The Dyrt – find campgrounds for tents, RVs, cabins, glamping and more.
Open in App

Best Tent Camping near Otterbein, IN

360 Reviews

Tent camping options near Otterbein, Indiana include several established campgrounds within driving distance. Lake Waveland Park in Waveland offers numerous primitive tent sites with picnic tables and some with fire rings, while French Post Park in Delphi provides a more basic tent camping experience with drive-in access and limited amenities. Both locations serve as accessible options for those seeking tent-specific camping in the west-central Indiana region.

Primitive tent sites at Lake Waveland Park do not require reservations and operate on a first-come, first-served basis. The campground features both primitive and modern sites, with the primitive tent area located past the shower house where the road bends left and downhill. While sites aren't marked with numbers, they are indicated by picnic tables and sometimes fire rings. The park provides toilets, showers, and trash service, though primitive areas have fewer amenities than the modern campsites. The season runs from May 15 to October 15, making it unavailable during winter months.

The tent camping areas offer spacious, reasonably well-maintained grounds with good shade coverage in many locations. Lake Waveland provides fishing opportunities and is situated near both Turkey Run and Shades State Parks for additional outdoor recreation. French Post Park offers a more beginner-friendly camping experience suitable for families with young children, featuring a playground and shelter area. According to one visitor, Lake Waveland's "primitive sites are very secluded and quiet but get there fast because spots are first come first serve." The grounds crew maintains the extensive green space well, and many campers appreciate that the tent sites seem more spread out compared to typical state park campgrounds.

Map showing campgrounds near Otterbein, IndianaExplore the Map

Best Tent Sites Near Otterbein, Indiana (4)

Show More
Showing results 1-4 of 4 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Otterbein Contest

Enter to Win

Recent Tent Camping Photos near Otterbein, IN

1 Photos of 4 Otterbein Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Otterbein, IN

360 Reviews of 4 Otterbein Campgrounds

  • T
    Aug. 6, 2021

    Shades State Park Campground

    Wooded Sandstone canyon with primitive camping.

    Located north of turkey run state park shades offers all the hiking and scenic terrain with less amenities and less crowds. Sugar creek cuts through the ancient sandstone floor creating canyon walls. The park is connected to a nature preserve that dose allow backpacking but has designated camping within the park separate from the car camping sites, so you can’t set up camp on the trail. The car camping sites, labeled as family camping, are primitive only with vault toilets. There is a shower located in the campsite with flushing toilets. Campsites are close but most have trees separating them for privacy. Avoid sites next to toilets or dumpsters their practically in your site. There’s no cellular signal in the park so heads up. Ice and wood are located for sale at the entrance. If you have little ones there are a few playgrounds located in the park including one in the campsite which is located a short hike in the woods. This park is quite, shaded, rugged at times and the canyon/creek can be breathtaking. Although I would go early or late in the season to avoid Indiana’s humid muggy summer heat.

  • S
    Oct. 1, 2020

    Harry L Swartz Campground

    Pretty spot/small gravel campsites

    Il start this by saying: we prefer tent camping/primitive/atleast semi isolated spots. If you’re looking for RV camping, this is probably a decent spot so read no further!

    We drove in to the Middle Fork Forest Preserve looking for a place to camp same day on our way down to Giant City. We weren’t able to make a reservation less than 5 days in advance online so we tried to call. No one in the office except Th-Sunday and it was Wednesday so we couldn’t get in touch. All good. It happens and it did say that clearly on their website and on voicemail. We needed a place for the night so decided to risk driving over from I57 S. Rolled in around 5 and all the campsites were marked reserved but there were about 3 people set up to camp there. We didn’t end up camping the night 1. Because we didn’t want to be jerks about the reservations although it seemed like no one else would be arriving until at the earliest the next day and 2. All of the campsites were pretty tight together and surfaced with gravel. That’s a personal preference thing. We always look for primitive/walk-in/hike in sites to set up tents/hammocks. This spot was mostly set up for RVs.

    The hiking looked pretty lovely and the grounds/facilities looked well kept! Just maybe not our preference.

  • Mike V.
    Jul. 23, 2016

    Lake Waveland Park

    Waveland Lake and Park, near Waveland, Indiana

    Nice clean park in west-central Indiana that has a lake and a large number of camping sites along with restrooms and showers. The primitive tent camping sites don't require reservations, and each have a picnic table. There are modern campsites that have water and electrical hook-ups, and there are some small cabins that can be rented. The bath house was clean, and the grounds crew does a great job keeping the grass cut. Camp sites seem more spread out here compared to most state parks. Location is fairly close to Sugar Creek and other parks such as Turkey Run and Shades State Park. The lake is popular for fishing.

