Best Cabin Camping near Merrillville, IN

We visited this park twice (once in Sept 2020 and again in June 2021).  Both times we stayed in the cabin campground and both times had very good experiences.  Each time we went mid-week so there was hardly anyone else there, and that was great.  The cabins are small but perfectly fine for our group with two bunk beds, a small loft, and a small table inside.  They have electricity so charging phones and devices is not a problem.   Cabins 4 and 5 are up this small driveway and are slightly separated and I would recommend those if you can.  We never had to go to "town" so not sure how far it is to any stores.

Each time we rented a canoe and did a paddle/float trip on the river that ended at the canoe rental location.  Would not hesitate to stay here again.

This is a beautifully kept campground just outside Michigan City, IN. It is gated so will need to call in once you arrive to enter. We stayed  in the premium sites which were 90ft pull thought with 50A service, water and sewer, and the best wifi I have seen at a campsite. The cement patio was large with a picnic table and an adjacent fire pit. There is swimming pool and a game room, and a small store with the essentials, and propane.

You are close to Indiana Dunes and the downtown area of Michigan city. Good food, shops are close by. 

By the way there are a number of cabins/mini homes to rent.

Although we would normally wait until the last minute to book a site, we booked early this time, and were glad that we did. All tent sites were reserved a week before our trip, so best to plan ahead. We chose sites 4, 5, and 6 to accommodate our group of 7. Each site had morning shade only, and the shade from the forest to the east of the sites closed in around 5 p.m. This campsite allows up to 2 tents per site, but it was nice to spread out a bit. We chose the sites that we did expecting to have a view of the river, but the maps are misleading– there is no river view, although it’s only a few feet to the river. It’s probably for the best though, since there is a boat ramp that runs through the campground that gets plenty of use. Despite the fact that we had a fair amount of rain during our trip, our sites never got muddy, because the soil is very sandy. An annoyance when your feet are constantly dirty, but great when it’s a stormy weekend. The sites were a good size, complete with fire pit, grill grate, and picnic table, and the entire campground was well maintained. The pit toilets were cleaned daily and were always well stocked. The showers were also clean, HOWEVER, as a tent camper, you’re not allowed to use the showers.(?!!) I mean, really, what are we? Heathens? We were chased away until we removed the blue placard given at check-in. The Park has a lot of hiking trails, and other activities. The town of Winamac was pretty small, but there are canoe, kayak, and pontoon rentals nearby. We also saw a paintball court close by. Firewood($6/bundle) and ice($2/bag) are available at the park gate. There is a private, certified, gentleman selling dry, well-seasoned firewood about a mile or two north of the park on US 35, east side of the road. He charges$20 for more than 10 times the amount of wood provided by the park.

Couple minute walk to the beautiful Lake Michigan beach. Waist deep most areas, waves can get big tho. The campgrounds beach is NOT pet friendly, but there is a flat boardwalk that takes you to a pet friendly area of beach of neighboring Warren dunes state park. Clean easy to locate water/trash/office areas. Friendly staff. They check the loops frequently and keep things tidy. Sandy but drivable roads(be careful in a washout). Flat nice sized lots. Clean bathroom/shower house! (Males and females share showers, could be concerning during busy season). Peaceful and quiet. Loved everything about our trip. (Be warned the camping lots are sand too, you will have sand everywhere! But its worth it!)

We stayed in the primitive tent area near the back of the park. It is walk in.

There was a pole for a lantern, a picnic table, a fire ring and tent pad. There is one clean flush toilet and shower per each gender (the shower stall was spacious with plenty of hooks and benches). There were also vault toilets not too far away. The water spigot was pretty far away though. There were plenty of garbage cans.

There were a few small trees but very little shade. On hot days I think a pop up shade shelter would be necessary to make it bearable.

Overall it was pretty quiet.

The last night we were there a large group of people with their tents showed up. There were not enough tent pads or picnic tables for all of them. I don't know if it was the park that booked so many people or if it was the group that overbooked.

From the start you feel welcomed. My site was small compared to other campsites. It was still big enough for our tent and a table and pit. We had to park in a nearby parking space because our site was surrounded by other sites and common area. There is no electric in "tent city" either, but it is near the roundhouse and showers. There is an outdoor shower as well. That was awesome. The events were great forLabor Day weekend. This was our first time at and adult only resort or clothing optional. The people were friendly and helpful to others. This convinced us that this is how we will camp from now on.

I visited Palos early this week (mid-April) for a very very chilly three days. The tent sites are right next to the water which is beautiful but can get very windy. There is no privacy between the sites (no trees, etc). There are small and medium cabins, some heated with their own bathrooms, that feature bunk beds and are great for getting out of the cold. The central bathrooms are clean, heated and offer showers. The water is not yet potable so bring your own or check with the park team to ensure it's drinkable when you go. The hiking here is AWESOME with a bajillion different routes right from the campground. We hiked 10 miles and saw tons of animals and birds including a snake, loads of herons and songbirds, deer, a raccoon and a Cooper's Hawk. I will definitely be back!

We camped here for 3 nights to visit the Dunes National Park.

The campground is privately owned and was almost at the end of the season. There is a check in station at the entrance.

When we arrived we were the only tent campers, so we could pick our spot. Non of the tent sites have electricity or water. Only a few have a picnic table and /or a fire pit. It was basically just a long lawn with numbers on. Some of the sites are in the woods for more privacy.

The RV sites have electricity and water access. Some campers are stored there over the winter months.

The bathhouse was a little out dated but clean during our stay.

You are surrounded by farmland, so we were greeted every morning by donkey braying. It didn't bother us. There are also noises of cars and the train coming through.

The owners are very nice and laid back.

The drive to the national park or state park is about 15 min. The dunes are very impressive and beautiful. If you need something, there are stores, gas stations or restaurants within 10 driving minutes.

I think we would camp her again. No idea how it is during peak season but even with other tent campers around on the last 2 days, it was pretty quiet.