Charlestown State Park Campground welcomes pets throughout its full-hookup sites with concrete pads and hiking trails. Dogs must remain leashed at all times while exploring the park's rugged terrain and elevation changes. Deam Lake State Recreation Area Campground also accommodates pets with spacious sites that aren't too close to neighbors. The Louisville North Campground features a dedicated dog park with separate areas for large and small dogs, complete with shaded seating. Most campgrounds in the area provide fire rings, picnic tables, and access to clean restrooms while maintaining pet-friendly policies. Knobstone Trail allows pets on its hiking paths, making it suitable for campers seeking dispersed camping options with their dogs. The campground at Jefferson County Memorial Forest permits pets at tent sites, RV spots, and glamping accommodations. Raccoons can be problematic at some campgrounds, approaching campsites even when occupied.
Several hiking trails throughout the region accommodate leashed dogs, with Charlestown State Park offering multiple rugged paths with good elevation changes for a hiking challenge. The Ohio River provides water access points where dogs can cool off during summer months. Buffalo Trace Park allows dogs to swim in the lake, providing relief during hot weather. Campgrounds typically require proof of current vaccinations, and most enforce quiet hours to minimize barking disturbances. The Scottsburg/Raintree Lake KOA maintains a dedicated dog exercise area among its amenities, which include mini golf, volleyball, and fishing opportunities. Many campgrounds feature mature trees providing necessary shade for pets during summer camping trips. Bathhouses are generally clean and well-maintained, allowing campers to freshen up after hiking with their dogs on nearby trails.
$33 - $40 / night
"My husband & I spent 5 nights at Charlestown State Park in mid-September 2020. Campground was nice with concrete pads and full hookups."
"Charlestown State Park is a great, quiet campground for us to get away in our RV. We love that all of the sites are paved and most of the full-hookup sites offer a lot of privacy."
$26 - $64 / night
"There are horse trails, a beach, and great water for swimming/kayaking/canoeing. It is pet friendly as well. The bath house in our area was older but fairly clean."
"I used this location as my FOB for a weekend of hiking in southern Indiana. The campground was nice."
"Close to shopping and restaurants. We will stay here again when back in the Louisville area."
$20 - $35 / night
"If you live outside of Indiana you have to pay a $9 entrance fee on top of the campground reservation fee, which makes for a pricey weekend trip for those on a budget."
"No sewer or water hookup as you would expect at most Indiana State Parks. The sites are extremely spacious and plenty of sites with shade."
$40 - $45 / night
"If you are looking to be close to downtown Louisville, this is the campground for you. The staff was super nice and the location is very convenient for getting downtown."
"The KT is rugged and has lots of elevation gains over short distances. Everywhere you hike there are lovely vistas and lots of fossils on the trail snd creek beds."
"Most people, even Hoosiers don't realize the Knobstone Trail exists. It's often referred to The Little AT by those who know about it. It's no walk in the park."
$45 - $125 / night
"The lake is GORGEOUS. Sites have mature trees, variety of singing birds. Really nice stay here as we were passing through."
"A lot of things to do around the campground, and kids will absolutely love it."
$33 / night
"This is a great State Park offering hiking, swimming, boating, skiing, camping, interpretive naturalist program and the only DNR property in the state of Indiana with a raptor rehabilitation program."
"Boats are a big part of this lake. There are 4 boat launches on the lake! Lots of people were water skiing, tubing& playing in the water. There's also a beach, which looked clean."
$15 - $30 / night
"Tent sites have so many trees surrounding them. If you're looking for more privacy anything off of the loop will do just fine."
"Just a guess, but I would say around 1.5 acres. About 2/3 of this site is open, grassy field. The other 1/3 is shaded."
"there’s parking after a decrepit gravel road and suitable for camping. there are campsites along the trail just have to find them"
GuideThere was lots to do at this KOA. There was corn hole, ladder ball, pool, walking trails, access to the river, cat fish pond, small dog park, and washers & dryers. You could bring your RV, travel trailer, tent camp, or rent a cabin. I’m sure I’m forgetting something. The spots were close together. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The park was clean and well maintained.
