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This recreation area is part of Cecil M. Harden Lake
As Indiana’s second state park, Turkey Run Campground was established in 1916. The story behind its name suggests that local hunters would find herds of wild turkeys gathering in the area’s narrow canyon bottoms—called “runs”—and funnel them out for easy harvesting. The area’s natural history goes back a little father—upwards of 600 million years. It was around this time that the sandstone and coal deposits seen in the park were being formed and compacted in a vast, swampy plain. Fast-forward several million years, and Ice Age meltwaters cut and scoured the creeks, canyons, and potholes seen today. Some of the glacial erratics (boulders) seen in the park are actually pieces of bedrock that were transported from as far north as Canada. Visitors to Turkey Run can explore these unique canyons, enjoy the park’s natural scenery, fish and paddle in Sugar Creek, and see several historic sites.
Located 10 miles north of Rockville, and 70 miles west of Indianapolis, Turkey Run State Park is year-round nature and recreation area covering nearly 2,400 acres along Sugar Creek. The campground at Turkey Run features more than 200 tent and RV sites with electrical hookups, picnic tables and fire pits with cooking grills; some sites are ADA accessible. Most sites are back-in and can accommodate vehicles/trailers up to 45 feet; a few pull-throughs can accommodate larger. All sites have access to drinking water, flush and vault restrooms, and showers; two dump stations are available onsite. There are also two primitive tent camping areas for youth groups, several cabins for rent, and the historic Turkey Run Inn, which offers 61 lodge rooms, a dining room, and meeting spaces. Dogs are permitted in the park, but must remain leashed. Campsites raters are $23–$33/night; other accommodations range from $67–$110/night; reservations accepted.
Besides exploring Turkey Run’s canyon runs, the park offers a variety of hiking trails, picnic areas, and sports courts. The park’s nature center showcases a variety of exhibits and interactive activities to educate visitors about the park’s geology, flora and fauna. Park naturalists offer guided hikes and nature walks, animal talks and campfire programs. Swimming is not permitted in Sugar Creek, but anglers can fish for bass and bluegill, and paddlers can head out in canoes and kayaks. Swimmers are invited to enjoy the park’s Olympic-sized swimming pool for cooling off during the warmer months. The park also offers hayrides and guided horseback rides. For a blast from the past, visitors can also tour the historic Lusk Home. Built in 1841, this restored European home displays a lifestyle from a bygone era. Watch out for the resident raccoons.
$25 - $55 / night
$10 - $30 / night
Legend
This is just a beautiful Indiana State Park located near the small community of Jasonville, Indiana which offers simple dining, grocery store, hardware store and fuel. The park has numerous recreational activities to include 3 lakes spanning some 400 acres that are known for spectacular fishing, seasonal family aquatic center for swimming with a large water slide, seasonal nature center, and several hiking trails. The campsites are in a heavily wooded area with fantastic tree canopy for shade and comfort. Sites are mostly level gravel pads ranging from primitive to 30 amp electric, 50 amp electric or a limited number of full hookup; water, sewer and 50 amp service sites plus plenty of clean bath houses. Large rig friendly. The park also has family cabins available. A small camp store supplies firewood, ice, bait and sundries...Indiana fishing license at the park office. Want to relax...enjoy beautiful sunsets on the lake, paddling a canoe or kayak, or casting a line for dinner...this is a perfect place to make that happen.
Scout
One of the best parks in Indiana! If your looking for rugged trails look no further. For the most part campground is nicely shaded.
TravelerTurkey Run has the best trails in Indiana with water features, rock, and ladders. Good canoeing, tubbing and the best junk food at Up The Creek.
GuideWe have stayed here for several years. The best hiking in Indiana and rent a kayak and take a trip down Sugar Creek! Pictures are from our trip in Oct of 2016.
Guide
Pull through sites are spacious. Tress are young, across the road from Brown County national forest so hiking galore. And a short drive to Downtown Nashville Indiana! Hit the kettle corn stand for the best kettle popcorn around! Pool is okay a bit dated, camp store was sparsely stocked.
Scout
PROS:
Beautiful lake with geese nesting areas and great fishing opportunities. Calm waters for kayaking.
CONS:
Since July 2020, the Governor of the State of Indiana has mandated face coverings in indoor areas and in outside spaces where social distancing is not possible (and signs are posted everywhere). During our three-day-stay, we did not see any DNR staff at the gatehouse, the campground store, or a conservation officer complying with wearing a mask. In addition, most campground guests were not wearing them either.
