E
Eric O.
Scout
ScoutRvino - Lost Acres, LLC
Family Fun
A relaxing campground for the whole family. Swimming, camp fires, children parks, dog park, small trails, and only 10 minutes from Indiana beach. Love staying here.
Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Independence, IN
Turkey Run State Park Campground accommodates pets throughout its diverse camping areas, welcoming dogs at tent sites, RV spaces with full hookups, and select cabins. All campgrounds near Independence permit dogs with standard leash requirements, though sites vary significantly in pet amenities. Ross Camp maintains strict pet policies with clean, modern shower facilities where campers can rinse muddy pets after outdoor adventures. Off The Trail Campground offers particularly spacious buddy sites with full hookups where many campers bring dogs, with sites 81 and 82 noted for being especially pet-friendly.
Pet owners camping at Prophetstown State Park Campground appreciate the paved walking and biking trails ideal for dog exercise. The park features both full hookup sites in partially shaded areas and electric-only sites in more open prairie settings where pets need shade protection during summer months. Charlarose Campground provides a quieter setting for pets and owners, with a small lake that offers fishing opportunities while keeping dogs on leash. Most campgrounds maintain clean facilities though AOK Campground receives mixed reviews regarding bathroom cleanliness for both humans and pets. Veterinary services can be found in the larger nearby communities of Lafayette and Crawfordsville, making multi-day camping trips with pets more practical in this region.
Best Dog-Friendly Sites Near Independence, Indiana (50)
1. Prophetstown State Park Campground
27 ReviewsBattle Ground, IN22 milesWebsite+1 (765) 567-4919$36 - $45 / night
"Well kept and clean area in the plains of Indiana. Great amnesties for the area such as a new, large public pool and a few hiking and biking trails."
"Not too far out of the way, this is Indiana's newest state park, if I'm not mistaken, and it shows. The lower loop is all full hookups with 50, 30, and 20 amp service and respectably woody."
2. Ross Camp
4 ReviewsOtterbein, IN7 milesWebsite+1 (765) 463-2306"close to Ross Park. A little chapel. This is a relax campground for those not into all the hiking if you just want to sit by your fire. A few primitive sites. No alcohol allowed."
3. Turkey Run State Park Campground
72 ReviewsMarshall, IN32 milesWebsite+1 (765) 597-2635$20 - $45 / night
"Turkey 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)."
"Turkey Run is arguably the most popular campground (and state park) in Indiana and has its pros and cons."
4. Off The Trail Campground
1 ReviewAttica, IN7 milesWebsite+1 (765) 762-6189$9 - $49 / night
"Lots of dogs around, pricing was about $50 a night per site. Restrooms had showers as well which made it easy to rinse off the mud. Great time all around."
5. Shades State Park Campground
29 ReviewsAlamo, IN28 milesWebsite+1 (765) 435-2810$14 - $22 / night
"Canopied by the big beautiful Indiana trees. Close to some good hiking trails."
"Located north of turkey run state park shades offers all the hiking and scenic terrain with less amenities and less crowds. Sugar creek cuts through the ancient sandstone floor creating canyon walls."
6. Crawfordsville KOA
14 ReviewsCrawfordsville, IN24 milesWebsite+1 (765) 230-0965"Pet friendly; counted three cats and a dog in the office when I checked in. Was given the option of choosing my site out of the seven available for my reservation."
"Great pool and a place to let your dog run! The cabin we stayed in had so much privacy and was adorable! We love this KOA and can't wait to go back!"
7. Sugar Creek Campground and Canoe Rental LLC
11 ReviewsCrawfordsville, IN24 milesWebsite+1 (765) 362-5528$30 - $45 / night
"There are few trails looping around for the walks. Most of tent sites got shade. Rv sites all seem to be level, although kind of close together. Nice and clean bathrooms and shower facility."
"The campsite it very spacious and there’s a decent amount of distance between each site. Sites by the river are especially nice."