GuideOut of all places I've camped in Indiana, this is, by far, the worst. Please note that this is for the non-electric sites. Reasons for the low rating:
We were lucky enough to find a campsite (#118) very far away from the playground which was surrounded by grasses that separated the campsites surrounding you which was very nice. Again, the raccoons were horrible though.
RangerMake sure you take the exit they tell you & do NOT follow gps or you’ll go down a long country road. Nice little family owned campground on Elkhorn Creek. Convenient to Frankfort, Georgetown & Lexington. Waterfront sites available, many concrete sites & some gravel sites. From what I hear, they have made many improvements and continue to do so. I believe most sites are full hookup & they are building cute little pergolas on several sites. I had a long, gravel pull thru site. Barely any room on the camp side but both ends were roomy. Cute little general store & a very clean little laundry building w/a change machine. Fire rings on all sites that I saw. I believe there are 2 play areas for kids & a pool. There is a dog park w/a side for large dogs & small dogs. It was shaded and had seating. Convenient to several distilleries including Buffalo Trace & Woodford Reserve. There’s a place nearby that rents kayaks and canoes. They have entertainment & a food truck on weekends.
GuideThe staff are super helpful. The site we had was for a 38’ RV. Full hookups, dog park, lots of places to walk, even trails. We had a great stay here and will most likely come back next time we’re near Louisville.
GuideThe sites are well-spaced and there’s a beautiful lake where you can kayak, canoe, fish, let your dog swim, etc. Disc golf is the big activity at this park. Awesome walking path and a petting zoo. The park is exceptionally clean. Sites on the lake view side are noisy due to traffic on the highway.
ScoutVery friendly staff. The bathrooms having regular working toilets and showers. The bathrooms are very nice. There is a pool, volleyball courts and a dog park. It is hot in June, so bring a canopy if your RV doesn’t have one.
ScoutOwners are fantastic. They will get to a 5 as they continue their hard work making it an awesome place. New owners took over 4 months ago. They have many activities (was yogi bear till it was sold) put put, bowling, chess, volleyball, fishing. Dog park, Play ground was nicely done. Lake has lots of algae. Pool is brand new. It is by highway however, that did not bother us personally. I will visit again and would consider seasonal. Service id rate them a 5. Wonderful people and the place as much potential.
GuideGorgeous property with such kind and friendly owners. New owners that are making improvements to the property but it is so nice already.
The lake is GORGEOUS. Sites have mature trees, variety of singing birds. Really nice stay here as we were passing through. There is a sand volleyball net, gah gah ball, dog park, playground, mini golf (not ready for summer yet), and a new pool soon (concrete poured the other day).
Campground is a few miles from interstate and right off the highway so some highway noise but still a great picturesque place.
We will definitely stay here again if we are in the area .
LegendWe received an information email the day before prior to arrival with general info and wifi password plus how to pre check in. The morning of arrival, we received another email with specific instructions to not trust GPS and follow their instructions. Our Trip Wizard and Waze GPS instructions actually brought us right to the campground (CG). Since we had pre checked in, we were instructed in the directions email to go directly to deluxe pull-through site 78, where our welcome package would be in the electrical box. The site was plenty long enough for our 40’ toy hauler and F450. Not sure why this is a deluxe site as its gravel with a picnic table and portable fire pit? The utilities were more towards the front of the pad with no issues reaching the connections. It was a nice touch to see a small cement circle pad on the sewer connection. This is a new CG, so amenities like the laundry and gift shop were not opened yet. Water pressure was good. We got 4 bars on Verizon and 3 bars 5G on T-Mobile. We used our T-Mobile Internet versus Starlink. It would not have been an issue to use satellite as there are no mature trees in the campground. They have one large(about 1/4 acre) fenced dog area. The dog park slopes down a hill and connects with a fence that goes around the property. Do not throw small balls down the hill as they can go through the fence and there’s no way to recover the ball due to no openings/gates near by to get to the back of the dog park. There’s also a smaller fenced dog area near the front of the CG. Great customer service before and during our stay.
