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Best Tent Camping near Covington, IN

350 Reviews

West-central Indiana offers several tent camping options within driving distance of Covington, with Lake Waveland Park standing out as a popular destination for primitive tent camping. Located about 30 miles southeast of Covington in Waveland, this park features numerous tent campsites spread across well-maintained grounds. The primitive tent camping area provides a more secluded experience compared to the park's developed sections. Covered Bridge State Forest Retreat and Attica Family Campground also accommodate tent campers in the region, with walk-in tent sites available at some locations.

Primitive tent camping at Lake Waveland Park operates on a first-come, first-served basis, making early arrival advisable during peak season (May 15 to October 15). Sites are identified by picnic tables and fire rings, though not all primitive sites have permanent fire rings. The grounds are regularly mowed, creating flat tent pads on grassy surfaces. Facilities include clean bathhouses with showers and toilets, though primitive areas have more limited amenities. Water access points are available throughout the park, but tent campers should verify seasonal availability. Walk-in tent sites require carrying gear a short distance from parking areas.

Campers noted that Lake Waveland Park's primitive tent sites offer more space between neighbors than many state parks in the region. According to reviews, "The primitive sites are very secluded and quiet but get there fast because spots are first come first serve." The park's extensive green space provides ample opportunities for tent placement, with most sites offering good shade coverage. Bird watching is frequently mentioned as a popular activity, with one visitor describing it as "a lovely space with lots of birds to observe." The campground's location provides convenient access to nearby natural attractions including Sugar Creek, Turkey Run State Park, and Shades State Park. Tent campers appreciate the park's peaceful atmosphere, even during busier periods, making it a reliable backcountry tent camping option near Covington.

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Detours Nearby

Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area

Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area

29 min away

Forest Glen County Preserve

Forest Glen County Preserve

32 min away

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Best Tent Sites Near Covington, Indiana (3)

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Showing results 1-3 of 3 campgrounds

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Covington, IN

1 Photos of 3 Covington Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Covington, IN

350 Reviews of 3 Covington Campgrounds

  • T
    Aug. 6, 2021

    Shades State Park Campground

    Wooded Sandstone canyon with primitive camping.

    Located north of turkey run state park shades offers all the hiking and scenic terrain with less amenities and less crowds. Sugar creek cuts through the ancient sandstone floor creating canyon walls. The park is connected to a nature preserve that dose allow backpacking but has designated camping within the park separate from the car camping sites, so you can’t set up camp on the trail. The car camping sites, labeled as family camping, are primitive only with vault toilets. There is a shower located in the campsite with flushing toilets. Campsites are close but most have trees separating them for privacy. Avoid sites next to toilets or dumpsters their practically in your site. There’s no cellular signal in the park so heads up. Ice and wood are located for sale at the entrance. If you have little ones there are a few playgrounds located in the park including one in the campsite which is located a short hike in the woods. This park is quite, shaded, rugged at times and the canyon/creek can be breathtaking. Although I would go early or late in the season to avoid Indiana’s humid muggy summer heat.

  • Randy M.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 13, 2023

    Happy Campers Campground

    Off the beaten path by a lake

    See all 3

    Approx $35 / day

    Happy Campers Campground

    5.0 (1 reviews)

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    Roam with care

    Remember to enjoy these campgrounds in a sustainable, respectful way. Clean up after yourself, be friendly with others, and don't overstay your welcome :)

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    Got it

    Details

    Call 812-239-6263 for reservation. Plan to arrive before dark.

    5 full hook-up sites, 1 primitive site, and one primitive cabin. On a lake stocked with fish. Port-a-potty and shower house available.

    Location

    Contact

    39.4931, -87.0188

    https://happycamperscampgroundinc.com

    Cell signal

    Verizon LTE

    AT&T LTE

    T-Mobile LTE

    Sprint LTE

    Weather

    Averages

    Forecast

    Jan

    2.57"

    34.6°

    16.8°

    Feb

    2.48"

    39.6°

    20°

    Mar

    3.39"

    50.5°

    28.6°

    Apr

    3.99"

    62.9°

    39.4°

    May

    5.41"

    72.4°

    49.3°

    Jun

    4.67"

    81.1°

    58.7°

    Jul

    5.19"

    84.2°

    61.7°

    Aug

    3.37"

    83.2°

    60.2°

    Sep

    3.73"

    77.3°

    52.3°

    Oct

    3.49"

    65°

    41.2°

    Nov

    3.98"

    52°

    31.8°

    Dec

    3.26"

    38.3°

    20.7°

    Seasonal scales

    Spring

    Summer

    Fall

    Winter

    Crowdedness

    Others between 10 and 50 feet away

    Fullness

    Almost full

    Noise

    Occasional man-made noise (trains, cars, etc...)

    Shade

    Mostly shaded, but still some spots with sunlight

    Cleanliness

    Pristine, no trash at all

    Safety

    Very safe

    Road difficulty

    No problems with any vehicle

    Features and amenities

    Water hookup

    Sewer hookup

    50A Electric

    Showers

    Picnic tables

    Toilets

    Pets allowed

    Wifi

    Fire pits

    randyorsusan

    Great place to stop overnight or for a few days. Can hear the highway; but it's not very loud or intrusive. Camp host/owner is very friendly. Plenty of room for kids or pets to roam and play. Very clean and safe.

  • S
    Oct. 1, 2020

    Harry L Swartz Campground

    Pretty spot/small gravel campsites

    Il start this by saying: we prefer tent camping/primitive/atleast semi isolated spots. If you’re looking for RV camping, this is probably a decent spot so read no further!

    We drove in to the Middle Fork Forest Preserve looking for a place to camp same day on our way down to Giant City. We weren’t able to make a reservation less than 5 days in advance online so we tried to call. No one in the office except Th-Sunday and it was Wednesday so we couldn’t get in touch. All good. It happens and it did say that clearly on their website and on voicemail. We needed a place for the night so decided to risk driving over from I57 S. Rolled in around 5 and all the campsites were marked reserved but there were about 3 people set up to camp there. We didn’t end up camping the night 1. Because we didn’t want to be jerks about the reservations although it seemed like no one else would be arriving until at the earliest the next day and 2. All of the campsites were pretty tight together and surfaced with gravel. That’s a personal preference thing. We always look for primitive/walk-in/hike in sites to set up tents/hammocks. This spot was mostly set up for RVs.

    The hiking looked pretty lovely and the grounds/facilities looked well kept! Just maybe not our preference.

  • Mike V.
    Jul. 23, 2016

    Lake Waveland Park

    Waveland Lake and Park, near Waveland, Indiana

    Nice clean park in west-central Indiana that has a lake and a large number of camping sites along with restrooms and showers. The primitive tent camping sites don't require reservations, and each have a picnic table. There are modern campsites that have water and electrical hook-ups, and there are some small cabins that can be rented. The bath house was clean, and the grounds crew does a great job keeping the grass cut. Camp sites seem more spread out here compared to most state parks. Location is fairly close to Sugar Creek and other parks such as Turkey Run and Shades State Park. The lake is popular for fishing.

  • Terri D.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 10, 2017

    Turkey Run State Park Campground

    Nice Big Sites

    I have to say it is always nice to stay at a state park in the off season. There are a couple hundred sites in this park and we were one of about 12 occupants. Even if this park had been full, the sites offer nice space. Sites vary from full shade to wide open out in the sun. Bathrooms are clean, but they are pretty spread out. Most sites offer electricity, but no water or sewer hook-up for RV. Water spigots are pretty spread out too. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. I didn't see any camp hosts that sold firewood when office is closed. Park is located right across the street from the local high school, I thought this was sort of odd.

    We were just passing through for a nights stay, but it looked like there were some nice trails for hiking. The children playgrounds looked nice as well.

  • H
    Jun. 23, 2023

    Shades State Park Campground

    Awesome Backpack Camp!

    Took my son on his first backpacking trip this week and felt like Shades would be a perfect trial run for us together. I don’t think this camp gets enough love as it’s a relatively short hike for most seasoned backpackers. Great for trial runs and gear testing. The trail was (recently) well maintained in sections, but there are spots that are a little weedy. That’s to be expected I think with a park that doesn’t see as much traffic as another well known park in the area (that doesn’t offer a backpack camp). The camp itself was fantastic. It doesn’t boast great views or any scenic points, but it is fabulously maintained and well thought out. Several awesome sites to choose from and we had our pick as the only campers there. Every site had a fire ring and picnic table, with paths heading to the bathroom and water. The bathrooms were pretty much immaculate and the water was great. We didn’t hike in early enough to take the path to play at Sugar Creek, but I won’t make that mistake again. Next time, because there will be a next time, we’ll go earlier for more downtime around camp. So glad we’re close enough we can make this trip again soon! Park entry: $7 Camping fee: $12 With tax our total was $19.84. If you have an IN state park card you can avoid the entry fee.

  • Janet B.
    May. 9, 2023

    Vermilion County Park Forest Glen Preserve

    East Camp (backpacking site)

    First backpacking trip in the Midwest and this was a surprisingly scenic place with a great backpacking sites! We did forest glen river ridge trail; started from the staff parking lot and walked about 8 miles to the east camp. We had a big group and took sites 3 and 5 because they were on a flatter ground. All sites were well shaded and there was even an OUTHOUSE!!! The rangers told us the water from the Vermilion River was safe to drink with filtration but note that you do have to walk down to the river and up to the campsites. Both sites came with a picnic table and a fire ring. Had a lovely time even with the thunderstorm.

  • M
    Jul. 19, 2020

    Turkey Run State Park Campground

    Terrific campground and state park

    We stayed here this weekend and had a terrific time. The weather was very hot but there is a river to tube and canoe in to keep you cool. We stayed at site #35. It is in a very quiet, off the main road, in a circle, in full shade. It’s is very close to the restroom but a distance from the camp store and dumpster. The site was clean and well equipped with a fire ring and picnic table. The site is very uneven. It definitely sloops to the back corner. It’s was difficult to level our camper but we got it in the end. The site was huge but given the unevenness it would be difficult for tents. The campground is family friendly and was quiet at night. There is a lot to do at this state park. We hiked the #3 and #5 trails and it took us about 2 hours. It was very busy but everyone was very polite. It was a great stay all around.

  • n
    Jun. 8, 2018

    Ross Camp

    Lafayette Parks and Rec

    Nice sites. Awesome shower house! close to Ross Park. A little chapel. This is a relax campground for those not into all the hiking if you just want to sit by your fire. A few primitive sites. No alcohol allowed. We rent a site here instead of hotels.

Guide to Covington

Tent camping near Covington, Indiana, offers a variety of scenic spots where nature lovers can unwind and enjoy the great outdoors. With well-maintained grounds and ample amenities, these campgrounds cater to both novice and experienced campers.

Tent campers appreciate these amenities

  • At Lake Waveland Park, you'll find features like electric hookups, drinking water, and picnic tables, making it a comfortable choice for your camping experience.

Tent campers like these nearby activities

  • Fishing and boating are popular pastimes at Lake Waveland Park, where you can enjoy the serene waters and abundant wildlife.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Covington, IN?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Covington, IN is Lake Waveland Park with a 4-star rating from 8 reviews.

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TheDyrt.com has all 3 tent camping locations near Covington, IN, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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