Best Tent Camping near Santa Claus, IN

Lincoln State Park is right down the road from Santa Claus , Indiana and Holiday World. Needless to say it was a little busy, but not as bad as the Rudolph RV Park in town.

The RV/camping area was well laid out and the sites were nestled in quite close to one another. That being said it was a smaller campground and surrounded by trees and lake on two sides,roadway on the other.

Probably the main thing I didn't like about it. The day use area was a fence row away. Which while convienant to walk to, sorta cut down on the whole camping in the woods privacy thing.

Direct access to the trail system/lake boardwalk and the cabin area was co-located on the same trail. The trail was sort of well marked, though there were a few trails leading off with no markers.

The beach, boat rental and general use area was well maintained and had some cool old buildings in use. There is an amphitheater that has a good venue of events.

The general use pit toilet was fragrant, old and in need of a good cleaning. There were newer facilities but seeing as it was right in the middle of the area you would think a little sprucing up would be in order.

Very nice lake! CLEAR water, a lot of water activities going on.

Directly across from the park is another park area with historical stuff if you like that kind of stuff.

Campground Review: I have stayed at and reviewed this campground before, however this time I am reviewing our experience at site I158 over Labor Day Weekend while using the Red Ledge Thunderlight jacket. Site I158 has no electric or water. It is a fairly small tent site that is very close to other sites. There is only enough room for 1 tent and 1 vehicle. The fire ring is nice and has a grill attached. There is a large picnic table and a prep table with a tall hook, which we hung our trash on. The site is gravel but I was able to put in my tent stakes with minimal effort. The site is completely wooded, so if you don't like tent camping near trees, this site is not for you. The upside is there are plenty of sticks for kindling. I did however get hit with a few falling acorns, and that did not feel good at all. The quiet time at this campground is respected and followed. The beach is great for hanging out and swimming in the lake. The beach had previously been damaged by flooding but was beautiful for Labor Day Weekend. 

Product Review: As a Ranger for The Dyrt www.thedyrt.com, I get products to test from time to time and today I am reviewing the Men& Women's Thunderlight Jacket from Red Ledge https://www.redledge.com/products/mens-and-womens-thunderlight-jacket?variant=7068462153788. I made a video folding the jacket into the carrying bag after I returned home from camping. 

1. What I liked about this product: The jacket fits great. Using the size guidelines on Red Ledge's website, I ordered the appropriate sized jacket and it fits perfectly. I like the sealed edges that kept any water from getting to my clothes underneath. This jacket is lightweight. It is a great jacket to use anywhere, but this would be great for back country camping. Because it's lightweight and breathable, I also used it for sun protection while sitting on Rough River Lake beach. The hood hangs over a little bit keeping the sun and rain out of your eyes. The cuffs and the bottom of the jacket are adjustable, which I love. Red Ledge offers this jacket in 13 different colors, but I chose Mercury(gray). The price of the jacket is a little higher than I expected, however, I believe this jacket will hold up over time and be completely worth it. As a tent camper, I have learned to spend a little more money on better quality products than to buy cheap stuff and have to keep replacing them. 

2. What I didn't like about this product: I didn't quite understand how the hood adjust worked and it took me a little bit of figuring it out. However, once I understood what I was doing, it worked great. 

Overall, I would recommend this jacket. My son has the youth version of The Thunderlight and he loves it. I think Red Ledge has made a good quality product that anyone can use and appreciate.