Camping in Syracuse, IN

Searching for the best camping near Syracuse, IN? Discover secluded campsites where you can reconnect with nature. Or maybe you like to bring your family and friends along. Either way, there are Syracuse campgrounds just for you. Find the best campgrounds near Syracuse, IN. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.

Best Camping Sites Near Syracuse, IN (117)

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Showing results 1-10 of 117 campgrounds

Pet-friendly camping near Syracuse

Recent Reviews in Syracuse

497 Reviews of 117 Syracuse Campgrounds


  • Brian O.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Chain O' Lakes State Park Campground
    Nov. 5, 2024

    Chain O' Lakes State Park Campground

    small campground away from it all

    Little four site camping area on the shore of Rivir Lake (not a typo). It can be accessed either by parking and walking in on the wide, well tended trail (#4 on maps) or by boating. The nearest boat launch is Miller lake, a mile west. Sites 3 & 4 are right on the lake with the best access, Sites 1& 2 are across the trail which is along a raised berm with a bridge over the passage to Mud Lake. I'd give this a higher review, but most people wouldn't appreciate the primitiveness of the sites. It's distance from most amenities could be a turn off, but also could be perfect for others

  • Erin A.
    Camper-submitted photo from Tippecanoe River Run
    Nov. 3, 2024

    Tippecanoe River Run

    DO NOT CAMP HERE

    Horrible owners, non functioning electric and sewer. Please see my detailed Google review for more information.

  • Christie S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Johnny Appleseed Campground
    Oct. 27, 2024

    Johnny Appleseed Campground

    Suppppppper Bathroom s

    They have the best bathrooms that I have ever seen in the campgrounds.You can even look out at the skylight at the sky.Why you take a shower and while you go to the bathroom is well.It's a beautiful bathroom very well kept.Thank you so much to the campgrounds....

  • Brian O.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Chain O' Lakes State Park Campground
    Oct. 17, 2024

    Chain O' Lakes State Park Campground

    Idyllic small location, deserves higher review

    Little four site camping area on the shore of Rivir Lake (not a typo). It can be accessed either by parking and walking in on the wide, well tended trail (#4 on maps) of by boating. The nearest boat launch is Miller lake, a mile west. Sites 3 & 4 are right on the lake with the best access, Sites 1 & 2 are across the trail which is along a raised berm with a bridge over the passage to Mud Lake.
    I'd give this a higher review, but most people wouldn't appreciate the primitiveness of the sites. It's distance from most amenities could be a turn off, but also could be perfect for others

  • Brian O.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Chain O' Lakes State Park Campground
    Oct. 17, 2024

    Chain O' Lakes State Park Campground

    Can be crowded, but a good park overall

    We were a bit surprised that despite having a paid reservation , we still had to pay a $20 Day usage fee to enter the park, but no matter. This is a sprawling and sometimes confusing campground to find your way in. But the sites are generally shady if a bit close together. There are five facilities with showers and running water and six pit toilets. drinking water is accessible throughout the park.
    The majority of sites have six person tables, though some, especially in the new 385-416 loop have little four person tables. These are also the least shaded.
    Campground and facilities are clean and well maintained.
    The General Store is one of the most impressively well stocked I have ever seen. Equipment, toys, tools, food souvenirs, you name it. Good dry firewood is $6.50 a bundle in the store, $7 on the honor system after hours. It burns fast, so you might want to buy more than you think. The store is open until 9:00 Friday & Saturday, but only 2;PM on Sunday and never on Monday. Keep that in mind if you're doing a 3-day weekend as we did. When checking out, look up to see the beautiful wooden canoe with wildlife inlaid wood.
    Fire pits are mostly round iron with non-adjustable swing-away grills. Booking is through Indiana DNR/ Reserve America so you can see photos of the site you pick.
    This was our second experience with an Indiana state park, and like our first (Pokagon, in the winter) we were impressed with the clear marking of the hiking trails (and canoe trail for that matter) there was a map and guidepost at every junction.
    There's a beach, concession stand and boat rentals on Sand lake, the Park's largest. Lastly, there's a fish cleaning shed with running water outside the campground entrance that anyone in the park can use, something I wish more parks would provide.

  • Kris
    Camper-submitted photo from Blue Lake Campground
    Oct. 13, 2024

    Blue Lake Campground

    Great place

    Blue Lake Resort is a hidden gem for campers! The serene atmosphere and beautiful lake views make it a perfect getaway. The amenities are well-maintained, and the staff is friendly and accommodating. I particularly enjoyed the fishing opportunities and the peaceful nature trails nearby. I actually recently wrote an essay about the natural beauty of Indiana for my geography class, and it was really great to have the helpfull resource https://stateofwriting.com/uk/geography-writing-service. They have some great guides and tips for geography essays. 

    Definitely a place I’d recommend for families and nature lovers!

  • MickandKarla W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Elkhart County Fairgrounds
    Oct. 6, 2024

    Elkhart County Fairgrounds

    Worked for What We Needed

    You use Gate 2 to get to the registration office. Check-in was quick and we proceeded to back-in site 444 with FHUs. Our back-in should have been smooth but we were out of practice. The utilities are at the far end of the sites. In most areas, the sites back up to each other and share a utility post(separate outlets for each site) and share the water spigot. As we had come out of the Brinkley Service Center, we did not need to dump. If we had hooked up sewer, we would have needed about 25’ of hose to reach a hole in the ground(no screw in adapter). Water pressure was okay depending on if both rigs are pulling water. They have wifi(4H Public) that was pretty good but there were not many rigs in the fairgrounds. We have 4 bars on Verizon. If you are allergic to train noise, this is not your place as trains run all day, all night, at regular intervals, and the tracks are adjacent to the FHU campground(CG) areas. Sites are quite close together but far enough that you can get your awnings out. As this CG was near the Brinkley Service Center and they had to come back out to us to finish repairs, this place worked for us. We would stay here again if we come back for service center work. They are very flexible with cancellations/reservation changes as they realize the majority of people are here for RV service.

  • Roger W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Elkhart County Fairgrounds
    Sep. 25, 2024

    Elkhart County Fairgrounds

    Area Convenient and Clean

    Elkhart County 4-h Fairgrounds: (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

    (72 yr olds in 27’ trailer.)

    Overall Rating: 4 for access to the area, very clean facilities, and not too many campers thus time of year.
    Price 2024: $35 for water/electric only. Security: No Usage during visit: Very light Visual Privacy Between Adjacent Sites: none Site Spacing: very close Pad surface: our area was grass Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Quiet except for one day of motorcycle raises at the nearby track.
    Outside Road Noise: Not most sites Through Traffic in campground: Some for activities at the fairground Electric Hookup: Yes Sewer Hookup: some sites Dump Station: yes Potable Water Available: At sites Bathroom: Very nice flush toilets Showers: yes Pull Throughs: Yes Cell Service (AT&T): Varied throughout campground Setting: open grass fields around very well manicured county fairground. Recent Weather: 70s and rain. Insects:None Host: I am not sure.
    Rig Size: Large Sites: full hookups and water/electric only

  • MickandKarla W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Shipshewana Campground South Park
    Sep. 4, 2024

    Shipshewana Campground South Park

    Okay Stay

    We took I-80 all the way to near Shipshewana where the roads took us about 7 miles into the campground (CG). Check-in was quick and easy because we had paid ahead online. We proceeded to pull through site 37 with FHUs. The utilities were in the center, which made it nice to dump our two black tanks in order to go to the Brinkley Service Center the next morning. Water pressure was good at about 50 psi. It was nice that the utilities were on the center of the pad. We got 4 bars on Verizon. If we wanted to put out satellite, we could have as there are not many trees in the central area to block the signal. We tried to sign into the free Wifi with no luck. The website wanted us to sign up for paid internet, which we did not do. The sites in the CG are for the most part very close together. We were here overnight to take our rig into Goshen for warranty work. Coming from the West, stay on I-80 to IN-13(exit 107) as it makes for an easier route than on the local roads versus following your GPS or Waze which may have you exit off in Elkhart. Check out the great selections at Yoder's Meat& Cheese just down the road. This CG was okay for an overnighter or short stay.

  • FThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Salamonie River State Forest
    Aug. 17, 2024

    Salamonie River State Forest

    Primitive sites

    Small campground. 13$. No reservations, but sites seem readily available, even on weekends in the summer. Spacious sites. Fairly wooded. Firewood only available Mon - Friday 8-3.

