Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Carmel, 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.

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.

We camped here several time last year(2017). We had great experiences each time. Beautiful lake for kayaking! If you don’t owe a kayak or canoe, they offer rentals.

All sites are gravel with mature trees if you want shade or full sun. Pet friendly. Nice playgrounds for the kids or grandkids. Very nice beach area. Wonderful hiking trails and offer a variety of programs/activities.

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.

Perfect example of this park...my husband and I were quickly becoming homeless and with 2 cat's needed someplace to go fast! It just happened to be Memorial Day weekend.We had a 10 person tent that we had no clue how to put up. We left to get more supplies and upon returning we found 10 guy's waiting to help us put it up! We had no idea who they were, but they put the tent and another screen tent for us and refused to be paid. We were so touched by their help! The park staff found the very last spot after hearing our housing dilemma and checked on me everyday while my husband went to work. Very clean park and safe as the sheriff's department cruised through every night. Campers helped each other with food and wood and picked up after themselves. Very relaxing as it is a drive off the highway which allowed nature to unfold all around campers.

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!

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.

Very large camping spots with huge lawns away from lake; This spot was #53. lakeside camping a little more packed in but more shade. Reserve early! Cute beach was easy to get to, allowed dogs (not on sand). Park program happened while we were there - very educational. Highly professionally run, tight security and ample parking. No sparklers. Water lines close to campsites. Wal-Mart close, large Cabelas 45 mins away. Would stay again!

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!

We stayed over July 4th weekend  Campground was crowded, but very quiet.  Most sites are shady, and some are feet from the lake.  A lot of kayakers when we stayed, very few boats.  Our site had some shade, and had a level gravel pad.  Once off the gravel, it did slope.  We wanted a flat area for our dog/baby fencing, so we parked slightly off the gravel and it worked fine.  Staff were very friendly.  All sites have water.  The power went out at the pumping house, and a staff member and the campground host went to the sites to let us know.  It was only out for about an hour.

Park has canoe rentals and a small beach, a well as several boat launches.  Overall, a very nice, well maintained park and campground.  We will definitely return, this time with kayaks.

Small campground with nice campsites.Clean shower house.

The lake doesn't allow gas motors so its one of the clearest lakes in central Indiana

This was a one night stop when traveling thru Indiana. We got to the fairgrounds after dark. We had to make 3 laps around the fairgrounds before we found the entrance then there was no clear signage to the camping area or the campsites. The spaces were very small and the power pole only had 1 -30AMP plug for 2 sites. We ended up plugging into a 20AMP outlet.

We stayed here because of the discount offered through Passport America, and somehow the price was still too high. We paid $42 for a FHU pull through site (that was after the discount). However, it was a nice park and it was nice to get caught up on laundry and showers. 

You can pay for laundry with the CSCPay app ($5 credit when you first sign up, so your first load is free), or you can pay with credit card. No coins taken. Laundry was nice and clean and the dryers worked excellent. 

There are FHU pull through sites, or back in sites with electric only (there is a dump station available). There are also cute cabins available as well. 

There are lots of things to do here at the park, but the park itself is out in the middle of nowhere. It was a really eerie feeling when we were there, because almost every spot was taken, but nobody was there. I guess people pay for the season and leave their trailers on site and come in for the weekend. 

There’s a nice tent area in the back, rolling grassy area where we let our dog run around off leash since nobody was around. The lake in the middle of the park was really nice, and you can rent pedal gokarts or golf carts, or boats for paddling around the lake. 

The camp store is nice, lots of food and supplies and gifts available for sale. There are trash dumpsters here but no recycling.