Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Brownsburg, IN

This place is pretty awesome. It's doesn't have any of the typical summer amenities like a pool but the ones it does have are in tip top shape. Campsites also don't have fire rings but there are a bunch of communal ones around the lake. Plus free communal firewood. The laundry and bathhouse is really stellar too. Clean and open 24/7. Plenty of washers and dryers. There are easy back-ins and pull-thrus. Think some of the pull-thrus are for group camping too the way it's set up. Dog park, free cable (like 60 channels!) and internet (haven't tested strength yet)! I dig it!

I stayed with full hookups, but no cable (don't need it, so don't know if it's available) and we weren't close enough to connect to the WIFI (only close enough to occasionally see 1 bar pop up).

Friendly folks, catch and release fishing pond, and a pond with beach for swimming. Good size playground, jump pad, and off-leash"dog park" available as well.

On AT&T, I typically had 2 bars and no problem streaming music or browsing Facebook. My fellow travelers, on Sprint, said they had poor reception. I'm guessing 1 bar.

Worth noting that my wife said the water pressure in the shower house was fairly low. (I shower in the camper, so can't comment.) Water pressure was fine at our site, though. Also worth noting that many of the back-in sites can be pull-through if you get there when it's not busy.

We were so fortunate to have found The Retreat at Hickory Hills and stay there for a month! There’s two pools, a pickle ball court, a basketball half court, farm animals, golf cart trails, kayak/canoe/row boats, exploring creeks, fishing, a dog park, several playgrounds, Gaga ball, tether ball, volleyball, frisbee golf and several weekend activities for everyone. Saturday mornings were our favorite where we could get biscuits and gravy, coffee and the kids had craft time. It’s definitely worth bringing mountain bikes or renting their golf carts to explore their golf cart trails! We went out on these several times and it never got old! Staff and campers were welcoming and friendly. We still haven’t stopped talking about how CLEAN they keep everything. The sites were large and they’re still expanding and adding more sites. There’s a seasonal campers area and an overnight or monthly area. We stayed in the overnight/monthly area. It was peaceful and relaxing throughout the week and lively during the weekend. It was a wonderful balance!! We’ll definitely be back.

Styed here with the grandkids and we all had a great time. Nice playgrounds and a pool with lots of water features for the kids. (Not really an adult's pool, but that's ok by me) They loved petting and feeding the horses. Campsites were large. We even had an ice cream and watched a movie in the activities hall. Really enjoyed our time there.

I learned of this place through the Dyrt (thank you!) and knew I wanted to stay here! There are several options available: tent camping (including a tree tent!), RV camping (two with electric hookups), and a 170-year-old log cabin. If you are RV camping, there are two very clean, private, and fully stocked "outhouses" (see photo below)

We originally planned to camp in our van but with below-freezing temperatures and a forecasted snowstorm, we decided to take refuge in the log cabin. To call this a log cabin is a disservice; yes, it is made from logs(and is 170 years old) but I was expecting a tiny one-room cabin; instead it is a two-story cozy home that can sleep up to six people, all in one upstairs room (two full-size beds and two twin beds; would be great for families). It was cozy and warm, heated by a gas stove. The bathroom (with a shower) is accessed from just outside the back door but is heated. The kitchen is an outdoor grill and picnic table, but we did not use this. 

Tim and Beth were very welcoming, as was Juno, their dog. We enjoyed helping to feed the Alpacas– they have over 50. The rooster crowed gustily at dawn (but dawn was after 7 am and we were already awake). Also on the farm is Stormy, the horse, chickens, and some barn cats. There is a shop that sells goods made from Alpaca wool and we made sure to visit before departing. 

Staying here was truly special and we hope to return to camp in one of the RV spots or the tree tent in the future.

Turkey Run is my all time favorite State Park in Indiana. It has great camping with both reserved and walk up options (get there early for walk up options). Reservations can be made here: https://indianastateparks.reserveamerica.com/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=IN&parkId=570032&ltcmp=177360&ltclickid=03_51015144_cfbb0fa2-9eb5-41c1-bcb2-f620d18c259e

The campgrounds have modern facilities including showers. Dogs are allowed. We love the hiking trails. The extra bonus for us was to do a covered bridge driving tour!

Campground Review:

UPDATE: we're still finding issues with our camper's plumbing that we can trace back to this campground.

