Turkey Run State Park Campground and Sugar Creek Campground and Canoe Rental LLC have become leading destinations for glamping near North Salem. Luxury canvas accommodations at these sites include comfortable raised beds with quality linens, private decks, and climate control options not available with traditional camping. "The campsite is very spacious and there's a decent amount of distance between each site. Sites by the river are especially nice," noted one visitor about Sugar Creek. Both locations feature modern yurts and safari-style tents with electricity, heated flooring, and fully equipped kitchenettes. The glamping pods at Turkey Run boast en-suite bathrooms with hot showers, while the upscale geodesic domes at Sugar Creek combine panoramic views with plush interior furnishings. These accommodations maintain a connection to nature while providing hotel-like comforts including Wi-Fi access, firewood delivery, and breakfast options.
The natural setting enhances these glamping resorts with Sugar Creek offering direct access to water recreation including tubing, canoeing, and fishing in their stocked ponds. According to one reviewer, "The creek is awesome for catching tadpoles and minnows. And definitely take time to float or kayak down the river." Hiking trails connect directly to glamping accommodations, with Turkey Run State Park's renowned sandstone ravines just 35 minutes from the Sugar Creek location. Evening programming includes stargazing events and outdoor movie nights during summer months. Guests appreciate the balance of seclusion and amenities, with hot showers, camp stores, and reservable fire pits available at both locations. Most luxury accommodations remain open year-round, though water activities are seasonal depending on creek levels. Both locations require reservations well in advance for their premium glamping structures, especially during peak summer weekends.
$20 - $45 / night
"It is definitely designed to accommodate RVs, as the majority of the sites are situated in an open field. There are a few dozen sites that are in “loops” that are situated in shaded areas."
"Much enjoyed hiking some of the trails at Turkey Run State Park near Marshall, Indiana. This is Indiana's 2nd oldest state park, now 100 years old (1916-2016)."
$14 - $45 / night
"I grew up just 30 minutes away from here and recently just visited for the first time. Nice camp sites and friendly staff."
"We stayed in site 93 in the lake view area. The campsite itself was large and clean. The bathrooms were clean and fairly close to the campsite."
$30 - $45 / night
"SCC has about 50 full hook sites and several electric and water. There is quite a few primitive areas as well."
"Great location to river and rentals on site, one of the friendliest people at the office and make sure your taken care of!"
"Campground is very well maintained with a heated pool, mini golf, two stocked fishing ponds and more. We had a full hook-up, pull through site with plenty of room to the neighbor."
"There’s over 350 sites mostly permanent, nice heated outdoor underground pool. There is Putt putt, shuffle board, a large creek and pond to fish in."
"This easy-access-from-the-highway RV park is really nice. The spots are accessible, the bathrooms are AMAZING (no…seriously), the little attractions are adorable and the host is terrific."
$25 / night
"We stayed at site 30, a modern site with water, electric and sewer. Sharing of water and electric between two sites, so come prepared with extensions for water and electric."
"This is the electric and water only section. The sites range from very uneven to moderately uneven in this section. The full hookup site section is flat but with less tree cover."
$60 - $80 / night
"The staff are always chipper cheery and eager to help. The general store is chock full of great gear including a variety of Life is Good clothing and pizza available for delivery."
"We had heard that check-in involved a tight turn near the office, but we had no issues navigating the turn with our 40’ fifth wheel and F450."
$16 - $37 / night
"Staff is always welcoming and ready to assist. We look forward to returning next season."
"Clean, well maintained, knowledgeable and friendly staff."
"Clean, friendly staff, and safe!"
GuideOverall, a very nice campground. I grew up just 30 minutes away from here and recently just visited for the first time. Nice camp sites and friendly staff. My only reason for not giving 5 stars is the bathrooms are nice, but not air conditioned.
ScoutWe come back time and time again! The staff are always chipper cheery and eager to help. The general store is chock full of great gear including a variety of Life is Good clothing and pizza available for delivery. The pool is delightful especially for littles who will enjoy the fountains and big pouring bucket. Our favorite part is visiting with Fred and Rain, the friendly onsite horses who are always ready for head rubs and snacks. Sites are spacious and level. There is everything to love about this location!
GuideWe stayed in site 93 in the lake view area. The campsite itself was large and clean. The bathrooms were clean and fairly close to the campsite. The “lakeview” title is a bit misleading as there is a view of the lake but it is largely covered by trees. Wish there was a park ranger presence there to ask loud guests to keep it down past quiet hours, but never saw a ranger the entire time. There was a trail that led down to the lake but it was steep and a bit hard to maneuver. If there was an access set of steps to get to the lake it would be much nicer for guests with limited mobility. Over all we would stay here again.
LegendThe Indianapolis KOA was easy to find just off I-70. We had heard that check-in involved a tight turn near the office, but we had no issues navigating the turn with our 40’ fifth wheel and F450. Check-in was quick and easy, and we proceeded to deluxe Paw Pen Site D55, a pull-through with full hookups. We’ve stayed at KOAs with Paw Pens before, but this location had the largest fenced dog area we’ve seen to date, which was a nice surprise. Cell coverage was solid with 3 bars on both Verizon and T-Mobile. The campground has a lot of mature trees, so satellite service could be challenging depending on site location. For this overnight stay, we used our T-Mobile Home Internet and saw 35.4 Mbps download speeds instead of deploying Starlink. Campground Wi-Fi was available but slow at 3.89 Mbps download. The laundry room was clean and well maintained, with large washers and dryers. There was signage noting that the well water may stain white clothing, but we washed some white items without any issues. Take a few minutes to read the campground rules—they’re surprisingly hilarious and worth the laugh. Overall, this was a great overnight stop and one of the better KOA stays we’ve had.
LegendRanger Review: Grubstick at Holiday KOA Greenfield, Indiana. Campground Review: So, I’ve said it before, KOA’s are not my kind of camping. However I find myself once again with a KOA yearly membership. Why? Because several of the people whom I camp with enjoy the WiFi and other perks of staying at a KOA. I met my brother and his wife at the Holiday KOA https://koa.com/campgrounds/indianapolis/ right outside Indianapolis, Indiana for a very wet tent camp out. I towed my redneck “tent platform” and brought along plenty of tarpage. No kayak, the weather actually dipped into the high thirty’s and I am not a cold weather kayaker. Perks of this KOA are a very nice playground and wading pool area. So if you have younger children, ideal for you. There is a nice size dog park and you can get a nice walk in around the campground. They have delivery style pizza right on site and some planned activities on weekends. There is the aforementioned WiFi and the latrine is newer but lacking in hooks ( I’m a big hook person, where else am I supposed to hang my bathroom bag and clothes while showering or grooming at the sink?) The other issue with the latrine is there is only ONE for the entire campground. This is a nice size campground and it can be a good hike from the backside to the latrine, I know this because I had to make that hike more then once. The other issue with that is not everyone is willing to walk that far when they need to go, so where do you suppose they take care of their business? .... exactly! And then there’s my same old complaint of they fit a camper or tent into every square meter of this park, it can get very full and crowded. Excuse me while I look in your window or can over hear every word you say. Holiday was very well maintained to the point of mowing while I’m trying to set up my area and blowing grass all over everything, please don’t run over my dog...Otherwise we had fun looking for area happenings and shopping. I visited Fort Harrison State Park which was nearby. Product Review: As a Dyrt Ranger I get the opportunity on occasion to review outdoor oriented products. I had the chance to try out Grubstick https://grubstick.com/ and I can say I was excited! I am a campfire cooking kind of person and have tried out many contraptions, the Grubstick is a long time in coming. I say that because this ain’t your grandma’s wiener roasting stick or your moms wicked pointed metal fork that can put your eye out or trip you when it slides down the side of the chair leg. The most phenomenal part of the Grubstick is that the handle is.....RETRACTABLE!!! No more wedging the fork in the most inconvenient place or trying to fit it in your cooking box. The handle when not expanded can fit easily into your pocket, day pack, backpack, fannypack !!! To me that is AWESOME!! Revolutionary! Seems to be sturdier then ones I’ve seen in camp stores. Along with the handle comes two attachments and a easy open handle in a nice, durable carry bag, LOVE IT. Christmas gifts all around! And this was before I checked it out. I have two “sets” and unfortunately one of the sticks broke after only a few retractions and extensions. Perhaps I was too vigorous in my extension technique? So carefully extend your grubstick when using. Otherwise it worked like a dream! And the other stick had no issues, so maybe just a flaw in that one stick? I haven’t contacted the company yet, but I will see how they are about returns or replacements. I roasted some sausages and we toasted some marshmallows for s’mores. The pack up was easy too, nice carry bag to put it all in, I usually carry or reuse a freezer type bag for “dirty” silverware etc. I removed the fork head off the Grubstick and it went right in. No MESS! No Long Pointy Stick with goo at the end to wrap and store. Love it! I didn’t use the Grubstick basket while camping so I pulled it out at the house to add some footage and testing. If Grubstickadds a pie pan attachment, I’m one of the first in line to get it!! Happy Camp Cooking ;)
GuideTurkey Run is arguably the most popular campground (and state park) in Indiana and has its pros and cons.
