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Established Camping

Indian-Celina Recreation Area

Indian-Celina Recreation Area, near Bristow, Indiana, is a peaceful spot tucked away in the Hoosier National Forest, perfect for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle. With a mix of tent, RV, and glamping options, it caters to various camping styles while providing a laid-back atmosphere.

The campground is known for its spacious, private sites surrounded by tall trees, offering a serene environment for relaxation. Visitors rave about the clean facilities, including modern restrooms and well-maintained vault toilets. One camper noted, “The bathrooms were very clean, even the vault toilets, and had the best TP in them.”

For outdoor enthusiasts, there are plenty of trails to explore nearby, and while swimming isn't allowed in the lakes, fishing is a popular activity. Campers have enjoyed catching bass and bluegill in the area, with one reviewer highlighting the “great fishing” available at the nearby lakes.

If you're looking for a quiet getaway with friendly hosts and a chance to connect with nature, Indian-Celina is a solid choice. Just remember to bring your kayak or paddleboard for some fun on the water!

Description

USDA Forest Service

Hoosier National Forest

Overview

The Indian-Celina Lake Recreation Area is a tranquil getaway in the midst of the Hoosier National Forest. Both the Celina and Indian Lakes are within the area, offering camping, boating, fishing and hiking, as well as tours of a historic site.

Recreation

Indian and Celina lakes are two of four fishing lakes along Highway 37. The lakes offer many miles of shoreline and coves for fishing for pan fish. Boat ramps are open year-round, and an accessible fishing pier is available on Celina Lake. Anglers can expect a variety of catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill and crappie. The sandstone block, historic Rickenbaugh House was built in 1874 and is open to visitors periodically throughout the year. The home and adjacent historic cemetery are popular among visitors. A variety of hiking trails exist within the area, including the relatively easy, 1 mile Rickenbaugh Interpretive Trail, which is located behind the historic Rickenbaugh House. The Two Lakes Loop National Recreation Trail encircles both Indian and Celina lakes and winds through many acres of natural and peaceful forests. The trail is 16 miles, but can encompass multiple, shorter day hikes.

Natural Features

The area is located in south-central Indiana, in a dense hardwood and pine forest, on 152-acre Indian and 164-acre Celina lakes. A variety of wildlife make its home in the area.

Nearby Attractions

Special Places on the Hoosier National Forest Brooks Cabin Buffalo Trace Carnes Mill Site Clover Lick Barrens Hickory Ridge Lookout Tower Initial Point Lick Creek African American Settlement The Jacob Rickenbaugh Homestead Wesley Chapel Gulf

Fee Info

Each campsite fee includes a camping unit (tent,camper) & one vehicle (single sites) and two vehicles (double sites). There is a $8.00 charge per day for the second vehicle, and $8.00 charge per day for any additional vehicle (must be paid at time of check-in). Maximum two vehicles per single site, and four vehicles per double site. There is a surcharge for the site with electric and water. Annual Boat/Day Use Pass: $50.00 each (sticker must be applied to the windshield of the registered vehicle) $30.00 each additional in the same household. May be used at Hardin Ridge, Indian-Celina and Tipsaw Recreation Areas.

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Location

Indian-Celina Recreation Area is located in Indiana

Detail location of campground

Directions

From St. Crois, Indiana, travel south on State Route 37 about 2 miles to the Indian-Celina Recreation Area sign. Turn right and continue to the campground.

Address

Indian-Celina Lake Recreation Area 20230 St Croix Pl
Bristow, IN 47515

Coordinates

38.1991667 N
86.5983333 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.
  • Boat-In
    Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Unknown
  • Verizon
    Unknown
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Unknown

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Tent Cabin

Features

For Campers

  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Firewood Available
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • WiFi
  • Drinking Water
  • Electric Hookups
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Water Hookups
  • 50 Amp Hookups

Reviews

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20 Reviews

Reviewed Aug. 14, 2024

Peacefull

Quiet. Friendly helpful staf.

Siten32
Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Jun. 21, 2024

Quite

This is the third time we have stayed here.

