Camping spots near Mount Ayr, Indiana sit within the Grand Kankakee Marsh watershed, historically one of the largest inland wetland systems in the United States. The area features a mix of former wetlands, lakes, and agricultural land, with elevations ranging between 650-700 feet above sea level. Camping facilities near Mount Ayr experience four distinct seasons with summer highs typically reaching 85-90°F and winter lows often dropping below 20°F.
What to do
Fishing at Willow Slough: The 1,200-acre J.C. Murphey Lake at Willow Slough Fish & Wildlife Area offers excellent fishing opportunities. One regular visitor notes, "It's $12 a night. Pretty clean campground run by the DNR, lots of acreage to explore. No real trails but if you don't mind roughing it plenty to explore, hunting, fishing, mushrooms, electric motor only boats on the lake. We bring our kayaks."
Water recreation at Oak Lake: Enjoy swimming and water activities at Oak Lake RV Resort which features a swimming pond with inflatable obstacles. A camper shares, "Pond swimming & obstacle course, movies on our inflatable screen, golf cart glow parades, s'mores, homemade campfire pizzas & endless family memories. The kids are still raving about it!"
Shooting sports: Visit the gun range at Willow Slough Fish & Wildlife Area which gets high marks from visitors. As one camper observed, "The gun range is awesome and good hunting spots as well."
Water activities at Caboose Lake: Caboose Lake Campground offers multiple water recreation options including bumper boats and paddle boat rentals. A camper mentions, "Super clean water and beach area with inflatables- so fun! They do require wristbands which cost 10$ a day but that includes bumper boats and unlimited paddle boat rentals, for us it's perfect!"
What campers like
Affordable primitive camping: Campers appreciate the low-cost options at Willow Slough. One camper stated, "At $12 a night it is hard to beat." Another mentioned, "Nice campground. If full the sites would be a little tight, but the night we came in late October it was pretty much empty."
Seasonal activities at Oak Lake: The scheduled events keep campers coming back. One review notes, "We have stayed there several times now. Fun place with plenty to entertain the kids. Owners are super nice too."
Staff helpfulness: The hospitality at Pioneer Family Campground stands out to visitors. One camper shared, "Beautiful, Friendly & Outdated. We tent camped with 8 small kiddos. One of the largest tent sites I've been on... This campground gets stars from me for the gorgeous and peaceful surroundings, as well as very friendly staff."
Convenient interstate access: Travelers appreciate campgrounds offering quick highway access. One Caboose Lake visitor noted, "Great spot to pull off the main road and let the kids out and burn off some energy. Beautiful lake! Just what we needed on a long road trip."
What you should know
Hunting seasons affect camping: During hunting seasons, campgrounds near Mount Ayr may see increased activity. A camper at Willow Slough mentioned, "If you just want to sit by the fire, or want to camp out during the hunting season, or fishing with your boat, it's a good place to be."
Water quality concerns: At some locations, drinking water may not be ideal. One camper cautioned, "Do remember to bring power source for you phone such as a power bank and water to drink, the water there taste funny."
Bathroom facilities vary widely: Facility quality differs significantly between campgrounds. At Love's RV Stop, a camper noted, "Great stop for the night, It's new, gated and has basic amenities." Meanwhile, at Pioneer Family Campground, a visitor reported, "Their two flushing toilets and two showers (free) are very outdated with some rusty nails sticking out."
Road noise at some locations: Campgrounds near highways may experience traffic noise. A Caboose Lake camper mentioned, "Highway is louder than you'd think. No good night rest had."
Tips for camping with families
Playground access: Choose sites near play areas for easier supervision. At Oak Lake RV Resort, one parent shared, "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."
Swimming options: Look for campgrounds with swimming facilities designed for children. A family who stayed at Lake Alexander RV Park shared, "There's a river that's a 5 min walk from the campground that we swam in and it kept us cool from the heat."
Fairground camping during events: The Newton County Fairgrounds offers camping during fair week with family-friendly activities. A visitor reported, "The fair itself was a lot of fun! From the 4-H shows to the carnival rides & food vendors, there was always something going on. The kids loved it! It felt very family-friendly & welcoming."
Consider campsite locations carefully: Some camping areas place family sites close together. As one Pioneer Family Campground visitor noted, "If full the sites would be a little tight, but the night we came in late October it was pretty much empty."
Tips from RVers
Electrical considerations: Check power availability before arrival. A Love's RV Stop camper advised, "The only complaint I had is the site we were at showed a ground fault on the 50amp Circuit so I had to use the 30 amp circuit but it's Nov so no need to run dual ACs."
Setup assistance available: Some campgrounds offer arrival help. An Oak Lake visitor mentioned, "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."
Campground layouts vary: Site arrangements differ between properties. At Lake Holiday Camping Resort, one RVer cautioned, "The campground is made for permanent sites more so. They put us in a site we didn't even fit into and we have a small camper! We couldn't even get to our hookups because we couldn't pull into the site correctly!"
Dump station availability: Not all campgrounds maintain operational dump facilities. A Pioneer Family visitor noted, "The dump station was full and we couldn't dump our camper."
