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NOTE: Sections of trail between the Spurgeon Hollow Trail Head and mile marker 44s (2016 map version) are very wet and in some cases standing in water. The trail is passable, but will require hikers to walk around these sections to remain dry. Permanent relocation of these wet sections is underway. The relocation will not deviated greatly from the trails current location, but it will eliminate the lakes seasonal high water impact on the trail. The Division of Forestry is a multiple-use system. Please be aware of hunting seasons and what season may be open at the time of your hike. A majority of the Knobstone Trail travels through areas open to public hunting. Users of the Knobstone are encouraged to wear bright clothing (e.g., hunter orange, etc.) or other articles to ensure safety at all times of the year. With the removal of trees in the tornado area, timber harvested sections have become over grown with green brier, tree seedlings, and weeds, etc. To follow the KT through these sections, there are marks with two different color posts. Orange color marks the trail in the tornado area. Brown color marks the trail in the timber harvest sections between US 56 to Oxley Trailhead.
Scout
Spot has a creek and is flat enough for a tent mostly just a single person spot no toilets. Road south coming in was destroyed some time ago have to w yer from east or west road.
ScoutThis is NOT a campground, but just roadside pull-offs on public land. There are no restrooms, fire rings, picnic tables, or other amenities. However, if you are camping in a self-contained SMALL vehicle, this is quiet, secluded, and beautiful. I did not see any pull offs that would accommodate an RV of any size, and nothing large enough to turn a trailer around.One pull off was nearly too small to turn around my small pick up truck. But the thick forest was beautiful. There are rock outcroppings along this road, which follows Mitchell Creek and lots to explore on foot. While I was exploring and camping on this road, only two vehicles passed during the entire 16 hours. VERY quiet. Have a paper map handy, as there is no cell signal and GPS was spotty. The place I camped had a small graveyard behind it, so if you’re superstitious, this may not be for you. There was also a big white building that was all locked up surrounded by open meadow that a larger vehicle might be able to park behind. A circular “drive” was mown around the building. A few of the pull offs I didn’t explore because they were muddy or washed out after several days of rain. I would camp here again for the quiet and it’s proximity to Hemlock Cliffs and Yellow Birch Ravine.
Scoutthere’s parking after a decrepit gravel road and suitable for camping. there are campsites along the trail just have to find them
ScoutThere are just a couple of sites along the road. One is at the trail crossing for horses, hikers, and bikers. Its basically a make your own campsite. Ok place if you like to really rough it.
Traveler
The KT is rugged and has lots of elevation gains over short distances. Everywhere you hike there are lovely vistas and lots of fossils on the trail snd creek beds. You're never too far from water, although the quality may differ depending on the time of year.
Watch out for ticks. My dogs and I got loads of them in April 2020 from Leota to Spurgeon Hollow. There are road crossings every 5 to 10 miles, so if you run out of something or need to bail you can. The KT asks that you respect leave no trace philosophy, and I felt most hikers did.
There is occasional trail magic but don't depend on it if thru hiking. I have not stayed in any campgrounds near the trail, so I can't review those, but the trailheads all have adequate parking and signage, and I found topo maps online for free.
Let someone know your itinerary, have a means for filtering water, and enjoy!
RangerIt took me 20 from route 64 to find this place. If you are solo female traveler don’t even waste your time. After 5 min of driving on the very skinny gravel road y saw what it look like spots but Iam not sure really. 10 min later I got to the coordinates and there was nothing, not seven an opening just more road. Y just keep driving till I got back to 64 and found a Cracker Barrel 17 miles away.
RangerMitchell Creek Road in Hoosier National Forest, is just one small section of a road that runs along Mitchell Creek. On the west end, where the road turns right (north), there was a small drive to the right that went down towards the creek bed. There was a small fire ring here, and another fire ring around the back, both set up on the rocks of the dry riverbed. These didn't seem like great camping areas, let alone a "campsite". Towards the middle this road, just east of an intersection for a road to the south, there was a campsite creek side, and a little farther, a campsite on the hillside. The hillside spot was taken, so we took that last spot. Lookout for turtles on the road, we spotted and removed 4 of them.
The area was rather buggy, and to be honest a little sketchy, so we slept in our van. Only two cars drove by, each time kicking up a big cloud of white dust which covered most of the foliage by the road. It hadn't rained in a while. We went briefly down to the creek, but it was very buggy and not very nice to hike. At night, we heard some loud mysterious crashing in some nearby trees, and what was possibly a large band of coyotes in the distance. Can't imagine I'd ever come back to this area, but it's there as an option for sure!
RangerMost people, even Hoosiers don't realize the Knobstone Trail exists. It's often referred to The Little AT by those who know about it. It's no walk in the park. There are continuous ups and downs that will challenge your leg strength and footing at times. There are plenty of great places to camp along the trail. Water can become scarce in the summer/fall months, but if you walk far enough, you're likely to come by a stream of some sort. Be respectful of the leave no trace rules and if you see any dickheads out there on 4 wheelers, take their picture and report them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Leopold, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Leopold, IN is Mitchell Creek Road Dispersed with a 2.6-star rating from 5 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Leopold, IN?
TheDyrt.com has all 4 dispersed camping locations near Leopold, IN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
