d think. No good night rest had. People spy on you just to report you. Main office head woman will not work with you and just give you a flat no when you ask about a refund.
Legend
Shade, grass, and gravel sites. A lot better than most KOAs. They ask that you not put outdoor rugs on grass; no problem as grass is nice. Sites 1-10 are your best bet for Starlink if that’s what you have; best opening through tree canopy of the northern sky. Pet friendly; counted three cats and a dog in the office when I checked in. Was given the option of choosing my site out of the seven available for my reservation. A mix of long term residents and travelers; some of the long term resident sites were a little junky.
Guide
We stayed in buddy sites 81 and 82. Buddy sites are large, have full hookup, fire pits, and picnic tables. Lots of dogs around, pricing was about $50 a night per site. Restrooms had showers as well which made it easy to rinse off the mud. Great time all around.
Guide
Turkey Run is a fabulous state park with a nice campground. My only complaint about the campground is that many sites are in an open, level area without a lot of trees or bushes between them. You don’t have a lot of privacy. Two sections of the campground, with the higher numbered sites, are much more wooded. If I go again, I will try to be there!
But the campground has two large modern bathrooms that are cleaned regularly. It also has clean well maintained vault toilets throughout the campground. Best of all, from the back of the campground you can access Trail 7, a moderate level trail that leads unexpectedly to a small stream running past a recessed cave. It’s a peaceful spot.
Be advised that a “moderate” hike at Turkey Run can be challenging, with plenty of steps up and down the hillsides. Many of the trails go along stream beds, so you often need to make your way across the rocks to avoid wet feet. Be prepared with hiking boots and sticks.
There are two covered bridges on the edges of the park. Be sure to check them out!
GuideTurkey Run is arguably the most popular campground (and state park) in Indiana and has its pros and cons.
It is definitely designed to accommodate RVs, as the majority of the sites are situated in an open field. There are a few dozen sites that are in “loops” that are situated in shaded areas. Some camp sites have zero privacy while others have a little. Either way, if you’re here on a weekend, you’ll definitely have neighbors close by. You can see the entire campground via google maps street view, just FYI
This is a very family friendly campground and you will see lots of kids on bicycles flying around. I’ve stayed here a few times, and no matter the day of the week or the time of year, there are always lots of kids.
This campground has a raccoon “problem” due to campers having poor camp etiquette and feeding them. They come out of the woods towards dusk looking for food. They will come right up to you without hesitation, so don’t be alarmed if there’s one next to you while you cook s’mores over your fire (ask me how I know, hah). They will take any food that is left out. Do not turn your back to your dinner table at any time if there’s food out.
On my last visit to turkey run (I’ve camped here 3 or 4 times) I arrived to my campsite and someone had left dog food out for the raccoons in little piles all over the place which was super disappointing. Additionally, my neighbors didn’t put their campfire out when they packed up and left.
Perhaps I’m just used to camping in other areas where you have to worry about bears and burning the forests down…But campers here just aren’t as mindful or respectful of the campground.
The restrooms and showers (at least the one I use at this campground) is modernized and cleaned daily but there’s no dish pit/wash room available if you cook. Just be prepared to clean up accordingly and put trash in trash receptacles. There are a few vault toilets in the campground as well.
You can hike from the CG into the state park (highly recommend. It’s gorgeous!) just wear shoes that youre willing to get wet.
Overall, it’s a beautiful state park with a conveniently located campground. It’s not the best campground ever but for Indiana standards, it’s great. Even with my complaints, I always return because I enjoy visiting and hiking through the state park.
Traveler
I stayed by the lake, the spaces there are parallel to the road. Which gives you a beautiful view of the lake. I was there early in April when all the flowering trees were in bloom! Full hook up made it even the nicer!
Scout
Super easy reservations online, and if it’s a weekday or a Sunday you could likely just roll up. $16/night for a tent site plus $9 out of state car fee. Security is at the main gate until midnight so later check-ins are possible. Great set-up after driving 11+ hours!
GuideOn an east/west trip and only had an overnight here. Campground is well maintained. Bathhouse clean, plenty of showers, flush toilets. Will need to fill your water holding tank as sites only have electric. Most sites are very spacious. Only negative was our site description and picture. Described the pad as level when it was actually about a 30% grade. We are camping in a truck camper and had planned to leave the camper on the truck but had to take it off to get level. And said the “yard” was grassy but it was only dirt which then became muddy after a bad storm. Great areas to walk your dog. We would definitely stop again but pick a different site. Camp store and ice, other items sold.
