Best Campgrounds near Martinsville, IN

Martinsville, Indiana offers camping options within a 30-mile radius that range from primitive to full-service amenities. Morgan-Monroe State Forest, less than 10 miles from Martinsville, provides year-round tent camping at Oak Ridge Camping Area with basic amenities including fire rings, picnic tables, and vault toilets. Other notable campgrounds include Yellowwood State Forest, Lieber State Recreation Area, and Brown County State Park, which offer a mix of tent sites, RV hookups, and cabin accommodations depending on the location.

Seasonal availability varies across campgrounds, with most state forest and recreation areas open year-round while private campgrounds like Bill Monroe Memorial Music Park & Campground operate from May through November. Primitive camping areas often use a self-registration system where campers select a site first and then pay at a central location with exact change. Water access points are available at most established campgrounds, though electric hookups are limited to larger recreation areas and private facilities. As one camper noted about Morgan-Monroe State Forest, "This campground is decent if you get one of the few good spots. Many sites are small and can only accommodate a tent. Has water and vault toilets."

Campground reviews consistently highlight the seclusion and natural setting of state forest camping areas around Martinsville. Oak Ridge Camping Area receives praise for its quieter atmosphere compared to larger state parks, with visitors appreciating the lack of overcrowding. Several campers mentioned the hiking opportunities, particularly at Morgan-Monroe State Forest which connects to an extensive trail system. The region's campgrounds typically offer varying terrain, with some sites featuring level ground suitable for RVs while others are better suited for tent camping on slopes. One reviewer described Morgan-Monroe as "a very off the beaten trail clearing that's the very minimum of a campsite. But because of this, not many people are there so it's super quiet and not busy!"

Best Camping Sites Near Martinsville, Indiana (107)

    1. Oak Ridge Camping Area — Morgan-Monroe State Forest

    9 Reviews
    Martinsville, IN
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (765) 342-4026

    $25 - $55 / night

    "This is probably the best state forest in the state of Indiana. The property is well maintained. There is a new visitors center built a few years ago."

    "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."

    2. Taylor Ridge Campground — Brown County State Park

    31 Reviews
    Nashville, IN
    22 miles
    Website
    +1 (812) 988-6406

    $23 / night

    "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."

    3. Yellowwood State Forest

    15 Reviews
    Unionville, IN
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (812) 988-7945

    $225 / night

    "Peaceful little place but unfortunately it rained but we made the best of it, there’s some secluded spots where you can stay away from others or stay in the more general areas, nice lake to fish and we"

    "Drive up, select your site, and then go to the park office to pay using a self-pay envelope. Bring exact change(cash). Current prices are listed on the Indiana DNR website."

    4. Buffalo Ridge Campground — Brown County State Park

    22 Reviews
    Nashville, IN
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (812) 988-6406

    $23 / night

    "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."

    5. Paynetown Campground

    29 Reviews
    Clear Creek, IN
    24 miles
    Website
    +1 (812) 837-9546

    $16 - $25 / night

    "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."

    6. Bill Monroe Memorial Music Park & Campground

    7 Reviews
    Helmsburg, IN
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (812) 988-6422

    $12 - $38 / night

    "Bathrooms very far walk from campsites. Showers are pay only. Difficult to navigate/find your camp without a map."

    "This is the Bill Monroe Bluegrass Music Park & Campground near Nashville, IN. Very nice facility with nice stage for events."

    7. Brown County-Nashville KOA

    11 Reviews
    Nashville, IN
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (812) 988-4675

    "If coming from the north-west, try to arrive before dark as the road over the hills to this place is beautiful, but narrow and forested with some trees very close to the roadway."

    "And the town of Nashville Indiana is about 10 minutes away with lots of neat shops and food. We had a great time."

    8. Lieber State Recreation Area Campground

    22 Reviews
    Cloverdale, IN
    24 miles
    Website
    +1 (765) 276-0194

    $16 - $25 / night

    "Cagles Mill Lake borders the southwestern side of the area. We arrived to a very quiet campground with few campers."

    "Each campsite is spacious and has plenty of space away from your neighbors. There was plenty of shade even though our pad wasn't tucked back in the woods."

    9. Hoosiers On The Ridge

    2 Reviews
    Helmsburg, IN
    14 miles
    Website

    "We are very close to the Brown County frisbee golf course as well as the brown county state park where mountain biking and hiking is top notch. Yellowwood lake is ~10 minutes away as is Lake Lemon."

