Join the fun near Merrillville. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Merrillville, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Merrillville camping trip.
$25 / night
"You gotta love Indiana dunes national lakeshore! A quick drive from chicago this campsite is a real good place to get away from the city and enjoy the outdoors."
"Campsites had decent privacy and even on a Friday night, quiet hours were respected. "
$30 / night
"We pulled in around 4:30 in the evening. The sight was spacious with plenty of room in between sites. Since the weather was cooler , it was pretty sparse with other campers."
"The state park is located within the boundaries of the Indiana Dunes National Park (formerly National Lakeshore), so don't get confused by this."
$49 - $57 / night
"A lake with water rentals, floating water slide, playgrounds and sport courts, general store with the stardust’s “convenience mark-ups”,and water/ electric at all sites."
"We were there the week before peak season opened so none of the pools or splash pads were open, but they were very accommodating so that we could still play mini golf and ride around on the pedal cars."
"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."
"Pool, laundry, nice playground, ponds and basketball hoop. Less than 15 min to Indiana Dunes National Park."
$35 - $250 / night
"As stated, there is electric hookup but no water at the site. However, staff was more than happy to meet us at the bathrooms to allow us to fill our tanks before we set up camp."
"Wooded electric paved sites with fairly new bathhouse facilities. Pretty clean. Only one indoor water faucet working but this may be a COVID casualty."
$55 - $160 / night
"Oak Lake RV Resort handled it all with ease & gave us the BEST camping trip ever!"
"Pulled in as the sun was coming down after a looong day of driving. Our site was right next to the playground and my kids had a blast swinging, climbing, and jumping while we set up camp."
$20 - $138 / night
"Each site comes with a free bundle of oak firewood which is nice to use on the fire pits."
"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)."
"We were with a large group so had a site you could drive right up to. Electricity hookups, bathrooms and showers, picnic tables and fire pit, etc. Easy access to the dunes and the beach."
"The bathroom seemed newer (South modern loop) with clean bathrooms (cleaned at least twice a day) and private shower stalls."
$35 - $200 / night
"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."
Traveler6 people, 1 pup & a 44.4' Keystone Sprinter... Oak Lake RV Resort handled it all with ease & gave us the BEST camping trip ever! From the moment you drive up, staff are waiting in golf carts to guide you to your site & even help with setup. We were nervous about fitting our big rig, but pull-through site #17 made it flawless. Where else does that??
We originally booked August 22–25, extended to the 29th & then lucked into staying through Labor Day weekend. We canceled our other plans because Oak Lake had everything we wanted & more!!Pond swimming & obstacle course, movies on our inflatable screen, golf cart glow parades, s’mores, homemade campfire pizzas & endless family memories. The kids are still raving about it!
Rebecca deserves a huge shoutout for going above & beyond! Tom & Marianne, the owners, are amazing hosts who clearly pour their hearts into making Oak Lake special. Even the coin operated laundry was a lifesaver & convinced us we need a washer/dryer in our camper for future impromptu stays 😂.
We’re already talking about being put on the list for a seasonal site for next year bc we know we’ll be back again & again. Oak Lake RV Resort is Newton County’s hidden gem!!! If you’re searching for fun, hospitality & true family camping memories... THIS is the place!! Hands down, every time.
TravelerWe pulled in around 4:30 in the evening. The sight was spacious with plenty of room in between sites. Since the weather was cooler , it was pretty sparse with other campers. We stayed 2 nights over the weekend. You are within walking distance to the beach within the park. The buildings have great architecture. The sight had 50 amp electric hook ups but no water or sewer connections, and we knew that going in. We had a back in sight #69. There was plenty of space on all sides. We have a 37’ motorhome and pulled a Jeep behind it. There was plenty of room to maneuver around. The sight also had a wood picnic table and fire ring for a wood fire pit. We will definitely be back! I wish I had taken more photos from the beach and beach pavilion.
GuideThis 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.
GuideYou gotta love Indiana dunes national lakeshore! A quick drive from chicago this campsite is a real good place to get away from the city and enjoy the outdoors. It’s one of my favorite places to go within an hour’s drive. The campsite has everything you need. Modern bathrooms and showers, running water. Good for tent camping. It’s clean and a quick drive to a quiet beach at Beverly Shores. I highly recommend!
TravelerThis campground hosts many permanent or monthly campers, as evidenced by semi permanent structures, fences etc. There is a small lake that offers swimming and fishing, but we did not use this area. It is a huge area, with 4 shower and bathroom facilities, but they were old and needed maintenance and updating. One of us was brave enough to shower there, the other one preferred to take a sponge bath in the van. Each site that we saw had electric and waste water and potable water, so this was convenient. There is a loud highway nearby. The camp is a ten minute drive from West Beach area of Indiana Dunes National Park. As we ate breakfast on the supplied picnic table, the neighbor next to us had a loud argument with another resident involving a presumed theft, and police visited.
GuideWe stayed for two nights and had a great experience. Campsites had decent privacy and even on a Friday night, quiet hours were respected. We were on a wheelchair accessible site which was the only one available, so there was more pavement than the other sites.
There was a dishwashing sink which is always handy. The bathrooms and showers were very clean, and the free showers were the best we've experienced in a campground with plenty of hot water, good water pressure, plenty of hooks and a bench.
Some noise from the highway and the trains, but I like trains so it was fine. We wouldn't hesitate to stay here again.
TravelerThe park itself is rather large, and the camping area is pretty expansive as well. Bathrooms are cleanish…but they start getting a little wild as the weekend wears on. Perpetual mud and slop from the showers, but functional. The sites are roomy enough but they are a little close together. Some sites are shaded, some are open…hard to tell when booking. Not many trees to set up a hammock on site. General store was well stocked and the staff across the board were very helpful.
TravelerOur first time here with our pop-up. It's a beautiful park. So much nature to explore, so we'll have to come back again. Note that my four star rating is based on five stars being perfection, so I would still definitely recommend it.
Our site was purposely located close to a bathhouse, but was not too close to have any bothersome noises. The bathhouse was a bit dated, but pretty clean. Individual stall showers with inner and outer curtains. Curtains could have been a bit longer, because the inner one allowed lots of spray into the outer "dry" part of the stall.
Great playground on the east side of the first loop. Kids seem to play there for hours and enjoy riding bikes around the loops. Very well manicured grounds, including paths from the sites to the bathhouse.
Nice little store that had a little bit of everything attendants were friendly. Firewood available. Cheaper outside the park, but don't mind supporting the park. Was open till 9PM even on Sunday.
Beach was small, but seems adequate for the number of people there. Could use a little sand cleaning, but not bad. Swimming area roped off to keep boats out. Bathrooms have showers.
Already planning our next visit!
LegendThe state park is located within the boundaries of the Indiana Dunes National Park (formerly National Lakeshore), so don't get confused by this. There also is a national park campground, but it's closed in the winter.)
This state park has a nice layout because the sites seem to be staggered so that they don't back up to each other. Also, there is a good buffer space behind the sites and decent space between each site.
All sites have 20- 30- and 50-amp service available, plus almost all are a combination of a concrete pad and asphalt apron. Note that just because they're paved doesn't mean all of them are level. Each site has a fire pit and it appeared they all have grill grates on them.
One nice touch is that some sites have wider asphalt aprons so if you have a longer rig, you can put your towing vehicle or your towed vehicle off to the side once your rig is in place. Also, the ADA sites are nicely laid out with larger concrete pads so that even the fire pits are in the concrete section for ease of access.
Note that after Nov. 1, the water is shut off and bathrooms are shut down until spring, although there are vault toilets available.
You will hear a pretty regular stream of train whistles at this campground, but they aren't so loud as to be disruptive.
You can hike to the 1929 Dunes Pavilion and a large beach on Lake Michigan. The best hiking activity, however, and also easily accessible by walking from the campground, is the series of dune trails. The Nature Center, which sits between the campground and the trails, has some good visitor's information about the dunes, the flora and fauna, and the history of the area.
Once you finish seeing what you want in the state park, there's still the entire national park to see. Plus, there's a multi-use trail that runs for 9 miles along the state park and into the national park.
Cell service for Verizon was two bars but speeds seem to be good. Less signal and speed for Google Fi, but not terrible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Merrillville, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Merrillville, IN is Dunewood Campground — Indiana Dunes National Park with a 4.3-star rating from 126 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Merrillville, IN?
TheDyrt.com has all 18 glamping camping locations near Merrillville, IN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