Traveler
We had a great two night visit right on the creek! Rented kayaks for a 3 mile adventure! Owners are super friendly and helpful. I would advise to camp during the week for a less crowded time. Would love to come back!
ScoutWhile this is always listed among the top Indiana state parks because of its amazing beauty and historic sites, the campgrounds are not up to the same level. The shower houses are old. No sinks, no flush toilets, no solid doors for privacy. Just curtains. So yes, that means put/vault toilets only, and there is no light for a middle of the night visit except the flashlight you will hopefully remember. Other state parks in the area do have modern shower houses. If you are disabled or just prefer better hygiene amenities, camp at Raccoon Lake SRA and take day trips to Turkey Run. I’m not sure of the status of nearby Shades Stare Park comfort facilities since we haven’t camped there yet.
TravelerPlace was huge and packed. Really nice and it was quiet to sleep with nice facilities.
Scout
No room to fish, can't fish after dark, don't tell you what spots are reserved, no afternoon shade, sits on the highway. And don't even think about a refund even if you're there less than an hour. I grew up camping, I camp very regularly even when it's frosting. I have never in my life even considered one close to a highway but we were trying to stay local and try somewhere new. Rude,crowded,ghetto, inconsiderate and they don't tell you any of the rules until they got your money in the bank. Definitely a MUST AVOID!!!
TravelerWe just left after a 2 night stay and we’re really pleased with this camp ground. The staff were very friendly and wanted to make sure our stay was the best it could be.
Our primitive tent site was in the very back isolated from the rest of the grounds. A port-a-potty was near by, but the shower house was a short drive away. Also, the site, 27C, was alone with timber separating it from the nearest site. The downside to this site is the morning/afternoon sun, but we adapted with a pop-up canopy and positioning our tent to utilize the little shady available.
The shower house was one of the cleanest we’ve seen and the staff makes a concerted effort to keep it that way.
The camp store was a nice convenience and wood delivery was a plus.
Lastly, features include a pond to fish (and rental of paddle boats/canoes) where my son and I caught two decent sized fish from the dock. Playground, volleyball court, and a half court basketball were right off the backside fishing dock.
GuideWe stayed in the modern section of the campground. This is the electric and water only section. The sites range from very uneven to moderately uneven in this section. The full hookup site section is flat but with less tree cover. The sites in modern electric water only can be awkward to back into with no room to pull forward due to a ditch in some areas. We stayed in site 10 which was uneven, no room for a tent, and small. Next time we would try 9. The campground offers a beach and fairly busy fishing lake, some trails. Over all it was less busy on opening weekend than Turkey run or raccoon lake.
TravelerThis was recommended to me from a friend. Very clean and well kept, smaller but with direct access to an awesome creek. Kids played in the creek all day long. Cheap and plentiful firewood. Really friendly and family owned
GuideLarge campground with spacious sites. The pictures for each site and details they give while booking are pretty good. However, it said 202 was level and for a tent there's def a bit of a slope (manageable but definitely present). The women at the gate was friendly and buying firewood from her was easy. Only checked out the pit toilets near our site, but they were incredibly clean!
TravelerThis whole campground facility is top notch! Wow. I’m speechless. The wooded walking trail all around is beautiful. Highly recommend early Fall!
LegendWe last visited in 2014 & not much has changed. This is a good base camp for visiting the covered bridges. The DNR office in the park has lots of area info, I got a map of where the bridges are & we were set!
The bathrooms are typical state park. They look like they were updated in the last 15 years, but are state park clean( which means surface it looks ok, but needs a deep clean). There are pit toilets scattered around the campground too, which were pretty good according to my husband.
The hikes are really run down. They need to start maintaining them better. Lots of erosion & broken slats on the bridges. Signage was ok, but I was let down a couple of times. Trail one has scenic overlooks & vistas, but none of them are signed if you're on trail.
This campground has a reputation as being a big party place. That might be true, but we were on the far end of White tail loop & noise was moderate on Friday & Saturday.
There's plenty of sites that have a VERY bad incline. Bring extra levelers. People were complaining on Facebook that the site descriptions have the inclines wrong.
White tail loop is where we camped the last time too. We looked at the other loops & I marked down a few I thought were pretty good. White tail: Site 130/145 are somewhat secluded & large. There's a bad incline on 145 though.
Sites 135/136/137/138 are paved & relatively flat. 139 is paved. 140 has a nicer view of the lake, but to get to it you have to walk. There's a trail from the campsite.
These sites are at the end of the loop & there's a walk to get to the bathrooms. There's also a large playground here, which gets loud during the day.
