Looking for the best options for camping with dogs near New Pekin? Find the best information on pet-friendly campsites and dispersed camping near New Pekin, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Search nearby campgrounds that allow pets or find top-rated spots from other campers.
$7 - $30 / night
$25 - $40 / night
$20 - $45 / night
With 26,000 acres of land and water, Patoka Lake campground is a fine example of lake ecology. An 8,800-acre lake provides habitat for freshwater jellyfish and bald eagle nesting sites. River otters and osprey were reintroduced at Patoka by the DNR. Camping: -Electric / 455 sites -Primitive / 45 sites -Dumping Station
$33 / night
Hardy Lake has a 740 acre lake with great fishing and it allows water skiing. It has hiking trails, beach, picnic area, and 2 campgrounds. Hunting is allowed during normal hunting seasons which include deer and wild turkey hunting. Both campgrounds are open year round with electric available at each site in Shale Bluff Campground.
Sycamore Springs’ 250 acres are home to 10 shelter houses, numerous playgrounds, fishing ponds, a softball field, basketball court, wedding chapel, 35 tent camping sites and 64 RV camping sites. As a bonus, firewood is free for campers. Sycamore Springs is family friendly (alcohol is not allowed) and offers sites for all types of camping. Water views are available and there are fire pits on all sites. Camping cabins are offered at a discounted rate during the week, and the fully furnished House of Annie & Bud also awaits.
Raintree Lake was established in 1962
WAYS TO STAY RV Sites – Tent Sites – Deluxe & Rustic Cabins – Groups.
AMENITIES 50 Max Amp – 80′ Max Length – New Salt-water Pool (Opened Summer 2022) – Camp Store – Propane – Fishing – Firewood – Dog Park – Large Venue Pavilion – Dump Station – Laundry Room – Free High-Speed Fiber WIFI.
UNIQUE AMENITIES Basketball Hoop – Corn Hole Court – Playgrounds – Outdoor Bowling – Kayak & Canoe Rentals – Horseshoe Pits – Sand Volleyball Pit – Outdoor Chess & Checkers – Pedal Cart Rentals – Picnic Areas – Gaga Ball Court – Crafts – Wifi For Streaming.
$45 - $125 / night
Guide
I found this place a few years ago and it has become my local go to. It is free camping and first come first serve. There are vault toilets. Plenty of space to spread out.
Guide
I’m grateful I got a spot, since there are only 5. I’m also grateful that’s it’s open (since past Nov 15th)- and that they are drive-in sites. It’s buried deep in the forest. Clean bathroom aka pit toilet, was literally just washed and stocked before I arrived. One bar with AT&T, was able to get online when the neighbors left (but not while they were home)- so a booster or better would be advised. Mine is unboosted. The neighbor running the loud generator (the noise in the video) did come over and ask if it was disturbing me, lol- which was nice. Of course I said no :) since I brought a fan that was able to drown out most of the noise. Overall, if I were staying for the 14 allowed days- I’d say it’s worth the trip in. The road in IS paved and well-maintained up until a tiny portion at the end. Grateful for a spot, though.
Guide
The site we stayed in was lovely. It was backed up to the edge of the woods which made for a lovely view. Driving through the campground it looks like there are some sites pretty close together but ours wasn’t too bad. I would say pay particular attention to the size of the site you’re booking as some were pretty small. Also, some sites were fairly sloped as well. This site was a slight slope and overall I would book it again. We have a full size truck with a small travel trailer that fit perfectly. Camp store was stocked nicely. Staff was friendly. The campground itself was very quiet and you could enjoy being out in nature. The site was walking distance from showers/bathroom. The park as a whole is beautiful and there’s a trailhead that’s walking distance from the campsite that leads down a beautiful trail to a lake.
Guide
Obannon Overall, this is a nice state park to camp in. Staff was very friendly. They have ice and wood. My kids enjoyed the nature center, pioneer village, and one of the easy trails.
We stayed in 220. It was nice to be right by the playground and bathrooms (which is what we wanted). Some spots near the back would be nice and secluded like the 180s and 190s and they’re still not too far from the bathrooms and playground. The better playground is in loop A.
I will say, I didn’t see any staff members cleaning up trash, getting campsites ready, or anything the 2 days we were there. Even though we went in November, it was a nice weekend and wasn’t dead, so I was surprised I didn’t see anyone cleaning. Wasn’t the cleanest state campground we’ve been at in Indiana. Certainly wasn’t awful though either.
