Top Free Dispersed Camping near Monroe Lake

Looking for the best dispersed camping near Monroe Lake? Dispersed camping means that no facilities or amenities are provided, so that you can truly disconnect and get back to nature. You're sure to find the perfect dispersed campgrounds for your Indiana camping adventure.


Recent Dispersed Reviews In Monroe Lake

27 Reviews of 11 Monroe Lake Campgrounds


  • Camper-submitted photo from Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping
    July 3, 2024

    Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping

    Secluded in the woods

    Beautiful secluded site that is pretty far off of the road, but not too far. There was no traffic or other people in site. I have a promaster conversion and had no trouble making it to this site, however the road was gravel and steep at times. I have lived in Indiana for ever and have made many trips this way, but I never knew sites like this existed.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping
    June 6, 2024

    Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping

    Real dispersed camping

    For those of you who don't understand disperse camping this is the perfect site for a tent to camp without anything but what you bring in and take out understand what dispersed camping is and then there won't be any complaints about can't get a camper in or whatever I always see the complaints this is dispersed camping at its best

  • Camper-submitted photo from Peninsula Trail
    May 9, 2024

    Peninsula Trail

    Awesome Place to BackCountry

    The Peninsula Trail and Grub Ridge trails both have marked campsites that are very far apart and totally private.  These are dispersed/primitive sites with a fire ring only.  Very remote feeling (except you CAN hear any loud cars/motorcycles at night from the main road over the lake). Light pollution is pretty low however, so good stargazing. 

    Trails are in good shape and the Penninsuala trail is pretty easy. Grub Ridge trail gets moderate the further west you take it.  CAmpsites 10,11,12,13 are very accessible with a short hike and are fantastic spots.   

    Lakeside spots are great also if you hike farther, but as others have said, drunk boaters tend to stop along the shore even though they are not supposed to. A few years ago boat access was limited to non-motoroized but not sure it is being enforced very well.  

    All the same, the Deam Wilderness area is Indianas best for backpacking and backcountry camping. 

    Down tower ridge road, to the east, just past the tower - turn right and the road there has lots of drive-in sites as well. These fill up fast on the weekends.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Mitchell Creek Road Dispersed
    April 7, 2024

    Mitchell Creek Road Dispersed

    It’s a very spartan spot

    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.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Hickory Ridge
    March 26, 2024

    Hickory Ridge

    Secluded with view

    Good spot to get some quiet time to learn/hone skills or for some good quality time with the family while being plugged into nature and unplugged from their electronics

  • Camper-submitted photo from Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping
    December 7, 2023

    Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping

    Great!

    Solo camped here with my dogs. First time I’ve ever been camping but this spot was really cool. Clean. Secluded and peaceful, though every night at around 5pm I would hear rustling in the leaves, I assumed it was a pack of cayotes and they would leave once I started banging on stuff and primally yelling. Very spooky! Awesome spot, though albeit I don’t have anything to compare it to. But I’m glad I found it!

  • Camper-submitted photo from Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping
    November 5, 2023

    Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping

    This is dispersed at its best!

    Free camp ground. Very private. Decent sized space to park for 2-3 vehicles. Trails, plenty of dry wood, away from the roads, no running water or electricity, decent amount of spaces we came in at night and counted about 9 very far spread out camp sights. Good ground to pitch a tent to. There was other camp grounds bigger than the one we stayed at and had several people at them with a big bonfire going but what’s great is when we found our spot we couldn’t see their fire or even hear them! One thing to note is that some of the camp sites are tucked back into the trees a little and can be hard to spot. At night we thought one was open but there was actually someone there and just couldn’t see them from the road so we had to back out and go to the next site (sorry whoever that was lol). It is also a ways off the beaten path for through car camping but honestly if we were ever coming back through this way I would make the hour detour to stop here again!

  • Camper-submitted photo from Mitchell Creek Road Dispersed
    July 5, 2023

    Mitchell Creek Road Dispersed

    Perfect for Invisible Boondocking

    This 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.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping
    July 2, 2023

    Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping

    Peaceful and Secluded

    If you are looking for solitude and peace in the forest, you will find it here! I went to the 2nd or 3rd site past the coordinates provided. It was very clean, flat, and had a nice fire pit. The sites are far enough apart that I truly felt like I had the woods all to myself! It stormed all night...that was a little scary, but the misty trees in the morning were magnificent!

  • Camper-submitted photo from Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping
    June 17, 2023

    Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping

    It's pretty nice

    There are a couple walking trails around, as well each site is fairly far apart. It's really quite only seen a handful of cars drive by and I've stayed here for 2 nights, would highly recommend.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Jackson Trailhead
    February 1, 2023

    Jackson Trailhead

    good spot just gotta find it!

    there’s parking after a decrepit gravel road and suitable for camping. there are campsites along the trail just have to find them

  • Camper-submitted photo from Peninsula Trail
    April 27, 2022

    Peninsula Trail

    Awesome!

