Sarah M.
Scout
ScoutHickory Ridge
Super quiet at night and lots of space. Good privacy.
Camping near Heltonville, IN
12 campgrounds with availability this weekend
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Camping options near Heltonville, Indiana include developed campgrounds in the Hoosier National Forest and surrounding state parks. Hardin Ridge and Blackwell Campground in the Hoosier National Forest provide both tent and RV accommodations, while Berry Ridge Road offers free dispersed camping opportunities. Several campgrounds in the region include cabin options, such as Hardin Ridge and Spring Mill State Park, which provide alternatives to traditional tent or RV camping. The Charles C. Deam Wilderness and Peninsula Trail areas create additional backcountry experiences within a short drive.
Access to campgrounds varies seasonally, with many sites in the Hoosier National Forest operating from mid-May through late December. Roads to dispersed camping areas like Blackwell Campground typically consist of maintained gravel surfaces suitable for most vehicles, though some remote areas may require high-clearance in wet conditions. Most developed campgrounds provide basic amenities such as drinking water and toilets, while dispersed sites generally offer more primitive conditions with vault toilets and no hookups. Many primitive sites have 14-day stay limits. A camper noted, "Although intended for horse trailers we did not see a single one there in our 7 days. Plenty of flat land making leveling easy."
The campgrounds near Heltonville receive consistently positive reviews for their spaciousness and natural setting. Blackwell Campground, despite being designated as a horse camp, welcomes all campers and features an open field layout with vault toilets and trash collection. Several visitors mentioned the quiet atmosphere and well-maintained facilities, even at free camping locations. According to one review, "It's a big field not allot of shade. It's very quiet even with the 5-6 others camping. The toilets are very clean shocking for an outhouse." Hikers particularly appreciate the direct trail access from campsites, with multiple trailheads connecting to the broader Hoosier National Forest trail system. Most developed campgrounds in the area provide electric hookups and picnic tables, while the dispersed options appeal to those seeking more solitude and a primitive camping experience.
Best Campgrounds near Heltonville (132)
1. Hardin Ridge
"This campground is nestled on a ridge above Indiana's Lake Monroe."
"Hardin Ridge is a fantastic place to camp, and is very close to lake Monroe. But it's also quite a ways away from any stores in case you forget anything."
Check AvailabilityCampground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $24 - $64 / night
2. Blackwell Campground — Hoosier National Forest
"The ground is level and all grass with less bugs than sites directly off trail. We just have a simple backpacking tent set-up and we had a great campfire."
"Site is a wide open and well-groomed, with trails just a short walk (or ride) away. Toilets and covered picnic tables nearby."
3. Paynetown Campground
"It's a bittersweet type of situation."
"This is one of the largest campgrounds in all of Indiana. It includes hundreds of campsites. This includes RV hookups, standard campsites, and primitive campsites."
258 Sites AvailableAvailable this weekend
from $16 - $38 / night
4. Spring Mill State Park Campground
"Spring Mill State park is a little piece of history that is in the heart of southern Indiana. Here you will find a working frontier village."
"Open space, close to facilities and water pump, Ground was mostly flat, slightly shady in the afternoon, and very peaceful."
202 Sites AvailableAvailable this weekend
from $20 - $43 / night
5. Taylor Ridge Campground — Brown County State Park
"We have visited Nashville Indiana several times but this is our first time camping nearby. My wife loves to visit Nashville and all the little shops they offer."
"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."
Check Availabilityfrom $18 - $43 / night
6. Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping
"If you are into boondocking at all defiantly check out berry ridge it’s just south of brown county Indiana beautiful country mostly hills tons of camp spots sometimes half mile or more apart haven’t seen"
"I have lived in Indiana for ever and have made many trips this way, but I never knew sites like this existed."
7. Charles C. Deam Wilderness
"A staple of our state here in Indiana. Unfortunately due to some storm damage, trails were rerouted or straight up inaccessible. Great places to find and set up camp."
"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."
8. Buffalo Ridge Campground — Brown County State Park
"This is a beautiful State Park situated in the rolling hills of southern Indiana."
"I make multiple visits here every year, mainly for the mountain bike trails. There are almost 30 miles of trails inside the park with new trails every year for the past 3+ years."
Check Availabilityfrom $43 / night
9. Starve Hollow State Rec Area Campground
"There are lakeside camping lots. Also there are larger full hookup lots away from the lake"
"Starve Hollow State Recreation Area is 280 acres that are adjacent to Jackson-Washington State Forest (18,000 acres)."
98 Sites AvailableAvailable this weekend
from $26 - $52 / night
10. Peninsula Trail
"The Peninsula Trail and Grub Ridge trails both have marked campsites that are very far apart and totally private. These are dispersed/primitive sites with a fire ring only. "
"this was a wonderful scenic hike meant for the beauty of indiana"
Drive Time
- 32 min from Bloomington, IN
- 56 min from Columbus, IN
- 1 hr 21 min from Indianapolis, IN
- 1 hr 23 min from Louisville, KY
Recent Camping Photos near Heltonville, IN
194 Photos of 132 Heltonville Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Free Spirit CampgroundA
Hickory Ridge Campground — Hoosier National ForestA
Blackwell Campground — Hoosier National Forest
Hardin Ridge
Charles C. Deam Wilderness
Hoosier National Forest White Oak Loop Campground
Hoosier National Forest Pine Loop Campgroundt
Ransburg Scout Reservation
Peninsula Trail
Paynetown Campground
BerryRidge Road Dispersed CampingD
Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping
Recent Reviews near Heltonville, IN
686 Reviews of 132 Heltonville 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).
- C
Christian C.Scoutmystic lake
Military base campground
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.
- JJacob S.Scout
Ogala 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!
- TTanner P.
TravelerMitchell Creek Road Dispersed
Peaceful!
There’s not a lot of designated camp spots but there’s not many people around. Very peaceful
Guide to Heltonville
Camping opportunities near Heltonville, Indiana include dispersed and developed options in the Hoosier National Forest. The region sits in south-central Indiana at elevations ranging from 600-800 feet, with a humid continental climate that features warm summers and mild winters. Sites in this area typically operate within a 14-day stay limit, with gravel access roads that become challenging during heavy rain periods.
What to do
Hiking access from campsites: Peninsula Trail offers direct trail connections to multiple campsites. A reviewer notes, "Campsites I've great fire pits. Only downside is the drunk boat people that show up in the summer." The trail provides easy access to Lake Monroe with designated camping areas.
Water activities beyond swimming: Taylor Ridge Campground connects to lake activities through nearby trails. "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," mentions a camper who stayed there recently.
Geocaching opportunities: Some campgrounds feature geocache activities for families. As one visitor to Paynetown mentioned, "There is always something to do. The beach, the trails, the geocaches on the trails, kayak and boat rentals, the activity center."
What campers like
Quiet atmosphere: Blackwell Campground receives praise for its peaceful setting. A reviewer shared, "Open areas with pit toilets and water available. Shade and sunny locations. Pick a spot and set up with hammock-large rvs spots. No fee, no reservations, no problems."
Primitive camping privacy: Dispersed sites on Berry Ridge Road offer secluded options. "There are a couple walking trails around, as well each site is fairly far apart. It's really quite only seen a handful of cars drive by and I've stayed here for 2 nights," wrote one camper.
Varied camping terrain: Different campgrounds provide distinct experiences from open fields to wooded sites. At Buffalo Ridge, a visitor mentioned, "With 3 Campgrounds to choose from you can't go wrong! Amazing staff, great amenities, well kept and clean."
What you should know
Operating seasons vary: Most campgrounds have seasonal limitations. For Paynetown Campground, "We live a couple of hours away from the lake but find it's worth the drive for a day of boating. This is our first time at the campground. I love the convenience for boating and camping."
Bathroom facilities differ: Vault toilets are common at primitive sites, while developed campgrounds offer more facilities. At Blackwell, "I found this place a few years ago and it has become my local go to. It is free camping and first come first serve. There are vault toilets."
Road conditions: Access to some camping areas requires caution on gravel roads. "I have a promaster conversion and had no trouble making it to this site, however the road was gravel and steep at times," notes a Berry Ridge Road camper.
Tips for camping with families
Educational programs: Spring Mill State Park offers nature programs for children. A visitor mentioned, "They had a Smokey the Bear program for the kids and some really fun activities at the nature center while we were there."
Multiple playgrounds available: Several campgrounds feature play areas for children. One Spring Mill visitor noted, "This was an amazing campground! There were amazing trails and a cave, as well as Pioneer Village which was so fascinating and well run."
Beach accessibility: Many campgrounds have direct or nearby access to beaches. According to a Hardin Ridge camper, "This campground is on the south side of Monroe lake and has beach access. I tent camped solo and everything went great!"
Tips from RVers
Site leveling concerns: Some sites require leveling equipment for RVs. A visitor to Hardin Ridge advised, "The fire pits are sinked into the ground which is not my favorite," indicating consideration for outdoor cooking setups.
Dump station accessibility: Multiple campgrounds feature dump stations for RVs. One camper at Starve Hollow noted, "The campground also offers electric only sites. They have about 20 sites that back up right to the lake allowing fishing from your campsite."
Size restrictions on some roads: RV access can be limited at certain campgrounds. "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 Buffalo Ridge visitor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Heltonville, IN?
What camping is available near Heltonville, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, Heltonville, IN offers a wide range of camping options, with 132 campgrounds and RV parks near Heltonville, IN and 17 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Heltonville, IN?
Which is the most popular campground near Heltonville, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Heltonville, IN is Hardin Ridge with a 4.5-star rating from 26 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Heltonville, IN?
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Heltonville, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 17 free dispersed camping spots near Heltonville, IN.
What parks are near Heltonville, IN?
What parks are near Heltonville, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 12 parks near Heltonville, IN that allow camping, notably Monroe Lake and Hoosier National Forest.
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