In addition, this park is listed as participating in the Explore Indiana pin program but no one seemed to know anything about it. We did the work to earn it but were not able to add it to our collection.
GuideThe campground here is nothing to get excited about, but holy moly this is the best park in Indiana. The sites are so unique and surprising. The trails are a fun challenge and not your average hike.
Legend
Jackson-Washington State forest encompasses 16,500 plus acres in the rolling hills of south central Indiana and neighbors Starve Hollow State Recreation Area (see review). The property offers several stunning hiking trails and some are of the more challenging nature due to the elevation changes. The park also has an amazing scenic drive, Skyline Drive, which lives up to its name with spectacular panoramic vistas showcasing Indiana's gorgeous farms. The campground consists of 62 primitive class "C" self registration sites with a picnic table. Potable water is available seasonally and firewood can be purchased at the forest office. A number of the sites are waterfront offering a relaxing view...but definitely geared for the tent camper or RVer not requiring shore power. Just 2.5 miles from the town of Brownstown which has grocery shopping, restaurants and sundries. lat:38.8451 lon:-86.0519
RangerMuch 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). Visitors can camp in RV's or in tents in campground area that has water/electrical hook-ups, modern bathrooms w/ showers. There is also cabins to rent, or you can stay at Turkey Run Inn. Canoeing down Sugar Creek was great, and it passes through the state park at a fairly scenic section. Some hiking trails are easy to walk along, others trails are more rugged and difficult. Cross over Sugar Creek on a suspension bridge to get to more hiking trails in a more remote section of woods. We ate a very nice lunch in the restaurant in the Inn, and even played pinball in the gameroom. Great state park. Would be happy to go again some day.
ScoutOur first time camping at a KOA. Nice and shaded sites with full hookups. Clean bathrooms and showers. Nice laundromat. Staff was very friendly. Was a little pricey but with water electric sewer and cable hookups and a laundromat. Definitely worth the price. And the town of Nashville Indiana is about 10 minutes away with lots of neat shops and food. We had a great time.
GuideTurkey Run is one of my top 2 campgrounds in Indiana! We camped here during the Covered Bridge Festival, which is really hard to get a site, book early if you're wanting to do that. We went during the week so it was easier to get a campsite.
Our site, 226 was on a small loop that was nice and wooded. The campground staff was really good at keeping the noise down, we've had problems with noisy campers before so that was nice to see.
My absolute favorite part though, is the trails. You completely forget you're in Indiana. We went on trail 5 I believe which ran through a creek bed for awhile and that made it even more fun. We normally have our kids (4 and 1.5) but were kid free this time. We wouldn't have been able to take them on this trail at this age.
If you're into kayaking or canoeing, there are several canoe liveries that service the area and a trip down Sugar Creek is always a good time.
Put this one on your must see list!
GuideLots to do here. Fishing, kayaking and hiking. There are some awesome hiking trails here, they are very rugged for Indiana lots of hills. J-W offers some real pretty views. Skyline drive is real nice and Strave Hollow is down the road a few miles. There are several RV sites(10 to 15) available most are pretty level. Reservation can NOT to made (first come first serve).
GuideThis was a favorite getaway spot when I was a student at Purdue University. This area is such a drastic difference from the surrounding areas with canyon-like structures and cooler temperatures on the trails. It definitely doesn't feel like you are in Indiana. There are ample campsites (all electric) and a camp store. It is separate from the rest of the rest of the park, just down the road but easily accessible. Personally, the best part for me is the awesome hiking trails, rivaling my favorites in Tennessee!
GuideTurkey Run is my all time favorite State Park in Indiana. It has great camping with both reserved and walk up options (get there early for walk up options). Reservations can be made here: https://indianastateparks.reserveamerica.com/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=IN&parkId=570032<cmp=177360<clickid=03_51015144_cfbb0fa2-9eb5-41c1-bcb2-f620d18c259e
The campgrounds have modern facilities including showers. Dogs are allowed. We love the hiking trails. The extra bonus for us was to do a covered bridge driving tour!
GuideWe love Turkey Run. The campgrounds are clean and fun for all ages. The outer edge campsites provide beautiful views of the woods and are pretty secluded from other sites. The hiking trails are incredible...one of a kind for Indiana. The trails are more like adventures, leading in and out of the creek, up stairs carved into rock, up and down ladders, and across a cable bridge. It’s just beautiful. The facilities are clean, the staff is as nice as can be. You won’t regret staying at Turkey Run.
