Sarah M.
Scout
ScoutHickory Ridge
Super quiet at night and lots of space. Good privacy.
Tent Camping near North Vernon, IN
Search destinations
Add dates
Dispersed tent camping areas near North Vernon, Indiana include several options in the Hoosier National Forest region. Berry Ridge Road Dispersed Camping offers multiple primitive tent sites set along a gravel forest road with secluded clearings suitable for tent setup. Nearby, the Charles C. Deam Wilderness provides both backcountry and designated tent camping areas with more established sites for those seeking a wilderness experience within reasonable driving distance.
Tent sites in this region typically feature simple dirt or forest floor surfaces without amenities like running water or electric hookups. Most dispersed camping locations have established fire rings but require campers to pack in all water and supplies while following leave-no-trace principles. Access roads may present challenges during wet weather or winter conditions, with some sites requiring moderate clearance vehicles. A camper noted, "The coordinates take you to one of the first campsites but if you keep going down the road you'll find many more." Toilet facilities are limited, with vault toilets available at established areas like Charles C. Deam Wilderness but entirely absent at truly primitive locations.
Tent campers will find significant privacy between sites at locations like Berry Ridge Road, where camping spots are spaced well apart to provide solitude. The forest setting offers natural shade and protection from wind, with many areas providing good ground for pitching tents. One visitor described the experience as "very secluded site that is pretty far off of the road, but not too far. There was no traffic or other people in site." Walking trails often connect or run near camping areas, allowing for day hiking opportunities directly from camp. Weekend use increases during summer months, but midweek campers typically encounter few other people, especially at more remote tent sites. Wildlife sightings are common, with visitors occasionally reporting encounters with local fauna.
Best Tent Campgrounds near North Vernon (18)
1. Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping
"So much space, existing fire rings, there was wood left behind from previous campers so that was nice! We have a reactive pup and she is able to live her best life there!"
"If you are into boondocking at all defiantly check out berry ridge it’s just south of brown county Indiana beautiful country mostly hills tons of camp spots sometimes half mile or more apart haven’t seen"
2. Sundance Lake Dispersed Camping
"Free disbursed camping at its best in Indiana. Not another soul camped within earshot. Clean site. Gravel pad for vehicle. Green grass for tent. 14 day limit. No reservations needed or available."
"I chose this spot because we wanted to camp by water, but didn’t realize the camp sites are a 5-10 minute walk from the lake."
3. Charles C. Deam Wilderness
"Being in a national forest dispersed camping is allowed if you follow leave no trace principals, but I stayed in a couple of the official sites."
"The sites are primitive with no amenities. Tent camping only although there are both hike in and drive up sites in the wilderness area. Great place to get away from it all."
4. Oak Ridge Camping Area — Morgan-Monroe State Forest
"When tent camping and want something quiet and a place with great trails, this is a good place to go. Even though it’s hot outside today, there’s lots of shade and a breeze."
"Site 13 has a little trail that goes down to a large flooded sinkhole behind the campsite. There were lots of tree frogs singing because of the proximity to water."
Check Availabilityfrom $25 - $55 / night
5. Hickory Ridge
"Super quiet at night and lots of space. Good privacy."
6. Ransburg Scout Reservation
"Located on Monroe lake, they have canoeing, row boats, sailboats, motor boats, and skiing.
Lots of fun activities to do, and great hiking trails. Their mess hall is top notch.""Our Boy Scout troop enjoyed visiting this location. It was well maintained and the staff was helpful."
7. Hickory Ridge Primitive Dispersed Campsites
"Very nice drive during the day, hiking is fantastic!"
8. Maines Pond
9. Morgan’s Outdoor Adventures
"Steps away from gorgeous river views. There is nothing like waking up and making breakfast while watching the river roll by! Sites are tight, but if you love waterfront this is great."
10. Pine Loop
"There are campsites from walk-ins to drive-ins to FCFS with or without electricity/water. Plenty of shade in a very quiet surrounding. Access to Monroe lake as well as a small beach for swimming."
Drive Time
- 24 min from Columbus, IN
- 1 hr 7 min from Louisville, KY
- 1 hr 14 min from Bloomington, IN
- 1 hr 14 min from Cincinnati, OH
Recent Tent Camping Photos near North Vernon, IN
16 Photos of 18 North Vernon Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Tent Camping Reviews near North Vernon, IN
690 Reviews of 18 North Vernon Campgrounds
Ron W.ScoutCamp Atterbury Campground
Outstanding
Mark & Denise are great camp hosts they care about everyone and will help them if they need it. They do so much for the holidays and have some great times together around the campfires. Will miss them this winter but will be thinking of them during the Army Navy game. (A inside joke lol).
Maddie L.
TravelerMounds State Recreation Area Campground — Brookville Lake
This is a nice little campground. There is a lot of space between campers, and the spots are asphalt and somewhat level. It didn’t feel crowded at all. There are plenty of good hiking trails around and it’s fun to go look at the dam. Highly recommend going to the overlook at sunset!
LDS Sister H.
GuideFriends O' Mine Campground & Cabins
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Our First RV Home Has Been Such a Blessing!
My husband and I absolutely loved our first few months here at Friends O' Mine Campgrounds & Cabins as first-time RV owners with our Class A RV.
We downsized from our 5-bedroom home in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. We sold our home and I followed my Husband back here to Indiana after he received a wonderful career opportunity. My Husband is a Veteran, 🇺🇸 and after moving to Nashville, Indiana, we had immediately fallen in love with this small town - where we respected and admired the way Nashville reminds us of where we had just moved from in Missouri.
We stayed at Grand Wood Suites for six months, after paying for a hotel, all while continuously paying for our two large storage units, as well as our mortgage payment and then rent for most of the beginning of this year; so, we decided to downsize to save money to buy land sooner, instead of continuing to rent. 🏕️ We already loved camping - we started with a pop-up camper on the 🔝 of our Jeep and camped dozens of times, then traded up to a pop-up camper. So we used what we had in savings, bought our Class A RV, donated our pop-up camper, and came to Friends O' Mine - and it was the best decision!
From day one, the other campers have been so friendly, as are the nice employees and amazing owners. They truly make you feel like family. They set up weekly entertainment that brings the whole campground together around the campfire - there is a huge fire in the middle with six porch swings attached to a massive gazebo and veranda surrounding it. It's incredibly cozy and just inviting you to join in.
We've enjoyed live musical singers entertaining us around the campfire all evening, and we were invited to watch a documentary about a local racecar driver in their indoor recreational room, right next to the indoor laundry facilities.
There is also a subterranean pool that my Husband and I enjoyed swimming in almost every day during our first month here - it was very relaxing and refreshing!
One of our favorite parts has been our peaceful, nighttime walks around the large, well-stocked catch-and-release pond. My Husband and I hold hands together and walk around it at sunset almost every evening. It's so serene and calming to hear the sounds of the water and feel the beautiful Autumn breeze.
This has been a very relaxing, enjoyable, and heartwarming experience for us. If you are looking for a clean, friendly, peaceful, and welcoming place to stay - whether for a weekend or for a season - we cannot recommend Friends O' Mine Campgrounds & Cabins enough. We are so grateful we found it!