    "Far enough away from town to be peaceful but close enough to be convenient. Riley has made a great spot to camp and relax."

    10. Hardin Ridge

    25 Reviews
    Heltonville, IN
    29 miles
    Website
    +1 (812) 837-9453

    $21 - $55 / night

    "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."

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Recent Reviews near Martinsville, IN

624 Reviews of 107 Martinsville Campgrounds


  • SkywaystoHighways.com Y.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 29, 2025

    Bill Monroe Memorial Music Park & Campground

    Festival Fun!

    We stayed here for the 1st Annual HikerFest and had a blast! 106 of our little Hikers took up the majority of the park. The full-timers that stay here for the season were very kind and cordial; freely giving of advice on local attractions to see and things to do during our stay. The museum was really interesting! They gave a great tour with lots of stories about country legends. The bath house was clean and tidy. The showers were ok. Porta-potties throughout the campground, not so much… Campsites are close together and without privacy, some more level than others. Try to grab a spot near the trees for a bit of shade. Great music. Awesome weekend!

  • Cynthia K.
    Sep. 23, 2025

    Shades State Park Campground

    Primitive camping

      This is a primitive state park near Turkey Run State Park In Midwestern Indiana. First named The Shades Of Death State Park.

     The gatehouse is your only source of information. There's no nature center or visitor center. Get a park map! They do charge admission.

    This is a hikers park & it has some of the most rugged trails in Indiana. The Pine Hills Nature Preserve is maintained by the park. There's a parking area available to hike to the trailhead inside Shades. The Devils Backbone is a popular trail, but definitely on the rugged side. If you take small children(I wouldn't!) watch them carefully. 

    Trail 1 is.75M, but considered rugged. It has a lot of scenic views & a unique waterfall. Trails 4 & 5 have ladders. 

    Deers Mill Covered Bridge is on the property & there's a canoe launch. This is not a drive through bridge. The picnic area is a drive thru loop & is very nice. There's also a couple of shelters. The pond looked pretty scummy & my husband wouldn't fish in it.

     The campground is primitive camping- nonelectric. Water is available. There is a dump station. There is trail access if you don't want to drive. There's one modern showerhouse & several pit toilets. Choose your site carefully! Whitetail Loop has the showers & toilets. We did a drive thru & most all the sites looked very nice. There were mostly tents with a few popups. This wouldn't be a campground I would choose if I had a big rig.

  • jThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 20, 2025

    Sundance Lake Dispersed Camping

    Camping area

    National forest area with 3ish campsites one of which can accommodate a vehicle. Wooded so no solar or starlink. Small lake nearby with what looks like some trails.

  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 9, 2025

    Taylor Ridge Campground — Brown County State Park

    Nice Trails & Big Campsites

    I had a great time camping here. The spots in Taylor ridge were mostly well-spaced and felt pretty private. The pit toilets were clean and the showers were nice. Busy campground but it was very quiet still. 262 was the biggest and most private site I saw when walking around. 260 is a pull through site.

  • Lisa M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 28, 2025

    Shakamak State Park Campground

    Great State Park

    Most of the spaces that had both water and electric were mostly in the sun. But all the other spaces had plenty of shade and trees around them. Our space was spot on level and nice area around each space to where you didn’t feel like you were camped on top of other people. The showers were adequate. Great hiking trails in the area. Very quiet. Although we were there on a weekday. One downside was we had Verizon as a cell phone carrier and only had one bar.

  • L
    Aug. 20, 2025

    Spring Mill State Park Campground

    Fun, sunny, clean.

    This was an amazing campground! There were amazing trails and a cave, as well as Pioneer Village which was so fascinating and well run. Our campsite wasn't far from the bathrooms and showers house which were pretty clean. We were near water as well. Our campsite was on a small hill so it was well distanced from all the other campers, which was nice and peaceful. 

         There was a sweet place where you could get ice cream down the road from Spring Mill called Dairy Bell. Spring Mill wasn't far from the town were there was a Walmart, Rural King, and several more stores. 

    Very pretty and nice campground!

  • L
    Aug. 20, 2025

    Shakamak State Park Campground

    Clean, pretty, quiet, spacey.

    We had a nice site that was evenly spaced from the other campsites by trees and was nice and close to water, the bathrooms, and the shower houses, which were very clean! The camp store was nice and the paddle boats were fun! The pool was only opened on the weekends in August which was disappointing but there was a large fishing dock and many boating opportunities. Very nice camping spot, but in August beware of the bugs!