ScoutWhile this is always listed among the top Indiana state parks because of its amazing beauty and historic sites, the campgrounds are not up to the same level. The shower houses are old. No sinks, no flush toilets, no solid doors for privacy. Just curtains. So yes, that means put/vault toilets only, and there is no light for a middle of the night visit except the flashlight you will hopefully remember. Other state parks in the area do have modern shower houses. If you are disabled or just prefer better hygiene amenities, camp at Raccoon Lake SRA and take day trips to Turkey Run. I’m not sure of the status of nearby Shades Stare Park comfort facilities since we haven’t camped there yet.
LegendLove that this was voted the best campground in Indiana by The Dyrt because that is just how I felt about our stay. Great hiking trails plus a lodge with gift shop and restaurant.
Many of the sites are a good size and level but not all of them are, so be cautious if you are reserving and not familiar with the sites. In April, we practically had the entire campground to ourselves! The ranger was obviously not busy so he came over to talk to us for a while. We especially liked the hike to the covered bridge and exploring the sandstone canyons. The suspension bridge was fun too! We saw birds, a profusion of beautiful wildflowers and (not so beautiful) wild turkeys. We would love to return in the fall.
GuideI had heard about Turkey Run a few times but never thought much of it. On my way through we decided to stop in and we were so blown away we stayed the night. This state park is definitely the Gem of Indiana . There are lots of view stops along the river, the suspension bridge is super neat, and the rocks, waterfalls, and streams will have you awestruck the whole time. I cannot wait to return, I’m sure it is breathtaking in the fall. there are lots of inclines and steps , not much of it was extremely easy hiking, but we did see lots of families with kids doing just fine. We camped out of our Jeep and didn’t have any issue. My favorite part about camping is the sunrise and Turkey Run was not disappointing.
LegendI have never been to a campground with so many children. At first it was a nice break from all the old folks at the RV parks, but then it got to be too much. There was constant noise and commotion and kids (and adults) constantly walking through my site. One boy was even riding his bike over my Starlink wire. A lot of the kids had electric scooters and bikes and were zooming through the campground endlessly. I had a group from across the road come into my site and start playing frisbee golf because they did not have enough room in their own site but didn't say a word to me. Really? The surrounding area is very beautiful with rock outcroppings and small gorges unlike the rest of Indiana. However, the walking paths around this beautiful area were MOBBED. The area around the suspension bridge was like being in Times Square. The bathrooms were good….a solid B+.
GuideTurkey Run is arguably the most popular campground (and state park) in Indiana and has its pros and cons.
It is definitely designed to accommodate RVs, as the majority of the sites are situated in an open field. There are a few dozen sites that are in “loops” that are situated in shaded areas. Some camp sites have zero privacy while others have a little. Either way, if you’re here on a weekend, you’ll definitely have neighbors close by. You can see the entire campground via google maps street view, just FYI
This is a very family friendly campground and you will see lots of kids on bicycles flying around. I’ve stayed here a few times, and no matter the day of the week or the time of year, there are always lots of kids.
This campground has a raccoon “problem” due to campers having poor camp etiquette and feeding them. They come out of the woods towards dusk looking for food. They will come right up to you without hesitation, so don’t be alarmed if there’s one next to you while you cook s’mores over your fire (ask me how I know, hah). They will take any food that is left out. Do not turn your back to your dinner table at any time if there’s food out.
On my last visit to turkey run (I’ve camped here 3 or 4 times) I arrived to my campsite and someone had left dog food out for the raccoons in little piles all over the place which was super disappointing. Additionally, my neighbors didn’t put their campfire out when they packed up and left.
Perhaps I’m just used to camping in other areas where you have to worry about bears and burning the forests down…But campers here just aren’t as mindful or respectful of the campground.
The restrooms and showers (at least the one I use at this campground) is modernized and cleaned daily but there’s no dish pit/wash room available if you cook. Just be prepared to clean up accordingly and put trash in trash receptacles. There are a few vault toilets in the campground as well.
You can hike from the CG into the state park (highly recommend. It’s gorgeous!) just wear shoes that youre willing to get wet.
Overall, it’s a beautiful state park with a conveniently located campground. It’s not the best campground ever but for Indiana standards, it’s great. Even with my complaints, I always return because I enjoy visiting and hiking through the state park.