My biggest gripe was they were hosting a huge cycling group. Like the whole loop A. We were all the way back in C. They held a concert that went on from like 8-11 pm. Being in a pop up, it was so loud and never ending. Made it difficult for my kids to sleep. If they’re going to hold (or allow) events like these, it should be posted on their website. Even with our sound machine, we still couldn’t block it out. I realize quiet hours aren’t until 11, but to me there’s a difference.
There is also hardly any signage and spots are difficult to find. No arrows about which way to go, signs saying which loop you’re in, and spots are only marked on the electrical boxes.
Overall, may stay again and try out the pool since we’re not too far from home, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to stay here.
GuideOpen areas with pit toilets and water available. Shade and sunny locations. Pick a spot and set up with hammock-large rvs spots. No fee, no reservations, no problems. Officers from federal, state, and local patrol. Cell service by various providers is 1-2 bars. Highly recommend.
Guide
This is a nice campground. We went on a weekend in July and it was as pretty busy, as to be expected. Because of that, we didn’t visit the beach area, however my in laws did and they said it was nice. They swam and kayaked. Staff is friendly. Facilities are pretty clean, nothing to write home about. Didn’t use the showers. My sons enjoyed the nature center. This is the closest state park to us, so I’m sure we will be back. Be sure to stop in town for ice cream.
Traveler
A staple of our state here in Indiana. Unfortunately due to some storm damage, trails were rerouted or straight up inaccessible.
Great places to find and set up camp. We even discovered a few extra hidden sites just by being forced off trails due to the damage.
Every dispersed camper should add the hikes to the lake to their checklist.
Scout
Cool place
Guide
Rest stops leading up to this RV spot were under construction. This was a last minute decision. It was late and I didn’t want to drive in the dark anymore. The price is HIGH. With discounts for goodsam and loves connect it was $50/night for 30 amp. The dog park at this loves is very nice and the spaces are okay. But it’s loud all night because it’s a truck stop. I like the idea of this for loves but the price needs to reflect it. $25/night. No one is staying longer than that and it’s a better deal.
Traveler
It’s a horse camp but we were able to camp here. There were also two vehicle campers across the way. It was peaceful. It was a ways down a winding gravel road, maybe 20 minutes on that road.
Guide
Very long secluded road. Took a bit to find the first spot to camp, once we found it the other spots weren’t too far past.
Scout
Quiet. Friendly helpful staf.
RangerThe perfect dispersed site for my way through, quiet and peaceful. Good spot for tent camping , we enjoyed our stay.
Guide
My family visited Louisville South at the beginning of June for an extended family trip.
Pros- Lots of activities for kids. Nice pool, great playground, bounce pad. Bike rental. Decent (not spectacular) hiking trails. The RV sites with patio were very nice, but could be bigger.
Cons- some (not all) of the staff. One lady in particular was always rude, and didn’t like answering questions. There was a security light for the bounce pad that was on all night long, and thoroughly illuminated the adjacent tent sites. My brother’s family of 6 did not sleep well. This is something that is easily corrected by installing a shade over one edge of the light, but the staff didn’t seem to care.
Guide
Spacious sites. Beautiful forest. Quiet, but only 5 minutes small town with gas stations, grocery, etc. Not many amenities. Only pit toilets and water spigots. Firewood was not available during our visit. No reservations. First come first serve, but even on a "busy" Saturday in July less than 1/3 of the sites were full. Two "loops" one in a pine forest below the small lake and one at the lake/up the hill. Multiple playgrounds. Great trails to hike. Cool CCC construction. Highly recommend.
Scout
The water was down a bit so the falls were not very large but the trails were really great! It was hot (July) and the wooded hiking trails helped keep us comfortable. On leash Dog friendly was a plus for us too. The only thing I wish there was were more areas to bike but the walking trails were super beautiful so it wasn’t a big disappointment at all. There is no dispersed camping and we didn’t stay overnight but we did go check out the campground area. It’s pretty large and there were loads of spots that would hold our 30ft bus and 17ft cargo trailer. Since we were just there for the day, however, we just parked at the pool as suggested by the gentleman at the gate. It is a huge flat area that gave us lots of solar power while we were out exploring.
Guide
This is a great family campground with excellent amenities, clean sites and grounds, beautiful surroundings, multiple cabins, pavilions, and a welcoming host office. We would love to visit and stay again. Do not let the short rural entry drive deter you. Yes it's hilly and curvy but take it slow and careful I promise it's worth it. Free firewood is just a bonus. Get a shady spot and enjoy the stay.
