Best Campgrounds near South Bend, IN

The lake and dunes are spectacular and live up to the hype. The 3 dune challenge is not really a challenge if you are moderately healthy but it is fun and scenic! The cool soft sand feels fantastic, definitely best hiked barefoot. The campground itself is pretty typical of a state park- decent spacing, level sites and well kept. It is electric only but that didn't really bother us- we just showed up with the water tank full and other tanks empty and enjoyed ourselves. Our site was right between the playground and beach trailhead, but still private. The best sites are the ones on the outside from the beach trail to the nature center. These are up against the dunes and have some shade. The middle sites are more exposed and much less private. The campground was pretty full but had a nice communal family feel to it. The beach and dunes are the star of this show, but the campground is a good supporting actor.

Broken Arrow is a pretty nice campground. We stayed over Memorial Day weekend and enjoyed our stay. We go here a lot as the In-laws have a permanent spot there. The campers are pretty nice, not too loud, but still know how to have a good time. The office is a bit of a cluster, though. We were told that they don't take reservations, but it turns out they do if you want a spot with sewer in a different area. Those spots are taken up pretty much right away at the beginning of the year, mostly for the holiday dates and Halloween, where the whole campground comes together. The spot we got in the "first-come, first-served" area was fairly nice. There was a lot of room, even though we only have a 22 ft single axle. Most other campers were 5th wheel and fit in well enough. There are shower and bathroom stalls just a walk away that were, in the camping world, clean enough. The dump station is up by their old entrance and in an odd spot. If you use it, you will have to take a long loop around the campground once you're done to get out.

3/5 because while the campground is nice enough, with nice permanent campers, the office doesn't like to answer their phones, and options and questions may be hard to get answered. The site was reasonable at $45 a night with a 3-night minimum because of the holiday.

Warsaw Indiana's Pike Lake Campground has campsites available for seasonal, monthly, weekly, and nightly rentals for RVs, campers, and trailers only. There are about 45 tightly-packed sites with shower/restroom facilities. Located right next to the lake and park, there's a lot to see and do to keep you busy during your stay.

We stayed for a night in mid-May while traveling through Indiana. Nearly every site (if not all) was occupied, but very quiet for a Saturday night. I'm thinking this location is primarily monthly/seasonal rentals and a bit too early in the season for the renters to be camping at their sites. Everything was clean and well-maintained. What few people were there seemed friendly. The sardine-style RV park setup doesn't offer much for privacy, however.

I'm surprised we were able to get a site since it seemed like a spot that caters to mostly longterm campers, but it's still early in the season. For me, it's a convenient, safe, and clean stop when traveling through Indiana.

Have been a regular weekend camper here for 5 years and had a family emergency last month so had to cancel. They will not refund money because it wasn't 2 weeks for reservation. It was not the best campground to begin with. Bathrooms always dirty, no pool, nowhere on site to get ice or snacks. They let all the seasonal people just walk thru your site and play music very loud and one has a dog that barks constantly. We enjoyed it because it was close to home. Will not visit here again. No one ever comes to explain the set up to you they just expect you to figure out the sites yourself.

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.