Best Tent Camping near Fishers, IN

Tent camping options near Fishers, Indiana include several established campgrounds within an hour's drive. Morgan-Monroe State Forest offers the Oak Ridge Camping Area with primitive tent sites in a forested setting approximately 60 miles south of Fishers. Pine Lake Fishing & Camping Resort in Pendleton provides tent campsites about 15 miles from Fishers, while Clovis Creek has 20 tent sites accessible by drive-in, walk-in, or boat-in access.

Morgan-Monroe State Forest's tent campsites feature gravel parking pads with fire rings, grill grates, and picnic tables. The campground provides vault toilets and outdoor washing stations with drinking water available. Most sites are first-come, first-served with self-registration at the park office. Campers should bring exact change for payment. The Oak Ridge area serves as an overflow camping area with more secluded sites, many of which can only accommodate tents. Firewood is available for purchase during limited office hours, or campers may gather downed wood throughout the forest.

The tent camping experience at Morgan-Monroe State Forest offers access to numerous hiking trails, including routes over 10 miles long. One camper noted that "even with beautiful weather and the opening of squirrel season, it was relatively light with other campers." The forest provides a quieter alternative to busier state parks, with fewer crowds and no "hordes of flashlight children running amuck through the campground," according to visitor feedback on The Dyrt. Sites in the Oak Ridge area are particularly secluded but small, making them ideal for tent campers seeking solitude. The property includes three small lakes for fishing and kayaking, and the Tecumseh Trail (40 miles) begins in this forest, offering extended hiking opportunities for tent campers using the area as a basecamp.

Best Tent Sites Near Fishers, Indiana (3)

    1. Pine Lake Fishing & Camping Resort

    2 Reviews
    Pendleton, IN
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (765) 778-2697

    "This was really convenient and close to Indy, where we took the grandkids to the children’s museum. The lake is fabulous, but there didn’t seem to be too many fish available for catching!!"

    2. Clovis Creek

    Be the first to review!
    Cicero, IN
    17 miles
    +1 (317) 385-0820

    $25 - $45 / night

    3. Oak Ridge Camping Area — Morgan-Monroe State Forest

    9 Reviews
    Martinsville, IN
    50 miles
    Website
    +1 (765) 342-4026

    $25 - $55 / night

    "When tent camping and want something quiet and a place with great trails, this is a good place to go. Even though it’s hot outside today, there’s lots of shade and a breeze."

    "Site 13 has a little trail that goes down to a large flooded sinkhole behind the campsite. There were lots of tree frogs singing because of the proximity to water."

Show More
Showing results 1-3 of 3 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win


Recent Tent Camping Photos near Fishers, IN

4 Photos of 3 Fishers Campgrounds


Tent Camping Reviews near Fishers, IN

230 Reviews of 3 Fishers Campgrounds


  • G
    Jun. 28, 2019

    Oak Ridge Camping Area — Morgan-Monroe State Forest

    Quiet, just right!

    I’ve camped here several times and have always enjoyed it. When tent camping and want something quiet and a place with great trails, this is a good place to go. Even though it’s hot outside today, there’s lots of shade and a breeze. At this campground, there are two areas of pit toilets, and a big outdoor sink. Fire wood and maps can be obtained just up the road at the new Morgan Monroe headquarters. A self pay station is set up there. You select your site, set up, then go pay. Each site has a picnic table, fire ring and plenty of room for tenting with most sites big enough for a trailer. There’s a playground at the entrance of Mason Ridge campground and a fire tower.

  • Michelle M.
    Nov. 16, 2020

    Mounds State Park Campground

    A nice park. Electric only.

    It’s a nice park for kids. Has a nice swimming pool. Easy trails. Nice playground. $5 firewood bundles. Mostly a weekender park. It is right next to a small craft airfield do it can get noisy at times and there is little wind protection.