  • Terri D.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 10, 2017

    Turkey Run State Park Campground

    Nice Big Sites

    I have to say it is always nice to stay at a state park in the off season. There are a couple hundred sites in this park and we were one of about 12 occupants. Even if this park had been full, the sites offer nice space. Sites vary from full shade to wide open out in the sun. Bathrooms are clean, but they are pretty spread out. Most sites offer electricity, but no water or sewer hook-up for RV. Water spigots are pretty spread out too. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. I didn't see any camp hosts that sold firewood when office is closed. Park is located right across the street from the local high school, I thought this was sort of odd.

    We were just passing through for a nights stay, but it looked like there were some nice trails for hiking. The children playgrounds looked nice as well.

  • H
    Jun. 23, 2023

    Shades State Park Campground

    Awesome Backpack Camp!

    Took my son on his first backpacking trip this week and felt like Shades would be a perfect trial run for us together. I don’t think this camp gets enough love as it’s a relatively short hike for most seasoned backpackers. Great for trial runs and gear testing. The trail was (recently) well maintained in sections, but there are spots that are a little weedy. That’s to be expected I think with a park that doesn’t see as much traffic as another well known park in the area (that doesn’t offer a backpack camp). The camp itself was fantastic. It doesn’t boast great views or any scenic points, but it is fabulously maintained and well thought out. Several awesome sites to choose from and we had our pick as the only campers there. Every site had a fire ring and picnic table, with paths heading to the bathroom and water. The bathrooms were pretty much immaculate and the water was great. We didn’t hike in early enough to take the path to play at Sugar Creek, but I won’t make that mistake again. Next time, because there will be a next time, we’ll go earlier for more downtime around camp. So glad we’re close enough we can make this trip again soon! Park entry: $7 Camping fee: $12 With tax our total was $19.84. If you have an IN state park card you can avoid the entry fee.

  • Janet B.
    May. 9, 2023

    Vermilion County Park Forest Glen Preserve

    East Camp (backpacking site)

    First backpacking trip in the Midwest and this was a surprisingly scenic place with a great backpacking sites! We did forest glen river ridge trail; started from the staff parking lot and walked about 8 miles to the east camp. We had a big group and took sites 3 and 5 because they were on a flatter ground. All sites were well shaded and there was even an OUTHOUSE!!! The rangers told us the water from the Vermilion River was safe to drink with filtration but note that you do have to walk down to the river and up to the campsites. Both sites came with a picnic table and a fire ring. Had a lovely time even with the thunderstorm.

  • n
    Jun. 8, 2018

    Ross Camp

    Lafayette Parks and Rec

    Nice sites. Awesome shower house! close to Ross Park. A little chapel. This is a relax campground for those not into all the hiking if you just want to sit by your fire. A few primitive sites. No alcohol allowed. We rent a site here instead of hotels.

  • M
    Jul. 19, 2020

    Turkey Run State Park Campground

    Terrific campground and state park

    We stayed here this weekend and had a terrific time. The weather was very hot but there is a river to tube and canoe in to keep you cool. We stayed at site #35. It is in a very quiet, off the main road, in a circle, in full shade. It’s is very close to the restroom but a distance from the camp store and dumpster. The site was clean and well equipped with a fire ring and picnic table. The site is very uneven. It definitely sloops to the back corner. It’s was difficult to level our camper but we got it in the end. The site was huge but given the unevenness it would be difficult for tents. The campground is family friendly and was quiet at night. There is a lot to do at this state park. We hiked the #3 and #5 trails and it took us about 2 hours. It was very busy but everyone was very polite. It was a great stay all around.

  • Staci W.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 30, 2024

    Turkey Run State Park Campground

    Pros and Cons you Should Know beforehand

    Turkey 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.

Guide to Otterbein

Tent camping near Otterbein, Indiana, offers a variety of options for outdoor enthusiasts looking to enjoy nature and create lasting memories. With several campgrounds in the area, you'll find amenities and activities that cater to all types of campers.

Tent campers should check out French Post Park

  • This well-reviewed spot in Delphi features picnic tables, a playground, and a boat camp, making it a great choice for families and those looking for a relaxing getaway.

Tips for tent camping near Otterbein

  • Consider visiting Lake Waveland Park, where you'll find spacious grounds, electric hookups, and plenty of green space for pitching your tent comfortably.

Tent campers like these nearby activities

  • At Covered Bridge State Forest Retreat, you can enjoy both tent and cabin accommodations, with the added benefit of electric hookups for a more convenient camping experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Otterbein, IN?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Otterbein, IN is Attica Family Campground with a 0-star rating from 0 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Otterbein, IN?

TheDyrt.com has all 4 tent camping locations near Otterbein, IN, with real photos and reviews from campers.

Keep Exploring