Best Cabin Camping near New Harmony, IN

Ranger Review: Primus at Harmonie State Park

I recently visited Harmonie State Park near New Harmony, In. https://indianastateparks.reserveamerica.com/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=IN&parkId=570048 Just a heads up when camping in Indiana there is a fee to visit the State Parks. I always carry cash for that , laundry and in some states bathroom use. So, the number one thing that stuck out to me about this campground was the shade. For the most part it’s level (floodplain...I saw no standing water) And all the sites are nicely shaded (we are talking full growth) and good size. The sites are electric only, no water, no sewer. There are centrally located water hydrants and a dump station on the way out of the campground. The campground wasn’t very full when we visited, but there is a plethora of activities to enjoy. An Olympic size pool which back in the day my kids woulda loved. Hiking paths (very wide), one right by the campground and a connector trail to the mountain bike trail area. There’s also a bike section on the paved roads. You could spend a comfortable week here and not be bored.

Product Review: As a Dyrt Ranger I get to occasionally try out outdoor products while camping and this trip I brought along some Primus “kitchen gear” https://primus.us/ . Primus is known for its camping stoves , the kitchen accessories are pretty sweet too. I have the Trailsporks , a long spoon , a spatula for grilling , campfire plates and a campfire knife. These are very sturdy made accessories and pack in my kit without taking up a lot of space. There are a lot of options on the site to fit your packing needs too, from family fireside to fastpacking . I’m building my fireside kitchen kit .

We had a great time here. Nice spaced out place. We stayed at site 192. It was at the back of the campground, but close to the bathrooms/showers and just across from the playground. It was close enough to walk to the Nature Center and grab ice cream. There’s even a hiking trail right behind. And not much through traffic since it’s in the back. Staff was extremely friendly. They had ice and firewood to purchase. Even the other campers were extremely friendly. We were only a few mins from downtown New Harmony. The coffee shop there was very good. Evansville was about 30 mins. We had to go get a new car battery there and DNR used a jump box to get us going. Very clean bathrooms and grounds. The only reason it didn’t get 5 stars were the showers. Older, took awhile to heat up, only had water for about 15 seconds at a time. Not easy to get a squirming toddler bathed. Better than nothing though. Great campground, highly recommend!

Rend Lake is a large COE recreation area with 4 campgrounds, some with full hook ups for $28 a night, two dams, 2 beaches, several boat launches, a marina, golf course and a restaurant.  Not all facilities were open when we visited in March.  Hiking and biking trails and close to town for gas and bait.  Each site has a stone picnic table and fire ring.  Showers, bathrooms and  playgrounds in multiple places and convenient locations.  Some sites do have steep grade, originally booked Bluejay 48 and moved.

https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/233504?tab=seasons

General: I was a bit apprehensive about this state park because it did not take reservations, so we made sure to arrive by 11 am but we had no reason to worry – compared to other Illinois campgrounds we visited on this trip, this one was almost empty on a Wednesday in mid-October. Steve, the host, was very friendly and checked us in. The rate of $20 for an electric site was reasonable; we put a tag on our site and set off to explore nearby Garden of the Gods for the rest of the day, secure that we had a place to rest our heads for the night! 

Sites/Facilities: The sites are set a decent amount of space apart and have an additional parking space for a second vehicle. A large picnic table and fire ring (although the windy conditions were not favorable for a fire) completed the site. Some are not completely level, so it was good to be able to select the best site. 

Bathhouse: The bath/shower house was clean, and the shower had nice hot water and good water pressure. The drainage wasn’t optimal, however, and much of the water ended up in the rest of the bathroom. The only other thing to note is that the generator for the bathhouse is VERY loud so if you are in a site close by (we were across the street and one up), you WILL hear it but thankfully, when not in use, it was quiet through most of the night. 

Activities/Amenities: There is a playground and picnic shelter, and the (not very deep) cave is cool to explore (a short walk from the campground). There are a dump station and dumpster. I had good cell service (Verizon/three bars) in this campground. 

Conclusion: Although this state park is right on the Ohio River, the campground is set apart from the river so you will not see the river from the campground but it is close enough to walk to the banks of the river when exploring the cave. Nice place to spend a night.