The Hardin Ridge area near Avoca, Indiana offers several woodland camping options at elevations between 700-900 feet above sea level. The region experiences a moderate climate with average summer temperatures in the mid-80s and winter lows in the 20s. Most campgrounds in the area are situated within the hardwood forests of Hoosier National Forest.
What to do
Lake activities: Lake Monroe provides boating access at Paynetown Campground, where visitors can rent various watercraft. "We live a couple of hours away from the lake but find it's worth the drive for a day of boating. If you don't have a boat they offer pontoons, canoes and kayaks for rent," notes Jennifer H.
Hiking trails: The 13,000-acre Charles C. Deam Wilderness offers multiple marked trails suitable for day hiking and overnight trips. "The trails are well paved and marked, not too strenuous. So many beautiful trees and plants to see, plus lots of creeks to walk through," shares Hannah F. who visited in mid-April.
Pioneer village exploration: Spring Mill State Park features a restored historical settlement 40 minutes from Avoca. "This is a beautiful campground. There's a cave tour also on offer in which you ride thru the cave system in a boat. There is even an amazing pioneer village to explore where an original corn mill stands and you can buy freshly ground corm mill," reports Rachel W.
What campers like
Fire pit arrangements: At Hardin Ridge, campers appreciate the sunken fire pit design. "Site was really big with lots of shade. The fire pits are sinked into the ground which is not my favorite," notes Adam K., who still rated his pop-up camping experience five stars.
Spacious campsites: Many campers value the ample room at Blackwell Campground. "Open areas with pit toilets and water available. Shade and sunny locations. Pick a spot and set up with hammock-large rvs spots," explains Betsy W. The campground offers free dispersed camping without reservations.
Nature viewing opportunities: Wildlife observation ranks high for campers in the region. "This campground is on the south side of Monroe lake and has beach access. I tent camped solo and everything went great!" shares Christine C. about her experience at Hardin Ridge.
What you should know
Limited cell service: Connectivity varies throughout the region. At Blackwell Campground, "Cell service by various providers is 1-2 bars," according to Betsy W., so plan accordingly for limited communication.
Distance to supplies: Most campgrounds near Avoca are relatively remote from stores. Hardin Ridge is "about 11 miles to the nearest small baitshop/store/gas pump. There is ice and wood for sale at the gate," notes reviewer Deb T.
Tick and insect precautions: The forested environment requires proper pest protection. "This campgroung has lots of amenities to offer all the way down to a beach. The only issue we has was having to drive everywhere because the campground is so vast. But bring bug and tick repellant," warns Johnathan H. about his Hardin Ridge experience.
Site reservation systems: Taylor Ridge Campground and others have specific reservation policies. "The spots you can reserve are non electric which is what we got and still had a nice time in our pop up camper..The camp ground does have electric sites but it's first come first serve!!!" explains Sheldon E. about Hardin Ridge.
Tips for camping with families
Dog friendly options: Most campgrounds near Avoca welcome pets with standard leash requirements. For pet-friendly camping with lake access, "This campground is on the south side of Monroe lake and has beach access," notes Christine C. about her Hardin Ridge experience.
Activity planning: The region offers numerous family-oriented activities. "The camp ground has nice hiking trails and it's own boat ramp with a dock. We went fishing down by the ramp and caught a mess of bluegill which we fried up back at the campsite!!!" shares Sheldon E.
Campground selection: When selecting dog-friendly campgrounds near Avoca, consider Taylor Ridge which offers more privacy. "There are 3 separate campgrounds in the park Buffalo Ridge, Raccoon, and Taylor Ridge. We stayed in Taylor which was dubbed 'wooded' and the one I would most suggest. The others were pretty cleared out and too close together," advises Caitlin W.
Tips from RVers
Site leveling: Many campgrounds in the region have varied terrain. "The site we where at was heavily sloped, the only flat part was where they put the fire pit at. When we looked at the other site most of the shaded sites that had some privacy where also heavily sloped," notes Thomas U. about Spring Mill State Park.
Hookup positioning: RV campers should note utilities placement issues at some sites. At Yogi Bears at Lake Monroe, "Most sites are gravel pull throughs and have 50amp. My site as well as all the other pull throughs close by should have had services setup on the opposite side. Whereas power and water were reasonably placed, the sewer was setup in a manner that waste water had to flow uphill," reports Chris.
Site spacing: Different campgrounds offer varying degrees of privacy for RVs. "The roads are not marked very well and it took a bit to find our site which needed level blocks and is just wide enough for the Rv. Nice to have water supply within 10 feet. Very quiet, shady paved sites in Taylor's Ridge loop," mentions Wendy T.
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