Best Campgrounds near Cloverdale, IN

Cloverdale, Indiana serves as a gateway to several established campgrounds offering diverse camping experiences within a 30-mile radius. Lieber State Recreation Area Campground, located just 3 miles south of Interstate I-70, provides 115 electric sites and 94 non-electric sites nestled under hardwood and pine tree canopy. The area includes several mixed-use campgrounds accommodating both tent and RV camping, with options ranging from primitive sites at Owen Putnam State Forest to full-hookup RV parks like Cloverdale RV Park. Cagles Mill Lake forms the centerpiece of the region, with waterfront camping opportunities and cabin rentals available at multiple locations.

Most campgrounds in the Cloverdale area remain open year-round, though amenities and water access may be limited during winter months. Reservations are strongly recommended for summer weekends, particularly at state-managed properties like Lieber State Recreation Area. Electric sites typically feature 30-amp service, with some campgrounds offering 50-amp connections for larger RVs. Cell service can be limited or non-existent in some camping areas, especially at Lieber State Recreation Area. One camper noted, "No cell service at all in camp area. Just a short driving distance to Cataract Falls - which is beautiful with a nice walking trail and covered bridge."

The camping areas near Cloverdale offer varying levels of privacy and amenities. State recreation areas provide access to swimming facilities, fishing opportunities, and hiking trails, while private campgrounds tend to focus on convenience and comfort. Campsites at Lieber State Recreation Area are described as "spacious and have plenty of space away from your neighbors," though some visitors mention that certain areas "could use some repairs." Several visitors highlight the area's swimming options, with one reviewer suggesting to "Skip the lake and enjoy the pool." RV parks like Cloverdale RV Park receive praise for hospitality, with a visitor describing it as an "Adorable little hideaway" with "peaceful and scenic" grounds. Proximity to Cataract Falls serves as a major attraction for many campers exploring this region of Indiana.

Best Camping Sites Near Cloverdale, Indiana (116)

    1. Lieber State Recreation Area Campground

    22 Reviews
    Cloverdale, IN
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (765) 276-0194

    $19 - $32 / night

    "Lieber State Recreation Area, Cloverdale, IN is west down I70 from Indianapolis, 2 miles down RT243. Cagles Mill Lake borders the southwestern side of the area."

    "Each campsite is spacious and has plenty of space away from your neighbors. There was plenty of shade even though our pad wasn't tucked back in the woods."

    2. Cecil M Harden Lake Raccoon State Recreation Area

    32 Reviews
    Rockville, IN
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (765) 344-1412

    $12 - $42 / night

    "Raccoon State Recreation Area | Cecil M Harden Lake is located in the heart of historic covered bridge country just 50 miles West of Indianapolis."

    "There are multiple boat ramps for easy access to the water. I met a friend there who is a resident of Indianapolis and we had a great time on the water."

    3. Cloverdale RV Park

    3 Reviews
    Cloverdale, IN
    2 miles
    +1 (765) 795-3294

    "This easy-access-from-the-highway RV park is really nice. The spots are accessible, the bathrooms are AMAZING (no…seriously), the little attractions are adorable and the host is terrific."

    4. Cagles Mill Lake

    3 Reviews
    Cloverdale, IN
    6 miles
    Website

    $10 - $30 / night

    "This wonderful hidden gem is 14 miles away from McCormick's Creek State Park. It is a DNR state operated and has some pretty cool fishing. It was family-approved by my kin."

    5. Turkey Run State Park Campground

    71 Reviews
    Marshall, IN
    33 miles
    Website
    +1 (765) 597-2635

    $20 - $32 / night

    "Turkey Run is arguably the most popular campground (and state park) in Indiana and has its pros and cons."

    "Much enjoyed hiking some of the trails at Turkey Run State Park near Marshall, Indiana. This is Indiana's 2nd oldest state park, now 100 years old (1916-2016)."