  • L
    Aug. 20, 2025

    Shades State Park Campground

    It was very clean, nicely spaced, and shaded.

    Very nice campground! It was close by Turkey Run State Park, which had amazing trails, that are pictured below. (We definitely recommend Trail 3!) The campground itself was very nice and clean, as well as shaded and pretty. We were camping in August, so it wasn't very busy and we got peace. There were many fun things to do in Turkey Run, although the pool was closed in August. There was also a fun little ice cream place and store in downtown Marshall! 

      Great place overall!

  • Brian O.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 13, 2025

    Raccoon Ridge Campground — Brown County State Park

    the non-RV loop of the three camp areas (I think)

    Our third Indiana state park. Still impressed, they have all been friendly, well maintained with good, spread out sites and good signage everywhere (even the trails). All the rest rooms are spotlessly clean.
    We were there mid-week, so very few of the 480 (!) sites were occupied, except in Buffalo Ridge, the primary RV loop. 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. Many of the tent sites are split-level, meaning the fire pit and tent area is down a hill from where you park your car. We have a mini pop-up, and had no problem parking both it and car on the pad, and, these sites have two picnic tables, upper and lower. Check the photos when you reserve!
    We drove through Taylor ridge loop, and it's your best choice for getting away from it all. 
    The camp store is stocked with the basics, but has more souvenirs than food or camp needs. That's okay, as some of their goods are better quality than many other places.
    The park has a classic old CCC lodge (though you enter through the modern addition) so if you don't want to cook, eat at the restaurant (open till 8:PM), great food, generous portions. 
    The park also features an Olympic size pool (capacity 2,000). You cannot walk there from the campground unless you are very hardy and very determined. 
    You may think of Indiana as flat farmland, but this park is VERY hilly, with many scenic overlooks. It has two man-made lakes. Unsure about boating options on the larger one. 
    Another big feature are equestrian trails and a horse campground, see someone else's review for that.
    Nearby is the town of Nashville, which is full of art and craft galleries as well as multiple fudge shops, hand-made soaps, etc... Touristy but quaint. Was surprisingly crowded when we passed through on a Friday morning.   
    We are planning to go back to take advantage of all we missed in the area. Oh, I should point out that there are many private campgrounds nearby, it's a very popular  area.


Guide to Martinsville

Camping options near Martinsville, Indiana extend beyond the immediate area into the rolling hills of south-central Indiana, where elevations range from 600 to 900 feet above sea level. Campers can access sites within the 23,326-acre Yellowwood State Forest or explore options in the Hoosier National Forest. Self-registration systems remain common at forest campgrounds with drop boxes requiring exact cash payment.

What to do

Swimming and beach access: Hardin Ridge on Lake Monroe provides dedicated beach areas where families can enjoy lake activities. "This campground is on the south side of Monroe lake and has beach access. I tent camped solo and everything went great!" reports Christine C.

Boat rentals and fishing: At Yellowwood State Forest, campers can rent rowboats to explore the 133-acre lake. "We have also had lots of fun renting a rowboat, and being out on the water," shares Margo B. The forest office offers boat and kayak rentals, with the lake known for good fishing opportunities.

Cycling opportunities: The terrain around Brown County-Nashville KOA offers excellent conditions for biking, particularly along paved roads connecting to trail systems. "Plenty of trails and awesome lookout points. The lakes aren't bad for fishing and kayaking too!" writes Desiree R., highlighting the multiple activities available within a short distance.

What campers like

Secluded camping spots: Many campers value the privacy found at less-developed sites. "Yellowwood State Forest campground does not accept reservations. It is first come, first served. Drive up, select your site, and then go to the park office to pay using a self-pay envelope," explains Daisy C. "The only time we have ever seen the campground busy is over big holiday weekends like Labor Day, Memorial Day, and 4th of July. Otherwise use is light."

Clean facilities: Lieber State Recreation Area maintains well-kept restrooms and shower facilities. "Stayed at Poplar Grove Electric campground. We were there for two nights. We were grateful StarLink worked well. Husband was able to take his gravel bike out for a nice ride after work and I got in a nice little walk," notes Shirley M.

