Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Shelbyville, IN

We stayed here on our way to Maine and loved the campground so much we chose to stay again on our way back. Everything was clean and well maintained, staff was very friendly and helpful. The pup loved the dog park.

This was my first time visiting. It’s a very large campground with lots of amenities. I’ve noticed a lot of bad reviews on other platforms about potholes and mud, and although some of that is true, it seems to be mostly on the KOA side. The only major potholes I have encountered are upon entering and exiting near the ranger station. The lot is gravel and very large for my small rig which was cool. It was nice and level, so I didn’t have to do much. I have great service here with my T-Mobile 5g internet as well as my starlink. Because it’s off season, there isn’t a lot going on, but I’m ok with that. I also appreciated the dog park that was well maintained to give my pup some freedom to roam off leash. I would definitely recommend.

Update: The only negative things I encountered while staying at this campground were the loud golf carts with their music blasting until late at night on the weekends. It seems like the same person would just cruise up and down the roads all evening. The other thing that wasn’t really an issue for me (due to being off season) were the limited amount of washers/dryers for the size of the campground. I can’t imagine what it’s like during peak season.

With COVID, it seems that everyone...and then more people are going camping. It's a bittersweet type of situation. Nevertheless, it's been very hard to find decent camping in Indiana that isn't packed in like sardines, while also trying to escape the city and get into nature - not around more people.

Luckily, a friend and I came here last October and this place was great. We got a non electric site and were in the middle of the sites. We had a great lake view and were very happy with our setup. It was a pull-through site, although not all are like that. We were able to set up in no time. 

We had lots of space, away from our neighbors. The campstore had wood and random items that you might need should you forget. We were just steps away from the lake and enjoyed walking down there every morning. There aren't the best hiking trails around, so you'll need to drive to the nearby Brown County or National Forest to hike on trails that are actually worth the time. 

I will add that the setup is a bit odd for non-electric. You basically had to pull up to the gatehouse, get your reservation info, then do a U-turn and go back out past the campstore in order to get to your campground. Very odd setup to say the least.

Ranger 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 ;)

Batesville KOA is located within the Indian Lakes Campground, 10 minutes east of downtown Batesville, an hour to the east of Indianapolis and an hour to the west of Cincinnati. Reserving the KOA site was effortless on the KOA website. We generally do not stay at KOA’s for more than 1-2 nights because they do not allow you to pre-reserve a specific site. Sites are assigned at management's discretion. We’re a married couple in our forties traveling with two dogs and a cat in our 37 foot motorhome. We arrived at this KOA with the intention to bridge into our stay into the larger property, we were only in the KOA loop 2 nights. This was the week IN/KY/OH began Covid-19 stay at home restrictions. The KOA loop of the Indian Lakes property has lots of green space, the sites are all gravel with a small lake inside the loop that offers calming views. We stayed comfortably at a 30amp/water/sewer site. Because our stay was early in the season the property had not received their updated property maps. We did not access the laundry, restrooms or camp store due to COVID-19.

I've traveled across the US and this is the best campground I've stayed in. First of all it's very clean which is surprising for Indiana. Back up to the river. Great views. Free hot showers! Quiet. Feels secluded though close to town. Good price too. Free wifi that worked so well we could both work online and stream TV! It does not get any better. Dog friendly. Nice playground for the kids. Fire circles and clean picnic tables at each site. If I lived here, I'd come here often. Great place. Walking and biking trails. Canoeing and kayaking. Historic bridge.

Clean campground. They have fire rings but they’re communal not at each site. Lots of full timers with little dogs that bark non stop. We have large dogs that would get riled up by the small dogs barking. Clearly no one cared about barking though. Close to the city without being “in it”. We would stay here again.

This is our go to campground. Not overly large but it’s clean and quiet. The owners are friendly and helpful. Bathrooms/showers are clean. Laundry on site. Small store and library where you can borrow books. Nice dog walk and small fenced dog area. Sites level and good for big rigs down to tents. Three cabins also available. Owners are relatively new and have been working on improvements continually. Highly recommend!

If you don’t mind gunfire 24/7 this is the best place ever. No issues with me or my Service Dog.

Well kept campground. Cleanest campground bathrooms I have ever seen. Friendly staff. Our site was directly beside a tiny cabin and could have been a little bigger but that’s what you get often times with RV sites. Unfortunately, witnessed one of the staff members abusing their dog.

My 7 and 6 year old daughters and I had a wonderful time here! Safe, interesting, and super fun in the water park! Everything was clean and in great shape. It’s in farmland/a hunting area, so the sounds of livestock and dogs were a bit loud at night. There is also no alcohol allowed and coolers were inspected upon entry. We were cool with that but it’s a good FYI.

I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking to do some light backpacking for an overnight/weekend trip! Wonderful trails, dog friendly and nice places to camp off the trail. Can’t wait to go back!

Heads up! Refill your water when you come across it; the lake is harder to get to than you think. I would also bring bug spray and check for ticks!

Looking for a monthly campsite in the Indianapolis area proved to be a challenge. We were so unsure about staying here as reviews we hit or miss. Decided to take a gamble and give it a try and it’s been great! Friendly service, Lots to do for the kiddos. Plenty of amenities on the weekend. Downsides - our site was incredibly uneven. Nobody cleans up after their dogs. All in all very grateful for a place to call home for a couple of months.