8. Charlarose Campground
3 ReviewsAlamo, IN18 milesWebsite+1 (765) 234-72869. AOK Campground
2 ReviewsLafayette, IN14 milesWebsite+1 (765) 474-503010. Kickapoo State Recreation Area
30 ReviewsOakwood, IL33 milesWebsite+1 (217) 442-4915$10 - $20 / night
"Stayed here on Dec. 10, 2021 (yes the night of all the tornadoes throughout the Illinois/Kentucky/Tennessee area), I and everyone else at the campsite got pretty lucky, we were just outside the path of"
"There are camp sites that are walk to for some more distance from others, a lot of close drive to spots, RV, and a lot of close boat camping sites. the park itself has a lot of trails to explore and a"
Recent Dog-Friendly Camping Photos near Independence, IN
53 Photos of 50 Independence Campgrounds
Douglas W.
Charlarose Campground
Anne S.
Prophetstown State Park Campground
Jennifer K.
Big Fish-n-Camp Ground
Shane H.
Sugar Creek Campground
Gedy M.
Sugar Creek Campground and Canoe Rental LLC
Kathie M.
Shades State Park Campground
Laura W.
Wabash & Erie Canal Park
Brian A.
Old Mill Run Park
Douglas W.
Lake Waveland Park
Emily
Turkey Run State Park Campground
Gabe C.
Turkey Run Canoe & Camping
Janet B.
Vermilion County Park Forest Glen Preserve
Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Independence, IN
379 Reviews of 50 Independence Campgrounds
James P.
LegendCrawfordsville KOA
Nice KOA
Shade, grass, and gravel sites. A lot better than most KOAs. They ask that you not put outdoor rugs on grass; no problem as grass is nice. Sites 1-10 are your best bet for Starlink if that’s what you have; best opening through tree canopy of the northern sky. Pet friendly; counted three cats and a dog in the office when I checked in. Was given the option of choosing my site out of the seven available for my reservation. A mix of long term residents and travelers; some of the long term resident sites were a little junky.
Jennifer H.ScoutNorway Campground
Great seasonal park
This park is under new ownership. They have gotten the pool repaired and open and have cleaned up much of the park with more to come. The creek flowing through makes it so cool and peaceful and the animal life is beautiful. Saw a huge crane in the creek today along with a whole duck family…the folks there are friendly. There’s a dog park, playground, bounce pad, basketball court, pavilion and a great big dam across the street where the fishing is great! Boats are welcome and the staff is great!
- DDominic M.Scout
Bachelor Runn Campground
Run down
We camped here for a little over a year and the place has gone downhill fast. Property is hardly kept up, owner allows trashy campers yo be abandoned on the property, most of the people camping here don’t pay, loose dogs and cats run around the campground. Price is $700 for four weeks with electric only. Bath house is disgusting. The area and space is nice but that’s about it
Bonnie C.
GuideTurkey Run State Park Campground
Great Trails and Camping!
Turkey 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!
Jennifer K.GuideFrance Park
Wow! Gorgeous Park!
We heard a lot of good things recently about this park. We had no idea it was so close to us too. We packed up the dogs and headed to France Park for a full day of exploring, followed by staying at a primitive campsite.
We took two vehicles since we wanted to leave one at our campsite. Some sites are clustered together, however we lucked out and got one along the fishing lake with no nearby neighbors.
The quarry, wow! It was beyond stunning and never what I expected to see in an Indiana park. We had an amazing hike, checking out the quarry. We ventured out on one more trail and saw the waterfall but headed to our site to set up camp afterwards.
Park was quiet at night for the most part. The RV area isn’t too far away and sound does travel. Lots of people drive golf carts out there. At night you can hear the major highway too, but it didn’t stop us from having a good time.
We will definitely be going back again.
Staci W.GuideTurkey Run State Park Campground
Pros and Cons you Should Know beforehand
Turkey 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.
- RRodney D.Guide
Indiana Beach Campground
Not easy to get to
Clean, quiet campground. No easy way to get there. Close to Indiana Beach amusement park. No major highways nearby, so the drive was kind of....strange. At one point we were on a gravel road. This used to be a Jellystone Park, so everything is laid out nice and spacious.
Duncan G.LegendTurkey Run State Park Campground
Too Crowded, Busy, and Noisy Very Poor Etiquette
I 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+.
Guide to Independence
Campsites near Independence, Indiana range across prairie, forest, and riverside settings within the Indiana state park system. The region features elevations between 500-700 feet with a humid continental climate producing warm summers and moderate rainfall. Camping options span from primitive tent sites to full hookup RV spaces, with seasonal availability varying between year-round and April through November operations.
