Are you planning a camping trip to Buck Creek with your dog? We've got you covered. Finding pet-friendly campgrounds in Indiana is easier than ever. Whether you're looking for a quiet location in the woods or a place near local attractions, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect spot for you and your pup.
As Indiana’s second state park, Turkey Run Campground was established in 1916. The story behind its name suggests that local hunters would find herds of wild turkeys gathering in the area’s narrow canyon bottoms—called “runs”—and funnel them out for easy harvesting. The area’s natural history goes back a little father—upwards of 600 million years. It was around this time that the sandstone and coal deposits seen in the park were being formed and compacted in a vast, swampy plain. Fast-forward several million years, and Ice Age meltwaters cut and scoured the creeks, canyons, and potholes seen today. Some of the glacial erratics (boulders) seen in the park are actually pieces of bedrock that were transported from as far north as Canada. Visitors to Turkey Run can explore these unique canyons, enjoy the park’s natural scenery, fish and paddle in Sugar Creek, and see several historic sites.
Located 10 miles north of Rockville, and 70 miles west of Indianapolis, Turkey Run State Park is year-round nature and recreation area covering nearly 2,400 acres along Sugar Creek. The campground at Turkey Run features more than 200 tent and RV sites with electrical hookups, picnic tables and fire pits with cooking grills; some sites are ADA accessible. Most sites are back-in and can accommodate vehicles/trailers up to 45 feet; a few pull-throughs can accommodate larger. All sites have access to drinking water, flush and vault restrooms, and showers; two dump stations are available onsite. There are also two primitive tent camping areas for youth groups, several cabins for rent, and the historic Turkey Run Inn, which offers 61 lodge rooms, a dining room, and meeting spaces. Dogs are permitted in the park, but must remain leashed. Campsites raters are $23–$33/night; other accommodations range from $67–$110/night; reservations accepted.
Besides exploring Turkey Run’s canyon runs, the park offers a variety of hiking trails, picnic areas, and sports courts. The park’s nature center showcases a variety of exhibits and interactive activities to educate visitors about the park’s geology, flora and fauna. Park naturalists offer guided hikes and nature walks, animal talks and campfire programs. Swimming is not permitted in Sugar Creek, but anglers can fish for bass and bluegill, and paddlers can head out in canoes and kayaks. Swimmers are invited to enjoy the park’s Olympic-sized swimming pool for cooling off during the warmer months. The park also offers hayrides and guided horseback rides. For a blast from the past, visitors can also tour the historic Lusk Home. Built in 1841, this restored European home displays a lifestyle from a bygone era. Watch out for the resident raccoons.
While visiting Cass County, discover the best that outdoor recreation has to offer at France Park. Swimming or scuba diving in the crystal clear water of a long ago abandoned stone quarry, hiking, biking or cross country skiing the 5-7 miles of well maintained trails, fishing in Lake Trimer, camping at one of the 200 modern or primitive campsites and the 24 hole Disc Golf course are some of the many activities available.
There are over 200 wooded campsites,both primitive and electric. Primitive sites ,only, are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Modern sites can be made by reservations. 130 sites have electricity which consists of 30 amp, 50 amp and 110 Volt plug ins. Water hook up is also available for most modern sites. There is no direct sewer hook up but we do provide a dump station. We also have one Primitive Cabin. It has a bunk bed and a double bed, which sleeps four people in total. NO Dogs allowed in the Cabin. The campground has two shower houses, one newly built with private showers rooms, and several playgrounds, there is also The Old Kenith Depot Store that sells ice, groceries, fishing and camping supplies, and ice cream. Everything the camper needs!
$18 - $45 / night
$20 - $35 / night
Enjoy a stay at Heritage Farm and experience all the exhilaration that an Indiana farm has to offer. Heritage Farm is a working alpaca farm with over 60 alpacas you can watch and interact with. Make friends with our black Labrador, Juno. Also residing on the farm are a flock of chickens, some barn cats and our horse, Stormy. If you want to, you can help with the daily chores of feeding the animals and collecting eggs. After that, you can explore the big red barn that was selected as one of the Top-Ten Bicentennial Barns in the state. Recently, our farm was the recipient of a rural preservation award from the Indiana Landmarks Foundation. Roam around the 120 acre homestead, woods and creek and soak in the sights, sounds and smells of the farm. **Lodging Options ** There are three overnight lodging options at Heritage Farm. An overnight stay at our 1850’s authentic log cabin will provide you a pioneer experience. We also having tent camping and RV parking available. For the more adventurous, campers can spend the night suspended several feet about the ground in our new Tentsile tree tent. Let’s face it, sleeping in the trees like a jungle animal is just plain fun. Take the kids or be a kid yourself to engage your playful, creative side. Look down on the forest floor from a whole new angle and revel in the novelty of doing something just for the fun of it. In addition to having animals you can touch and see, we love to educate people about alpacas and the joys of alpaca ownership. Be sure to visit our farm store before you leave where you can shop for alpaca products such as sweaters, hats, mittens, scarves, teddy bears and toys. Pick up some delicious honey collected from our hives or some farm fresh eggs from our flock of pastured chickens! Situated on 120 acres of Indiana’s agricultural heartland, Heritage Farm is located just 60 minutes north of the Indianapolis, between Lafayette and Kokomo and about 2 1/2 hours southeast of Chicago. To find out more about having a wedding, reunion or retreat at Heritage Farm, visit our Heritage Farm Events page.
$35 - $235 / night
If you’re looking for the perfect camping destination to tell spooky stories around the campfire, Shades State Park is the place to do it. Just 16 miles southwest of Crawfordsville, the area’s original name was Shades of Death. This harkens to some of the grizzly legends from early settlement years that originated under the area’s dark and foreboding forests. In the late 1800s, a health resort named “The Shades” was built on the site, taking advantage of the many natural springs in the area. Today, Shades State Park offers a pleasant and serene outdoor getaway among 3,000 acres of beech and oak woods and sandstone ravines, where Sugar Creek flows through and spills over small waterfalls.
Open from April through October, the campground in Shades State Park offers 105 drive-in campsites, 7 hike-in sites, and 10 boat-in sites. The main sites are equipped with tent spaces, picnic tables and fire rings, and can accommodate trailers and RVs up to 55 feet. Hookups are not available in this park, but there is a dump station. A limited number of sites are ADA accessible. Facilities in the campground include drinking water, flush restrooms, hot showers, picnic areas and playgrounds, and sports fields. An amphitheater hosts seasonal nature programs, and ice and firewood are available to purchase onsite. Campsite rates range from $10–$24/night; hike-in and boat-in sites are first-come, first-serve.
For exploring the area, more than 10 miles of hiking trails are available for exploring the Shades’ woods, waterways and canyons. Take a short, easy stroll along Red Fox Ravine, or more moderate hikes around Devil’s Punchbowl and Silver Cascade Falls. For more adventure, hike into the adjacent Pine Hills Nature Preserve on the east side of the park. Or, for a fun nighttime alternative, take a guided, full-moon hike with one of the park’s naturalists. Swimming and wading in Sugar Creek is not permitted, but you can cast a line for bass and bluegill, or visit one of the canoe outfitters outside the park to take a float down the creek.
$12 / night
Scout
Horrible owners, non functioning electric and sewer. Please see my detailed Google review for more information.
Scout
The"real" owner said in a recent meeting that he's flipping the place. He said the sewers were need of major repairs. Already raised the price appx$500. It's old out dated and the drunks are terrible. I think the place and"new? Owners and management" are NOT good people. I already reached out to y several times and I was there to relax not do your work. Maybe spend as much time in the place as the previous owner did and still does. Maybe owning and/or managing a campground is just not for you. I hope my review helps motivate you into becoming a better person owner and/or manager whichever one or all you are. Best of luck but my rating is one and if I could give a zero I would
Scout
Hit a little rough patch in life and needed a break from sleeping in the car and hotels . All the staff at the park were very friendly and understanding of our situation. At $20 a nite for tent site ,showers ,clean toilets ,whole park is very clean ! Lots of things to do here and the waterfall was our fav part ! Deff will be back when in the area . Our site was right down the Rd from the waterfall so had a great view !
Scout
We are here for just one night as we are headed back to Georgia. I used the Dyrt search and in this area I looked at this place and boy am I glad I did. I wish it were closer to home. We are next to the river and we are loving it. Beautiful sites and family friendly. Staff are great too.
Scout
Highway is louder than you’d think. No good night rest had. People spy on you just to report you. Main office head woman will not work with you and just give you a flat no when you ask about a refund.
Scout
I had a seasonal spot last year and I absolutely loved it! We went camping as much as we could(cause of work) owners and other campers are friendly. They do crafts and other things on almost every holiday
Guide
Stayed here recently and overall the trip was a 10, but as for the campground itself there are somethings that could definitely be better.
First, for all intents and purposes the sites are not marked. At some point years ago they stencil painted the numbers both on the concrete parking block and on the ground near the entry pad for each site, but obviously over time most of these are worn away. It's very difficult to find your actual site, even during the day when it's not busy. At night, or with a campground full of people - not a chance. Even more perplexing is why it's still like this when it's so easy to fix.
Second, on the back loop, where we were, almost every car we saw was going the wrong way around the loop. I've never seen this before and wasn't just one car. There is a sign at the start of the loop indicating it's one direction, so not sure why this happens.
Third, they have a camp store at the entry to the family campground, but it was never open in the time we were there, which was Friday / Saturday / Sunday, during the summer, so not sure what the situation was.
Fourth, while the campground does have functional flush bathroom and shower, they only have one, and the rest are pit toilets, so depending on how far your site is from the building, it could be a very long walk, especially at night.
The front gate to the park did have covered firewood, but the hours of the gate operation were not clear. The sites themselves were fine, but not particularly deep, and some are basically completely exposed to all the foot and vehicle traffic going to the toilets, the dumpsters, or just driving around, so basically zero privacy.
We did drive into Crawfordsville, which took about 20 minutes, and it was very nice with a local college (Wabash) and plenty of retail options to restock, grab a cold beverage, or refill the tank before driving home.
Would I stay here again, yes 100%, but be prepared and plan ahead. Would I recommend this to others? Meh.
Legend
Shade, grass, and gravel sites. A lot better than most KOAs. They ask that you not put outdoor rugs on grass; no problem as grass is nice. Sites 1-10 are your best bet for Starlink if that’s what you have; best opening through tree canopy of the northern sky. Pet friendly; counted three cats and a dog in the office when I checked in. Was given the option of choosing my site out of the seven available for my reservation. A mix of long term residents and travelers; some of the long term resident sites were a little junky.
ScoutThis place is quite beautiful and cool, clean and moreover the air is very fresh https://tiny-fishing.com really like coming here
GuideThis park is under new ownership. They have gotten the pool repaired and open and have cleaned up much of the park with more to come. The creek flowing through makes it so cool and peaceful and the animal life is beautiful. Saw a huge crane in the creek today along with a whole duck family…the folks there are friendly. There’s a dog park, playground, bounce pad, basketball court, pavilion and a great big dam across the street where the fishing is great! Boats are welcome and the staff is great!
Guide
I love staying by the Wabash River at Tall Sycamore. It’s a true community where everyone helps one another and the carry in dinners are fun and delicious!
Guide
We arrived late, and the friendly park security directed us to the campground.
The vault toilets were acceptably clean. Spots were close to the river. The campground has cabins, trails for hiking and horseback riding.
As other reviews have stated….the mosquitoes are prolific and abundant! We left early.
Guide
We stayed in buddy sites 81 and 82. Buddy sites are large, have full hookup, fire pits, and picnic tables. Lots of dogs around, pricing was about $50 a night per site. Restrooms had showers as well which made it easy to rinse off the mud. Great time all around.
GuideOnline reservations is a bit confusing. Map designated tent sites with numbers. When you book campsites they have letters with no map or site pics. You have to book a site but it says first come first serve. Good place for fishing from bank and launching kayak, canoes.
Traveler
We booked a primitive site, on a Friday night. We arrived and were the only ones in the primitive area, which for us was awesome. We got set up and was able to go for a walk and check out the trails, buildings, and the village. Everything was perfect. The host was so friendly, she came over and talked and gave us some background on the location, and things we could do for future visits. The shower, and bathrooms were nice, and clean, as was all areas of the campground.
Scout
It was overly crowded, the lake was murky (worse than normal), and we weren't even allowed to bring our floating island on to the lake.
Guide
Turkey Run is a fabulous state park with a nice campground. My only complaint about the campground is that many sites are in an open, level area without a lot of trees or bushes between them. You don’t have a lot of privacy. Two sections of the campground, with the higher numbered sites, are much more wooded. If I go again, I will try to be there!
But the campground has two large modern bathrooms that are cleaned regularly. It also has clean well maintained vault toilets throughout the campground. Best of all, from the back of the campground you can access Trail 7, a moderate level trail that leads unexpectedly to a small stream running past a recessed cave. It’s a peaceful spot.
Be advised that a “moderate” hike at Turkey Run can be challenging, with plenty of steps up and down the hillsides. Many of the trails go along stream beds, so you often need to make your way across the rocks to avoid wet feet. Be prepared with hiking boots and sticks.
There are two covered bridges on the edges of the park. Be sure to check them out!
Scoutwe love this campground! very peaceful friendly campground!
ScoutSo far nothings working out
GuideTurkey 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.
GuideWe visited this park twice (once in Sept 2020 and again in June 2021). Both times we stayed in the cabin campground and both times had very good experiences. Each time we went mid-week so there was hardly anyone else there, and that was great. The cabins are small but perfectly fine for our group with two bunk beds, a small loft, and a small table inside. They have electricity so charging phones and devices is not a problem. Cabins 4 and 5 are up this small driveway and are slightly separated and I would recommend those if you can. We never had to go to "town" so not sure how far it is to any stores.
Each time we rented a canoe and did a paddle/float trip on the river that ended at the canoe rental location. Would not hesitate to stay here again.
Guide
This was a nice park. Had a blast here. Very clean and nice staff. Will be back.
Traveler
This is a beautiful family orientation campground. There is something for everyone. Playgrounds, new pool, kids activities, corn hole tournaments, fishing pond. Camp ground is clean and well managed now. Our new GM Shara is fabulous. If you are looking for a place to camp for a weekend or as a seasonal, I would say come and see for yourself. Once you get there you won't want to leave!
Scout
It’s decent—but the bathrooms are most certainly not. Definitely need someone out there at the very least keeping it tolerable for campers.
TravelerWe stay mid-week as we are retired. Full hookup site were $30 a night. Sites seem large and well maintained. All the staff that we interacted with were very friendly. We kayaked the reservoir, used the beach and fished. Finally, we hauled our bikes to the reservoir overlook and then rode them over the dam. A very relaxing trip. T- mobile cell service was 1 bar, however we had our T-mobile internet tower and got 3 bars. Slow speeds but we could still stream tv.
ScoutKinda of outdated facilities and some rundown recreation but hiking and swimming are fun
Legend
Jake from the Dyrt here! Acacia Farms is an awesome spot to slow down in the country and enjoy being around some small farm animals. Check them out and share some pics of your stay!
Discover the best spots for pets-allowed camping near Buck Creek, Indiana, where you and your furry friends can enjoy the great outdoors together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Buck Creek, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Buck Creek, IN is Prophetstown State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 26 reviews.
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