    6. Hickory Hills Camp Resort

    1 Review
    Cloverdale, IN
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (765) 795-6079

    "There’s two pools, a pickle ball court, a basketball half court, farm animals, golf cart trails, kayak/canoe/row boats, exploring creeks, fishing, a dog park, several playgrounds, Gaga ball, tether ball"

    7. Rattlesnake

    2 Reviews
    Poland, IN
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (812) 829-2462

    8. Happy Campers Campground

    1 Review
    Poland, IN
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (812) 239-6263

    $35 - $40 / night

    "On a lake stocked with fish. Port-a-potty and shower house available."

    9. Owen Putnam State Forest

    2 Reviews
    Spencer, IN
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (812) 829-2462

    "One is a separate horse camp, it was fun to see so many horses on the trails and talk to the riders. They do some forestry work but it wasn’t loud."

    10. Blackhawk Campgrounds

    1 Review
    Cloverdale, IN
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (765) 795-4795

    $35 - $125 / night

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Recent Reviews near Cloverdale, IN

658 Reviews of 116 Cloverdale Campgrounds


  • J
    Oct. 14, 2025

    Sundance Lake Dispersed Camping

    Disbursed camping at its Indiana best

    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. Just show up and camp if a site is open. This site was very well marked.

  • SkywaystoHighways.com Y.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 29, 2025

    Bill Monroe Memorial Music Park & Campground

    Festival Fun!

    We stayed here for the 1st Annual HikerFest and had a blast! 106 of our little Hikers took up the majority of the park. The full-timers that stay here for the season were very kind and cordial; freely giving of advice on local attractions to see and things to do during our stay. The museum was really interesting! They gave a great tour with lots of stories about country legends. The bath house was clean and tidy. The showers were ok. Porta-potties throughout the campground, not so much… Campsites are close together and without privacy, some more level than others. Try to grab a spot near the trees for a bit of shade. Great music. Awesome weekend!

  • Cynthia K.
    Sep. 23, 2025

    Shades State Park Campground

    Primitive camping

      This is a primitive state park near Turkey Run State Park In Midwestern Indiana. First named The Shades Of Death State Park.

     The gatehouse is your only source of information. There's no nature center or visitor center. Get a park map! They do charge admission.

    This is a hikers park & it has some of the most rugged trails in Indiana. The Pine Hills Nature Preserve is maintained by the park. There's a parking area available to hike to the trailhead inside Shades. The Devils Backbone is a popular trail, but definitely on the rugged side. If you take small children(I wouldn't!) watch them carefully. 

    Trail 1 is.75M, but considered rugged. It has a lot of scenic views & a unique waterfall. Trails 4 & 5 have ladders. 

    Deers Mill Covered Bridge is on the property & there's a canoe launch. This is not a drive through bridge. The picnic area is a drive thru loop & is very nice. There's also a couple of shelters. The pond looked pretty scummy & my husband wouldn't fish in it.

     The campground is primitive camping- nonelectric. Water is available. There is a dump station. There is trail access if you don't want to drive. There's one modern showerhouse & several pit toilets. Choose your site carefully! Whitetail Loop has the showers & toilets. We did a drive thru & most all the sites looked very nice. There were mostly tents with a few popups. This wouldn't be a campground I would choose if I had a big rig.

  • jThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 20, 2025

    Sundance Lake Dispersed Camping

    Camping area

    National forest area with 3ish campsites one of which can accommodate a vehicle. Wooded so no solar or starlink. Small lake nearby with what looks like some trails.

  • Cynthia K.
    Sep. 16, 2025

    Turkey Run State Park Campground

    Nice State Park Campground

    Turkey Run State Park. Arguably one of the top 5 state parks in Indiana.

    Lots of hiking opportunities, including the fabulous Trail 3 which should be a National Trail IMO. Go hike early before 10 am. This area gets crazy busy after that. 

    Nice nature center.

    2 covered bridges.

     A swimming pool in season.

     A historic inn with a restaurant. You can rent cabins also. 

    The Lusk home has tours every Saturday in season. 

    The campground is a mile or so west of the entrance to the park.

