10 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Brown County State Park features multiple campgrounds accommodating RVs near Helmsburg. Buffalo Ridge Campground offers electric hookups with 30 and 50-amp service, water hookups, and pull-through sites suitable for larger rigs. Taylor Ridge Campground provides similar amenities with electric and water connections, while Raccoon Ridge accommodates smaller RVs with limited big rig access. Away A Day RV Campground in Nashville offers electric hookups and sewer connections on level sites. Columbus Woods-N-Waters Kampground, located approximately 30 miles away, provides full hookup sites with 50-amp service for larger motorhomes. "Take their length limits seriously. We have a 21' RV/van and we just barely fit in the site."
Most RV parks in the area maintain gravel pads with varying degrees of levelness. During peak seasons, particularly fall when visitors come for autumn foliage, reservations are strongly recommended as campgrounds fill quickly. Brown County State Park campgrounds feature convenient dump stations near camping loops, while many private parks offer full sewer hookups at individual sites. Cell service is generally reliable throughout the area, with most parks reporting good Verizon coverage. Several parks remain open year-round, though some reduce services during winter months. The Last Resort RV Park accommodates big rigs with 50-amp service and sewer hookups but offers limited amenities compared to other options. Narrow, winding roads lead to some parks, requiring careful navigation for larger motorhomes.
"The spots in Taylor ridge were mostly well-spaced and felt pretty private. The pit toilets were clean and the showers were nice."
"It was backed up to the edge of the woods which made for a lovely view. Driving through the campground it looks like there are some sites pretty close together but ours wasn’t too bad."
from $18 - $43 / night
"This is a beautiful State Park situated in the rolling hills of southern Indiana."
"We have a 21’ RV/van and we just barely fit in the site - take their length limits seriously. This site only has 20 amp power, so make sure you have an adapter if you need 30/50 hookups."
from $43 / night
"There are three loops, Buffalo ridge (RV), Raccoon Ridge which is tent sites around the outside, with electric inside the loop. Which would be suitable for RVs."
"Holiday Fourth of July 2022 weekend the start Park was special excitement in downtown Nashville, Indiana a short drive outside the State Park."
from $43 / night
"Brown County has always been the jewel of Indiana State Parks for Trail Riders. The campground is large, with spaces to accommodate larger rigs."
"We often take our horses trail riding there for a week every couple of summers of just go down for weekend trips to go hiking."
from $17 - $29 / night
"Our family returns at least once a year for the scenery and biking. We generally use the Rally group campsite and invite our friends to join us. "
from $20 - $50 / night
"Quiet and quant! Nice little campground with great fishing nearby!!"
from $45 - $75 / night
"Gravel campsites in a very family friendly location! Stopped here on out way back to Illinois from Tennessee. Easy hookups, a lot of things to do for the family."
"Paddle boating, mini-golf, swimming pool, fishing lake, rental cabins and rental pop-ups. Campground sites are closer than I prefer but still doable. Of their 312 sites, 2/3 are full hookups!"
from $48 - $999 / night
"Campground is peaceful and scenic. Water had a funny smell, however. But, would stay again for sure."
"This easy-access-from-the-highway RV park is really nice. The spots are accessible, the bathrooms are AMAZING (no…seriously), the little attractions are adorable and the host is terrific."
ScoutMark & 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).
Guide⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 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!
GuideWe 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.
ScoutLittle loop pull off with a stone fire pit in the middle. Walking trail goes down to a swampy pond.
ScoutClean paved sites, rigs under 35 feet will fit. Water and electricity 50/30 (water is in the ground.
LegendWe 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!
GuideGreat 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.
ScoutLove 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.
ScoutExcellent source for camping
Brown County State Park near Helmsburg, Indiana offers rolling hill terrain with elevation changes between 600-840 feet above sea level. Trail systems throughout the park span approximately 30 miles with multiple access points from camping areas. Winter camping options remain available with reduced services including one heated bathhouse in Buffalo Ridge Campground during off-season months.
Mountain biking trails: Brown County State Park contains nearly 30 miles of purpose-built mountain biking trails ranging from beginner to expert difficulty. "The mountain biking is excellent, with purpose built trails for beginner to expert (flow, berms, rollers, jumps...)," notes a Buffalo Ridge Campground visitor.
Hiking to lakes: Several trails connect camping areas to the park's two man-made lakes. "The park as a whole is beautiful and there's a trailhead that's walking distance from the campsite that leads down a beautiful trail to a lake," writes a camper from Taylor Ridge Campground.
