Tent campsites near Mooresville, Indiana span from established state forest campgrounds to secluded dispersed sites in the surrounding wilderness areas. Within driving distance, Morgan-Monroe State Forest offers the Oak Ridge Camping Area with primitive tent sites featuring picnic tables, fire rings, and access to vault toilets. Charles C. Deam Wilderness and Berry Ridge Road dispersed camping areas provide more isolated tent camping experiences for those seeking backcountry solitude.
Most tent sites in the area have basic amenities like fire rings, though facilities vary significantly between locations. At Morgan-Monroe State Forest, tent campers will find drinking water and outdoor sinks, while dispersed camping areas like Berry Ridge Road offer no facilities but provide free camping with ample privacy. One camper noted that Berry Ridge Road dispersed camping features "very private sites spread out, sometimes half a mile or more apart" with gravel access roads. Primitive tent sites often require exact cash payment at self-registration stations, particularly at state forest campgrounds. During peak seasons, especially weekends, arriving early is recommended as first-come, first-served sites fill quickly.
The surrounding forests provide shaded tent camping areas with access to extensive trail networks. Sites at Charles C. Deam Wilderness connect to multiple hiking paths, with particular appeal for backpackers looking to explore the woodland terrain. A visitor commented that Charles C. Deam Wilderness offers "excellent trails following nice little streams" with dispersed camping allowed for those following leave-no-trace principles. Tent campers should be prepared for wildlife encounters, including ticks and mosquitoes during warmer months. Primitive sites typically accommodate standard tents with adequate flat ground for setup, though some locations may have uneven terrain requiring careful site selection. The region experiences all four seasons, with spring and fall offering the most comfortable tent camping conditions.
"When tent camping and want something quiet and a place with great trails, this is a good place to go. Even though it’s hot outside today, there’s lots of shade and a breeze."
"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."
from $25 - $55 / night
"So much space, existing fire rings, there was wood left behind from previous campers so that was nice! We have a reactive pup and she is able to live her best life there!"
"Decent sized space to park for 2-3 vehicles."
"Being in a national forest dispersed camping is allowed if you follow leave no trace principals, but I stayed in a couple of the official sites."
"The sites are primitive with no amenities. Tent camping only although there are both hike in and drive up sites in the wilderness area. Great place to get away from it all."
"Nice clean park in west-central Indiana that has a lake and a large number of camping sites along with restrooms and showers."
"There are dozens of sites here, drive past the shower house where road bends to the left and down hill."
from $25 - $40 / night
"Located on Monroe lake, they have canoeing, row boats, sailboats, motor boats, and skiing.
Lots of fun activities to do, and great hiking trails. Their mess hall is top notch.""Our Boy Scout troop enjoyed visiting this location. It was well maintained and the staff was helpful."
"Free disbursed camping at its best in Indiana. Not another soul camped within earshot. Clean site. Gravel pad for vehicle. Green grass for tent. 14 day limit. No reservations needed or available."
"I chose this spot because we wanted to camp by water, but didn’t realize the camp sites are a 5-10 minute walk from the lake."
"There are campsites from walk-ins to drive-ins to FCFS with or without electricity/water. Plenty of shade in a very quiet surrounding. Access to Monroe lake as well as a small beach for swimming."
ScoutMark & Denise are great camp hosts they care about everyone and will help them if they need it. They do so much for the holidays and have some great times together around the campfires. Will miss them this winter but will be thinking of them during the Army Navy game. (A inside joke lol).
Guide⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Our First RV Home Has Been Such a Blessing!
My husband and I absolutely loved our first few months here at Friends O' Mine Campgrounds & Cabins as first-time RV owners with our Class A RV.
We downsized from our 5-bedroom home in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. We sold our home and I followed my Husband back here to Indiana after he received a wonderful career opportunity. My Husband is a Veteran, 🇺🇸 and after moving to Nashville, Indiana, we had immediately fallen in love with this small town - where we respected and admired the way Nashville reminds us of where we had just moved from in Missouri.
We stayed at Grand Wood Suites for six months, after paying for a hotel, all while continuously paying for our two large storage units, as well as our mortgage payment and then rent for most of the beginning of this year; so, we decided to downsize to save money to buy land sooner, instead of continuing to rent. 🏕️ We already loved camping - we started with a pop-up camper on the 🔝 of our Jeep and camped dozens of times, then traded up to a pop-up camper. So we used what we had in savings, bought our Class A RV, donated our pop-up camper, and came to Friends O' Mine - and it was the best decision!
