Sarah M.
Scout
ScoutHickory Ridge
Super quiet at night and lots of space. Good privacy.
Tent Camping near Freetown, IN
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Dispersed tent camping options are abundant in the forested hills surrounding Freetown, Indiana, particularly in the Hoosier National Forest area. Berry Ridge Road Dispersed Camping and Charles C. Deam Wilderness provide accessible backcountry tent sites with varying levels of primitiveness. Hickory Ridge Primitive Dispersed Campsites and Sundance Lake offer additional tent camping areas within reasonable driving distance of Freetown.
Most tent sites in this region are primitive with minimal amenities. Berry Ridge Road features multiple small clearings along gravel forest roads where tent campers can set up, often with existing fire rings but no potable water or sanitation facilities. Charles C. Deam Wilderness permits dispersed tent camping throughout its boundaries if following Leave No Trace principles, with official sites typically containing rock fire rings and rustic site furniture. Campers should plan to bring all necessary water or filter from streams, as drinking water is rarely available at primitive sites. The terrain varies from flat clearings to more sloped areas requiring careful tent placement.
These tent campsites near Freetown offer exceptional seclusion, particularly at Berry Ridge Road sites. Several clearings are situated 100 feet or more from the main road with thick forest between, creating natural sound barriers and privacy. Charles C. Deam Wilderness provides opportunities for creek-side tent camping along multiple trails. According to reviews on The Dyrt, "sites are relatively far apart, sometimes half a mile or more between campsites," making these areas ideal for tent campers seeking quiet forest immersion. The natural surroundings feature a mix of deciduous forest with abundant wildlife viewing opportunities. Numerous hiking trails connect many of these tent camping areas, allowing for extended exploration on foot from established campsites. Seasonal considerations include increased mosquito and tick activity after rainfall, and potentially muddy access roads during wet weather.
Best Tent Campgrounds near Freetown (20)
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. Hickory Ridge
"Super quiet at night and lots of space. Good privacy."
5. 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."
6. Hickory Ridge Primitive Dispersed Campsites
"Very nice drive during the day, hiking is fantastic!"
7. Pine Loop
"There are campsites from walk-ins to drive-ins to FCFS with or without electricity/water. Plenty of shade in a very quiet surrounding. Access to Monroe lake as well as a small beach for swimming."
8. Maines Pond
9. Oak Ridge Camping Area — Morgan-Monroe State Forest
"When tent camping and want something quiet and a place with great trails, this is a good place to go. Even though it’s hot outside today, there’s lots of shade and a breeze."
"Site 13 has a little trail that goes down to a large flooded sinkhole behind the campsite. There were lots of tree frogs singing because of the proximity to water."
Check Availabilityfrom $25 - $55 / night
10. Eads Loop
Drive Time
- 33 min from Columbus, IN
- 51 min from Bloomington, IN
- 1 hr 4 min from Indianapolis, IN
- 1 hr 12 min from Louisville, KY
Recent Tent Camping Photos near Freetown, IN
23 Photos of 20 Freetown Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Tent Camping Reviews near Freetown, IN
693 Reviews of 20 Freetown 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 Freetown
Dispersed camping areas around Freetown, Indiana provide primitive experiences where self-sufficiency is essential. The region sits within the hills of south-central Indiana, typically ranging between 600-800 feet in elevation, with seasonal temperature fluctuations from below freezing in winter to humid 90°F days in summer. Most sites require visitors to pack in all necessities including water, as natural sources aren't reliable during drier months.
What to do
**Wildlife observation: Look for dawn activity when animals are most active. At Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping, one camper reported, "Solo camped here with my dogs... every night at around 5pm I would hear rustling in the leaves, I assumed it was a pack of cayotes and they would leave once I started banging on stuff and primally yelling."
**Mushroom hunting: Spring visitors can search for morels in April-May. At Charles C. Deam Wilderness, visitors noted, "We visited during mid-April, perfect for finding morels. The trails are well paved and marked, not too strenuous."
**Creek exploration: Wade through shallow streams to discover unique rocks and geodes. 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."
What campers like
**Natural sound barriers: Many sites offer sound isolation from both roads and other campers. A Berry Ridge Road camper noted, "Camp spot is about 100ft off the main road with thick woods in between the road and the campsite even if someone drove by we wouldn't see them."
**Distance between sites: The area provides true isolation between camping spots. At Hickory Ridge Primitive Dispersed Campsites, one visitor mentioned, "Very secluded, I got there in a sedan. I pulled in at midnight in a sedan in the winter and i was able to safely find my way."
**Hammock options: Trees are plentiful for hammock camping. At Sundance Lake Dispersed Camping, campers can find spots near water. As one visitor at Charles C. Deam noted, "There are an abundance of areas to set up a hammock."
What you should know
**Weather impacts: Rain creates challenging conditions. A visitor at Charles C. Deam Wilderness warned, "The only negative was that we came after a lot of rain. So everything is permanently wet and mosquitos/ticks abounded."
**Limited parking: Weekend crowds can make finding legal parking difficult. One camper noted, "Come Friday you'll be fighting for a spot or face an $80 fine for parking on the roadway. More parking is a necessity with the amount of dispersed campers."
**Water planning: Natural water sources require treatment. "Refill your water when you come across it; the lake is harder to get to than you think," advised one Charles C. Deam visitor.
**Trash issues: Pack-out policies aren't always followed. A visitor observed, "The one negative was I did have to pack out previous campers trash along with my own."
Tips for camping with families
**Noise considerations: Some areas see increased weekend activity. At Sundance Lake, a camper reported, "On the weekends, the activity picked up with a lot of partying and hunting."
**Trail difficulty assessment: Choose appropriate paths for children's abilities. At Morgan-Monroe State Forest, "There are a lot of trails to hike 2 of them are over 10 miles (lower gap and three lakes)... There are some shorter trails also."
**Playground access: Some campgrounds offer built facilities for children. Morgan-Monroe has "a playground at the entrance of Mason Ridge campground and a fire tower."
**Site selection: Many areas have varied terrain. One camper at Morgan-Monroe noted, "I was slightly disappointed by the site selections being mostly on a slant, but we did find one on the overfill site that suited our needs."
Tips for RVers
**Size limitations: Most dispersed sites around Freetown accommodate only smaller RVs. At Ransburg Scout Reservation, which offers more developed camping, "it was well maintained and the staff was helpful."
**Access challenges: Gravel and dirt roads can be problematic for larger rigs. At Berry Ridge Road, "I would not bring a Rv here especially after rain."
**Dumping stations: Limited facilities exist for waste disposal. One RVer at Morgan-Monroe mentioned, "the dump station hose did not have a connection to allow me to flush the blackwater holding tank."
**Leveling requirements: Bring leveling blocks as most sites aren't flat. "Our camper is about 25' and it was tight get in and out of the campground. If you have a small camper (15' or smaller) there would more sites."
For the best tent camping near Freetown, Indiana, primitive sites typically provide more seclusion than established campgrounds, but require greater self-sufficiency. Most tent sites remain available year-round but accessibility changes seasonally with weather conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent
campsite near Freetown, IN?
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Freetown, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Freetown, 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
Freetown, IN?
What is the best site to find tent camping near Freetown, IN?
TheDyrt.com has all 20 tent camping locations near Freetown, IN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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