    Went there with my kids and wife, we had a really great time. Primitive camping at its finest. Long walk to the water so make sure you bring plenty of drinking water. Springs available in the valleys but watch for timber rattlesnakes. Definitely would make this a must to visit.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping
    August 9, 2021

    Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping

    Berry ridge campground

    If you are into boondocking at all defiantly check out berry ridge it’s just south of brown county Indiana beautiful country mostly hills tons of camp spots sometimes half mile or more apart haven’t seen any snakes here either and the best part I haven’t seen any people!!!!! Haha camp spot is about 100ft off the main road with thick woods in between the road and the campsite even if someone drove by we wouldn’t see them no water or electric hookups plenty of wood lying around to use for a fire clean campsites all gravel roads

  • Camper-submitted photo from Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping
    June 1, 2021

    Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping

    Beautiful

    The coordinates take you to one of the first campsites but if you keep going down the road you'll find many more. I suggest parking on the road and walking in to the campsite to see if it will fit your needs before driving in.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Peninsula Trail
    May 28, 2021

    Peninsula Trail

    Multiple trips here a year

    LOVE this trail. Just challenging enough to make it worth it. Campsites I’ve great fire pits. Only downside is the drunk boat people that show up in the summer.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Mitchell Creek Road Dispersed
    May 7, 2021

    Mitchell Creek Road Dispersed

    There is no camp ground

    There 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.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Peninsula Trail
    April 27, 2021

    Peninsula Trail

    Relaxing Campsites on the Lake

    On the peninsula trail, there are multiple campsites with fire rings but you may also camp anywhere if you are at least 100 ft from the water. Campsite #18 has a great view and is large enough for at least 4 tents if you have a big group.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Peninsula Trail
    April 13, 2021

    Peninsula Trail

    Awesome place FREE

    It was an awesome backpacking journey for starters, little bit rough because of the horse riding track but awesome if you love to walk and see nature. Recommend this for sure!!!

  • Camper-submitted photo from Mitchell Creek Road Dispersed
    October 23, 2020

    Mitchell Creek Road Dispersed

    Nice but nope

    It 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.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Mitchell Creek Road Dispersed
    July 12, 2020

    Mitchell Creek Road Dispersed

    Limited dispersed sites

    Mitchell 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!

  • Camper-submitted photo from Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping
    April 20, 2020

    Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping

    Greatbdispersed sites.

    Multiple campsites in the area, I've stayed at two both of which were away from others, clean, fairly flat and had plenty of dead wood around to burn. Some sites, at least one, could fit a pretty good sized camper. This is pack in pack out, no amenities camping for free

  • Camper-submitted photo from Peninsula Trail
    July 6, 2018

    Peninsula Trail

    hiked this on way out to beautiful lake monroe .

    this was a wonderful scenic hike meant for the beauty of indiana



Guide to Monroe Lake

Camping near Monroe Lake, Indiana, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking to fish, hike, or just relax by the water, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.

What to do:

  • Boating and Fishing: At Paynetown Campground, you can enjoy boating and fishing on Lake Monroe. One visitor noted, "This is a boating/fishing park," highlighting the lake's popularity for these activities.
  • Hiking: Explore the trails at Taylor Ridge Campground where one camper mentioned, "We had a blast. Rode horses, hiked, geocached, lots to do."
  • Swimming: The beach at Starve Hollow State Rec Area is a great spot for a swim. A reviewer said, "Small lake for boating and canoeing and kayaking," making it a fun place to cool off.

What campers like:

  • Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate the cleanliness at Hardin Ridge. One reviewer stated, "Restrooms are clean. Well maintained facility."
  • Spacious Sites: Many enjoy the roomy campsites at Blackwell Campground. A visitor shared, "Plenty of room to spread out from your neighbors; it wasn’t too busy when we were there."
  • Friendly Staff: Campers often mention the helpful staff at West Boggs Park. One guest noted, "They host different themed events," which adds to the welcoming atmosphere.

What you should know:

  • Busy Weekends: If you prefer a quieter experience, consider visiting during the week. A reviewer at Paynetown Campground warned, "It's VERY noisy & busy on a summer weekend."
  • Site Conditions: Some sites may not be level. A camper at Spring Mill State Park Campground mentioned, "Our last site (15) was located on a grade that made setting up camp more difficult than usual."
  • Primitive Camping: If you're looking for a more rustic experience, check out Yellowwood State Forest. A visitor described it as "Primitive camping. Pit toilets only."

Tips for camping with families:

  • Activities for Kids: Look for campgrounds with amenities like playgrounds. At Buffalo Ridge Campground, one reviewer said, "One of the playgrounds is right off the site."
  • Plan for Noise: Be prepared for lively environments, especially on weekends. A family camping at Starve Hollow State Rec Area noted, "The beach was muddy and shallow, but the lake was beautiful!"
  • Bring Outdoor Games: Campgrounds like West Boggs Park offer plenty of space for games. One camper mentioned, "They have great activities such as outdoor movies, scavenger hunts, and more."

Tips from RVers:

  • Check Site Sizes: Make sure your RV fits the site. A reviewer at Taylor Ridge Campground advised, "Pay attention to your campsite for slope and camper accessibility."
  • Electric Hookups: Many campgrounds, like Hardin Ridge, offer electric hookups. A visitor shared, "There’s 4 loops with 30 & 50 amp."
  • Plan for Dump Stations: Ensure you know where the nearest dump station is located. A camper at Paynetown Campground mentioned, "There's a large dump station."

Camping near Monroe Lake, Indiana, has something for everyone, whether you're a family looking for fun or an RVer seeking adventure.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Monroe Lake?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Monroe Lake is Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping with a 4.8-star rating from 13 reviews.

  • What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Monroe Lake?

    TheDyrt.com has all 11 dispersed camping locations near Monroe Lake, with real photos and reviews from campers.