Month of VisitJune
Reviewed Oct. 13, 2023

Away from the crazy parks

This location is much more laid back than neighboring state parks. It’s low key and quiet. Regionally there are lots of things to see and do but this location is just a low stress stay. Side note, the new shower house is great!

Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Indian-Celina Recreation Area by Nathan G., October 13, 2023
Reviewed Jun. 4, 2023

Quiet and Clean in the Tall Trees

Indian-Celina is a beautiful campground. The sites are set up well for tent camping with flat gravel tent pads set deep in tall trees with ample privacy. The restrooms were spotless and modern and the shower stalls were spacious and private with locking doors. There is no swimming here, but you can swim a few miles away at Tipsaw Lake. Just watch out for the abundant poison ivy!

SiteSouth Slope #26
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Indian-Celina Recreation Area by Mike D., June 4, 2023
  • Review photo of Indian-Celina Recreation Area by Mike D., June 4, 2023
Reviewed Mar. 21, 2022

Loved the beauty

Stayed on site #31 at North loop. Large site. Has a big fire ring and a picnic table. This site is pretty level. Check out Hemlock Cliffs in the area. Amazing landscape on a one mile loop.

Site31 North loop
Month of VisitMarch
  • Review photo of Indian-Celina Recreation Area by Marilynn K., March 21, 2022
  • Review photo of Indian-Celina Recreation Area by Marilynn K., March 21, 2022
Reviewed Nov. 24, 2021

Quiet spot with some good trails

Wife and I rented a site here on the South Loop for a weekend. It was probably about half full. Good space between sites, you could see about 3 sites from our own. Could not really hear any of our neighbors. Would definitely love to go back with a kayak or a canoe to paddle the lake.

  • Review photo of Indian-Celina Recreation Area by Matthew C., November 24, 2021
  • Review photo of Indian-Celina Recreation Area by Matthew C., November 24, 2021
Reviewed Apr. 24, 2021

Great fishing and camping in Perry county

Four lakes within a short drive of each other. Celina, Indian, Tipasaw and Saddle. Very good fishing. Red ear, blue gill, bass and catfish are the catch of the day. The campgrounds are private and easy to back into.

Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Oct. 28, 2020

Cute lakes, paddlable but not swimmable. Nice camp hosts.

When we stayed here it was like 100 degrees.  Our camp host was so sweet and gave us a box fan to use (there is electrical) so that we could have some relief from the heat.  

Our camp site was nice and private yet close to a bathroom.  The bathroom, even though vaulted, was kept very clean.  

The lakes are pretty and we were able to explore with our paddle boards, but I wouldn't necessarily swim there.  

We liked this pretty campsite.  

We had cellular reception so we were able to work and stream music.  :)

There were these cute little lizards that roamed our campground.  Didn't expect to see those.  They are harmless, and probably eat the mosquitos, so we liked them.

Reviewed Sep. 7, 2020

Great sites and hosts, cannot swim in lake

Stayed 4 nights at Indian-Celina on the South loop with some friends (sites 25, 26, and 27) during August 2020. Overall, we had a great time. The sites are pretty spread out and private, the bathrooms are clean, and water spigots are everywhere. The hosts are friendly (there are two, one for the north loop and one for the south loop), and are who you buy wood/parking signs from. 

Unfortunately, despite the udsa.gov website mentioning this was a swimmable lake, both the Indian and Celina lakes do not have a beach and cannot be swam in. Thankfully, there's a beach on Tipsaw lake that's about a 10 minute drive away that allows for free day-use if you have an Indian-Celina tag.

Electric hookups are solid and we were able to pull 24 amps consistently from the TT-30 outlets. Cell service on Verizon is very spotty and the general assumption is that it doesn't work. But still good enough to send out an occasional text.

SiteSouth Loop 25, 26, and 27
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Indian-Celina Recreation Area by David , September 7, 2020
  • Review photo of Indian-Celina Recreation Area by David , September 7, 2020
Reviewed Sep. 22, 2019

Stayed 3 nights

We loved this campground. We were there 3 nights. Most of the sites are rather private from each other. The bathrooms were very clean, even the vault toilets, and had the best TP in them. The hosts were very nice and friendly. They introduced themselves in the first hour we were there and invited us to a couple of free events and made recommendations on the best hikes for what we wanted to see. We would go again, but I think we'd want to enjoy more water activities next time. We'll have to bring a kayak or paddle boards.