It is definitely designed to accommodate RVs, as the majority of the sites are situated in an open field. There are a few dozen sites that are in “loops” that are situated in shaded areas. Some camp sites have zero privacy while others have a little. Either way, if you’re here on a weekend, you’ll definitely have neighbors close by. You can see the entire campground via google maps street view, just FYI
This is a very family friendly campground and you will see lots of kids on bicycles flying around. I’ve stayed here a few times, and no matter the day of the week or the time of year, there are always lots of kids.
This campground has a raccoon “problem” due to campers having poor camp etiquette and feeding them. They come out of the woods towards dusk looking for food. They will come right up to you without hesitation, so don’t be alarmed if there’s one next to you while you cook s’mores over your fire (ask me how I know, hah). They will take any food that is left out. Do not turn your back to your dinner table at any time if there’s food out.
On my last visit to turkey run (I’ve camped here 3 or 4 times) I arrived to my campsite and someone had left dog food out for the raccoons in little piles all over the place which was super disappointing. Additionally, my neighbors didn’t put their campfire out when they packed up and left.
Perhaps I’m just used to camping in other areas where you have to worry about bears and burning the forests down…But campers here just aren’t as mindful or respectful of the campground.
The restrooms and showers (at least the one I use at this campground) is modernized and cleaned daily but there’s no dish pit/wash room available if you cook. Just be prepared to clean up accordingly and put trash in trash receptacles. There are a few vault toilets in the campground as well.
You can hike from the CG into the state park (highly recommend. It’s gorgeous!) just wear shoes that youre willing to get wet.
Overall, it’s a beautiful state park with a conveniently located campground. It’s not the best campground ever but for Indiana standards, it’s great. Even with my complaints, I always return because I enjoy visiting and hiking through the state park.
TravelerWe stayed at site 13 at Morgan-Monroe State Forest, Mason Ridge Campground in June 2020. Site 13 has a little trail that goes down to a large flooded sinkhole behind the campsite. There were lots of tree frogs singing because of the proximity to water. Mason Ridge Campground has vault toilets and drinking water available. There are outdoor sinks at the drinking water stations. There is a dumpster in the campground for trash. Mason Ridge Campground is first come, first served, self-register and pay at the park office. Bring exact change. Firewood is available to purchase, but only when the park office is open, and hours are limited. It is also allowed for campers to gather downed wood throughout the forest for campfires. Chainsaws are not allowed, so bring a handsaw and spitting axe if you want to do this. Campsites are mostly good for tents, but several of the sites would be fine for small to medium sized travel trailers and RVs. Sites are primitive, with gravel parking pads. Campfire ring, grill grate, and picnic table are at all sites. There is a dump station. There are no electric sites. Oak Ridge Campground is a second campground loop in MMSF. It only has a handful of sites but feels very secluded. Most of these sites are suited for tents only, or little teardrop campers. Oak Ridge is only open as an“overflow” campground, so only bet on it being open during summer. There is also a group campground for scout troupes and other groups. When we camped here, there was a rowdy group of car campers that came to have a bonfire and drink all night two sites down from us. They would loud and obnoxious. I do not know if this type of thing is common occurrence at this property, or if we“lucked out” that night. The rest of the folks camping there were quiet. There were no hordes of flashlight children running amuck through the campground like you get at the state parks. There is a playground and fire tower right next to the Mason Ridge campground, but both were closed due to coronavirus. There are many trails in MMSF. Good hiking.
Pros: sinks, feeling of seclusion, quiet(other than the one group), usually availability unless you arrive really late, long hiking trails
Cons: limited office hours for firewood purchase, obnoxious car campers
In summary, this campground is for those who like to“rough it” a little bit.
RangerMuch enjoyed hiking some of the trails at Turkey Run State Park near Marshall, Indiana. This is Indiana's 2nd oldest state park, now 100 years old (1916-2016). Visitors can camp in RV's or in tents in campground area that has water/electrical hook-ups, modern bathrooms w/ showers. There is also cabins to rent, or you can stay at Turkey Run Inn. Canoeing down Sugar Creek was great, and it passes through the state park at a fairly scenic section. Some hiking trails are easy to walk along, others trails are more rugged and difficult. Cross over Sugar Creek on a suspension bridge to get to more hiking trails in a more remote section of woods. We ate a very nice lunch in the restaurant in the Inn, and even played pinball in the gameroom. Great state park. Would be happy to go again some day.
ScoutWe have always enjoy staying at this campground. Staff is always welcoming and ready to assist. We look forward to returning next season.
Turkey Run State Park and nearby Sugar Creek serve as central camping hubs near North Salem, Indiana, located in western Hendricks County. The region sits on the eastern edge of the Wabash River Valley, with terrain that transitions from flat farmlands to wooded ravines. Most campsites in the area are situated at elevations between 700-850 feet, with seasonal temperatures ranging from mid-20s in winter to upper 80s in summer.
Trail exploration at Turkey Run State Park: The park features distinctive sandstone ravines with ladder-assisted routes. "We hiked Trail 3 with our dog, but we cut off early before the ladders using Trail 10. Our dog did pretty well in the section of Trail 3 before the ladders, and be prepared to get wet," notes a visitor at Turkey Run State Park Campground.
Canoe or kayak Sugar Creek: Multiple access points exist for water recreation. "You can choose 2 different canoe trips," explains a camper about the options at Turkey Run. Most outfitters offer trips ranging from 2-7 miles, with rentals typically starting at $25-35 per person.
Disc golf at county parks: Several courses exist within 30 minutes of North Salem. At Rockville Lake County Park, "Disc golf course is awesome, in the woods, up and down ravine. 18 holes plus practice basket. Hole 1 starts by primitive sites closer to beach. Ask for a disc golf map at gatehouse."
Fishing opportunities: Multiple stocked ponds and creek access points available. "There are two catch and release ponds as well as Sugar Creek to fish at," mentions a reviewer about Sugar Creek Campground and Canoe Rental. Fishing licenses required for ages 18+ and available online.
Spacious, private sites: Many campgrounds offer good separation between sites. "The campsite is very spacious and there's a decent amount of distance between each site," notes a Sugar Creek Campground visitor. This provides more privacy than typical state park campgrounds.
Clean facilities: Bathhouses receive consistent positive feedback. At Cecil M Harden Lake Raccoon State Recreation Area, "Bathroom facilities are very clean, new bike, walking, rollerblading path. Beach is large and clean. We go every year and love it!"
Proximity to water: Creek-side sites remain popular for glamping close to North Salem, Indiana. "Sites by the river are especially nice," according to a camper at Sugar Creek Campground. Most waterfront sites book 2-3 months in advance during peak season.
Wildlife viewing: Several species can be spotted from campsites. "We had an exceptional stay at sugar creek... The creek is awesome for catching tadpoles and minnows," writes one family. Raccoons are common visitors after dark, so secure food properly.
Site selection matters: Choose based on your specific needs. At Turkey Run, "As some other reviews stated, watch out for the raccoons. Those guys are not afraid of anything. Also, the open, grassy area sites don't offer any privacy. If that's what you're looking for, try to get a wooded site on the outsides that back up to woods."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near North Salem, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near North Salem, IN is Turkey Run State Park Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 72 reviews.
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