Best RV Parks & Resorts near Silver Lake, IN

Please know this is mostly a mobile home park and long term rvs. It’s kept up decent but some shoddy add ons and sheds throughout. there are I’ve 900 sites and more than 95% are permanent. It’s between a very busy freeway and very busy railroad track. Cute little lake with lots of activities for kids and themed weekends. I was abke to run 3 miles aroind the park. Full hook ups are only up to 30 amps. Close to Chicago. We will not be returning due to noise but other than that, it’s ‘meh’.

I have camped here a couple of times while visiting northern Indiana to have repairs done on my RV. Overall, I like this campground where for $30/night you can get a 50 amp full hook-up site or $23/night a 30 amp and water site. If you plan on staying longer weekly and monthly rates are really good. The campground sits in the middle of the county fairgrounds so there is usually something going on – either a fair, concert, horse event, or an RV rally. Depending on what time of year you are here and part of the week, the campground could be very crowded or very empty. The nice thing is the people in the office let you pick whatever site you want and don’t assign one to you. There are 275 full hook-up sites with 50 amp full hook-up and 30 amp water & electric only. There are no fires allowed and some sites don’t have picnic tables but you can request one and they will bring it to your site.

There is very little shade and during my last visit the late September fall temperatures climbed to nearly 90 degrees and was brutal. This campground is better suited for RVs than tents but you are permitted to tent camp. Bathrooms and showers are scattered about and I was amazed at always how clean they (and the grounds as a whole) are. They do offer WiFi which worked pretty well in non-peak hours like early morning but was not reliable and sometimes frustrating. Since many sites have a clear view of the sky, you most likely will get satellite television reception and a dozen or so antenna channels.

One of the things I like about this park is the vast expanse of grounds to wander about walking my dog. There is a trail system just outside of the park that allows you miles and miles of walking and biking trails. Downtown Goshen is less than two miles away and has some great restaurants (including Venturi Pizza, Maple Indian Cuisine – which has an awesome buffet, and Goshen Brewing Company). The Saturday farmers market is great with lots of produce, breads, meats, cheeses, and crafts.

The last time I visited coincided with the Mennonite Relief Fund which was a big fund raiser for their charity that packed the grounds with stuff for sale, food, and activities. It was fun to be there during the event but it meant the campground and grounds were packed.

Now for the bad about this campground. It is located right next to very busy train tracks that operate 24/7 and blow their horns quite often. They were really annoying in the middle of the night. Sites are close together so if it is crowded and you have a neighbor, you will be right on top of them. There is no shade which can be very miserable.

Pros:

· Price - $30/night for a 50 amp full hook-up site

· Nearby downtown stores and restaurants

· Sites are not assigned so you can pick where you want to camp

· Grassy patios

· Large grounds to meander around

· Nearby biking/walking trail

Cons:

· Very noisy from nearby trains operated at all hours

· Few trees for shade or privacy

· Some sites are very tight and close to your neighbor

· Can be very crowded

· WiFi provided but not reliable

We were passing through and decided to stop for frozen custard at the stand right next to the campground. The first review for this place did not seem very inviting but a more recent one was a little more positive. After checking it out, I thought it could use a little reinforcement of the positives! I’m not sure if there have been new owners since the first review but I received a very friendly greeting, and the office is open from 9 am– 8 pm and clearly marked as the place to check-in. 

There are many options here: back-in or pull-thru tent sites, w/e sites, full hook-up sites, camper cabins, and fully equipped cabins. The campsites range from $32-$46 per night and the cabins range from $69-$144 per night. Sites 47-52 are close to the road so you will hear road noise, but Sites 11-35 are farther from the road and are more shaded. The layout is RV park style but there is reasonable separation between the sites. 

The restrooms have a code for entry, and I did not see the inside of these.

Amenities include:

- a community fire pit

-  game room with television

- guest laundry 

- dump station

- gift shop

- pet friendly options

 -WiFi

- There is, of course, an ice cream/frozen custard stand that I dare you to resist. 

While we would not consider it a destination, we would definitely consider camping here en route – the price is reasonable, and the staff is friendly and welcoming.

Water view sites reserve quickly. No full hook-up. Beach within the park. Comfort Stations are fairly clean. 3 playgrounds. some woodsy sites. Visit Pirate’s Cove Marina for supplies, wood, and boat rentals.

We enjoyed our stay at the Shipshewana Trading Place RV Park. When we arrived the camper that had the site prior to us had not vacated yet and it was 2:00 pm in the afternoon. It took them about an hour, and we were able to enjoy our site. That might be a short coming of this park is that there is no staff on site on Sundays. The Park offers mainly alternating pull-through sites which means you will be facing your neighbor’s door not their street side of the camper. This makes for great buddy sites. It is a crushed limestone/asphalt drives with grass in between the sites. The trees are not mature, so no shade is really offered. This is a full hookup park, and you will need to provide your own fire ring. Even though we did use the bathroom/shower/laundry facility there are clean. The great thing about this park is it offers you access to the Flea Market. They also offer RV repairs both at their facility tied to the park or at your site. 

