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Dog-Friendly Camping near Smithville, IN
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Lieber State Recreation Area Campground features electric and water hookups alongside pet-friendly policies across its 209 sites, accommodating tent campers and RV owners who bring their animals. Most campgrounds near Smithville maintain basic pet rules requiring leashes and proper waste disposal. Owen Putnam State Forest offers primitive pet camping with more rustic conditions but allows campers to enjoy nature with their dogs. Campsites throughout the region vary significantly in amenities – from Happy Campers Campground's lake access for dogs to Turkey Run State Park's cabin options that welcome pets. Sites are typically well-maintained and clean, though some reviewers note that non-electric camping areas can become rowdy during holiday weekends.
The extensive trail network surrounding Cagles Mill Lake provides multiple options for dog walking, with many paths connecting directly to campsites. Despite the abundance of water activities, pet owners should note that swimming areas at most parks separate human beaches from areas where dogs can access water. Campsites at Shakamak State Park and Fowler County Park offer more secluded options where barking is less likely to disturb neighbors. Most campgrounds maintain bathroom facilities that stay reasonably clean throughout the season, though vault toilets in primitive camping areas present more basic conditions. The large size of Lieber Recreation Area allows for spacious camping with two picnic tables per site, providing ample room for pets and camping equipment. Weather conditions from May through October typically remain moderate enough for comfortable pet camping.
Best Dog-Friendly Campgrounds near Smithville (79)
1. Shakamak State Park Campground
"This is just a beautiful Indiana State Park located near the small community of Jasonville, Indiana which offers simple dining, grocery store, hardware store and fuel."
"There's 7 hiking trails. All are nice walks in the woods. All were muddy in sections. There's an old coal mine on Trail 2. Blocked off for safety. "
from $23 - $1200 / night
Check Availability2. Sky Smith
"Cagles Mill Lake borders the southwestern side of the area. We arrived to a very quiet campground with few campers."
"Each campsite is spacious and has plenty of space away from your neighbors. There was plenty of shade even though our pad wasn't tucked back in the woods."
from $23 - $42 / night
Check Availability3. Terre Haute Campground
"This campground is great proximity to I-70 for an easy on/off the interstate and just outside of downtown Terre Haute (approximately eight miles). The park is nice and shady with large trees."
"It use to be KOA New owners 2 year it is pet friendly But for there feet the Campsite is jacket rocks rough on the dog's paws and a little to close to the freeway But everything else was nice clean very"
from $40 - $999 / night
Check Availability4. Fowler County Park
"Shaded campground sites at lake's edge on east side of park, 53 electrical hookups including 1 pull-thru, 14 primitive/tent sites. Fire ring and picnic table at each site. Water hydrants nearby."
"The access to the campground is gated and locked at 10pm each night. There is a colonial village and covered bridge on the north end of the lake. The lake that it is located on is beautiful."
5. Cecil M Harden Lake Raccoon State Recreation Area
"Raccoon State Recreation Area | Cecil M Harden Lake is located in the heart of historic covered bridge country just 50 miles West of Indianapolis."
"There are multiple boat ramps for easy access to the water. I met a friend there who is a resident of Indianapolis and we had a great time on the water."
from $14 - $62 / night
Check Availability6. Happy Campers Campground
"On a lake stocked with fish. Port-a-potty and shower house available."
from $35 - $40 / night
Check Availability7. Owen Putnam State Forest
"One is a separate horse camp, it was fun to see so many horses on the trails and talk to the riders. They do some forestry work but it wasn’t loud."
8. Cagles Mill Lake
"This wonderful hidden gem is 14 miles away from McCormick's Creek State Park. It is a DNR state operated and has some pretty cool fishing. It was family-approved by my kin."
from $10 - $30 / night
Check Availability9. Turkey Run State Park Campground
"Turkey Run is my all time favorite State Park in Indiana. It has great camping with both reserved and walk up options (get there early for walk up options)."
"Turkey Run is arguably the most popular campground (and state park) in Indiana and has its pros and cons."
from $20 - $52 / night
Check Availability10. Hickory Hills Camp Resort
"There’s two pools, a pickle ball court, a basketball half court, farm animals, golf cart trails, kayak/canoe/row boats, exploring creeks, fishing, a dog park, several playgrounds, Gaga ball, tether ball"
Drive Time
- 37 min from Terre Haute, IN
- 40 min from Bloomington, IN
- 1 hr 12 min from Indianapolis, IN
- 1 hr 29 min from Columbus, IN
Recent Dog-Friendly Camping Photos near Smithville, IN
70 Photos of 79 Smithville Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Happy Campers CampgroundJ
Sky Smith
Celtic Glen
Shakamak State Park Campgroundt
Mccormick's Creek State Park Campground
Terre Haute Campground
Fowler County ParkG
Hawthorn County Park
Cecil M Harden Lake Raccoon State Recreation Area
Oak Ridge Camping Area — Morgan-Monroe State Forest
Rockville Lake County Park
Paynetown Campground
Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Smithville, IN
659 Reviews of 79 Smithville Campgrounds
LDS Sister H.
GuideFriends O' Mine Campground & Cabins
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Our First RV Home Has Been Such a Blessing!
My husband and I absolutely loved our first few months here at Friends O' Mine Campgrounds & Cabins as first-time RV owners with our Class A RV.
We downsized from our 5-bedroom home in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. We sold our home and I followed my Husband back here to Indiana after he received a wonderful career opportunity. My Husband is a Veteran, 🇺🇸 and after moving to Nashville, Indiana, we had immediately fallen in love with this small town - where we respected and admired the way Nashville reminds us of where we had just moved from in Missouri.
We stayed at Grand Wood Suites for six months, after paying for a hotel, all while continuously paying for our two large storage units, as well as our mortgage payment and then rent for most of the beginning of this year; so, we decided to downsize to save money to buy land sooner, instead of continuing to rent. 🏕️ We already loved camping - we started with a pop-up camper on the 🔝 of our Jeep and camped dozens of times, then traded up to a pop-up camper. So we used what we had in savings, bought our Class A RV, donated our pop-up camper, and came to Friends O' Mine - and it was the best decision!
From day one, the other campers have been so friendly, as are the nice employees and amazing owners. They truly make you feel like family. They set up weekly entertainment that brings the whole campground together around the campfire - there is a huge fire in the middle with six porch swings attached to a massive gazebo and veranda surrounding it. It's incredibly cozy and just inviting you to join in.
We've enjoyed live musical singers entertaining us around the campfire all evening, and we were invited to watch a documentary about a local racecar driver in their indoor recreational room, right next to the indoor laundry facilities.
There is also a subterranean pool that my Husband and I enjoyed swimming in almost every day during our first month here - it was very relaxing and refreshing!
One of our favorite parts has been our peaceful, nighttime walks around the large, well-stocked catch-and-release pond. My Husband and I hold hands together and walk around it at sunset almost every evening. It's so serene and calming to hear the sounds of the water and feel the beautiful Autumn breeze.
This has been a very relaxing, enjoyable, and heartwarming experience for us. If you are looking for a clean, friendly, peaceful, and welcoming place to stay - whether for a weekend or for a season - we cannot recommend Friends O' Mine Campgrounds & Cabins enough. We are so grateful we found it!
Kaley A.GuideBuffalo Ridge Campground — Brown County State Park
We absolutely LOVED this park! It was hands down our favorite of this year. We camped at site 100 and it has a neighbor on one side and behind while the other side was a huge open space. It is in the center of a loop. It was mostly level. There was some minor doming to the site but not bad at all. It was a busy camp ground but not as crowded (sites not on top of each other) as some I’ve been in. The outsides of the loops did have more space between and privacy but could be smaller or more sloped, it just really depended. The bathrooms and showers were cleaner than some of the other state parks we have been to, so much so my 11 year old son mentioned it. The park itself is absolutely gorgeous. The hiking trails (which is what we usually go for) were nice but I believe that the biking trails were actually more scenic than the hiking trails and a lot more rugged. We liked trail 8 starting from the west lookout tower and stopping at Hesitation Point for lunch/break/bathroom. Trail 6 was also a pretty, rugged, shorter trail. The Nature Center was also nicer than a lot of the others we have been to in the state. We did choose to do horseback riding at the stables. We showed up about 5 minutes after opening and were able to pay and told to come back in an hour and 45 minutes. That didn’t bother us since we had the time but if you are on a tighter schedule, the earlier the better. We also went into Nashville and it was a very cute town to visit. Well decorated for Halloween, very walkable, and a little something for almost everyone. Prices were about what I would expect for a tourist town but not terrible. I also have T-Mobile and had pretty good service almost everywhere in the park.
