Celina Recreation Area

**Celina Recreation Area** is located in _Hoosier National Forest_ near Branchville, IN off IN37\. My drive in took me first through the rolling hills of upper Kentucky farmland, than across the Ohio River into Cannelton, IN where I found a sweet Winery named _Blue Heron_ with excellent views and an awesome host/owner. There is a wine trail through the lower Indiana area that might interest you (_Hoosier Wine Trail_) if that’s your kinda sightseeing . 

_Tell City_ is where you might want to stop and get your supplies, there’s the usual fast food, gas stations and Wally World. The area Ranger Station is also in Tell City but it is closed on the weekends.

We took IN37 which runs down the middle more or less of Hoosier NF. There is a zip-line “_Eagles Wings_” and a Citgo fuel stop enroute to the Celina RA.

Once you turn into the Recreation Area Celina Lake and the two campgrounds (North Face Loop and South Slope Loop) are to the left, Indian Lake is straight. 

Indian Lake is accessed by a basic boat ramp with parking only. I liked the fact that there are several parking pull offs along the road to the ramp to park and access the Two Lakes Trail which meanders around both lakes covering about 15 miles in all. The trail is moderate, technical but not too steep, a good workout. You can disperse camp for 5$ a night as long as you are 300 ft off the trail. 

Celina Lake boat ramp has more to offer. There is a pit toilet and small picnic area in a small shaded grassy area between the parking area and boat ramp access road. 

The parking area is handicap accessible with a small fishing pier that can be reached directly from the handicap parking spot. 

The Rickenbaugh Historic family home and cemetery are located in the far side of the boat ramp with a kiosk and 1 mile Interpretive trail that tells the story of the area.

We enjoyed the trails which is where we spent most of our time, sight seeing and communing with the crazy number of ticks present and hitching rides. 

The boat dock was pretty busy though quiet due to the electric motor restriction. 

The lake is good size, you could paddle to an area and disperse camp to fish or just enjoy the area. 

The two campgrounds were well maintained with helpful live in hosts. North is Basic and South is RV with electric hook up. The dump station is south on IN37 near Tipsaw Lake. Both offer good shade and privacy. They were very peaceful . I liked North more then South the North sites were further apart offering the most privacy and quiet.

Peace and quiet 

I absolutely love camping here. I went for years with my family growing up in a pop up and pull behind. I recently went tent camping there and it was awesome as usual. Some of the trails￼ are a little rough, as in could use some mulch or rock but other than that it was really nice. There is a lot of space between sites so you’re not on top of your neighbor. They have nice showers and bathrooms that are always clean. They have both sites with and without electricity. Everyone is super friendly and helpful. If you like boating you can boat or kayak here. They don’t have a beach but there is a pace near by that you can go to if you want to swim. I like camping there in early spring and late fall the best and for least amount of people. 