Things we found to do in the area the flea market, visiting Shipshewana, Middlebury, and Elkhart, Windmill Museum, Black Pine Animal Sanctuary, RV Hall of Fame Museum, and the Pumpkin Bike Trail, Michiana Events Center, Blue Gate Theater. Trip the area can’t go without stop to the Das Essenhaus or a new little favorite restaurant in Middlebury On Top of the Hill.

I learned of this place through the Dyrt (thank you!) and knew I wanted to stay here! There are several options available: tent camping (including a tree tent!), RV camping (two with electric hookups), and a 170-year-old log cabin. If you are RV camping, there are two very clean, private, and fully stocked "outhouses" (see photo below)

We originally planned to camp in our van but with below-freezing temperatures and a forecasted snowstorm, we decided to take refuge in the log cabin. To call this a log cabin is a disservice; yes, it is made from logs(and is 170 years old) but I was expecting a tiny one-room cabin; instead it is a two-story cozy home that can sleep up to six people, all in one upstairs room (two full-size beds and two twin beds; would be great for families). It was cozy and warm, heated by a gas stove. The bathroom (with a shower) is accessed from just outside the back door but is heated. The kitchen is an outdoor grill and picnic table, but we did not use this. 

Tim and Beth were very welcoming, as was Juno, their dog. We enjoyed helping to feed the Alpacas– they have over 50. The rooster crowed gustily at dawn (but dawn was after 7 am and we were already awake). Also on the farm is Stormy, the horse, chickens, and some barn cats. There is a shop that sells goods made from Alpaca wool and we made sure to visit before departing. 

Staying here was truly special and we hope to return to camp in one of the RV spots or the tree tent in the future.

This was our first choice to camp after we bought our camper, and was it the right place!! The campground is beautifully kept, quiet, tons of camping spots! They are not full hook up, and make sure you fill up as you are not always close enough to a hydrant as I was somewhat led to believe. The only downfall to this place is phone service ice is very shady, as I have Verizon. 

Per the name, Chain O Lakes, there are 9 lakes connected, with canals connecting them all. Our 12 year old twin girls had a kayak, and my husband and I. To do them all is a total of 10 miles, MOST of which are easy. There are a few tricky spots, but you can get through it. Very picturesque going through the canals, with lily pads, and other water flowers all through your trip! 

The shower house didn’t have real hot water, especially if more than one running at a time. 

General store had everything and the staff was great! Will definitely be going back!

We enjoyed staying at the alpaca farm overall. We were the only RV parked right in front of the red barn. There were two toilet outhouses nearby that we could use. And it was nice waking up to the alpacas. Unfortunately the owners weren’t able to do the pizza or farm fresh eggs for our visit. The one area of improvement I would recommend is the check in process/booking. Booking the reservation required a few more steps than ideal, but overall we were glad to stay in a cool area. Also, if you’re looking for a place to eat- about 22 minutes away is Hog Heaven which we thought was a cute hole in the wall restaurant with really friendly staff. Tell Lisa, the manager, we sent you! She reminded us of what an old fashioned waitress used to be- friendly and attentive!

Very nice campground. There are some spots with full hookups. Most are electric only. There are also quite a few spots that are full though so for bigger rigs that is really nice. Down side is if you don’t haul with water you better fill up at the full station when you see it cuz it gets busy. and when you are leaving there are 3 dump stations and it can get really really busy and long waits.

Great camping level site.

We stay mid-week as we are retired. Full hookup site were $30 a night. Sites seem large and well maintained. All the staff that we interacted with were very friendly. We kayaked the reservoir, used the beach and fished. Finally, we hauled our bikes to the reservoir overlook and then rode them over the dam. A very relaxing trip. T- mobile cell service was 1 bar, however we had our T-mobile internet tower and got 3 bars. Slow speeds but we could still stream tv.

Very nice campground with level sites and air conditioned bathrooms! That is amazing in the summer. They have trails that are a nice walk for the dogs and a pond to catch and release fish.

Kil-so-qauh, used to be a little hidden gem right outside of town but has turned into quite a popular place, but for good reason. The campground accommodates both luxury rv campers and more rustic private tent or hammock goers like myself. Entering the camping area there is a lush grass opening with large campsites with water and electric hook ups for the RV folk. There are also 2 nice play grounds in this area as well. Continuing down the road you begin to enter the woods which is non electric sites with plenty of trees to make your weekend private and to the right is an overlook of Roush Lake where you can watxh the sunset set the water on fire. There are no fantastic bathrooms just pit toilets but easy get away is worth it.

*I've camped here every season but if you dont like crowds, make sure to avoid the summer holidays.

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.