Best Glamping near Birdseye, IN

This park is conveniently located beside Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana! There is a wide variety of activities and it's a fun place to camp with family! Some of the sites are a little too close together but other than that, my family really enjoys camping at Lake Rudolph!

PROS:
Beautiful lake with geese nesting areas and great fishing opportunities. Calm waters for kayaking.

CONS:

Since July 2020, the Governor of the State of Indiana has mandated face coverings in indoor areas and in outside spaces where social distancing is not possible (and signs are posted everywhere). During our three-day-stay, we did not see any DNR staff at the gatehouse, the campground store, or a conservation officer complying with wearing a mask. In addition, most campground guests were not wearing them either.

In addition, this park is listed as participating in the Explore Indiana pin program but no one seemed to know anything about it. We did the work to earn it but were not able to add it to our collection.

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.

The park is well kept and organized. There are a ton of sites to visit and see. If you like hiking or mountain biking this is for you! Horse people love it also. The campground is near the trail to the old abandoned bridge which is well worth the hike. The fire tower has a commanding view. If you are not enjoying this park, not much else in Indiana will make you happy. Extra points: experienced cavers will enjoy the number of caves. These are by permit only however and novice non cavers should take a proper class and go with experts. There are multiple show caves in the area you can get a basic tour of also.

My husband, 3.5yo, 1yo and myself went to O'Bannon Woods the weekend before the 4th of July and I can't believe I've never been there! It's an amazing little park. We camp in a 12' pop up and our site 111 was nice for it. We did have to back between two trees at about 10pm in the dark, but we made it!

We LOVED the nature center and the living history village! The nature center had plenty of critters for the kids to look at. The living village was a pleasant surprise since I didn't realize they had one. They also have demonstrations of the hay press on holiday weekends which was really neat to watch.

We only hiked one trail and that was the one from the campground to the nature center. It was fairly rough in spots but enjoyable. The nearby caves ran by the park were a nice escape from the summer heat. We went on the short one with the kids and it was just the right length for their ages.

Also, if you like wine, there's a little winery down the road, Scout Mountain and they had the best deal on firewood along with great wine!

I can't wait to go back, I honestly can't believe I've lived in southern Indiana my whole life and have never been here.

Obannon Overall, this is a nice state park to camp in. Staff was very friendly. They have ice and wood. My kids enjoyed the nature center, pioneer village, and one of the easy trails.

We stayed in 220. It was nice to be right by the playground and bathrooms (which is what we wanted). Some spots near the back would be nice and secluded like the 180s and 190s and they’re still not too far from the bathrooms and playground. The better playground is in loop A.

I will say, I didn’t see any staff members cleaning up trash, getting campsites ready, or anything the 2 days we were there. Even though we went in November, it was a nice weekend and wasn’t dead, so I was surprised I didn’t see anyone cleaning. Wasn’t the cleanest state campground we’ve been at in Indiana. Certainly wasn’t awful though either.

My biggest gripe was they were hosting a huge cycling group. Like the whole loop A. We were all the way back in C. They held a concert that went on from like 8-11 pm. Being in a pop up, it was so loud and never ending. Made it difficult for my kids to sleep. If they’re going to hold (or allow) events like these, it should be posted on their website. Even with our sound machine, we still couldn’t block it out. I realize quiet hours aren’t until 11, but to me there’s a difference.

There is also hardly any signage and spots are difficult to find. No arrows about which way to go, signs saying which loop you’re in, and spots are only marked on the electrical boxes.

Overall, may stay again and try out the pool since we’re not too far from home, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to stay here.

A relaxing weekend well spent. My husband and I have been to Lake Celina for a day hike before, so when planning where to go for a weekend of car camping choosing this place was a no brainer. Lots of different kinds of campgrounds depending on your preference. If you’re the kind who wanna socialize or in a large group who needs a campground within eyeshot, south loop is more for your taste. There’s lots of RVs parked, people chatting,laid back drinking beer just having a good time! My husband and I wanted a secluded quite camp as we also have our pup who gets a little too excited around strangers and other dogs. We got that in #7 camp in north loop. We felt like we own the place!

This camp ground is delightful. All of the sites are spaced far enough away that you’ll have your privacy. The sites are clean and spacious as well as very flat for tents

North Face Loop in Hoosier National Forest is my idea of camping. This is no loud party hub with people blowing by on their golf carts and playing music until 2 in the morning.

Moderately wooded, well spaced, basic sites that provide privacy and shade. There are walk in sites as well with picnic table and fire ring. There are pit toilets, water access points and a small showerhouse. The camp hosts were friendly and helpful, one actually “chased” me down when she realized she gave me inaccurate information. You need cash by the way, no card machines here. $5 and $1 bills will do you.

There are two lakes, Indian and Celina , in the immediate area, electric motors only, which just adds to my liking it;). Two Rivers Trail is a nice 15ish mile technical trail that goes around both lakes, with dispersed camping $5 a night, 300 ft off the trail and your good. The interpretive trail by Celina Lake is about 1 mile and has small signs with historical information. The Rickenbaugh's once lived on this secluded lake and their home still sits on the shore. There is a kiosk nearby with information about them and the area and their family cemetery is about 100 yards up the road.

We hiked extensively and though this is definitely not mountainous terrain it will give you a work out. A lot of cool rock formations and wild life to be seen, then there's the tick's. I thought LBL, Ky was bad, the tick's here seem like the Infantry, swarming the objective from all side's. Bring your bug stuff!

We spent time at the lake , though no kayaking this trip. The small fishing pier we visited is handicap accessible adjacent to the handicap parking spot. The pit toilet is nearby and also accessible. The picnic area is in the shade and there is a water fountain. The boat ramp area which is in front of the Rickenbaugh house, is well maintained and a little busy. A lot of fisherman, kayakers and canoers but even with all the loading and unloading it was still very peaceful and low key.

There is a Citgo and zip-line Eagles Wing south on IN 37. If you continue south you end up in Tell City were the local Ranger Station is as well as the usual amenities, ie: Wally World, fast food, ETC.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!