Guide
This is probably the best state forest in the state of Indiana. The property is well maintained. There is a new visitors center built a few years ago. There are some picnic areas and a couple of shields and 2 cabins for rent. There are a lot of trails to hike 2 of them are over 10 miles (lower gap and three lakes). The Tecumseh trail (40 miles) starts in Morgan Monroe State Forest passes through Yellowwood State Forest and ends in the Hoosier national Forest. There are some shorter trails also. The trails are very nice and well maintained. There is a paved bicycle trail approximately 5 miles long one way Three small lakes are on the property for fishing and kayaking. There are three campgrounds on the property. The main campground has around 20 sites. The overflow campgrounds as about 10 more sites. There is a youth campgrounds to. Each campground has pit toilets and wash station with water available to take to camp site. There is also camping on the some of the trails. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is, we are RV campers and there are only about 5 sites we could get in to. 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. There is a dump station, but I barely got in to dump. So not real RV friendly.
ScoutStarve Hollow offers camping from full hookup, electric only (by the lake), tent camping, and cabins. The lake has a swimming area (no lifeguards), playgrounds, and bathhouse. The lake allows boats with electric trolling motor only.
We stayed in the full hookup section (camping facilities: electric, sewer, and water hookup as well as fire ring, picnic table, and parking spur at each site. Modern restrooms/showers(wheelchair accessible) are available nearby. 53 sites available, sites 222, 232, and 234 are wheelchair accessible). The bathhouse was clean (even though it rained most of the weekend). these sites are a good size and able to get any size Trailer or RV into these sites. There is mostly grass on most of the sites in this area.
The campground also offers electric only sites (camping facilities: electric hookup, fire ring, picnic table and parking spur at each site. Drinking water is available in area. Modern restrooms/showers(wheelchair accessible) are available nearby. Dumping station is available. There are 87 sites available. Sites 28, 44, 65, 75 and 90 are wheelchair accessible). They have about 20 sites that back up right to the lake allowing fishing from your campsite. Keep in mind that a lot of the electric only sites are very tight with a lot of trees in the area. I can probably only get my 36 ft 5th wheel into a third of the sites, but there are many of sites that had shorter units on them.
Cabins: Starve Hollow has 13 rent-a-camp cabins available March-Nov.(closed Dec.-Feb.)(NOTE: Local sales only during off season/winter months, contact property for details). Each cabin has a front porch with a swing, outside electric outlet and front porch light. Inside there are two small rooms each providing a ceiling fan with light, a heating/cooling unit and electrical outlets. The front room offers a small table with bench seats, corner shelf, chair, rocking chair, and a loft. The back room offers a bunk bed(single) and a double bed(NO LINENS or MATTRESS PROVIDED). Air mattress recommended.
Fishing/Boating Starve-Hollow Lake has three boat ramps to choose from, one at the dam and two in the electric campground. Kayak, rowboat and canoe rental is available. A valid Indiana fishing license is required. Rowboat and canoe rental is available from mid April through October. Starve-Hollow Lake is a trolling motor only lake. For campers a fish cleaning station is available.
Swimming A large beach is available for swimming from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Restrooms, dressing facilities, showers, and food concessions are available to visitors. Wheelchair ramps allow access to beach and concession area.
Picnicking There are picnic areas and picnic shelters that can be reserved. Both shelters can be accessed by wheelchair. The East shelter has an electrical outlet. Picnic tables and grills are located at the picnic sites. A wheelchair accessible playground, basketball goals, softball fields, horseshoe pits and a sand volleyball court are located on or near the swimming beach.
Hiking Trails Starve Hollow has several hiking trails to explore that total approximately 11 miles.
Scout
Nice quiet secluded lots of nature great atmosphere family friendly
GuideThis 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. There are rapids by a huge ridge near the lake.
GuideReally fun place had a relaxed time
TravelerI’ve camped here several times and have always enjoyed it. 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. At this campground, there are two areas of pit toilets, and a big outdoor sink. Fire wood and maps can be obtained just up the road at the new Morgan Monroe headquarters. A self pay station is set up there. You select your site, set up, then go pay. Each site has a picnic table, fire ring and plenty of room for tenting with most sites big enough for a trailer. There’s a playground at the entrance of Mason Ridge campground and a fire tower.
TravelerMy favorite forest with traditional camping, backwoods camping, and a wonderful secret pioneer cabin for rent. This is the best camping within an hour on Indianapolis and if your looking for free and solitary sites try the backwoods camping area for the low gap trail theres a parking lot there.
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