  • Daisy C.
    Jun. 8, 2020

    Oak Ridge Camping Area — Morgan-Monroe State Forest

    Off the Beaten Path

    We stayed at site 13 at Morgan-Monroe State Forest, Mason Ridge Campground in June 2020. Site 13 has a little trail that goes down to a large flooded sinkhole behind the campsite. There were lots of tree frogs singing because of the proximity to water. Mason Ridge Campground has vault toilets and drinking water available. There are outdoor sinks at the drinking water stations. There is a dumpster in the campground for trash. Mason Ridge Campground is first come, first served, self-register and pay at the park office. Bring exact change. Firewood is available to purchase, but only when the park office is open, and hours are limited. It is also allowed for campers to gather downed wood throughout the forest for campfires. Chainsaws are not allowed, so bring a handsaw and spitting axe if you want to do this. Campsites are mostly good for tents, but several of the sites would be fine for small to medium sized travel trailers and RVs. Sites are primitive, with gravel parking pads. Campfire ring, grill grate, and picnic table are at all sites. There is a dump station. There are no electric sites. Oak Ridge Campground is a second campground loop in MMSF. It only has a handful of sites but feels very secluded. Most of these sites are suited for tents only, or little teardrop campers. Oak Ridge is only open as an“overflow” campground, so only bet on it being open during summer. There is also a group campground for scout troupes and other groups. When we camped here, there was a rowdy group of car campers that came to have a bonfire and drink all night two sites down from us. They would loud and obnoxious. I do not know if this type of thing is common occurrence at this property, or if we“lucked out” that night. The rest of the folks camping there were quiet. There were no hordes of flashlight children running amuck through the campground like you get at the state parks. There is a playground and fire tower right next to the Mason Ridge campground, but both were closed due to coronavirus. There are many trails in MMSF. Good hiking. 

    Pros: sinks, feeling of seclusion, quiet(other than the one group), usually availability unless you arrive really late, long hiking trails

    Cons: limited office hours for firewood purchase, obnoxious car campers

    In summary, this campground is for those who like to“rough it” a little bit.

  • j
    May. 24, 2023

    Timberline Family Campground

    Potato Creek State Patk

    Specious sites a bit on the awkward side regarding lay-out. The vehicle separated the tent from the picnic table and fire ring. Less than ideal. I’m told that they’ve planted additional trees. They are relatively non existent at this point. Hence, a lack of privacy . Combined with awkward site layout we seemed to be right on top of our neighbors. No place to hang hammocks, tree swings or clothesline. Just sort of a open Praire. We were visiting by staff shortly after getting settled and told to put my highly trained border-jack on a leash even though she was at the time laying on my bed inside the tent which was zipped closed. The restrooms are kept up twice per day and are extremely clean and well cared for. The fishing was great! Lots of areas to explore even just to fish off shore or bridge. Everything was a good distended away from the campground so unfortunately my grandson could not bike alone to the lake to fish.

  • A
    Jul. 20, 2021

    White River Campground

    Quick getaway

    Nice camp ground along the white river with several sites along the waterway. Clean, well maintained, knowledgeable and friendly staff. Paved road with level concrete sites, could be a little more spacious, but all n all laid out nicely with aluminum picnic tables, and fire ring, 50 and 30 amp hook ups along with H20, and several full hook ups. Tent camping also available. Well stocked camp store. The facilities up front by the office are very clean and have showers with hot water. They could use a bench in the shower stall for your clothing and a space To get dressed discreetly. The facility at the end of the campground dosent have showers and are adequate but not quite as nice. Campground is in a good location close to many amenities

  • J
    Jul. 20, 2024

    Glo Wood Campground

    Simple but good

    Definitely a little dated. Picnic tables cracked plastic. My site was missing fire ring but many had them. Most sites really wet but gravel pads were close to level, needed to raise one side 1”.

  • D
    Sep. 12, 2021

    Oak Ridge Camping Area — Morgan-Monroe State Forest

    Hesitate to share our hidden gem

    My wife and were at site 15 from 09/02/21- 09/06/21 camping in a Winnebago Micro Minnie 2108 TB. This park is not for large rigs, but we had no trouble fitting into our small camper. This is a great place to camp and hike, although there is no electric hookup we had a generator that we used sparklingly. The only drawbacks were that the vault toilets are in pretty bad condition and the dump station hose did not have a connection to allow me to flush the blackwater holding tank.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 25, 2019

    Heritage Farm Alpaca Experience

    A truly wonderful experience!

    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.