Greta H.
TravelerTerre Haute Campground
Such a fun magical spot with kiddos
We were only here for one night as we are passing through, however we loved this little spot. They have so much fun and activities for the kiddos in addition to a little ice cream parlor and pizza shop. We loved it!
SkywaystoHighways.com Y.
LegendBill Monroe Memorial Music Park & Campground
Fun Event Location
We stayed for the weekend during a Campout event. Lots of fun seeing all of our camping buddies. I don’t think we would camp here otherwise as it isn’t really our type of camping. Sites are close together, so don’t expect privacy. Porta potties had not been serviced from their previous event… needless to say, it was foul. The country music museum was pretty cool. The guide was very knowledgeable!
- TTanner P.Traveler
Hawthorne Park campground
Nice camp
A bunch of shade and nice staff
jennifer S.GuideLakeside Campground — Lincoln Trail State Park
Forested sites
Stayed at site 1 in lakeside campground with our 31' RV, Got here on Wednesday and left Friday morning. We were only ones in this campground. Other campground had visitors but not crowded at all. Hosts were super nice and helpful. The bathroom with flush toilets and showers was in the other campground. Short walk or bike ride away. Beautiful lake. We paddle boarded all Thursday afternoon. Only ones on the lake. All I can say is this lake is absolutely beautiful. Were heading west from Ohio and would highly recommend staying here.
- SkywaystoHighways.com Y.Legend
Shades State Park Campground
Nice, but….
Nice halfway point for our road trip to Door County. We stayed here the week after Labor Day. Not sure if park staff had enough time to clean the grounds after the busy holiday weekend… There was a disappointing amount of litter at our site. We had remove the various cans, plastic bottles and ice pack out of our fire ring and the surrounding wooded area was full of more of the same including a full trash bag of garbage. And speaking of full… the pit toilets…There’s a $15 out of state fee above the $25 p/night charge. There’s only one shower for the park so be prepared. The amount of gnats and mosquitoes had us running for cover. The staff we encountered here, we’re cordial and friendly.
- OOwen L.Scout
Hoosier Dispersed Camping
Ticks Ahoy !
This is not great camping . There are paved roads and private property all throughout the majority of the “National Forest” and “Wilderness”. People speed down these roads at 40mph in the middle of the night . The campsites are littered with glass and trash . As we were driving out , we passed a campfire that was not extinguished properly . It is clear that the local communities do not maintain or respect this land .
Also - there are ticks , beware
Guide to Smithville
Smithville sits among the rolling hills of southern Indiana, between 640-710 feet above sea level. The region experiences four distinct seasons with moderate summer temperatures averaging in the 80s from June through August, making it suitable for camping from late spring through early fall. Most campgrounds in the area feature wooded settings with limestone outcroppings typical of this part of Indiana's geography.
What to do
Hiking trails with terrain variety: Cagles Mill Lake offers unique hiking experiences with dramatic elevation changes. "There are rapids by a huge ridge near the lake," notes Tiffany T., highlighting terrain features less commonly found in Indiana.
Mountain biking: Fowler County Park provides exceptional access to nearby biking trails. "This park is located about 1/4 mile from the entrance to Griffin Bike Park, and the mountain biking there is fantastic," explains Dave S., making it ideal for cyclists seeking adventure.
Fishing opportunities: Shakamak State Park Campground offers excellent angling options across its three lakes. "This is a fishing park. Boating with electric motors, so a quiet lake. Fishing was fair according to my fishing guy," reports Cynthia K., noting the peaceful environment created by the electric-motor-only policy.
Water recreation: Turkey Run State Park features multiple water activities beyond swimming. "Sugar Creek runs through the park for fishing and canoeing. The suspension footbridge across Sugar Creek is cool. Sugar Creek is also great for floating with inner tubes, canoes, or kayaks," shares Joel R., highlighting watercraft options.
What campers like
Shaded sites: Turkey Run State Park Campground provides excellent tree cover for comfort during hot months. "We were in a wooded section and it was pretty private however our site was pretty sloped. Next time I would probably pick the site on either side of 167," shares Samantha S., noting the importance of site selection for leveling.