RangerWe went up in June 2024. There are several spots that are in the shade, but some of them are permanent campers. There is a fishing lake and a small river to fish in or wade and swim in. There is a miniature village for the kids along with 20 playgrounds in the campground. Golf carts are available to rent, and I feel are a necessity to get around this large park. There are also large fields to play in. Didn’t use the bath house. The general store has ice and a few souvenirs. There is cell service (AT&T and Verizon) There is also free wood. They have really cool spiral steps that lead up to a walk bridge. They also have a donkey and goats to pet. Altogether a really nice and clean park. Will definitely go again.
TravelerHad the typical state park experience. Bathrooms are decent, a little dated but oh well. The weekends in the middle middle of the season are typically busy. Plan your site well, many lack a level spot for tents and have a lot of slope near the pull off.
TravelerWe really liked the set up of this campsite. The fire rings were spread apart amidst a green hill. There was some shade available around the edges. Plenty of room to spread out from your neighbors; it wasn’t too busy when we were there (a Thursday). Camp accesses two trailheads directly. There were two bathrooms, a place for garbage, and potable water. Screech owls and active birds made it an exciting evening.
ScoutThe bathrooms are dirty, showers are full of hair, the toilets are dirty, staff can be rude, not a lot to do besides walk/drive around, not a very fun park if u was to bring ur kids to it, there’s not much to see. I wouldn’t waste ur take time comming here and instead go to a better park that’s much better
Scout
Besides picking the only weekend where the camp had plumbing issues… my 4 year old daughter and I loved this place. This was my first time camping in Indiana and it did not let me down! The rangers were very nice and was pleased to answer any of my questions, the lake and bathrooms were clean and the place was nice and quiet. I’ll be back again.
TravelerBeautiful secluded site that is pretty far off of the road, but not too far. There was no traffic or other people in site. I have a promaster conversion and had no trouble making it to this site, however the road was gravel and steep at times. I have lived in Indiana for ever and have made many trips this way, but I never knew sites like this existed.
Scout
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LegendFirst off- Brown County is a lovely park. This review is only for the campground.
The only time we ever camped here was in 2003 when we had 3 kids & a popup. New to the park I thought the Racoon Ridge Loop looked good & picked site 121. Bad mistake! We stayed 3 nights & every night we had a weird thing happen. The worst was the bat that found it's way into the popup one night. None of it was in any way Brown County's fault, but we never went back.
We were staying at Paynetown recently & decided to visit Brown County & the campground. The mirror tag helped with this. We visited on a Saturday morning in late June. The whole campground was full & it was jumpin'!
We skipped Buffalo Ridge. Raccoon Ridge is the smallest loop. Close sites. Our former site 121 has a pit toilet right next to it now. There's several sites along the main road, also very close to each other & right on the road.
I thought that Taylor Ridge was the best loop based on my memories from 2003. It's really a long warren of close sites, some with terrible inclines.
I was able to write down a few sites I thought would work- Sites with no one close by: 193/194/266.
265 was the only pull thru I saw, but there may be others.
End of loop: 317/318
Ridge view from your site: 310/311/312/313/314
Random sites that looked ok: 179/188/215/223/225/242/259/260/265/277/280/287/422- these sites are just what I eyeballed while the husband was cruising down the main road.
We decided we were never going to camp here again. The sites are too close together. There's too many people crammed in a small space. If you go be aware that summer weekends & leaf peeper season will be very busy. The middle of the week or shoulder season would probably be your best bet for a more relaxing experience.
Legend
We did a drive through to check out the campground. It was $8 for day use, self pay.
This is a beautiful campground. There's 4 loops with 30 & 50 amp. 2 loops with no electric.
Well spaced all tucked into the trees on a ridge. Also some carry in sites.
If we tented camped still I'd be in heaven!
You can reserve sites, or some are first come first served.
Shower/restroom with pit toilets scattered around.
3 trails. A beach, picnic areas& a boat launch.
This seems less popular than Paynetown, but a lot quieter!!
Scout
Very convenient location off of interstate 65, very quiet and spacious park with tons of shade. Will definitely park here again.
Discover the joy of camping with your furry friends near New Pekin, Indiana, where several campgrounds welcome pets and offer a variety of amenities and activities for both you and your dog.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near New Pekin, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near New Pekin, IN is Charlestown State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 33 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near New Pekin, IN?
TheDyrt.com has all 88 dog-friendly camping locations near New Pekin, IN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