  • N
    Camper-submitted photo from Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Barton Lake
    Aug. 15, 2024

    Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Barton Lake

    Great Family Campground

    We brought down 2 30’ campers and we had 4 adults 3 children and two dogs and stay right next to the craft barn. It is a really nice camp ground with lots and lots for the kids to do. My son had a blast and said this was the best campground he has ever been to. My only complaint is that it is quite costly to stay.

  • Kenda A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Tippecanoe River State Park Campground
    Jul. 22, 2024

    Tippecanoe River State Park Campground

    Friendly park security

    We arrived late, and the friendly park security directed us to the campground.

    The vault toilets were acceptably clean. Spots were close to the river. The campground has cabins, trails for hiking and horseback riding.

    As other reviews have stated….the mosquitoes are prolific and abundant! We left early.

  • Joe A.
    Camper-submitted photo from Ruperts Resort Campground
    Jul. 7, 2024

    Ruperts Resort Campground

    Very nice and enjoyable place keep things simple and fun cheap too easy on the money 💰

    Nobody complaining it's big enough if you want to be loud late you can the people that have a rv all year round are all nice and cool I ran in to just about every one all nice I recommend Ruperts resort in Indiana Plymouth 😉 they have showers and restrooms too if it's raining they have huge spots to go out of the rain you can bring corn hole or any game you like to bring plus more than I can say 4th July was grrreeat!

  • j S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Tippecanoe River Run
    Jun. 29, 2024

    Tippecanoe River Run

    Very quiet, nice place, stargazing was better than expected

    Online reservations is a bit confusing. Map designated tent sites with numbers. When you book campsites they have letters with no map or site pics. You have to book a site but it says first come first serve. Good place for fishing from bank and launching kayak, canoes.

  • ABBI S.
    Camper-submitted photo from Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Barton Lake
    Jun. 17, 2024

    Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Barton Lake

    Primitive camping right by a busy highway

    This was my husbands, and my 2 small babies first camping trip. We chose Jellystone in Fremont Indiana because it was only an hour from our home and has so many fun family activities. We wanted to do something close by in case things went awry, I am Glad we did that. We got to the site and we had booked primitive camping. From the map online you could not tell it was directly next to an extremely busy highway. So instead of the sound of nature we heard blaring 16 wheelers for hours on end. Our campsite was not labeled with our site number so we had to guess what site we had booked. The camp sites were on a slight hill and my youngest isn’t even 2 and is accident prone. This was dangerous given the fact that the picnic table was sloped right by the fire ring for a dangerous combination. Our chairs were unsteady and sitting around the fire in general was dangerous. We couldn’t relax at all and had to continuously be cautious of my 1.5 year old falling into the fire! It is currently June and the temps are high which we expected but the heat combined with the highway traffic at night led to no sleep for our children or us. Not to mention at 10:30 construction vehicles pulled up right next to the campsite and began their work. By 11:15 we had had enough. We decided to go home. It was the worst 7 hour experience of our vacation history. We called the next day and relayed our experience to the registration cabin and paid to have a cabin. The point of this thread is, I personally Feel like I paid to be homeless next to a highway for the week. I am Angry, camping should not be next to a busy highway. The entrance needs to be relocated to where the primitive camping is and the camping needs to be in a more secluded area. People are paying for this experience and it was the most chaotic/ anxious trip I have ever been on. We have not experiencedthe fun activities yet because we have had such a horrible time at the actual campsite we drove home and are coming back the next day so we could actually get some sleep. When we paid for a cabin and relaid our experience the woman working registration did not even apologize for our bad experience. We were not met with any form of compassion or understanding for the chaos we paid for. If you are going to keep booking primitive camping next to a busy highway, inform your guests! Be aware of construction schedules! Know what is happening in your area for the sake of your guests and their quality experience! Do not let your park become a thing of the past because you are neglecting to remember our experiences keep us coming back!

  • J
    Camper-submitted photo from Happy Acres Campground
    Jun. 4, 2024

    Happy Acres Campground

    Stay in the Skybox

    We rented site 95 in the “skybox” it’s on the backside of the property. Super clean campground with friendly workers and seasonal residents were so friendly. Enjoyed the pool, pickleball and walking the trails. Has a 9hole disc golf. Very cool place and Angola has a lot to offer.

  • k
    Camper-submitted photo from Hickory Hills Campground at Bass Lake
    Jun. 1, 2024

    Hickory Hills Campground at Bass Lake

    AWFUL!