  • Review photo of Indian-Celina Recreation Area by Debra W., September 22, 2019
  • Review photo of Indian-Celina Recreation Area by Debra W., September 22, 2019
Reviewed Apr. 27, 2019

Camping

Nice quiet and a Great Lake to go fishing.

Reviewed Sep. 8, 2018

Clean and secluded

Two lakes within the recreation area to fish and boat in. During mid August, Celine lake has freshwater Jellyfish that you can catch. Campsites nice!

Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Aug. 5, 2018

Quiet Hoosier national Forest CG

This was a very quiet campsite in southern Indiana. We had a hard time finding dispered camping in the national Forest so we settled for this site. There was one other site occupied in the middle of the week so it was definitely quiet. Gravel platform for pitching a tent. Clean bathrooms with flush toilets and sinks which were nice.

  • Review photo of Indian-Celina Recreation Area by Akiva G., August 5, 2018
Reviewed Jun. 9, 2018

Quiet, Relaxing Campground

Each site was spacious and not jammed up against other sites. It is very family oriented with plenty of friendly campers. The restrooms could use a facelift, but were clean and adequate. I camped in the north loop and enjoyed the beautiful forest setting. The campground is just off the highway, but I never heard any road noise. I enjoyed hiking the trail between the North and South loops.

Month of VisitOctober
Reviewed Jun. 5, 2018

Just the necessaries

Indian Lake is co-located with Celina Lake and two campground.

Once you turn off of IN37 you just keep straight to get to Indian Lake. Along the long twisty road there are several parking spots to pull off and access the Two Rivers Trail which is a 15 mile loop around both lakes. You can disperse camp for $5 a night at least 300 ft off the trail.

We visited Indian Lake while we were in the area and it is the boatramp, small float dock, parking area and pit toilet only. No picnic tables, no swimming, not much shore line to speak of. The lake looked nice and with the electric motor restriction it was very quiet. Definitely not as busy as Celina Lake while we were there.

Also in the area there is a Citgo for basic supplies and Tell City further south for Wally World and food choices.

Month of VisitJune
  • Two Rivers Trail access
    Play button icon
  • Review photo of Indian-Celina Recreation Area by Shelly S., June 5, 2018
  • Review photo of Indian-Celina Recreation Area by Shelly S., June 5, 2018
  • (8) View All
Reviewed Sep. 15, 2016

Weekend trip

The forestry is awesome. Campgrounds are clean some with electric. Not much of a crowd for the weekend I was there. The lakes are nice for fishing in a boat. Not much bank space to fish. The trails are cry nice. The making of some could be better. Over all a great place to stay and camp and do outdoor activities.

Reviewed Jun. 23, 2016

Reunion

I came here for a reunion for with a group of old friends. The campsite is quite nice and is equipped with fire rings and restrooms. They do offer short hikes with cuts through the trees

Reviewed Jun. 21, 2016

Great hiking!

We really enjoyed the hiking at this site. The trails were long, but not too difficult, but slightly overgrown. The had very pretty views of the lake

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How much does it cost to camp at Indian-Celina Recreation Area?

    Camping at Indian-Celina Recreation Area can cost between $34.97 and $35.00 depending on the site.

  • Does Indian-Celina Recreation Area have RV hookups?

    According to TheDyrt.com, Indian-Celina Recreation Area has 50 amp electric hookups and water hookups.

  • What is the max vehicle length at Indian-Celina Recreation Area?

    Indian-Celina Recreation Area allows vehicles up to 35 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Indian-Celina Recreation Area?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Indian-Celina Recreation Area, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Does Indian-Celina Recreation Area have wifi?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Indian-Celina Recreation Area does have wifi.

  • How hard is it to get a campsite at Indian-Celina Recreation Area?

    Some campers book as far as 6 months in advance, so on high-demand weekends it can be very difficult to get a campsite at Indian-Celina Recreation Area. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Indian-Celina Recreation Area, try setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts

  • Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Indian-Celina Recreation Area?

    There are 64 campsites at Indian-Celina Recreation Area and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts