Deam Lake State Recreation Area provides equestrian campground opportunities across its 1300 acres of woodland terrain. The facility accommodates horse campers with designated trailer parking areas and connections to multiple trail systems of varying difficulty. Water access points for horses are positioned strategically throughout the recreation area. During peak summer months, weekdays offer a quieter camping experience than weekends when the campground reaches capacity.
What to do
Hiking on wilderness trails: Berry Ridge Road dispersed camping connects to several walking paths with varying terrain. "This was a great place to car camp while driving across USA. The main spot was full but I found a great pull off spot a lil further. I came across at least 5 lil spots. There a nice trail meandering next to road," notes Brian S.
Cave exploration: Spring Mill State Park Campground offers unique underground adventures. "This state park has a very large camp ground, campers or primative. It's a large park with tons of trails and even several caves. Some caves are guided by boat. Very neat to see," explains Donald T. The park maintains cave tour options where visitors can experience the underground passages.
Fishing opportunities: Yellowwood State Forest provides access to a 133-acre lake for anglers. "So many great tent sites. Wooded. Row boats, kayaks," John Z. reports. The lake is known for good fishing conditions and allows electric motors for boats according to state regulations.
What campers like
Cabin accommodations: Deam Lake State Recreation Area Campground offers cabin options for those not interested in tent camping. "Stayed in the Cardinal Cabin. Tons of privacy and the best bathrooms I have ever seen. Not a single bug and they even had antibacterial hand soap at every sink," reports Angela F. The cabins provide a more sheltered option for overnight stays.
No-cost camping options: Blackwell Campground — Hoosier National Forest offers free camping with basic amenities. "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," explains Joe B. The campground maintains vault toilets and trash disposal facilities.
Fall foliage viewing: Equestrian campgrounds near Scottsburg feature dramatic seasonal color displays. "Beautiful in the Fall!" notes Audria J. about O'Bannon Woods State Park. The deciduous forest areas transform with autumn colors, making September through early November particularly scenic for horse camping trips.
What you should know
Primitive facilities: Most dispersed camping areas offer minimal services. "This is pack in pack out, no amenities camping for free," Jeremy F. explains about Berry Ridge Road camping. Campers must bring all necessary supplies and remove all waste.
Seasonal water availability: Clifty Falls State Park Campground may have limited water service in off-season periods. "Being the first weekend in April, the water wasn't turned on so there were no modern restrooms/shower houses available," notes Joshua W. about early spring camping conditions.
Site leveling challenges: Many horse campgrounds near Scottsburg, Indiana have uneven camping pads. "Site 22 was so sloped our red levelers barely made it work. Sore needed gravel," reports Beverly J. Campers should bring leveling equipment, especially for travel trailers or RVs.
Tips for camping with families
Pioneer village activities: O'Bannon Woods State Park Campground offers historical learning opportunities. "The kids love the pool and trails. The campground sites are spacious and lots of shade in the summer," Audria J. mentions. The park maintains educational displays and demonstrations appropriate for children.
Beach and swimming access: Water recreation options exist at several facilities. "We unfortunately had poor weather during our stay and had to leave early because of the threat of thunderstorms and tornadoes/damaging winds. We did however pack a lot of fun into 1 day! They had a Smokey the Bear program for the kids and some really fun activities at the nature center while we were there. We were able to rent a paddle boat for $8/hr and saw tons of turtles!" shares Jessie W.
Playground proximity: Select sites near play areas for convenience with children. "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," reports Kelsey R.
Tips from RVers
Weekday arrival strategy: Yellowwood State Forest operates on a first-come basis without reservations. "The only time we have ever seen the campground busy is over big holiday weekends like Labor Day, Memorial Day, and 4th of July. Otherwise use is light. We have several times been one of two or three campers in the loop," shares Daisy C. This makes mid-week arrivals advisable for securing preferred sites.
Dump station locations: "There are four campground loops and a horseman's campground. Campgrounds have vault toilets and drinking water access. I do not know if water is turned on year-round. There are no modern restrooms. Sites are wooded and fairly level. All sites are primitive," explains Daisy C. about Yellowwood State Forest. The single dump station is located in the Red Bud camping area.
Site selection for larger rigs: "Great boondocking spot, plenty of flat land making leveling easy. Wide open so solar charging was easy. We were there for 7 days and while they have room for probably 50 or 60 rigs there was only 3 or 4 of us there most of the time," The Wandering Shores reports about Blackwell Campground.
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