Berry Ridge Road offers free dispersed tent camping in the Hoosier National Forest near Heltonville, Indiana, with multiple secluded sites spaced far apart along gravel roads. Charles C. Deam Wilderness provides primitive backcountry tent camping opportunities with access to Monroe Lake and several hiking trails including Sycamore Loop and Patton Cave Trail.
Tent sites at Berry Ridge are typically set on flat, cleared forest floor with established fire rings and minimal amenities. Most locations can accommodate 2-3 vehicles and require campers to pack in all necessary water and supplies. Sites are located approximately 100 feet from the main road with thick woods providing privacy between campsites. The dispersed camping areas follow standard pack-in, pack-out protocols with no trash service, drinking water, or toilet facilities available. During wet weather, some sites may be difficult to access without high-clearance vehicles.
Tent campsites near Heltonville offer genuine seclusion with sites often positioned half a mile or more apart. The dense forest canopy provides ample shade during summer months and natural windbreaks in cooler seasons. Hiking trails throughout the Charles C. Deam Wilderness provide opportunities for day hikes from established campsites, with many campers reporting abundant wildlife viewing. Firewood can typically be collected from fallen branches in the surrounding forest. A camper noted, "Multiple campsites in the area were away from others, clean, fairly flat and had plenty of dead wood around to burn." The area's distance from urban centers results in minimal light pollution, creating excellent stargazing opportunities for tent campers.
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"Very nice drive during the day, hiking is fantastic!"
"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."
"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."
from $25 - $55 / night
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!
TravelerThere’s not a lot of designated camp spots but there’s not many people around. Very peaceful
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.
Dispersed tent camping dominates the landscape near Heltonville, Indiana, particularly in the Hoosier National Forest where primitive backcountry sites offer seclusion and natural surroundings. Berry Ridge Road Dispersed Camping and Hickory Ridge Primitive Dispersed Campsites provide free tent camping options with minimal amenities, while the Charles C. Deam Wilderness offers more extensive backcountry tent camping opportunities across its protected acreage.
Most primitive tent sites have fire rings but lack modern amenities such as running water, showers, or flush toilets. Pack-in, pack-out principles apply at all dispersed sites, with campers responsible for carrying out all trash and waste. Drive-in access exists at some locations like Berry Ridge Road, though sites are typically set back from the main forest roads to enhance privacy. Tent pads are generally unimproved, consisting of natural forest floor with varying degrees of flatness. Seasonal considerations include wet spring conditions that may limit access and higher visitation during summer weekends when sites fill more quickly.
The tent camping experience near Heltonville offers genuine wilderness immersion away from developed areas. Sites at Berry Ridge Road are spaced well apart, providing exceptional privacy even on busier weekends. Trails throughout the area connect many of the primitive tent sites, making them suitable bases for day hiking or overnight backpacking. The Charles C. Deam Wilderness particularly appeals to backpackers seeking longer treks with tent camping along established routes. A camper described Berry Ridge as "multiple campsites in the area, away from others, clean, fairly flat and had plenty of dead wood around to burn." Wildlife encounters are common, with deer frequently spotted near campsites at dawn and dusk, and visitors should properly store food to prevent unwanted animal visits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Heltonville, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Heltonville, IN is Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping with a 4.8-star rating from 18 reviews.
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