From day one, the other campers have been so friendly, as are the nice employees and amazing owners. They truly make you feel like family. They set up weekly entertainment that brings the whole campground together around the campfire - there is a huge fire in the middle with six porch swings attached to a massive gazebo and veranda surrounding it. It's incredibly cozy and just inviting you to join in.
We've enjoyed live musical singers entertaining us around the campfire all evening, and we were invited to watch a documentary about a local racecar driver in their indoor recreational room, right next to the indoor laundry facilities.
There is also a subterranean pool that my Husband and I enjoyed swimming in almost every day during our first month here - it was very relaxing and refreshing!
One of our favorite parts has been our peaceful, nighttime walks around the large, well-stocked catch-and-release pond. My Husband and I hold hands together and walk around it at sunset almost every evening. It's so serene and calming to hear the sounds of the water and feel the beautiful Autumn breeze.
This has been a very relaxing, enjoyable, and heartwarming experience for us. If you are looking for a clean, friendly, peaceful, and welcoming place to stay - whether for a weekend or for a season - we cannot recommend Friends O' Mine Campgrounds & Cabins enough. We are so grateful we found it!
GuideWe absolutely LOVED this park! It was hands down our favorite of this year. We camped at site 100 and it has a neighbor on one side and behind while the other side was a huge open space. It is in the center of a loop. It was mostly level. There was some minor doming to the site but not bad at all. It was a busy camp ground but not as crowded (sites not on top of each other) as some I’ve been in. The outsides of the loops did have more space between and privacy but could be smaller or more sloped, it just really depended. The bathrooms and showers were cleaner than some of the other state parks we have been to, so much so my 11 year old son mentioned it. The park itself is absolutely gorgeous. The hiking trails (which is what we usually go for) were nice but I believe that the biking trails were actually more scenic than the hiking trails and a lot more rugged. We liked trail 8 starting from the west lookout tower and stopping at Hesitation Point for lunch/break/bathroom. Trail 6 was also a pretty, rugged, shorter trail. The Nature Center was also nicer than a lot of the others we have been to in the state. We did choose to do horseback riding at the stables. We showed up about 5 minutes after opening and were able to pay and told to come back in an hour and 45 minutes. That didn’t bother us since we had the time but if you are on a tighter schedule, the earlier the better. We also went into Nashville and it was a very cute town to visit. Well decorated for Halloween, very walkable, and a little something for almost everyone. Prices were about what I would expect for a tourist town but not terrible. I also have T-Mobile and had pretty good service almost everywhere in the park.
ScoutLittle loop pull off with a stone fire pit in the middle. Walking trail goes down to a swampy pond.
ScoutClean paved sites, rigs under 35 feet will fit. Water and electricity 50/30 (water is in the ground.
LegendWe stayed for the weekend during a Campout event. Lots of fun seeing all of our camping buddies. I don’t think we would camp here otherwise as it isn’t really our type of camping. Sites are close together, so don’t expect privacy. Porta potties had not been serviced from their previous event… needless to say, it was foul. The country music museum was pretty cool. The guide was very knowledgeable!
ScoutBeautiful, great amenities too. Right off highway to travel anywhere
LegendNice halfway point for our road trip to Door County. We stayed here the week after Labor Day. Not sure if park staff had enough time to clean the grounds after the busy holiday weekend… There was a disappointing amount of litter at our site. We had remove the various cans, plastic bottles and ice pack out of our fire ring and the surrounding wooded area was full of more of the same including a full trash bag of garbage. And speaking of full… the pit toilets…There’s a $15 out of state fee above the $25 p/night charge. There’s only one shower for the park so be prepared. The amount of gnats and mosquitoes had us running for cover. The staff we encountered here, we’re cordial and friendly.
GuideGreat place to stay. Full hook ups, about 90 percent level sites. 33 RV sites and 3 or 4 primitive camp sites. The main bathhouse is pretty clean, included laundry, and a great host and hostess (Mark and Denise). The only bad is the price hikes here. One would think MWR would throw money towards some things...like a dog park, some leveling, lights at the kids playground, and MWR sponsored and paid for holiday parties/outings for vets, retirees, and all the active here on base. But nope, just collecting revenue without any beanies. Anyway, the host keeps it grounded.