  • Shelly S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 29, 2019

    Indianapolis KOA

    Time to eat!

    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 ;)


Guide to Fishers

Tent campsites near Fishers, Indiana can be found within a 60-mile radius in several directions. The region features deciduous forests with moderate terrain, typically experiencing four distinct seasons with summer temperatures averaging 73-86°F and winter lows near freezing. Campers should note that many nearby tent camping options do not take reservations and operate on a first-come, first-served basis during the peak season from April through October.

What to do

Hiking extensive trail systems: At Morgan-Monroe State Forest, trails cater to various skill levels with multiple long-distance options. "There are a lot of trails to hike 2 of them are over 10 miles (lower gap and three lakes)," notes Ron H. who appreciates the well-maintained trails throughout the property.

Fishing in small lakes: The small lakes at Morgan-Monroe State Forest provide opportunities for anglers and paddlers. "Three small lakes are on the property for fishing and kayaking," shares a camper, making it a good option for water activities without traveling far from camp.

Explore the fire tower: Near Mason Ridge campground, visitors can climb the fire tower when open for panoramic views of the surrounding forest. "There is a playground and fire tower right next to the Mason Ridge campground," mentions Daisy C., though availability may depend on seasonal or maintenance closures.

What campers like

Secluded atmosphere: Many campers appreciate the quiet environment at these campgrounds compared to busier state parks. "My favorite forest with traditional camping, backwoods camping, and a wonderful secret pioneer cabin for rent. This is the best camping within an hour on Indianapolis," says Sars C. about the Morgan-Monroe State Forest.

Proximity to Indianapolis: Located just a short drive from the city, these campgrounds offer convenient weekend getaways. "This was really convenient and close to Indy, where we took the grandkids to the children's museum," reports a reviewer at Pine Lake Fishing & Camping Resort, making it ideal for combining urban and outdoor activities.

Light crowds: The tent campsites near Fishers typically see fewer visitors than more developed parks. "Great forest for camping. Even with beautiful weather and the opening of squirrel season, it was relatively light with other campers," notes a camper, highlighting the peaceful nature of the experience.

What you should know

Self-registration process: Most area campgrounds require self-registration upon arrival. "When you arrive set up at your site. Then you will need to go WITH EXACT CHANGE to the sign in at the main building," advises Rob R. about the Morgan-Monroe State Forest.

Limited facilities: Tent campsites typically offer basic amenities only. "This campground is for those who like to 'rough it' a little bit," explains a camper, noting that most sites have vault toilets rather than flush facilities.

Site selection challenges: Many campsites in the region have uneven terrain. "I was slightly disappointed by the site selections being mostly on a slant, but we did find one on the overfill site that suited our needs," shares a visitor, suggesting early arrival for better site options.

Tips for camping with families

Playground access: Some campgrounds offer play areas for children. "There is a playground at the entrance of Mason Ridge campground," notes a camper, providing an activity option for families with younger children.

Nature education: The tree identification trail at Morgan-Monroe offers an educational opportunity. "Recommend the tree trail," suggests a visitor, making it suitable for family-friendly learning activities about local flora.

Consider proximity to amenities: Clovis Creek provides 20 tent sites with picnic tables and fire rings, making it suitable for families needing basic comforts while still experiencing tent camping near Fishers.

Tips from RVers

Size restrictions: Most campgrounds near Fishers have limitations for larger vehicles. "If you have a small camper (15' or smaller) there would more sites. There is a dump station, but I barely got in to dump. So not real RV friendly," cautions a camper about the tight access at some locations.

Generator considerations: Since most sites lack hookups, RVers should plan for limited power use. "Although there is no electric hookup we had a generator that we used sparklingly," shares Don N. who camped at Morgan-Monroe State Forest in a 21-foot Winnebago.

Site selection for leveling: RVers should arrive early to find the most level sites. "We stayed at site 13 at Morgan-Monroe State Forest, Mason Ridge Campground," notes a camper, who found this particular site accommodating for smaller camping vehicles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Fishers, IN?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Fishers, IN is Pine Lake Fishing & Camping Resort with a 3-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Fishers, IN?

TheDyrt.com has all 3 tent camping locations near Fishers, IN, with real photos and reviews from campers.