Sarah M.
Scout
ScoutHickory Ridge
Super quiet at night and lots of space. Good privacy.
Tent Camping near Deputy, IN
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Dispersed tent camping options surround Deputy, Indiana, with several primitive sites located within the Hoosier National Forest. Berry Ridge Road Dispersed Camping and Charles C. Deam Wilderness offer free tent sites approximately 30 miles north of Deputy, while Hickory Ridge Primitive Dispersed Campsites provide additional backcountry camping opportunities. These areas primarily feature undeveloped forest settings with minimal amenities, making them ideal for self-sufficient tent campers seeking solitude.
Most primitive tent sites in the region require campers to be fully self-sufficient. The dispersed camping areas along Berry Ridge Road feature level spots for tents with existing fire rings but no drinking water or toilet facilities. Charles C. Deam Wilderness offers both drive-in and hike-in tent sites with some locations featuring rock fire rings and basic bushcraft furniture. A recent review noted that "sites are primitive with no amenities. Tent camping only although there are both hike in and drive up sites in the wilderness area." Pack-in, pack-out principles apply at all dispersed sites, and campers should bring all necessary water and supplies.
Tent campers visiting these areas experience significant privacy between sites. The Berry Ridge Road area contains multiple secluded tent spots spaced far apart, providing quiet forest camping with minimal traffic. A camper described the experience as "secluded and peaceful" with sites "pretty far off of the road, but not too far." The Charles C. Deam Wilderness offers excellent hiking opportunities with trails following streams and connecting to Monroe Lake. Walk-in tent sites deeper in the wilderness provide greater seclusion, though weekend traffic increases during summer months. Hickory Ridge primitive sites accommodate tent camping with drive-in access but maintain a rustic, undeveloped character. Wildlife sightings are common throughout these areas, with deer frequently observed near campsites.
Best Tent Campgrounds near Deputy (16)
1. Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping
"So much space, existing fire rings, there was wood left behind from previous campers so that was nice! We have a reactive pup and she is able to live her best life there!"
"Decent sized space to park for 2-3 vehicles."
2. Sundance Lake Dispersed Camping
"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."
"I chose this spot because we wanted to camp by water, but didn’t realize the camp sites are a 5-10 minute walk from the lake."
3. Charles C. Deam Wilderness
"Being in a national forest dispersed camping is allowed if you follow leave no trace principals, but I stayed in a couple of the official sites."
"The sites are primitive with no amenities. Tent camping only although there are both hike in and drive up sites in the wilderness area. Great place to get away from it all."
4. Birdsell Castle
Check Availabilityfrom $25 - $75 / night
5. Hickory Ridge
"Super quiet at night and lots of space. Good privacy."
6. Happy Hollow Homestead
"He has firewood for purchase and will set up your fire for free with his propane torch, which was very helpful for us after a rainstorm."
"We were nervous about bottoming in the dry creek bed on way to Walnut Grove area, but no problem. Great stay. 20' Ford Transit ModVan. One bar with cell booster."
Check AvailabilityAvailable next weekend
from $40 - $65 / night
7. Ransburg Scout Reservation
"Located on Monroe lake, they have canoeing, row boats, sailboats, motor boats, and skiing.
Lots of fun activities to do, and great hiking trails. Their mess hall is top notch.""Our Boy Scout troop enjoyed visiting this location. It was well maintained and the staff was helpful."
8. Old Mill Tent And Hammock Camping
"Sites are relatively close but you still have plenty of your own space. Each site comes with a fire pit and picnic table. Plenty of trees to hang up a hammock and empty space to pitch a tent."
"Nice size site with fire ring and picnic table. Lots of trees- so great tree canopy and plenty of hammock. Nice size pieces of wood and large bundles."
Check Availabilityfrom $20 / night
9. Hickory Ridge Primitive Dispersed Campsites
"Very nice drive during the day, hiking is fantastic!"
10. Drakes Ridge Rustic Nudist Retreat
Drive Time
- 41 min from Columbus, IN
- 50 min from Louisville, KY
- 1 hr 23 min from Bloomington, IN
- 1 hr 33 min from Cincinnati, OH
Recent Tent Camping Photos near Deputy, IN
19 Photos of 16 Deputy Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Tent Camping Reviews near Deputy, IN
724 Reviews of 16 Deputy Campgrounds
Ron W.ScoutCamp Atterbury Campground
Outstanding
Mark & Denise are great camp hosts they care about everyone and will help them if they need it. They do so much for the holidays and have some great times together around the campfires. Will miss them this winter but will be thinking of them during the Army Navy game. (A inside joke lol).
LDS Sister H.
GuideFriends O' Mine Campground & Cabins
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Our First RV Home Has Been Such a Blessing!
My husband and I absolutely loved our first few months here at Friends O' Mine Campgrounds & Cabins as first-time RV owners with our Class A RV.