Kaley A.GuideBuffalo Ridge Campground — Brown County State Park
We absolutely LOVED this park! It was hands down our favorite of this year. We camped at site 100 and it has a neighbor on one side and behind while the other side was a huge open space. It is in the center of a loop. It was mostly level. There was some minor doming to the site but not bad at all. It was a busy camp ground but not as crowded (sites not on top of each other) as some I’ve been in. The outsides of the loops did have more space between and privacy but could be smaller or more sloped, it just really depended. The bathrooms and showers were cleaner than some of the other state parks we have been to, so much so my 11 year old son mentioned it. The park itself is absolutely gorgeous. The hiking trails (which is what we usually go for) were nice but I believe that the biking trails were actually more scenic than the hiking trails and a lot more rugged. We liked trail 8 starting from the west lookout tower and stopping at Hesitation Point for lunch/break/bathroom. Trail 6 was also a pretty, rugged, shorter trail. The Nature Center was also nicer than a lot of the others we have been to in the state. We did choose to do horseback riding at the stables. We showed up about 5 minutes after opening and were able to pay and told to come back in an hour and 45 minutes. That didn’t bother us since we had the time but if you are on a tighter schedule, the earlier the better. We also went into Nashville and it was a very cute town to visit. Well decorated for Halloween, very walkable, and a little something for almost everyone. Prices were about what I would expect for a tourist town but not terrible. I also have T-Mobile and had pretty good service almost everywhere in the park.
- JJacob S.Scout
Ogala Horse Camp
Little loop pull off with a stone fire pit in the middle. Walking trail goes down to a swampy pond.
Mark T.ScoutIrwin City Park
Nice little city park/campgound
Clean paved sites, rigs under 35 feet will fit. Water and electricity 50/30 (water is in the ground.
SkywaystoHighways.com Y.
LegendBill Monroe Memorial Music Park & Campground
Fun Event Location
We stayed for the weekend during a Campout event. Lots of fun seeing all of our camping buddies. I don’t think we would camp here otherwise as it isn’t really our type of camping. Sites are close together, so don’t expect privacy. Porta potties had not been serviced from their previous event… needless to say, it was foul. The country music museum was pretty cool. The guide was very knowledgeable!
- JasonGuide
Camp Atterbury Campground
Host is great, park is nice, MWR needs help
Great place to stay. Full hook ups, about 90 percent level sites. 33 RV sites and 3 or 4 primitive camp sites. The main bathhouse is pretty clean, included laundry, and a great host and hostess (Mark and Denise). The only bad is the price hikes here. One would think MWR would throw money towards some things...like a dog park, some leveling, lights at the kids playground, and MWR sponsored and paid for holiday parties/outings for vets, retirees, and all the active here on base. But nope, just collecting revenue without any beanies. Anyway, the host keeps it grounded.
Guide to North Vernon
Dispersed camping opportunities near North Vernon, Indiana include secluded sites within Hoosier National Forest, about 35 miles west of the city. The rolling hills of southern Indiana provide natural drainage and terrain ideal for tent setups, with elevations ranging from 500-800 feet. The area typically sees mild springs and falls with summer temperatures averaging in the 80s and moderate humidity.
What to do
Hiking from camp: Berry Ridge Road Dispersed Camping provides access to walking trails connecting many camping areas. "There are a couple walking trails around, as well each site is fairly far apart. It's really quite only seen a handful of cars drive by and I've stayed here for 2 nights," notes camper Ozzie L.
Wildlife observation: First-time campers often encounter local fauna at Berry Ridge Road Dispersed Camping. A solo camper reported, "Solo camped here with my dogs. First time I've ever been camping but this spot was really cool. Clean. Secluded and peaceful, though every night at around 5pm I would hear rustling in the leaves, I assumed it was a pack of cayotes."
Morel hunting: Spring visitors to Charles C. Deam Wilderness can search for prized morel mushrooms while hiking. "We visited during mid-April, perfect for finding morels. The trails are well paved and marked, not too strenuous," says Hannah F.
Rock collecting: Creek exploration in the wilderness areas offers opportunities for finding unique geodes. "I walked the creek for hours just looking at all the rocks on the sandbars. I have never encountered so many geodes in my life," shares Sarah R.
What campers like
Seclusion between sites: Tent camping in North Vernon area forests often means substantial privacy. At Hickory Ridge Primitive Dispersed Campsites, "Very secluded, I got there in a sedan. I pulled in at midnight in a sedan in the winter and i was able to safely find my way," reports Jimmy H.
Beginner-friendly dispersed camping: Many sites are accessible without specialized vehicles. "For those of you who don't understand disperse camping this is the perfect site for a tent to camp without anything but what you bring in and take out," explains james W. about Berry Ridge Road.
Natural camping surfaces: The forest floor provides comfortable tent camping near North Vernon. One camper at Hickory Ridge noted it's a "Good spot to get some quiet time to learn/hone skills or for some good quality time with the family while being plugged into nature and unplugged from their electronics."
Proximity to water features: Some sites offer access to lakes or ponds. At Sundance Lake Dispersed Camping, campers find "A quiet little lake/big pond in the Hoosier National Forest with a few spots to camp," according to Steven G.
What you should know
Water availability: Most dispersed sites require bringing all water. One camper at Berry Ridge noted, "No toilet but good reception" - highlighting the primitive nature of these sites where all supplies must be packed in.
Weather considerations: Rain can significantly impact camping conditions and access roads. At Charles C. Deam Wilderness, a visitor warned, "The only negative was that we came after a lot of rain. So everything is permanently wet and mosquitos/ticks abounded."
Road conditions: Some locations require careful navigation. At Morgan-Monroe State Forest, a camper noted, "If you have a small camper (15' or smaller) there would more sites. There is a dump station, but I barely got in to dump. So not real RV friendly."
Parking limitations: Several locations have strict parking restrictions. One visitor to Charles C. Deam Wilderness cautioned, "Come Friday you'll be fighting for a spot or face an $80 fine for parking on the roadway. More parking is a necessity with the amount of dispersed campers."
Tips for camping with families
Beginner-friendly sites: Several areas offer good first-time camping experiences. "Bunch of little spots along this road to pull into. Set up with tent and vehicle. Just trees knocking, bugs curling and frogs croaking," reported Ax H. about Berry Ridge Road.
Weekend planning: Family tent camping near North Vernon requires advance planning for holidays and summer weekends. A Sundance Lake visitor observed, "On the weekends, the activity picked up with a lot of partying and hunting."
Lake access for swimming: Monroe Lake provides recreational opportunities for kids at several sites. At Ransburg Scout Reservation, "Located on Monroe lake, they have canoeing, row boats, sailboats, motor boats, and skiing. Lots of fun activities to do, and great hiking trails," reports Margo B.
Educational opportunities: Forest settings provide learning experiences for children. Hickory Ridge offers spots where families can be "plugged into nature and unplugged from their electronics" according to one reviewer.
Tips from RVers
Length restrictions: Many dispersed sites accommodate only small trailers or vans. At Berry Ridge Road, a camper noted, "I have a promaster conversion and had no trouble making it to this site, however the road was gravel and steep at times."
Leveling challenges: Prepare for uneven terrain at most forest sites. At Morgan-Monroe State Forest, a camper observed, "I was slightly disappointed by the site selections being mostly on a slant, but we did find one on the overfill site that suited our needs."
Smaller rigs preferred: Class B and small trailers under 20 feet have more site options. One Morgan-Monroe camper advised, "Our camper is about 25' and it was tight get in and out of the campground. If you have a small camper (15' or smaller) there would more sites."
Generator restrictions: Check rules before bringing generators to forest camping areas. A visitor with a Winnebago at Morgan-Monroe reported, "This park is not for large rigs, but we had no trouble fitting into our small camper. This is a great place to camp and hike, although there is no electric hookup we had a generator that we used sparklingly."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent
campsite near North Vernon, IN?
Which is the most popular tent campsite near North Vernon, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near North Vernon, IN is Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping with a 4.8-star rating from 18 reviews.
What is the best site to find
tent camping near
North Vernon, IN?
What is the best site to find tent camping near North Vernon, IN?
TheDyrt.com has all 18 tent camping locations near North Vernon, IN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring