Campgrounds near Cloverdale, Indiana offer varied terrain with elevations ranging from 600-800 feet above sea level. The region experiences four distinct seasons with summer temperatures averaging 80-85°F during peak camping months. Winter camping remains available at select locations with temperatures dropping to the 20-30°F range in January.
What to do
Hiking adventures: Turkey Run State Park Campground offers challenging terrain unlike typical Indiana landscapes. "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," notes Kaley A. The park features unique box canyons and ladder-assisted climbs not found elsewhere in the region.
Fishing opportunities: Cagles Mill Lake provides quality fishing experiences close to Cloverdale. "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," writes Tiffany T. The lake features a variety of fish species and accessible shoreline options.
Water recreation: Happy Campers Campground offers a stocked fishing lake with kayak and canoe options. Randy M. shares that it's a "great place to stop overnight or for a few days" with "plenty of room for kids or pets to roam and play." The campground provides fishing access directly from campsites.
What campers like
Clean facilities: Terre Haute Campground maintains excellent standards despite its proximity to Interstate 70. "The restroom and shower house was clean. There is a dump station located at the exit of the park," notes Nancy W. MickandKarla W. adds that "no issues with utilities as they are smartly placed on the pad and work to include decent water pressure."
Family activities: Raccoon State Recreation Area earns praise for its diverse recreation options. "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," reports Staci J. Joe M. appreciates that there are "plenty of places to hike, awesome beach, clean restrooms."
Private wooded sites: Lieber State Recreation Area offers secluded camping spots in certain sections. "We were at Poplar Grove. Great sites. Lots of activities for families," shares Brett B. The park balances social atmosphere with natural surroundings, as Brett continues, "Very social campground, but respectful and quiet after dark."
What you should know
Seasonal considerations: During October, Turkey Run State Park Campground hosts special events for families. Timothy B. mentions, "We especially like camping in the fall for their Goblins weekend," and adds in another review that it's a "Great place to celebrate Halloween on goblins weekend."
Water quality variations: Some campgrounds have water limitations. At Turkey Run, Samantha S. advises: "As some other reviews stated, watch out for the raccoons. Those guys are not afraid of anything." Shannon C. noted at Lieber State Recreation Area that "despite the fact that we chose our site based on being next to water, they have the spickets hacked off."
Cell service limitations: Connectivity varies significantly between campgrounds. At Raccoon State Recreation Area, Joe M. points out there's "no cell service but who needs it!" Conversely, at Terre Haute Campground, MickandKarla W. reports "we got 4 bars each on Verizon and T-Mobile."
Tips for camping with families
Pool alternatives: When lake conditions aren't ideal, seek campgrounds with pools. Amy C. suggests at Lieber State Recreation Area: "The lake has absolutely no shade, so bring an umbrella. The pool was excellent! Skip the lake and enjoy the pool."
Biking opportunities: Hickory Hills Camp Resort offers extensive trail systems for family cycling. Stephanie C. recommends, "It's definitely worth bringing mountain bikes or renting their golf carts to explore their golf cart trails! We went out on these several times and it never got old!"
Weekend activities: Many dog friendly campgrounds near Cloverdale offer scheduled weekend programming. At Hickory Hills, Stephanie C. shares, "Saturday mornings were our favorite where we could get biscuits and gravy, coffee and the kids had craft time." Similarly, Timothy B. mentions the special Halloween weekends at Lieber State Recreation Area.
Tips from RVers
Site selection strategies: When booking at Turkey Run, Leif D. advises: "Sites varied from all concrete to a dusty dirt and rock tent area, and all had old wood picnic tables." For better leveling, Michelle M. suggests avoiding certain areas: "The site was very uneven. It definitely sloops to the back corner. It was difficult to level our camper."
Utility placement: RV campsites at Terre Haute Campground feature well-designed hookups. According to MickandKarla W., "Two sites share utilities. This was a nice CG for an overnighter on the way to and from Elkhart, IN for RV maintenance." They caution to "watch the tree to the right as you turn in as we brushed our awning."
Overnight accessibility: Cloverdale RV Park provides convenient highway access for traveling RVers. Linda R. notes it's an "easy-access-from-the-highway RV park" with "accessible" spots and "AMAZING" bathrooms. She adds it's "going to be an excellent spot to be" once planned improvements are completed.
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