Winter camping options: Unlike some seasonal sites, several forest campgrounds maintain year-round access. Deb T. comments about Hardin Ridge: "Late fall, winter, and early spring when the nights are a little chilly, you may have the whole place to yourself, unlike Brown County State Park, where there will likely still be some campers scattered about."

What you should know

Primitive conditions: Most state forest sites offer minimal amenities. "It costs $13 now. Well maintained though. Plenty of bathrooms and campsites," says Phil about Yellowwood State Forest. Vault toilets rather than flush toilets are standard at most forest campgrounds.

Site selection strategies: At Buffalo Ridge Campground, site locations vary significantly in terms of shade and access. "Negatives include no beaches or water sports for such a large park, no WIFI (unplug and enjoy!) and lack of shade on up front sites," notes Frank M. Many campgrounds have drive-through sites for easier access, but they tend to fill quickly.

Reservation requirements: Forest campgrounds typically operate first-come, first-served while state parks require advance booking. "You can reserve sites, or some are first come first served," explains Cynthia K. about Hardin Ridge. During peak season (May-October), arriving mid-week improves chances for walk-in availability.

Tips for camping with families

Playground access: Taylor Ridge Campground offers designated play areas for children near camping loops. "This is our go-to when we want a fun weekend, but don't want to go far. The campgrounds are gorgeous, with lots of shady spots, and some awesome trails, including two around the two lakes in the park," shares Chris W.

Educational opportunities: Several campgrounds feature nature centers with interpretive programming. "The nature center is really fun with animals and a bee hive that the children really enjoyed! There are a lot of diverse hiking trails for all," reports Jessie W. about Taylor Ridge.

Beach alternatives: Some families prefer pool facilities over natural swimming areas. "Skip the lake and enjoy the pool. Very flat and ideal for bike riding," suggests Amy C. about Lieber State Recreation Area, noting the recreation area's maintained swimming pool as an alternative to lake swimming.

Tips from RVers

Site leveling challenges: Many campsites in the region require significant leveling for RVs. "We were in the full-hookup, back-in RV sites connected with the cabins. Pads are gravel and we did need to use several leveling blocks on our site, which made for a doosey of a bottom step into and out of our trailer," explains GP about Brown County-Nashville KOA.

Size limitations: Forest campgrounds typically accommodate smaller RVs only. "I would not recommend for larger units as most sites are small and unlevel and may challenge your maneuvering skills!" advises Stephen & Theresa B. about Yellowwood State Forest. RVs over 25 feet often have difficulty navigating the narrow forest roads.

Dump station access: Limited dump facilities mean planning ahead. "The dump station hose did not have a connection to allow me to flush the blackwater holding tank," notes Don N. about Oak Ridge Camping Area. Most state forest campgrounds offer only a basic dump station without fresh water flush connections.

Frequently Asked Questions

What campgrounds are available near Martinsville, Indiana?

Several excellent campgrounds surround Martinsville, Indiana. Lieber State Recreation Area Campground offers peaceful sites with electric hookups and access to Cagles Mill Lake, located west of Martinsville. Oak Ridge Camping Area — Morgan-Monroe State Forest provides a more rustic experience with water and toilets just north of town. Brown County State Park, approximately 30 minutes southeast, offers multiple campgrounds with hundreds of sites. For those seeking wilderness camping, both Yellowwood State Forest and Charles C. Deam Wilderness provide more primitive options within a reasonable drive.

Are there tent camping options close to Martinsville?

Tent campers have several excellent options near Martinsville. Yellowwood State Forest offers 79 primitive campsites in a beautiful setting with rolling hills and fall foliage displays, located about 30 minutes southeast. Charles C. Deam Wilderness provides dispersed tent camping opportunities with several hidden sites perfect for those seeking solitude. For a more developed experience with amenities, Paynetown Campground at Lake Monroe offers tent sites with access to water recreation. Most of these areas are particularly beautiful during fall when southern Indiana's hills display vibrant colors.

Can I rent an RV in Martinsville, Indiana for camping trips?

While Martinsville itself has limited RV rental options, several RV rental services operate in the greater Indianapolis area, about 30-40 minutes north. These businesses typically offer various sizes of motorhomes and travel trailers that can be delivered to nearby campgrounds like Brown County State Park, which features over 250 sites with electric hookups and can accommodate larger RVs. Bill Monroe Memorial Music Park & Campground near Morgantown is another big-rig friendly option. For RV rentals, check Indianapolis-based companies or nationwide platforms that offer peer-to-peer RV rentals with delivery options.