Horseback riding: The park maintains dedicated equestrian trails and a horse camp area. "There are a lot of fun hills and trails that you can ride for hours which we love to do," shares a visitor at Horsemen's Campground. Trail rides can be arranged through the saddle barn for those without their own horses.
Exploring Nashville: The nearby town of Nashville offers shopping and dining options just minutes from the campgrounds. "Nashville is only a 5 minute drive from the campgrounds, and it's a blast going to all of the different shops and restaurants located in town," according to a Taylor Ridge camper.
Shower facilities: Campers frequently mention the well-maintained bathroom and shower facilities. "Pit toilets at the back of the loop were probably the cleanest pits I've ever used. Bonus that there are dedicated mens/womens pits," notes a visitor at Raccoon Ridge Campground.
Site spacing: Many sites offer good separation between campers, particularly in certain loops. "The sites around us were spacious and had a lot of mature trees," reports a camper from Taylor Ridge Campground. However, site quality varies by campground and specific location within each loop.
Camp store options: The on-site camp store carries basics and local items. "Camp store was stocked nicely. Staff was friendly," mentions a Taylor Ridge visitor, though some note it carries "more souvenirs than food or camp needs."
Fall camping atmosphere: Autumn brings spectacular foliage displays across the park's hills. "In the fall it's almost as good as New England (almost)," shares a Buffalo Ridge camper, though this is also the busiest season requiring advance reservations.
Site selection matters: Pay close attention when booking as site quality and size vary significantly. "I would say pay particular attention to the size of the site you're booking as some were pretty small. Also, some sites were fairly sloped as well," advises a Taylor Ridge reviewer. This is particularly important for those with larger rigs.
Entrance restrictions: Larger vehicles must use specific park entrances. "The north entrance is through a covered bridge with a 9 foot clearance and 3 ton limit! Otherwise, use the easily accessible west entrance, just a few miles 'around the corner,'" warns a CERA Sports Corporation visitor who traveled to the park.
Site leveling: Many sites require leveling equipment. "The site was a slight slope and overall I would book it again. We have a full size truck with a small travel trailer that fit perfectly," reports a Taylor Ridge camper, while another Raccoon Ridge visitor notes "some spots are uneven and tight."
Weather considerations: The park experiences flooding during heavy rains. "The campground is notorious for flooding in heavy rains. We have had as much as 4 in of water draining through our campsite," warns a Horsemen's Campground reviewer, particularly relevant for lower-elevation sites.
Swimming options: The park features an Olympic-sized pool with unique amenities. "Pool area is super nice with a waterslide, diving boards and a unique rock climbing wall in the deep end," shares a CERA visitor. Note that the pool is not walking distance from campgrounds.
Nature programs: Daily educational activities run throughout peak seasons. "We also went to a Raptor show that was put on at the nature center where we got to look at some interesting raptors," explains a Buffalo Ridge camper, with programs typically scheduled at the nature center.
Wildlife viewing: Opportunities to see wildlife exist throughout the park. "When we drove back to the Campground after dinner there was a whole herd of deer hanging out at the camp ground," notes a Raccoon Ridge visitor, despite claims that deer populations were diminished.
Multi-generation activities: The park offers activities for all ages. "We have also stayed in both the electric and primitive sites. Both are very nice and allow use of the nicest campground shower facilities around," explains a Rally Group Campground visitor, making it suitable for family gatherings.
Site size considerations: RV sites vary dramatically in size across campgrounds. "There are 3 separate campgrounds in the park Buffalo Ridge, Raccoon, and Taylor Ridge. We stayed in Taylor which was dubbed 'wooded' and the one I would most suggest. The others were pretty cleared out and too close together," advises a Taylor Ridge camper.
Road navigation: Internal park roads require careful navigation with larger rigs. "The roads are not marked very well and it took a bit to find our site which needed level blocks and is just wide enough for the Rv," warns a Taylor Ridge visitor. Allow extra travel time within the park.
Campground loop selection: For RV camping near Helmsburg, Indiana, each campground loop offers different advantages. "We were there mid-week, so very few of the 480 sites were occupied, except in Buffalo Ridge, the primary RV loop," explains a Raccoon Ridge visitor, noting Buffalo Ridge is typically better for larger RVs.
Utility access: Water access varies by site location. "Nice to have water supply within 10 feet. Very quiet, shady paved sites in Taylor's Ridge loop," mentions a Taylor Ridge camper, though most water hookups aren't direct at individual sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular RV campsite near Helmsburg, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Helmsburg, IN is Taylor Ridge Campground — Brown County State Park with a 4.5-star rating from 31 reviews.
What is the best site to find RV camping near Helmsburg, IN?
TheDyrt.com has all 81 RV camping locations near Helmsburg, IN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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