Campgrounds near Bainbridge, Indiana provide a mix of recreational camping experiences across state parks and private facilities. The Cecil M Harden Lake Raccoon State Recreation Area offers both developed and primitive sites with accommodation for tents, RVs, and cabins within wooded surroundings. Turkey Run State Park Campground and Shades State Park, located within 20-30 minutes of Bainbridge, feature additional camping options with varying amenities and access to hiking trails and water recreation.
Most campgrounds in the region require reservations, particularly during summer months when lake access draws visitors. Cecil M Harden Lake tends to fill quickly, especially on weekends and holidays between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Weather conditions vary seasonally, with camping generally available year-round at some locations while others operate only from April through October. The terrain at many sites presents leveling challenges, as noted in several reviews. "Most sites are very unlevel though - so bring ALL your blocks," reported a camper describing the Cecil M Harden Lake facilities.
Campers consistently highlight water recreation as a primary draw to the area's mixed-use campgrounds. The 2,060-acre Cecil M Harden reservoir provides boating, fishing and swimming opportunities with rental options available. Several developed campgrounds feature paved walking/biking paths connecting camping areas to beaches and boat launches. While primitive camping areas offer more privacy and direct lake access, they typically have more basic facilities. Electric hookup sites tend to be more densely arranged, creating a community atmosphere that some find too crowded. A visitor noted, "It was as if it was a little city with how many people/campers/RVs/campers there were" when describing the electric camping areas. For families, the combination of water activities, playgrounds, and hiking trails makes these campgrounds particularly appealing despite occasional crowding.
$14 - $52 / night
"Raccoon State Recreation Area | Cecil M Harden Lake is located in the heart of historic covered bridge country just 50 miles West of Indianapolis."
"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."
$20 - $45 / night
"Turkey Run is arguably the most popular campground (and state park) in Indiana and has its pros and cons."
"Much enjoyed hiking some of the trails at Turkey Run State Park near Marshall, Indiana. This is Indiana's 2nd oldest state park, now 100 years old (1916-2016)."
$14 - $22 / night
"Canopied by the big beautiful Indiana trees. Close to some good hiking trails."
"Located north of turkey run state park shades offers all the hiking and scenic terrain with less amenities and less crowds. Sugar creek cuts through the ancient sandstone floor creating canyon walls."
$20 - $35 / night
"Cagles Mill Lake borders the southwestern side of the area. We arrived to a very quiet campground with few campers."
"Each campsite is spacious and has plenty of space away from your neighbors. There was plenty of shade even though our pad wasn't tucked back in the woods."
$25 - $40 / night
"Nice clean park in west-central Indiana that has a lake and a large number of camping sites along with restrooms and showers."
"The campground is located within close proximity of both Turkey Run and Shades State Park."
"We arrived at 2am, but they had us all situated for late checkin. The campground itself was very lovely and quiet."
"Really 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."
$30 - $45 / night
"There are few trails looping around for the walks. Most of tent sites got shade. Rv sites all seem to be level, although kind of close together. Nice and clean bathrooms and shower facility."
"The campsite it very spacious and there’s a decent amount of distance between each site. Sites by the river are especially nice."
$25 / night
"Only sites are next to us. Woods behind and open grass and field in front of this site. Disc golf course is awesome, in the woods, up and down ravine. 18 holes plus practice basket."
"That spot has a trail behind it to go down to a little dock which seems like many other people may use the trail, so probably won't use that site when it gets busy."
"This easy-access-from-the-highway RV park is really nice. The spots are accessible, the bathrooms are AMAZING (no…seriously), the little attractions are adorable and the host is terrific."
"It's a nice place to walk around, though we were wandering past empty tent spots so in the busy season it might be less free-form on where you can roam."
"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"
TravelerGreat little campground, decently spaced spots and lots of thoughtful people in a great area. Would def come back if I go through Indiana again. The lady who works in the shack quickly changed my site to one that fits my rv after pulling in and seeing it was way too small. Thanks again ma’am!
ScoutWe just stopped overnight. It was just fine
ScoutHad a great annual relationship with this campground. When we first started going they did not have their canoes and kayaks service. We had our our own so no big deal. They let us put in and take out. Then they started their livery service. They were hesitant about letting us use they put in and take out spot but since we would help with some of the chores around the campground we built a good relationship with the owners. They once said "you are the only ones we allow to do this" thought that we were sort of grandfathered in at that point. 20 years later....they must have forgotten their words and we were told since we took out our canoes at there site we were not allowed to come back ever again. You word goes a long way in my book and it evidently got forgotten or they just got mean.
GuideThis is a beautiful park with lots of amenities. The sites have paved pads but very few are level - weird. Lake access, wooded and sunny sites.
ScoutWell maintained and quiet campground. There is no tent camping but it has large pull through sites and they can accommodate large RVs
LegendThe Indianapolis KOA was easy to find just off I-70. We had heard that check-in involved a tight turn near the office, but we had no issues navigating the turn with our 40’ fifth wheel and F450. Check-in was quick and easy, and we proceeded to deluxe Paw Pen Site D55, a pull-through with full hookups. We’ve stayed at KOAs with Paw Pens before, but this location had the largest fenced dog area we’ve seen to date, which was a nice surprise. Cell coverage was solid with 3 bars on both Verizon and T-Mobile. The campground has a lot of mature trees, so satellite service could be challenging depending on site location. For this overnight stay, we used our T-Mobile Home Internet and saw 35.4 Mbps download speeds instead of deploying Starlink. Campground Wi-Fi was available but slow at 3.89 Mbps download. The laundry room was clean and well maintained, with large washers and dryers. There was signage noting that the well water may stain white clothing, but we washed some white items without any issues. Take a few minutes to read the campground rules—they’re surprisingly hilarious and worth the laugh. Overall, this was a great overnight stop and one of the better KOA stays we’ve had.
