Best Campgrounds near Mount Ayr, IN

Last minute stop for an overnight on the way to another sight. The information online was scarce (navigation was able to get me most of the way there, but had to use a map and some common sense to find the actual camping zone).

It was dark by the time I’d arrived. There’s a local bar that was still hopping nearby. Generators are allowed, so there was a hum of one running all night but it was no bother at all.

Otherwise, entirely peaceful and quiet. Only a few campers here on a weekday night.

Affordable rates. Grateful for the night. I will almost certainly return!

Broken Arrow is a pretty nice campground. We stayed over Memorial Day weekend and enjoyed our stay. We go here a lot as the In-laws have a permanent spot there. The campers are pretty nice, not too loud, but still know how to have a good time. The office is a bit of a cluster, though. We were told that they don't take reservations, but it turns out they do if you want a spot with sewer in a different area. Those spots are taken up pretty much right away at the beginning of the year, mostly for the holiday dates and Halloween, where the whole campground comes together. The spot we got in the "first-come, first-served" area was fairly nice. There was a lot of room, even though we only have a 22 ft single axle. Most other campers were 5th wheel and fit in well enough. There are shower and bathroom stalls just a walk away that were, in the camping world, clean enough. The dump station is up by their old entrance and in an odd spot. If you use it, you will have to take a long loop around the campground once you're done to get out.

3/5 because while the campground is nice enough, with nice permanent campers, the office doesn't like to answer their phones, and options and questions may be hard to get answered. The site was reasonable at $45 a night with a 3-night minimum because of the holiday.

We stayed in the Chippewa Campground in early October.

Pros:
 - Large trees provided a high shade canopy and an open feel

 - Well maintained open-grass layout

 - Spacious campsites, similar to other IL State Parks we've stayed at

 - Quiet (when we visited)

 - Boat ramp is accessible via trail or a short drive away

 - Another boat ramp about 3 miles downriver makes a gorgeous through-paddle possible

 - Many miles (7ish?) of riverside paved trail for jogging, walking, or biking adjacent to campsite

Cons:
 - We liked no brush because it gave the campground an open feel. But if you were looking for privacy, you won't get it from the layout
 - Some sites had fewer trees than others and might not be able to accommodate e.g. hammocks, market lights, etc. We picked one with a good setup of surrounding trees
 - BYO watercraft, no watercraft concession

 - No riverside campsites a-la Illini State Park etc

Overall: Great state park to serve as a base for a point-to-point paddle. Great fall colors.