There's an overflow site 141 that's not marked on the reservation map. It stayed empty the whole weekend we were there. There's a trail from this site leading to the lake. Be prepared for the rest of White tail campers to use this site to access the lake & trail 4. There was a constant stream of people while we were there. They don't think anything about walking through site 140 either. Very annoying!
Lakeview is the nonelectric side. The vegetation was covering the view of most sites. Sites 93/94/99/102 looked like sites with a view of the water. I only saw access to the lake from 102.
Songbird I only wrote down site 8 as being level& by the bathroom.
Hideaway looked nice & it's a small loop.
ScoutPleasant experience. Only crowded on Friday and Saturday. Shady spot.
RangerPrimitive sites are very nice. We had a fairly quiet weekend. The raccoons definitely are active so make sure you lock it all up at night. The water was breathtaking and very calm even with all of the boat activity.
GuideReally cute little park with lots of shade and convenient access to Crawfordsville. We were here for a quick stopover, but made friends with several locals spending time here. It seems like a short vacation spot for locals and long term residents. Pretty basic pool and playground, but really nice landscaping.
ScoutAs our first night comes to an end we have really enjoyed the stay so far. Staff is very friendly and very helpful. Good sized pull through style camp sites that are gravel and surprisingly pretty level! Very reasonable rates for a full hookup site. There is a nice pond in the center of the property that has good size fish! The pond seems to be well maintained and clean! Kids loved the playground and all the activities. Will definitely be staying here again!
TravelerThe Turkey Run State Park Campground is great because of its location to the various creek tour spots.
The camp store is small, but has enough stuff to get you out of a basic bind: food items, household stuff, some clothing, souvenirs.
Campground had decent signal for Verizon and AT&T.
Camp spots were tight, uneven, and many had strong-to-severe grades.
The campsite has a wonky layout and for a lot of the bigger rigs, this is a tight camp ground to navigate.
We had a pull-through site so no complaints.
Septic dumps were almost a complete 90* angle turn from the main camp road into the lane for waste dumping. For a longer rig, the angle of the turn will give you some anxiety.
LegendI have never been to a campground with so many children. At first it was a nice break from all the old folks at the RV parks, but then it got to be too much. There was constant noise and commotion and kids (and adults) constantly walking through my site. One boy was even riding his bike over my Starlink wire. A lot of the kids had electric scooters and bikes and were zooming through the campground endlessly. I had a group from across the road come into my site and start playing frisbee golf because they did not have enough room in their own site but didn't say a word to me. Really? The surrounding area is very beautiful with rock outcroppings and small gorges unlike the rest of Indiana. However, the walking paths around this beautiful area were MOBBED. The area around the suspension bridge was like being in Times Square. The bathrooms were good….a solid B+.
LegendThis is a really nice state park but very crowded and noisy. There are multiple boat ramps for easy access to the water. I met a friend there who is a resident of Indianapolis and we had a great time on the water. They have boat slips for rent during your stay so that you can leave your boat in the water for the duration of your stay and avoid having to take it out every night. Nice. There is a paved walking/biking path between the different areas of the park. Believe it or not, there are a lot of racoons there so be careful with your stuff. My site was on a ridge next to the main road coming into the camping area. The amount of traffic was insane. The main bathrooms get a grade of A.. They also have additional vault toilets dispersed in the campground with only screen doors on them. Really????
TravelerWe were just passing through and looking for a place to stop overnight. For a holiday weekend to get a last minute pull through with electric and water for a single night at $50, I’d call it very reasonable!
Grounds are well kept. Shower house is clean. Store has the basic fry goods and merchandise. No cooler for ice or sodas so make sure you have some before you get here.
Sites are spaced out well, fresh gravel for the driveways and pads. Pads are fairly level. Only had to bring up one side 1/2”. Sites are shaded very well and the noise from the highway and busy main drag is very minimal.
Playground is very basic. A couple of climbing apparatus’s and a big open field. A nice fenced in area for the pups to be off leash.
Owners are very friendly and helpful!
Only thing keeping this from a full 5 stars is the basic playground and no cold or frozen goods. Nit picky I know. But if that’s the only thing, then I’d call this a win for sure!
We would definitely stay here again, weather a single night passing through or make it a couple of days.
TravelerWe love Caboose! If you have kids or teens this is your spot. Super clean water and beach area with inflatables- so fun! They do require wristbands which cost 10$ a day but that includes bumper boats and unlimited paddle boat rentals, for us it’s perfect! Fun to take out the kayaks too. We will be back!
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