GuideVery nice and quiet. Beautiful scenery with nice walking trails. Not sure if it’s due to the government shut down but when we arrived, we had to turn around and go back to the main park office in order to register instead of the little office that is at the entrance of the campground. We are only staying one night and off to our next destination.
GuideOne of my favorite places to stay. 5 full hook up, one cozy cabin, and plenty of room for tents
RangerWe stayed here for the 1st Annual HikerFest and had a blast! 106 of our little Hikers took up the majority of the park. The full-timers that stay here for the season were very kind and cordial; freely giving of advice on local attractions to see and things to do during our stay. The museum was really interesting! They gave a great tour with lots of stories about country legends. The bath house was clean and tidy. The showers were ok. Porta-potties throughout the campground, not so much… Campsites are close together and without privacy, some more level than others. Try to grab a spot near the trees for a bit of shade. Great music. Awesome weekend!
Camping spots near Bainbridge, Indiana offer diverse terrain with moderate elevation changes of 100-300 feet throughout the region. Most campgrounds sit within mixed hardwood forests dominated by oak, maple and hickory trees, with typical summer humidity levels reaching 70-85%. Rainfall averages 40 inches annually, creating occasional trail challenges particularly in April and October.
Canoeing and kayaking on Sugar Creek: At Sugar Creek Campground, water activities are readily available with rental options onsite. "Offers kayaking, canoeing, and tubing. Very clean and well maintained campground," notes Linda M. Trips range from 2-8 miles with varying difficulty levels.
Disc golf: Several campgrounds feature maintained disc golf courses. The course at Rockville Lake County Park provides a challenging layout. "Disc golf course is awesome, in the woods, up and down ravine. 18 holes plus practice basket. Hole 1 starts by primitive sites closer to beach," explains Smeeta T.
Fishing: Multiple stocked ponds and lake access points offer fishing opportunities throughout the area. "The pond is stocked with GIANT fish (catch and release only)," reports Gretchen G. about Sugar Creek Campground. Most locations require Indiana fishing licenses for visitors age 18 and older.
Clean facilities: Many campers highlight the well-maintained bathhouses. "The bathrooms were super clean and the showers were hot with good water pressure," mentions Samantha S. at Turkey Run State Park Campground. Most modern campgrounds feature updated shower facilities with hot water.
Spacious sites: Several campgrounds offer larger-than-average sites with good separation. At Rockville Lake County Park, "The sites range from very uneven to moderately uneven in this section. The full hookup site section is flat but with less tree cover," notes Jeremiah G. Site sizes vary significantly between campgrounds.
Creek access: Direct water access ranks high with visitors to multiple campgrounds. "We booked site 41 which is a double site. I'd highly recommend this site. It backs up to Sugar Creek which is just gorgeous in the spring. We saw all kinds of birds, turtles, frogs and even a couple snakes," writes Katie H.
Leveling challenges: Many sites throughout the region present leveling difficulties. "Most sites in the modern electric water only can be awkward to back into with no room to pull forward due to a ditch in some areas," reports Jeremiah G. Bring leveling blocks and check site descriptions when booking.
Limited phone service: Cell coverage varies widely across campgrounds. At Shades State Park Campground, there's minimal infrastructure. "The gatehouse is your only source of information. There's no nature center or visitor center. Get a park map," advises Cynthia K.
Wildlife encounters: Raccoons are particularly active around camping areas. "Watch out for the raccoons. Those guys are not afraid of anything," warns Samantha S. about Turkey Run State Park. Food storage containers are recommended at all campgrounds.
Multiple playgrounds: Several campgrounds feature multiple play areas for different age groups. "3 playgrounds for kids. We were the only people there the first 2 days," notes Smeeta T. at Rockville Lake County Park. Most playgrounds are centrally located within camping loops.
Beach and swimming access: Lake Waveland Park offers designated swimming areas with sandy beaches. "They do have a beach," confirms Nicole B. The swimming areas typically operate from Memorial Day through Labor Day without lifeguards.
Family-friendly atmosphere: Campground management actively maintains peaceful environments. "We love the family friendly atmosphere, and all of the extras they offer for the kids! The owners are simply amazing! I greatly appreciate how strictly they enforce the rules of the grounds! We never have to worry about being kept up all night," reports Alyssa M.
Hookup locations: Pay attention to utility placement when booking. At Lieber State Recreation Area Campground, "We chose our site based on being next to water.. but.. despite the fact that we chose our site based on being next to water.. they have the spickets hacked off. So you couldn't attach a hose," cautions Shannon C.
Site evenness: RV sites vary significantly in levelness throughout the region. "It definitely sloops to the back corner. It was difficult to level our camper but we got it in the end," reports Michelle M. about Turkey Run State Park. Extra leveling blocks are recommended for most campgrounds.
Limited big rig access: Many campgrounds have tight access roads with low-hanging branches. "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," notes Jeremiah G. RVs over 35 feet face challenges at most local campgrounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Bainbridge, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Bainbridge, IN is Cecil M Harden Lake Raccoon State Recreation Area with a 4.6-star rating from 33 reviews.
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