Modern bathroom facilities: Raccoon State Recreation Area maintains clean facilities even during busy periods. "Bathroom facilities are very clean, new bike, walking, rollerblading path. Beach is large and clean," states Jill W., highlighting infrastructure quality beyond just the bathrooms.
Seasonal events: Lieber State Recreation Area Campground offers special themed weekends throughout the season. "We love going to this park several times a year. We especially like camping in the fall for their Goblins weekend," shares timothy B., pointing to organized activities that enhance the camping experience.
Spacious sites: Turkey Run's campground layout provides ample room at many sites. "We had site 94, which was right next to the bathhouse. It had almost a whole extra campsite's worth of space next to it for my kids to run around," notes Kaley A., describing the extra space available at select sites.
What you should know
Site levelness varies: Terre Haute Campground offers easier setup for larger rigs. "The campground was easy to find off I-70. If it is your first time, follow your GPS through two traffic circles then back around to the campground(CG)," advises MickandKarla W., noting navigation challenges for first-time visitors.
Overcrowding concerns: Fowler County Park can become congested during peak periods. "They packed the campers and tent within 10 to 15 feet if you were lucky of each other," reports Cora P., indicating the proximity of sites during busy times.
Connectivity challenges: Cell service varies widely across campgrounds near Smithville. "We were working and we were grateful StarLink worked well," notes Shirley M. at Lieber SRA, while other campgrounds report limited coverage: "Very quiet. Although we were there on a weekday. One downside was we had Verizon as a cell phone carrier and only had one bar," shares Lisa M.
Lake conditions: Some water bodies experience seasonal algae growth. "Mind you, we have a tent. The host asked where our Rv was, and I clearly marked that I had a tent. We woke up the following morning to find the lake is actually a large pond, 10 ft deep that is stocked every 2 years," explains Cora P., describing unexpected conditions at Fowler County Park.
Tips for camping with families
Playground access: Fowler County Park provides multiple play areas for children. "Nice bathhouses. 'Beach' open 12-6. Also have a Pioneer Village and nice playgrounds. Great place for fishing, picnicking, canoeing/kayaking," describes Laura C., detailing the variety of family-friendly amenities.
Pet friendly camping options: Many campgrounds near Smithville accommodate four-legged family members with varied rules. "We hiked Trail 3 with our dog, but we cut off early before the ladders using Trail 10. Our dog did pretty well in the section of Trail 3 before the ladders, and be prepared to get wet," shares Samantha S., offering practical advice for hiking with pets at Turkey Run.
Wildlife management: Raccoons are common visitors at campsites throughout the region. "We did have several nighttime visits from a couple large raccoon families, but it became a game for the kids as they watched for them," notes DevinandKalah H., describing how wildlife encounters can become part of the camping experience at Shakamak State Park.
Timing for trail use: Popular hiking areas become crowded on weekends. "In order to avoid crowds on the trails, we got there Thursday night so we could hike Friday morning / early afternoon," advises Samantha S., suggesting a strategy for enjoying natural areas with fewer people.
Tips from RVers
Hookup locations: Happy Campers Campground offers full-service sites with well-positioned utilities. "5 full hook-up sites, 1 primitive site, and one primitive cabin. On a lake stocked with fish," notes Randy M., describing the limited but well-equipped RV options.
Power access: Turkey Run State Park provides multiple electric options. "All sites are electric at Turkey Run. $23 per night. The campground is located in a mature tree woods, do some sites are not as level as others," explains Joel R., highlighting both the amenities and potential challenges.
Extension cord needs: Plan for potential distance to power boxes at some campgrounds. "Bring an extension cord if you're in a pull through. If you want your door facing the fire pit- the electric box is in an awkward place," advises Cynthia K. about Shakamak State Park, providing practical setup advice.
EV charging capabilities: Some campgrounds can accommodate electric vehicle charging needs. "Sites tried from all concrete to a dusty dirt and rock tent area, and all had old wood picnic tables. While the hiking was incredible, the maps of the trails were poor and not up to date," shares leif D., noting that Turkey Run's electrical infrastructure supported charging his EV.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Smithville, IN is Shakamak State Park Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 25 reviews.
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