We downsized from our 5-bedroom home in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. We sold our home and I followed my Husband back here to Indiana after he received a wonderful career opportunity. My Husband is a Veteran, 🇺🇸 and after moving to Nashville, Indiana, we had immediately fallen in love with this small town - where we respected and admired the way Nashville reminds us of where we had just moved from in Missouri.
We stayed at Grand Wood Suites for six months, after paying for a hotel, all while continuously paying for our two large storage units, as well as our mortgage payment and then rent for most of the beginning of this year; so, we decided to downsize to save money to buy land sooner, instead of continuing to rent. 🏕️ We already loved camping - we started with a pop-up camper on the 🔝 of our Jeep and camped dozens of times, then traded up to a pop-up camper. So we used what we had in savings, bought our Class A RV, donated our pop-up camper, and came to Friends O' Mine - and it was the best decision!
From day one, the other campers have been so friendly, as are the nice employees and amazing owners. They truly make you feel like family. They set up weekly entertainment that brings the whole campground together around the campfire - there is a huge fire in the middle with six porch swings attached to a massive gazebo and veranda surrounding it. It's incredibly cozy and just inviting you to join in.
We've enjoyed live musical singers entertaining us around the campfire all evening, and we were invited to watch a documentary about a local racecar driver in their indoor recreational room, right next to the indoor laundry facilities.
There is also a subterranean pool that my Husband and I enjoyed swimming in almost every day during our first month here - it was very relaxing and refreshing!
One of our favorite parts has been our peaceful, nighttime walks around the large, well-stocked catch-and-release pond. My Husband and I hold hands together and walk around it at sunset almost every evening. It's so serene and calming to hear the sounds of the water and feel the beautiful Autumn breeze.
This has been a very relaxing, enjoyable, and heartwarming experience for us. If you are looking for a clean, friendly, peaceful, and welcoming place to stay - whether for a weekend or for a season - we cannot recommend Friends O' Mine Campgrounds & Cabins enough. We are so grateful we found it!
Kaley A.GuideBuffalo Ridge Campground — Brown County State Park
We absolutely LOVED this park! It was hands down our favorite of this year. We camped at site 100 and it has a neighbor on one side and behind while the other side was a huge open space. It is in the center of a loop. It was mostly level. There was some minor doming to the site but not bad at all. It was a busy camp ground but not as crowded (sites not on top of each other) as some I’ve been in. The outsides of the loops did have more space between and privacy but could be smaller or more sloped, it just really depended. The bathrooms and showers were cleaner than some of the other state parks we have been to, so much so my 11 year old son mentioned it. The park itself is absolutely gorgeous. The hiking trails (which is what we usually go for) were nice but I believe that the biking trails were actually more scenic than the hiking trails and a lot more rugged. We liked trail 8 starting from the west lookout tower and stopping at Hesitation Point for lunch/break/bathroom. Trail 6 was also a pretty, rugged, shorter trail. The Nature Center was also nicer than a lot of the others we have been to in the state. We did choose to do horseback riding at the stables. We showed up about 5 minutes after opening and were able to pay and told to come back in an hour and 45 minutes. That didn’t bother us since we had the time but if you are on a tighter schedule, the earlier the better. We also went into Nashville and it was a very cute town to visit. Well decorated for Halloween, very walkable, and a little something for almost everyone. Prices were about what I would expect for a tourist town but not terrible. I also have T-Mobile and had pretty good service almost everywhere in the park.
- J
Jacob S.ScoutOgala Horse Camp
Little loop pull off with a stone fire pit in the middle. Walking trail goes down to a swampy pond.
Mark T.ScoutIrwin City Park
Nice little city park/campgound
Clean paved sites, rigs under 35 feet will fit. Water and electricity 50/30 (water is in the ground.
SkywaystoHighways.com Y.
LegendBill Monroe Memorial Music Park & Campground
Fun Event Location
We stayed for the weekend during a Campout event. Lots of fun seeing all of our camping buddies. I don’t think we would camp here otherwise as it isn’t really our type of camping. Sites are close together, so don’t expect privacy. Porta potties had not been serviced from their previous event… needless to say, it was foul. The country music museum was pretty cool. The guide was very knowledgeable!
- JasonGuide
Camp Atterbury Campground
Host is great, park is nice, MWR needs help
Great place to stay. Full hook ups, about 90 percent level sites. 33 RV sites and 3 or 4 primitive camp sites. The main bathhouse is pretty clean, included laundry, and a great host and hostess (Mark and Denise). The only bad is the price hikes here. One would think MWR would throw money towards some things...like a dog park, some leveling, lights at the kids playground, and MWR sponsored and paid for holiday parties/outings for vets, retirees, and all the active here on base. But nope, just collecting revenue without any beanies. Anyway, the host keeps it grounded.
