Best Cabin Camping near New Carlisle, IN

We visited this park twice (once in Sept 2020 and again in June 2021).  Both times we stayed in the cabin campground and both times had very good experiences.  Each time we went mid-week so there was hardly anyone else there, and that was great.  The cabins are small but perfectly fine for our group with two bunk beds, a small loft, and a small table inside.  They have electricity so charging phones and devices is not a problem.   Cabins 4 and 5 are up this small driveway and are slightly separated and I would recommend those if you can.  We never had to go to "town" so not sure how far it is to any stores.

Each time we rented a canoe and did a paddle/float trip on the river that ended at the canoe rental location.  Would not hesitate to stay here again.

This is a nice, family friendly campground. Lots of very friendly other campers, a heated pool, playground for the kids, nice size lots with fire pits, picnic tables, electric& water (including at tent sites). Pool has an ADA lift chair. 2 shower/bath houses, camp store, a real bear cave you can tour in (free), a creek that meanders through it. The resort sits on the St. Joseph river & this park has a boat ramp & dock for fishing. There is a gate that campers need a code to get into so it keeps out unwanted’s. Nice staff. Yolanda is a great manager. Security, a ‘honey wagon’. Laundry center. Quiet hours are 10p-8a. It’s near Buchanan Michigan and the RED BUD Motor Cross track. Very friendly people, always stopping and talking.

We were passing through and decided to stop for frozen custard at the stand right next to the campground. The first review for this place did not seem very inviting but a more recent one was a little more positive. After checking it out, I thought it could use a little reinforcement of the positives! I’m not sure if there have been new owners since the first review but I received a very friendly greeting, and the office is open from 9 am– 8 pm and clearly marked as the place to check-in. 

There are many options here: back-in or pull-thru tent sites, w/e sites, full hook-up sites, camper cabins, and fully equipped cabins. The campsites range from $32-$46 per night and the cabins range from $69-$144 per night. Sites 47-52 are close to the road so you will hear road noise, but Sites 11-35 are farther from the road and are more shaded. The layout is RV park style but there is reasonable separation between the sites. 

The restrooms have a code for entry, and I did not see the inside of these.

Amenities include:

- a community fire pit

-  game room with television

- guest laundry 

- dump station

- gift shop

- pet friendly options

 -WiFi

- There is, of course, an ice cream/frozen custard stand that I dare you to resist. 

While we would not consider it a destination, we would definitely consider camping here en route – the price is reasonable, and the staff is friendly and welcoming.

This is a beautifully kept campground just outside Michigan City, IN. It is gated so will need to call in once you arrive to enter. We stayed  in the premium sites which were 90ft pull thought with 50A service, water and sewer, and the best wifi I have seen at a campsite. The cement patio was large with a picnic table and an adjacent fire pit. There is swimming pool and a game room, and a small store with the essentials, and propane.

You are close to Indiana Dunes and the downtown area of Michigan city. Good food, shops are close by. 

By the way there are a number of cabins/mini homes to rent.

Although we would normally wait until the last minute to book a site, we booked early this time, and were glad that we did. All tent sites were reserved a week before our trip, so best to plan ahead. We chose sites 4, 5, and 6 to accommodate our group of 7. Each site had morning shade only, and the shade from the forest to the east of the sites closed in around 5 p.m. This campsite allows up to 2 tents per site, but it was nice to spread out a bit. We chose the sites that we did expecting to have a view of the river, but the maps are misleading– there is no river view, although it’s only a few feet to the river. It’s probably for the best though, since there is a boat ramp that runs through the campground that gets plenty of use. Despite the fact that we had a fair amount of rain during our trip, our sites never got muddy, because the soil is very sandy. An annoyance when your feet are constantly dirty, but great when it’s a stormy weekend. The sites were a good size, complete with fire pit, grill grate, and picnic table, and the entire campground was well maintained. The pit toilets were cleaned daily and were always well stocked. The showers were also clean, HOWEVER, as a tent camper, you’re not allowed to use the showers.(?!!) I mean, really, what are we? Heathens? We were chased away until we removed the blue placard given at check-in. The Park has a lot of hiking trails, and other activities. The town of Winamac was pretty small, but there are canoe, kayak, and pontoon rentals nearby. We also saw a paintball court close by. Firewood($6/bundle) and ice($2/bag) are available at the park gate. There is a private, certified, gentleman selling dry, well-seasoned firewood about a mile or two north of the park on US 35, east side of the road. He charges$20 for more than 10 times the amount of wood provided by the park.

Couple minute walk to the beautiful Lake Michigan beach. Waist deep most areas, waves can get big tho. The campgrounds beach is NOT pet friendly, but there is a flat boardwalk that takes you to a pet friendly area of beach of neighboring Warren dunes state park. Clean easy to locate water/trash/office areas. Friendly staff. They check the loops frequently and keep things tidy. Sandy but drivable roads(be careful in a washout). Flat nice sized lots. Clean bathroom/shower house! (Males and females share showers, could be concerning during busy season). Peaceful and quiet. Loved everything about our trip. (Be warned the camping lots are sand too, you will have sand everywhere! But its worth it!)

We camped here for 3 nights to visit the Dunes National Park.

The campground is privately owned and was almost at the end of the season. There is a check in station at the entrance.

When we arrived we were the only tent campers, so we could pick our spot. Non of the tent sites have electricity or water. Only a few have a picnic table and /or a fire pit. It was basically just a long lawn with numbers on. Some of the sites are in the woods for more privacy.

The RV sites have electricity and water access. Some campers are stored there over the winter months.

The bathhouse was a little out dated but clean during our stay.

You are surrounded by farmland, so we were greeted every morning by donkey braying. It didn't bother us. There are also noises of cars and the train coming through.

The owners are very nice and laid back.

The drive to the national park or state park is about 15 min. The dunes are very impressive and beautiful. If you need something, there are stores, gas stations or restaurants within 10 driving minutes.

I think we would camp her again. No idea how it is during peak season but even with other tent campers around on the last 2 days, it was pretty quiet.

Got us in last minute when our other plans fell through. Site was only $35 for a back in water/electric. Grateful for it but wouldn’t have booked this otherwise. Site was unlevel and ran into a hill on the back end. Not much space on ether side of us. Corner lot and the rec center and basketball court was directly behind. Kids cutting through the campsite all the time.

We called several times before anyone answered and the store was clearly understaffed. Although the staff was kind and doing their best. Picnic table is on its last legs and fire ring looked like it was run over. Overall it was a little shabby but definitely not bad. Good for a place to sleep but I wouldn’t book a week here. Not many restaurant options either and also no signs for this one on the highway.