Charlestown State Park sits on 5,100 acres of rugged terrain along the Ohio River in southern Indiana. Winter temperatures typically range from 25-45°F while summer months reach 75-95°F with high humidity. Most campgrounds in the area remain open year-round with seasonal limitations on water availability during freezing months.
Explore historical sites: Charlestown State Park features the Rose Island Trail with remnants of a 1920s amusement park. "1st time campers with our travel trailer. Enjoyed rose island trail lots of cool history to learn," notes Bryana D. about Charlestown State Park Campground.
Hike varying terrain: The Knobstone Trail offers challenging elevation changes across southern Indiana. "The KT is rugged and has lots of elevation gains over short distances. Everywhere you hike there are lovely vistas and lots of fossils on the trail and creek beds," writes Maris H. about Knobstone Trail.
Fish local lakes: Hardy Lake at Shale Bluff Campground provides 741 acres of fishing opportunities. "This is a great State Park offering hiking, swimming, boating, skiing, camping, interpretive naturalist program and the only DNR property in the state of Indiana with a raptor rehabilitation program," says Stephen & Theresa B.
Concrete camping pads: Charlestown State Park offers stable foundations for RVs and trailers. "Campground was nice with concrete pads and full hookups. Campground was not heavily shaded, but we didn't mind that at all," explains Lisa D.
Clean facilities: Most dog friendly campgrounds near Charlestown maintain well-kept bathhouses. "The bathhouse in our area was older but fairly clean. We felt like there was good spacing between the sites, and we weren't too close to our neighbors," reports Lauren M. about Deam Lake State Recreation Area Campground.
Lake recreation options: Many campers appreciate water activities at Hardy Lake. "The lake looked very nice and is electric motor only. It will be nice to head back with the kayaks. You may need a permit for all boats, so check before you go," advises Tom J.
Entry fees apply: Indiana state parks charge admission beyond camping fees. "Be aware of an additional $9 fee at the gate besides the camp fee," warns Donna T. about Charlestown State Park.
Train noise disruption: Some campgrounds experience railroad disturbances. "OMG, the trains. All night, every night. I'm a heavy sleeper and it sounded like the trains were going to crash into our RV and we were across the row from them," cautions Jenifer K. about Louisville North Campground.
Ticks present: Take precautions during warm months. "Watch out for ticks. My dogs and I got loads of them in April 2020 from Leota to Spurgeon Hollow," notes Maris H. about hiking Knobstone Trail.
Look for playgrounds: Some campgrounds offer better play areas than others. "The campground playground is small, not much to write home about. Nice flat paved loops and sites that are good for biking," mentions Greg S.
Consider kid-friendly trails: Choose appropriate hiking difficulty levels. "Spent 5 nights and had a wonderful time. Enjoyed trails, big lots and lots of stuff for the kids to do," shares Burns G. about Clifty Falls State Park Campground.
Check for activities: Some campgrounds schedule regular events. "They offer activities on the weekends, especially for kids," notes Tonya D. about Shale Bluff Campground.
Site selection matters: Choose level spots for easier setup. "Site 22 was so sloped our red levelers barely made it work. Some sites were recently concreted, but many haven't seen gravel in years," warns Beverly J.
Scout hookup availability: Different campgrounds offer varying amenities. "Most are electric only but we got one of the handful of full hookup sites," shares Greg S. about Clifty Falls.
Look for pet-specific features: Pet friendly camping options near Charlestown include specialized areas. "The camp at Scottsburg/Raintree Lake KOA maintains a dedicated dog exercise area among its amenities," according to Jerome M. who adds, "Many amenities including fishing, mini golf, playground, yard games, etc."
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Charlestown, IN is Charlestown State Park Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 37 reviews.
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