Jeff C.ScoutShale Bluff Campground — Hardy Lake State Recreation Area
My favorite spot
Love taking the kid to hardy lake. Smaller lake to fish on with a trolling motor canoe but big enough they allow gas motors. Have a few favorite sites for the camper.
Guide to Deputy
Tent camping near Deputy, Indiana offers backcountry experiences primarily within the rolling hills of Hoosier National Forest. The region sits at elevations between 500-800 feet with terrain characterized by karst topography, creating interesting geological features and small caves throughout camping areas. Winter camping requires preparation for temperatures that regularly drop below freezing, while summer brings high humidity with daytime temperatures often exceeding 85°F.
What to do
Hiking forest trails: At Charles C. Deam Wilderness, trails follow natural features with varying difficulty levels. A camper noted, "We visited during mid-April, perfect for finding morels. The trails are well paved and marked, not too strenuous. So many beautiful trees and plants to see, plus lots of creeks to walk through."
Geological exploration: The limestone formations create unique opportunities for explorers. One visitor to Charles C. Deam Wilderness shared, "I walked the creek for hours just looking at all the rocks on the sandbars. I have never encountered so many geodes in my life. Truly magnificent to encounter."
Water activities: Old Mill Tent and Hammock Camping provides direct river access. "The campground is very secluded right off Blue River. A canoe/kayaking company actually ends one of their river trips there," explains one camper, making it convenient for paddlers to end their journey with an overnight stay.
What campers like
Secluded sites: The Berry Ridge Road Dispersed Camping area offers true isolation. A camper described, "Multiple campsites in the area, I've stayed at two both of which were away from others, clean, fairly flat and had plenty of dead wood around to burn. Some sites, at least one, could fit a pretty good sized camper."
Solo-friendly locations: Many sites work well for independent campers. A solo traveler at Berry Ridge Road shared, "This is my first time camping solo. I was definitely nervous at first and almost debated getting back on the road before sundown. But it's now 10:37 pm, I'm traveling from Chicago to Florida and I kind of love this spot."
Natural immersion: The best tent camping near Deputy provides complete forest immersion. At Hickory Ridge, visitors appreciate the "secluded with view" aspect, with one camper noting it's a "Good spot to get some quiet time to learn/hone skills or for some good quality time with the family while being plugged into nature."
What you should know
Weather considerations: The region experiences rapid weather changes, particularly in spring and fall. At Happy Hollow Homestead, a camper noted the importance of preparation: "Kerry had interesting stories to tell about the property. There was a giant bonfire lit on Saturday night and the music went all night, which was so much fun! I would imagine on all other weekends, it would be pretty quiet."
Wildlife awareness: Various animals frequent the camping areas. One camper at Berry Ridge Road mentioned, "Just trees knocking, bugs curling and frogs croaking. Did see a rattlesnake dead on the road. No toilet but good reception."
Self-sufficiency required: Most sites demand complete self-reliance. A camper at Hickory Ridge Primitive Dispersed Campsites stated, "I pulled in at midnight in a sedan in the winter and i was able to safely find my way. Very nice drive during the day, hiking is fantastic!"
Tips for camping with families
Recreational options: Ransburg Scout Reservation offers numerous family activities. A visitor explained, "Located on Monroe lake, they have canoeing, row boats, sailboats, motor boats, and skiing. Lots of fun activities to do, and great hiking trails. Their mess hall is top notch."
Kid-friendly features: Some sites have natural play elements children enjoy. At Happy Hollow Homestead, "The tree web is a giant net about 15 feet in the air. My boys loved climbing up and laying in the web. The tire swing was also fun for the kids."
Educational opportunities: The region offers learning experiences about forest ecosystems. A family that visited Happy Hollow Homestead shared, "Kerry took us on a kubota for a tour of the property. We saw a beautiful creek with waterfall, bee hives and sinkholes."
Tips from RVers
Access limitations: Most dispersed camping areas have restrictions for larger vehicles. One Berry Ridge Road camper advised, "For those of you who don't understand disperse camping this is the perfect site for a tent to camp without anything but what you bring in and take out. I always see the complaints this is dispersed camping at its best."
Vehicle clearance issues: Some roads require higher clearance vehicles. A visitor to Berry Ridge Road noted, "Beautiful secluded site that is pretty far off of the road, but not too far. I have a promaster conversion and had no trouble making it to this site, however the road was gravel and steep at times."
Seasonal road conditions: Spring and fall bring muddy conditions to access roads. A camper at Sundance Lake Dispersed Camping shared their experience: "I wouldn't be trying to pull a travel trailer back into here unless it was very small. On the weekends, the activity picked up with a lot of partying and hunting."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent
campsite near Deputy, IN?
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Deputy, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Deputy, IN is Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping with a 4.8-star rating from 18 reviews.
What is the best site to find
tent camping near
Deputy, IN?
What is the best site to find tent camping near Deputy, IN?
TheDyrt.com has all 16 tent camping locations near Deputy, IN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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