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Best Campgrounds near Shelbyville, IN

545 Reviews

Campgrounds around Shelbyville, Indiana feature a mix of private and public facilities within a 30-mile radius. Hidden Paradise Campground in nearby St. Paul offers riverside campsites with tent and RV options, cabin rentals, and glamping accommodations. Several developed campgrounds like Indianapolis KOA in Greenfield, S and H Campground, and Johnson County Park provide varying levels of amenities for different camping styles. Most facilities in this region accommodate both tent and RV camping, with many offering dedicated cabin options for those seeking more comfortable accommodations without traditional camping equipment.

Camping availability near Shelbyville follows seasonal patterns, with most facilities operating from spring through fall. Indianapolis KOA operates from March 1 to November 15, while CERA Sports Corporation in Columbus runs from April 1 to October 31. Heflen Park has a shorter season, opening only from Memorial Day to September 30. Many campgrounds require reservations, especially for weekend stays and holiday periods when facilities reach capacity quickly. Water access represents a significant attraction in the area, but flooding can affect low-lying campsites during heavy rainfall periods. According to one visitor, "Johnson County Fairgrounds sits at a low elevation. Our site was 70% flooded... If we come back in the future will be on a full hookup on the hill."

Waterfront camping receives consistently positive reviews across several facilities in the region. Hidden Paradise Campground's river access is particularly noted by visitors for swimming and kayaking opportunities, with one camper describing it as having "a quarry full to swim with an aqua playground... a creek to kayak or float and a clean campground!" Campsite spacing varies considerably between facilities, with some offering more privacy than others. S and H Campground provides numerous family-friendly amenities including a pool, miniature golf, and weekend entertainment, though reviewers mention sites can be close together. Several campgrounds in the area feature full hookup options for RVs, though electricity reliability may fluctuate during peak usage periods. Most facilities are family-oriented with playgrounds and recreational areas, making them suitable for campers of all ages and experience levels.

Map showing campgrounds near Shelbyville, IndianaExplore the Map

Best Camping Sites Near Shelbyville, Indiana (120)

    1. Hidden Paradise Campground

    16 Reviews
    Waldron, IN
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (765) 525-6582

    "Staff is visible and seem to do a good job of maintaining order etc Road Noise: This campground is nicely nestled away from public roads. Through Traffic in campground: No issue."

    "This little road is quite narrow, has some pretty tight turns with trees on both sides and in the night it’s hard to tell where the rear end of your camper is on the turns where there are trees close to"

    2. Indianapolis KOA

    21 Reviews
    Lawrence, IN
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (317) 894-1397

    $60 - $80 / night

    "It’s very close to an interstate so it’s not exactly a picturesque setting. The pricing seems high for what it is. Walking distance to Mount Comfort RV Dealership."

    "Clean and friendly..easy access to the highway..a lot of transient sites..nice pool!"

    3. S and H Campground

    12 Reviews
    Greenfield, IN
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (317) 326-3208

    "Perfect distance from speedway."

    "My experience at this location has been fun and staff is helpful could be a little cleaner but would camp there again."

    4. Johnson County Park

    8 Reviews
    Nineveh, IN
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (812) 526-6809

    "The park is 622 acres that include two campgrounds, approximately 5 miles of hiking trails, equestrian school, 18 hole disc golf course, shelter houses, amphitheater, lakes, fishing and more."

    "We have camped here twice, we needed to be as close to Trafalgar Indiana as possible, not many camping options in the local area."

    5. Camp Atterbury Campground

    5 Reviews
    Nineveh, IN
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (812) 526-1128

    6. CERA Sports Corporation

    9 Reviews
    Columbus, IN
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (812) 377-5849

    $38 - $999 / night

    "Close to a bigger town, lots of food places and shopping close by. Our family loves this place."

    "Also can’t forget the lakeside bar with live music every weekend!"

    7. Heflen Park

    3 Reviews
    Edinburgh, IN
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (812) 526-4154

    8. Lake Haven Retreat

    7 Reviews
    Beech Grove, IN
    24 miles
    Website
    +1 (317) 783-5267

    $60 / night

    "We attended a wedding at the Scottish Cathedral in the center of downtown Indy and from the campground, it was a nice drive into the city off the interstate that only took about 20 min."

    "Close to the city without being “in it”. We would stay here again."

    9. Woods Campground

    4 Reviews
    Greenfield, IN
    19 miles
    +1 (765) 565-6718

    "Wood’s Campground is located in Carthage,IN right off of Carthage Pike. Located 41 miles east of Indianapolis. I called to see if I needed to make reservations, and you do not."