If you're looking for a great place for catch and release fishing, this is it! There are three huge ponds fully stocked with fish. The fishing is also open to the public where people can get day passes for 2, 4, 8 or 12 hours of fishing. It may also include access to the pool. I'm not too knowledgeable on fishing but the ponds do look a bit murky and dirty. If you were able to keep the fish, I'm not sure I would want to eat what I caught. The pool is nice and open based on request from 11am-6pm and they'll extend the hours based on the weather and amount of people there. Weekends are much busier than the week days. The grounds has 5 rows of RV sites. It seems most of them are filled with seasonal folks who spend almost every weekend here. Most are back in sites as well. The roads are pretty nicely done with white rock. I don't remember any serious potholes. There campground does not offer cable, internet or laundry. They are pet friendly, however, due to it being more about the fishing, watch where they step, I've found old fishing wire with hooks still attached on the ground. You get a code to the gate if you are staying for a while, more short term people will get a token to put in and you'll have to get a new token every time you want to come in from the store. The store is mostly filled with fishing gear, some snacks and drinks too. All in all, its an all right campground. I've stayed at nicer, I've stayed at worse. 

Product Review:

As a ranger for the Dyrt, I sometimes get products to test out. This time I've been testing out hats from Banner & Oak. They have a wide array of hats available on their site including beanies for those colder months. I got one from both the men's and women's sections. First off, I wish there were just as many options for the women's as the men's. A lot of them men's ones are much cooler. Like the one I got which says "Freedom To Explore" I can't think of a better slogan for the RV lifestyle. With both hats you can tell they are made from very high quality materials. That they will last a long, long time. Even through the sweatiest of hikes. Both hats are adjustable which is nice. As a woman, I opted for the women's style since the website stated it had a different sizing structure to fit our different sized heads. I find that if I wear it properly, it will still push down on my ears a little bit. I am, however, still able to wear my sunglasses and the hat no problem and the sun stays out of my face. I do prefer the sizing on the men's hat, maybe I have a weird head shape but I know its pretty small. 

Banner & Oak also sell these really awesome aluminum mugs that also say "Freedom To Explore."  The material makes them durable in the camper while we're traveling down the road and they are the perfect size for morning coffee! They're only 10 oz so it gives you the perfect amount (unless your they type that takes an IV of coffee every morning). Great stuff Banner & Oak!

**The campsites are so close to each other no privacy, there was a camper on both sides of us and we were in a tent when we arrived one neighbor had all there stuff (bicycles, dog, dog accessories, all in our spot, and they had helped thereselves to our picnic table, we saw a couple open spots next to us with a little more privacy so we asked if we could switch the lady said they were spoken for I stayed 2 nights no one ever showed up to them sites very unhappy will not return. **

Booked here last minute for the night on my way west. Beautiful campground with lots of activities for the family. They are all dog friendly with a few small dog runs spread throughout the sites. Primitive is $60 n/, full water/electricity is $80 n/. A bit pricey, but It’s worthwhile due to all that they have; horses, goats (that you can feed), a medium camping store with an ice cream shop attached, showers and running toilets.

GPS will take you to the back entrance that you cannot get in at. Instead of turning at the light, continue going down to the roundabout until you see the KOA sign and it’ll take you to the actual entrance and then office to sign in.

My wife our dogs and I camped here from 08/20/21- 08/22/21 camping in a Winnebago Micro Minnie 2108 TB. The campground had a nice playground and we really enjoyed the area.

My wife our dogs and were at site 207 from 05/14/21- 05/16/21 camping in a Winnebago Micro Minnie 2108 TB. We had reservations at this campground prior to purchasing our travel trailer so we camped in a primitive, the roads were pretty tight getting the trailer back to our reserved site. The campground was great for camping and hiking.

This KOA served as " home" for my husband and I for 3 weeks while moving. The family that runs the campground is wonderful and extremely helpful. The little restaurant has great food at good prices, and many ice cream flavors for those hot summer day's! Great pool and a place to let your dog run! The cabin we stayed in had so much privacy and was adorable! We love this KOA and can't wait to go back!

Lots of monthly campers and lots of trash. I picked up a trash bag full just behind my spot. When you check-in the list of rules makes it feel very unwelcoming. The "lakes" are more like ponds but you have to stay away so the anglers get the water. Not supposed to even walk around! You back in so you're facing away from the water. The "dog walk" is a strip of grass by the very busy street. You hear all the traffic noise plus gunshots or blasts from somewhere nearby. Way over priced too. Go to White River campgrounds, amazing place!

Turkey 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.

There is lots to do here! I came here earlier in the summer for a day of hiking and really enjoyed it. We hiked for hours and only covered a small protion of the trails available. There are so many nice spots to take in the views. Its dog friendly but some trails have steep parts with ladders so you'll have to keep to the more shallow trails. The trails can also get full of people during the midday and early afternoon so get out early. I can't wait to come back amd explore all there is to see.