Best Tent Camping near Ossian, IN

I really enjoyed camping here!! We camped in a tent had a fire went hiking found little waterfalls and there is another part that allows horses!!

They have lots of hiking, biking, and boating. They have cabins, rob hook ups, and tent camping.

Second time out love this place has a swimming pool and splash pad for the kids and lots of parks and horseshoe pits bike rentals and put put golf but everything is closed from covid definitely my favorite place to camp primitive or electric tent camp

Although it states in the app free dispersed camping. Doesn't always mean just that. The cheapest campsite at primitive camping is $12 bucks. (Tent sites) For more, you can get electric hookup sites galore that all include a fire ring picnic table and a pretty leveled out spot.

Campground at Chain O Lakes State Park is a moderately wooded campground with standard sites. Some camping sites are more private than others and caters to RVs since many of sites are not level. They have a primitive loop with flat sites which makes for great tent camping. The beach is a fun activity for the kids and there are several lakes linked together via narrow creeks which can used by canoes and kayaks.

Nice place . Rv and tent and cabins. Nice showers , bathrooms.

I have been to 9 other Indiana State parks, this one is in the top half. Great sites and clean. Large clean lake with beach. Lots of trails and many views. Staff is very friendly. The down side, bathrooms weren’t very clean and no one enforced noise curfew. I often stay up very late but I respectfully do so. When its after 1am and I can clearly hear you across the park, no bueno! Lol....other than that, I would definitely be back after I complete my bucketlist of Indiana State parks.

Cash only self check in on sight. Very small campground. About 20 electric and 20 tent. Level gravel lots. Not any hiking really, mostly fishing and boating. Nearby town for supplies.

As far as Indiana parks goes, this is a hidden gem. We have camped here many times. Even the trails we frequent always seem new because each season offers a different kind of beauty.

Met up with 18 other skoolies our first Indiana meet. Met great people had a fantastic time. Great park kids swam, showers are clean. Electric at sites but water isn’t but very close by.

This is one of the best parks we have been to in Indiana. We Volunteer all over our the USA at State Parks and National Forest. So we know what to look for. Friendly people to answer questions plenty to do. And affordable.

Locsted on puplic water source lzke near Peru Indiana. Clean and spacious sites. About $25 plus $7.00 park entry fee for 50/30 amp with water. Nice restrooms and showers. Dump site available. Some sites on the lake.

Clean sites, definitely seemed geared towards rv/campers but we fit in with our tent. Amazing spot for stargazing. Local trails are abundant and vary in difficulty. The lake was gorgeous and easy to get to within the park. Bonus they sell ice right in the park. Bathrooms were clean and well maintained.

This campground was clean and fun! We went swimming in the lake. We also had fun trying to outsmart the raccoons that lived under the mini cabins. They were everywhere! Also if you want to drive to nearby Peru, Indiana you should check out their circus festival and youth circus! It was amazing to see these kids perform circus tricks!

Great camping experience! The bathrooms are in great shape as well as the showers. The camp store is nice with many useful items. Lots seem to be well kept. The best thing about chain o lakes in my opinion is the fish cleaning station. I've been to a handful of Indiana State Parks and have yet to see one of these stations. Makes a fisherman's life so much easier!

This campground is almost completely filled with mini homes that occupy the grounds year round. The residents flock to open them at the beginning of summer and stay as late as November. You are welcome to bring your tent or camper and you will notice the close knit community environment. This is not a place for hiking, or kayaking but there are many other amenities such as game rooms, basketball courts, splash pads and a pool for children.

Campsites have a gravel parking pad, picnic table, fire-ring, electrical hookups, and thick health grass which is awesome if you're staying in a tent! The have public wifi that isn't really working that often. There was a truck delivering firewood making rounds through the campground which was very convenient. Stuff to do - disc golf, beach, beach volleyball, hiking & biking trails, boating/fishing. Unfortunately we didn't get to stay here for long, so we're planning on coming back soon.

The the campground at self is very clean and easy to navigate. I was not particularly happy with my campsite it was a lot smaller space for my tent then what look like in the picture. I would like to see them improve their trails and have better directional signs as to which path is which. When we went to rent canoes and paddle boats they only have the generic canoes and no paddle boats where in working order. We spoke with the naturalist and volunteered our time she was absolutely fantastic. I would definitely go back.

This is a place we visit many times a year. whether it's just for a day hike or to spend the week camping with family. Be sure to take your boat out on the lake for a relaxed time or hook up the tubes and skis and see who lasts the longest. Another favorite time to visit is when they have the Christmas contest in the summer, sites alike decorate their campers and tents with lights and blow up characters to show their enthusiasm and win the contest.

We were a bit surprised that despite having a paid reservation , we still had to pay a $20 Day usage fee to enter the park, but no matter. This is a sprawling and sometimes confusing campground to find your way in. But the sites are generally shady if a bit close together. There are five facilities with showers and running water and six pit toilets. drinking water is accessible throughout the park.
The majority of sites have six person tables, though some, especially in the new 385-416 loop have little four person tables. These are also the least shaded.
Campground and facilities are clean and well maintained.
The General Store is one of the most impressively well stocked I have ever seen. Equipment, toys, tools, food souvenirs, you name it. Good dry firewood is $6.50 a bundle in the store, $7 on the honor system after hours. It burns fast, so you might want to buy more than you think. The store is open until 9:00 Friday & Saturday, but only 2;PM on Sunday and never on Monday. Keep that in mind if you're doing a 3-day weekend as we did. When checking out, look up to see the beautiful wooden canoe with wildlife inlaid wood.
Fire pits are mostly round iron with non-adjustable swing-away grills. Booking is through Indiana DNR/ Reserve America so you can see photos of the site you pick.
This was our second experience with an Indiana state park, and like our first (Pokagon, in the winter) we were impressed with the clear marking of the hiking trails (and canoe trail for that matter) there was a map and guidepost at every junction.
There's a beach, concession stand and boat rentals on Sand lake, the Park's largest. Lastly, there's a fish cleaning shed with running water outside the campground entrance that anyone in the park can use, something I wish more parks would provide.

We stayed at site #99 which is fairly easy to find and somewhat secluded from the main camper section of the campground. The site and neighboring sites are non-electric which makes you have to be creative if you need an air mattress. The site is partial sun midafternoon. The campground can get busy and loud but for the most part everyone was was respectful of others.

Chain is perfect for kayaking and canoeing with 9 connected lakes and 11 total. A couple lakes are perfect for boat fishing as long as you have an electric motor only. Overall, in my opinion, this is one of the more underrated state parks in Indiana. Worth the trip up north away from the more popular parks in the southern part of the state.