The forests surrounding Mooresville, Indiana offer diverse camping options across 30,000+ acres of woodland terrain. Elevations range from 600 to 950 feet above sea level, creating varied microclimates throughout the region's camping areas. Dispersed camping locations can be found along gravel roads that wind through dense hardwood forests, with many sites situated near small streams that flow through the rolling hills.
Fishing at Lake Waveland Park: Located about 45 minutes from Mooresville, this park offers shoreline fishing with multiple access points. "The lake is popular for fishing," notes Mike V., who appreciates the park's amenities including "restrooms and showers" alongside "a large number of camping sites."
Hiking the wilderness trails: Charles C. Deam Wilderness provides extensive trail networks through dense forest. "We visited during mid-April, perfect for finding morels. The trails are well paved and marked, not too strenuous," shares Hannah F., who completed "the sycamore loop, which was around 6 miles."
Canoeing and boating: Water activities are available at Ransburg Scout Reservation which sits on Monroe Lake. According to Margo B., they have "canoeing, row boats, sailboats, motor boats, and skiing," making it ideal for water enthusiasts camping near Mooresville.
Privacy between campsites: At Berry Ridge Road Dispersed Camping, campers appreciate the secluded nature of the sites. Amber R. describes her experience: "Beautiful secluded site that is pretty far off of the road, but not too far. There was no traffic or other people in site."
Clean facilities at established campgrounds: Lake Waveland Park maintains high standards according to Randy A., who notes "Lake Waveland's grounds crew does a very good job keeping the property in order... and that's no small task, there is a TON of green space on this property!"
Wildlife viewing opportunities: The tent camping areas around Mooresville provide excellent wildlife spotting. Reuben R., who camped at Berry Ridge Road, shares: "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."
Fire regulations vary by location: While most dispersed sites permit fires, established campgrounds have specific rules. Jeremy F. notes about Berry Ridge Road: "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."
Water availability is limited at dispersed sites: When tent camping near Mooresville, plan accordingly. At Hickory Ridge Primitive Dispersed Campsites, Jimmy H. advises: "I pulled in at midnight in a sedan in the winter and i was able to safely find my way. Very nice drive during the day, hiking is fantastic!"
Seasonal crowding impacts site availability: Weekends fill quickly at popular campgrounds. William David S. describes Lake Waveland Park: "There are dozens of sites here, drive past the shower house where road bends to the left and down hill. The sites aren't marked, but are indicated by picnic table and fire ring."
Choose established campgrounds with amenities: Oak Ridge Camping Area — Morgan-Monroe State Forest provides basic facilities that help with younger campers. Ginger T. reports: "At this campground, there are two areas of pit toilets, and a big outdoor sink. Fire wood and maps can be obtained just up the road at the new Morgan Monroe headquarters."
Look for playgrounds and structured activities: Some camping areas near Mooresville include child-friendly features. Ginger T. adds that Morgan-Monroe State Forest has "a playground at the entrance of Mason Ridge campground and a fire tower."
Consider cabin options for easier family camping: For families new to tent camping near Mooresville, cabins provide a transition. Margo B. mentions about Ransburg Scout Reservation: "We have camped here in a cabin, and also tent camped. Beautiful grounds and a great place to enjoy nature."
Size limitations at forest campgrounds: Most woodland sites near Mooresville have restrictions. Ron H. cautions about Morgan-Monroe State Forest: "Our camper is about 25' and it was tight get in and out of the campground. If you have a small camper (15' or smaller) there would more sites."
Bring exact payment for self-registration: Many camping areas require cash. Rob R. advises about Morgan-Monroe: "When you arrive set up at your site. Then you will need to go WITH EXACT CHANGE to the sign in at the main building. It's easy, there is a little box on the side of the firewood shed."
Limited hookup options: Most natural camping areas near Mooresville lack full RV services. Don N. shares his experience at Morgan-Monroe State Forest: "My wife and were at site 15 from 09/02/21- 09/06/21 camping in a Winnebago Micro Minnie 2108 TB. This park is not for large rigs, but we had no trouble fitting into our small camper."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Mooresville, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Mooresville, IN is Oak Ridge Camping Area — Morgan-Monroe State Forest with a 4.1-star rating from 9 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Mooresville, IN?
TheDyrt.com has all 17 tent camping locations near Mooresville, IN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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