     Electric only. 270 sites. Water is available.

     There's modern bath houses with hot showers.

     We were site 218, which is technically the Turkey Hollow area. The bath house there was clean. We liked our loop for spacious sites( for a state park).

     The Twin Oaks loop seemed denser.

     There's a double dump near the exit. There's also one dump at the end of a loop by site 60. We were happy the other 4 campers trying to dump forgot about it! 

    Trail 7 access is also at the end by site 44. It's not marked on the map.

     The camp store has the usual camping supplies & gift items. Ice & wood. 

    We enjoyed our weekend here! Even though it rained Saturday.

  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 9, 2025

    Taylor Ridge Campground — Brown County State Park

    Nice Trails & Big Campsites

    I had a great time camping here. The spots in Taylor ridge were mostly well-spaced and felt pretty private. The pit toilets were clean and the showers were nice. Busy campground but it was very quiet still. 262 was the biggest and most private site I saw when walking around. 260 is a pull through site.

  • Lisa M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 28, 2025

    Shakamak State Park Campground

    Great State Park

    Most of the spaces that had both water and electric were mostly in the sun. But all the other spaces had plenty of shade and trees around them. Our space was spot on level and nice area around each space to where you didn’t feel like you were camped on top of other people. The showers were adequate. Great hiking trails in the area. Very quiet. Although we were there on a weekday. One downside was we had Verizon as a cell phone carrier and only had one bar.

  • L
    Aug. 20, 2025

    Shakamak State Park Campground

    Clean, pretty, quiet, spacey.

    We had a nice site that was evenly spaced from the other campsites by trees and was nice and close to water, the bathrooms, and the shower houses, which were very clean! The camp store was nice and the paddle boats were fun! The pool was only opened on the weekends in August which was disappointing but there was a large fishing dock and many boating opportunities. Very nice camping spot, but in August beware of the bugs!

  • L
    Aug. 20, 2025

    Shades State Park Campground

    It was very clean, nicely spaced, and shaded.

    Very nice campground! It was close by Turkey Run State Park, which had amazing trails, that are pictured below. (We definitely recommend Trail 3!) The campground itself was very nice and clean, as well as shaded and pretty. We were camping in August, so it wasn't very busy and we got peace. There were many fun things to do in Turkey Run, although the pool was closed in August. There was also a fun little ice cream place and store in downtown Marshall! 

      Great place overall!


Guide to Cloverdale

Camping opportunities near Cloverdale, Indiana extend beyond established campgrounds into the surrounding state forests and recreation areas within a 30-mile radius. The area sits at the western edge of the Hoosier National Forest region with elevations ranging between 600-850 feet. Summer temperatures typically reach 85-90°F with moderate humidity, while spring and fall camping seasons bring cooler 45-65°F temperatures with occasional rainfall.

What to do

Water activities at Cecil M Harden Lake: Raccoon State Recreation Area offers swimming at a well-maintained beach area with adjacent food service. The lake provides excellent boating options with rentals available. A camper noted, "I loved this camp ground, there was a beach which was nice and a building to get food. They have a basketball court, and a few trails."

Biking on designated trails: Lieber State Recreation Area Campground has flat terrain perfect for family biking. One visitor shared, "Very flat and ideal for bike riding," making it suitable for cyclists of all skill levels.

Hiking to waterfalls: Turkey Run State Park Campground offers unique canyon hiking through stream beds. A recent visitor reported, "We hiked Trail 3, which has the ladders, and parts of trail 10, 4, and 2. Trail 10 was nothing special but was relatively flat." Box canyon trails follow active stream beds with moderate difficulty.

Wildlife observation: Forest edges provide deer viewing opportunities, particularly at dawn and dusk. Raccoons are notably abundant in the area. One camper at Turkey Run mentioned, "watch out for the raccoons. Those guys are not afraid of anything."

What campers like

Spacious, shaded sites: Cecil M Harden Lake Raccoon State Recreation Area receives praise for its site arrangement. A visitor noted, "There is a few pull throughs, no water hook ups at site," and another mentioned "Beautiful, peaceful campsites with a lot of shade!"

Clean facilities: Bathroom cleanliness varies between campgrounds but receives positive mentions. A camper stated about Raccoon Lake, "clean restrooms. No cell service but who needs it!" while another noted about Turkey Run, "The bathrooms were okay. They were older but seemed to be fairly well maintained."

Seasonal activities: Fall camping offers special events, particularly at Lieber State Recreation Area. One regular visitor mentioned, "We love going to this park several times a year. We especially like camping in the fall for their Goblins weekend."

Lake access: Multiple campsites provide direct lake access for fishing. A visitor described Raccoon Lake as "one of the best state park campgrounds I've grown to love with beautiful views, hiking, and boating."

What you should know

Limited cell service: Connectivity varies significantly throughout the area. A camper at Raccoon Lake mentioned, "No cell service but who needs it!" while others have found spotty coverage at best. Bring physical maps as GPS may be unreliable.

Site leveling challenges: Many campsites require equipment for proper leveling. A Turkey Run visitor noted, "We were in a wooded section and it was pretty private however our site was pretty sloped."

Limited hiking at some locations: Happy Campers Campground and other smaller sites have fewer trail options compared to state parks. A visitor at Lieber noted, "Very few hiking trails near campground. With a park and lake of this size I would expect more hiking options."

Weekend crowds: State parks fill quickly during summer weekends. Arrive Thursdays for better site selection and quieter experiences. One camper advised, "In order to avoid crowds on the trails, we got there Thursday night so we could hike Friday morning/early afternoon."

Tips for camping with families

Pool access: Several campgrounds offer swimming pool alternatives to lake swimming. A family noted about Lieber, "The pool was excellent! Skip the lake and enjoy the pool."

Structured weekend activities: Hickory Hills Camp Resort provides organized family events. A visitor shared, "Saturday mornings were our favorite where we could get biscuits and gravy, coffee and the kids had craft time."

Multiple recreation options: Look for campgrounds with diverse activities beyond swimming. One visitor to Hickory Hills noted, "There's two pools, a pickle ball court, a basketball half court, farm animals, golf cart trails, kayak/canoe/row boats, exploring creeks, fishing, a dog park, several playgrounds, Gaga ball, tether ball, volleyball, frisbee golf and several weekend activities."

Wooded sites for shade: Request shaded sites when booking, especially for summer camping with children. A Turkey Run visitor advised, "As some other reviews stated, watch out for the raccoons. Those guys are not afraid of anything."

Tips from RVers

Site selection for leveling: Choose carefully as many sites have significant slopes. A Turkey Run camper mentioned, "The site was very uneven. It definitely sloops to the back corner. It's was difficult to level our camper but we got it in the end."

Electric service variations: Cloverdale RV Park and other local sites offer varied electric options. A visitor stated, "The spots are accessible, the bathrooms are AMAZING (no…seriously), the little attractions are adorable and the host is terrific."

Water quality considerations: Some campgrounds have issues with water quality. A camper at Cloverdale RV Park noted, "Water had a funny smell, however. But, would stay again for sure."

Dump station access: Not all campgrounds offer on-site dumping facilities. Plan accordingly for longer stays. Many visitors recommend using Lieber State Recreation Area's facilities which are accessible even if you're camping elsewhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

What camping is available near Cloverdale, IN?

According to TheDyrt.com, Cloverdale, IN offers a wide range of camping options, with 116 campgrounds and RV parks near Cloverdale, IN and 10 free dispersed camping spots.

Which is the most popular campground near Cloverdale, IN?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Cloverdale, IN is Lieber State Recreation Area Campground with a 4-star rating from 22 reviews.

Where can I find free dispersed camping near Cloverdale, IN?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 10 free dispersed camping spots near Cloverdale, IN.

What parks are near Cloverdale, IN?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 11 parks near Cloverdale, IN that allow camping, notably Cecil M. Harden Lake and Monroe Lake.