What to do
Hiking varied terrain: Turkey Run State Park Campground offers challenging trail systems with unique rock formations. "There are lots of trails that offers hikers plenty of opportunities. The suspension footbridge across Sugar Creek is cool," notes Joel R. Trail 3 features ladder sections and is particularly popular among experienced hikers.
Water recreation: Sugar Creek Campground provides direct creek access for cooling off during summer months. "The creek is awesome for catching tadpoles and minnows. And definitely take time to float or kayak down the river," writes Gretchen G. Tubing trips are available through onsite rental services, typically taking 1-2 hours depending on water levels.
Cycling opportunities: Prophetstown State Park Campground maintains a 5-mile paved bike path suitable for various skill levels. "Bike trails are paved and good for little ones and families," notes J C. The trail system winds through prairie landscapes and connects to where the Wabash and Tippecanoe Rivers meet.
What campers like
Historic farm access: Prophetstown State Park features a working 1800s farm that adds educational value to camping trips. "They offer a water park for a small fee, fishing, bike trails, nature center, Indian village and have an 1800's working farm where you can buy eggs and bacon," explains Dawn G., highlighting the park's agricultural heritage.
Stargazing conditions: Ross Camp offers excellent night sky viewing due to its location away from major light pollution. "It's far enough from light pollution that you can see stars clearly!" reports Nicole P., making it ideal for astronomy enthusiasts visiting the area.
Fishing opportunities: Many local campgrounds provide stocked fishing areas. "The pond is stocked with GIANT fish (catch and release only)," reports Gretchen G. about Sugar Creek Campground, while Charlarose Campground offers a small lake setting for quieter fishing experiences without crowded shorelines.
What you should know
Site privacy varies significantly: Shades State Park Campground offers more secluded sites compared to other area campgrounds. "Nice sites that offer decent privacy with brush & trees as a barrier between sites. Paved parking pad, steel fire-ring with steel grid to cook on," explains Nick S. Many sites in the region are more exposed, especially non-wooded areas.
Wildlife management challenges: Raccoons are particularly active at several campgrounds in the region. "Watch out for the raccoons. Those guys are not afraid of anything," warns Samantha S. about Turkey Run State Park, advising campers to secure food items even during brief absences.
Shower and bathroom quality: Facilities vary widely between campgrounds. "Clean, modern shower house" is reported at Ross Camp by Jake P., while AOK Campground has reports of less satisfactory conditions with Alexis D. noting "Bathrooms are ick. Campground is fine, tho."
Tips for camping with families
Pool access consideration: Several campgrounds offer additional water amenities beyond natural features. "Waterpark is $5.00 and entertains all ages," explains J C. about Prophetstown State Park, providing a good alternative when creek or river conditions aren't ideal for swimming.
Playground proximity: Kickapoo State Recreation Area offers playground facilities, though location relative to sites varies. "Three large playgrounds and shelters to use," notes Angie A., though campers should check playground locations relative to specific sites when making reservations.
Site selection for tents: Graveled sites at some campgrounds present challenges for tent camping. "If you tent camp like we do the park makes you set tent up on gravel which is a little disappointing," writes Amy Y. about Prophetstown, suggesting families with tents should inquire about surface conditions when booking.
Tips from RVers
Leveling requirements: Site topography varies significantly between campgrounds and even within the same facility. "Site 8 drops off quite a bit to the back so be sure to have appropriate leveling blocks," advises Jake P. about Ross Camp, highlighting the need for proper leveling equipment.
Buddy site options: Off The Trail Campground provides spacious double sites for groups traveling together. "We stayed in buddy sites 81 and 82. Buddy sites are large, have full hookup, fire pits, and picnic tables," reports Kelsey S., making it a good choice for pet-friendly camping with multiple families near Independence, Indiana.
Hookup positioning: At some campgrounds, utility connections may be placed in challenging locations. "Sewer hookup was all the way at the end of the site, needed extra extension to hook up sewer," notes one reviewer at Crawfordsville KOA, suggesting RVers should pack extension hoses and cables.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly
campsite near Independence, IN?
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Independence, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Independence, IN is Prophetstown State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 27 reviews.
What is the best site to find
dog-friendly camping near
Independence, IN?
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Independence, IN?
TheDyrt.com has all 50 dog-friendly camping locations near Independence, IN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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