    10. Irwin City Park

    1 Review
    Edinburgh, IN
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (812) 526-3535
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Recent Camping Photos near Shelbyville, IN

132 Photos of 120 Shelbyville Campgrounds

Recent Reviews near Shelbyville, IN

545 Reviews of 120 Shelbyville Campgrounds

  • Dwaynes W.
    Oct. 25, 2025

    Batesville KOA

    THE WORST KOA I'VE EVER STAYED AT

    Bathrooms = -5 Showers = -100 Staff = 5 Campsites = 2. Could they make the sites any smaller? Camper next to you is right on top of you. Landscaping = 4 - just not kept up well at all. Dog Park = one, and it's a loooooooooooong ways away. I travel full-time. Stay at KOA's all the time. This is, by far, THE WORST KOA I have been to and, no matter what, I won't be back. Seriously bad. There's even a $10 charge if you leave the KOA and then try to return . What? I have to pay to get back to my things? It looks nice with the ponds... but truth be told, THE WORST KOA EVER - it's a dump compared to what is expected from a KOA. Uhg.

  • J
    Oct. 14, 2025

    Sundance Lake Dispersed Camping

    Disbursed camping at its Indiana best

    Free disbursed camping at its best in Indiana. Not another soul camped within earshot. Clean site. Gravel pad for vehicle. Green grass for tent. 14 day limit. No reservations needed or available. Just show up and camp if a site is open. This site was very well marked.

  • Bodean D.
    Sep. 29, 2025

    Kamp Modoc

    What would you expect from Camping?

    Do you have kids? They have it covered, from playground, to lake with inflatables, train rides, Holiday fun.

    Adults? I see Cornhole every weekend, Campfires, Holiday Events, Golf Cart Parades, DJ's or Live Bands on the weekend, Friendly Seasonal Folks always up for a good time.

    Ameneties? Bath Houses, Laundry, General Store, Small Grill and Pizza Oven. (Pizza is not half bad either).

    Amish make their presence felt on a few weekends throughout the season, from fresh Bakery Goods to a Healthy Sized Sausage Egg Biscuit. (You won't be disappointed)

    Food Trucks on a few weekends throughout the season.

  • SkywaystoHighways.com Y.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 29, 2025

    Bill Monroe Memorial Music Park & Campground

    Festival Fun!

    We stayed here for the 1st Annual HikerFest and had a blast! 106 of our little Hikers took up the majority of the park. The full-timers that stay here for the season were very kind and cordial; freely giving of advice on local attractions to see and things to do during our stay. The museum was really interesting! They gave a great tour with lots of stories about country legends. The bath house was clean and tidy. The showers were ok. Porta-potties throughout the campground, not so much… Campsites are close together and without privacy, some more level than others. Try to grab a spot near the trees for a bit of shade. Great music. Awesome weekend!

  • M
    Sep. 25, 2025

    Glo Wood Campground

    Rip off

    Overall, this Campground rips people off. As a Traveling worker I despise places like this. I gave this Campground, a$200 deposit with the intent of Renting a site for a month from them. I was supposed to move onto site in approximately a week and a half and had to cancel as I found another campground that was closer to my job site. They had my deposit approximately two days to which they were supposedly receiving a huge amount of phone calls regarding the open site Turning people down left and right. When I asked for my deposit bank, they wanted to tell me it was nonrefundable because they are losing out on money by me canceling. I would be more understanding if they had the site open but the owner it was booked all the way until I was going to move onto site. I was never told my deposit was not refundable. As a traveler, I warn other monthly campers about this place as the Owners will rip you off no problem

  • jThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 20, 2025

    Sundance Lake Dispersed Camping

    Camping area

    National forest area with 3ish campsites one of which can accommodate a vehicle. Wooded so no solar or starlink. Small lake nearby with what looks like some trails.

  • Laura W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 15, 2025

    Summit Lake State Park Campground

    Summit lake state park

    Its an ok park. The water is shared with your neighbor, so be sure to have a lo g hose. The showers were sketchy. I wouldn't use them personally. Wecsaw a couple of unattended fires smoldering in empty campsites. And we paid for an overnight reservation. Came in around 5pm. They charged us $7 for day use. I dont think you should have to pay for day use ANYWHERE that you've paid an overnight reservation. We are through travelers and its just plain irritating to me.

  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 9, 2025

    Taylor Ridge Campground — Brown County State Park

    Nice Trails & Big Campsites

    I had a great time camping here. The spots in Taylor ridge were mostly well-spaced and felt pretty private. The pit toilets were clean and the showers were nice. Busy campground but it was very quiet still. 262 was the biggest and most private site I saw when walking around. 260 is a pull through site.

  • David C.
    Aug. 31, 2025

    Mystic Waters Campground

    Great campground for RVs and cabins

    This is a great campground for RVs and cabins, but unfortunately not for tents as the highway 69 is too noisy. Also there are not a lot of trees.

Guide to Shelbyville

Camping near Shelbyville, Indiana provides access to both wooded and open sites across central Indiana's gently rolling terrain, typically at elevations between 700-900 feet. The region experiences four distinct seasons with camping conditions best from April through October, when average temperatures range from 55-85°F. Summer thunderstorms can impact low-lying campsites, particularly along creek and river locations.

What to do

Fishing access: Heflen Park offers riverside camping with convenient water access. "Very Quiet. You can float down the river. There's a kids playground. Blu Canoes right next door," notes camper Amber.

Swimming options: Hidden Paradise Campground features both river and quarry swimming. According to Mike S., "Have been going to this campground all my life. I have never had a bad trip to this wonderful place." The quarry includes inflatables and paddleboats.

Recreational activities: S and H Campground provides numerous family activities. "This campground was wonderful. We stayed on a Thursday, but saw that they have a ton of activities going on during the weekend including live music and cornhole tournaments," writes Jessica D.

What campers like

Site spacing and privacy: Sites at Indianapolis KOA in Greenfield offer various spacing options. "The lot was spacious but had a big hill, which made sitting in chairs around a camp fire interesting," reports Megan T. The balance between recreation and natural spaces receives positive mentions.

River camping experience: Hidden Paradise Campground receives praise for its riverside locations. "We stayed in site 107 on a Sunday night and had the section all to ourselves. I think the place is quite busy on weekends though. Our son fished and we watched random people float down river," shares Carolyn M.

Clean facilities: CERA Sports Corporation maintains well-kept grounds and bathhouses. "Gravel campsites in a very family friendly location! Stopped here on out way back to Illinois from Tennessee. Easy hookups, a lot of things to do for the family," mentions Alyssa P.

What you should know

Seasonal closures: Most campgrounds in the region operate on limited schedules. Indianapolis KOA runs from March 1 to November 15, while CERA operates from April 1 to October 31. Heflen Park has the shortest season, open only from Memorial Day to September 30.

Site conditions after rain: Johnson County Park can experience drainage issues during wet periods. One visitor notes it has "very open wide spaced sites. Shade is hard to come by."

Pricing variations: Hidden Paradise Campground costs can add up with additional fees. "The campground was $48 per night. More expensive than any other campground we have been to in more than 12 states. On top of the camping prices you had to pay to swim in the quarry. $10-$15 per day per person," reports Lindsay K.

Tips for camping with families

Water activities: CERA Sports Corporation offers multiple water recreation options for children. "We spent a week there and the kids never got bored. Everyone had a blast," states Greyson S. The facility includes a pool with unique features and a lake.

Kid-friendly amenities: S and H Campground provides numerous playground areas. "This is a good family campground with a lot to do: a pool, worn out putt-putt, a little restaurant, small carnivalesque rides, and a decent camp store," mentions Corey E.

Entertainment options: Campgrounds schedule regular family activities, especially on weekends. According to Angela H. at Hidden Paradise, "We love this campground so much that we return every year! Great riverside sites. We take our own rafts and kayaks, although both are available for rent/purchase at the camp store."

Tips from RVers

Site navigation: Lake Haven Retreat provides level sites with good utility reliability. "The sites were all nice and level with a crushed stone base. Our site had a nice grass lawn near the water... We had 50amp service and measured 119vac with both a/c units running," Todd L. reports.

Military base proximity: Camp Atterbury Campground sits near an active military facility. "If you don't mind fireing guns 24/7 it's a great little place," notes Jeff G. The background noise can affect certain campers.

Voltage reliability: Many area campgrounds maintain stable electrical service even during peak usage. According to Douglas T. at Hidden Paradise, "Sites are large and easy to maneuver our 42' 5th wheel. Our site had full hookup, flat ground so easy setup."

Frequently Asked Questions

What camping is available near Shelbyville, IN?

According to TheDyrt.com, Shelbyville, IN offers a wide range of camping options, with 120 campgrounds and RV parks near Shelbyville, IN and 10 free dispersed camping spots.

Which is the most popular campground near Shelbyville, IN?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Shelbyville, IN is Hidden Paradise Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 16 reviews.

Where can I find free dispersed camping near Shelbyville, IN?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 10 free dispersed camping spots near Shelbyville, IN.

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