    We just went there last night and woke up came home immediately! There was nothing to do at all! A run down park, lake and sites. There was boards with nails just laying all around the park. Not to mention the park was falling apart. It was more of a trailer park than a camping site. The garbage can was overflowing all over the ground. We payed for 2 nights and owner never got back to me to get our money back for tonight! Would not recommend one bit.

  • Greg D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Shipshewana North Park Campground
    May. 30, 2024

    Shipshewana North Park Campground

    North Shipshewana

    This is a nice campground for visiting Shipshewana, the restrooms and showers are just inside a “sitting room “ and they’re clean and modern. You can listen to the clopping of horse hooves as the Amish buggies go by, unfortunately there is also some traffic noise. The other reviewer must have been at the campground next to the flea market because this campground has trees and no way resembles a fairground site.

  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Chain O' Lakes State Park Campground
    May. 28, 2024

    Chain O' Lakes State Park Campground

    Nice but older

    Our site was 21 inches unloved from front to back and 7 inches down on the passenger side! With poison oak all over the back of our site so bring a lot of leveling block and no kids! Other that that it was a decent park with lots of activities but a very hard campsite to navigate and a busy weekend forget about dumping lol your gonna be there a while. Also no Verizon signal but our friend had T-Mobile and he was ok signal.

  • Tina G.
    Camper-submitted photo from Happy Acres Campground
    May. 2, 2024

    Happy Acres Campground

    Unexpected gem

    We made an last minute stop here on a Sunday night. The owners were helpful and went out of their way to help us. The campground looks awesome and makes you feel at home. They are also big rig friendly. We will stop back here again.



Guide to Syracuse

Camping near Syracuse, Indiana, offers a variety of experiences for outdoor enthusiasts. From beautiful lakes to family-friendly campgrounds, there's something for everyone to enjoy.

What to do:

  • Hiking and Beach Access: Explore the trails and enjoy the beach at Warren Dunes State Park Campground. One camper mentioned, "Overall, great walking paths, hiking and the beach was a great bonus after an afternoon climbing the dunes!"
  • Kayaking and Fishing: At Chain O' Lakes State Park Campground, you can kayak across 13 lakes. A visitor shared, "Kayaking the 13 lakes can easily last from morning to sundown."
  • Wildlife Watching: Potato Creek State Park Campground is known for its peaceful atmosphere and wildlife. One reviewer said, "Quiet and peaceful. Camp host are very nice couple. Everyone was very friendly."

What campers like:

  • Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate the cleanliness of the restrooms and showers. A visitor at Michigan City Campground noted, "Very well kept safe supervision quiet clean facilities."
  • Friendly Staff: Many campers mention the helpfulness of the staff. One camper at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Barton Lake said, "Nice staff, really great water park."
  • Spacious Sites: Campers enjoy the spaciousness of sites at Potato Creek State Park Campground. A reviewer remarked, "The sites are large and private."

What you should know:

  • Mosquitoes: Be prepared for mosquitoes, especially in the summer. A camper at Tippecanoe River State Park Campground warned, "The mosquitoes are prolific and abundant!"
  • Road Noise: Some campgrounds, like Warren Dunes State Park Campground, can be noisy due to nearby roads. One camper mentioned, "If you want quiet or the sound of nature, this campground is not for you."
  • Limited Privacy: Sites can be close together at some campgrounds. A visitor at Weko Beach Campground noted, "The sites are randomly laid out and on top of each other."

Tips for camping with families:

  • Activities for Kids: Look for campgrounds with activities for children. At Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Barton Lake, one parent said, "My son had a blast and said this was the best campground he has ever been to."
  • Safety First: Choose sites that are safe for young children. A camper at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Barton Lake mentioned, "This was my husband’s, and my 2 small babies first camping trip...the picnic table was sloped right by the fire ring for a dangerous combination."
  • Plan for Meals: Bring easy-to-cook meals or check if the campground has a store. A visitor at Chain O' Lakes State Park Campground noted, "The general store near the campground entrance is a nice convenience if you forgot something."

Tips from RVers:

  • Check Site Sizes: Make sure to check the size of the sites before booking. A reviewer at Bear Cave RV Campground advised, "Call beforehand if you are 40' or bigger."
  • Wi-Fi Availability: Some campgrounds may have limited Wi-Fi. A camper at Bear Cave RV Campground mentioned, "You can buy 10 mbps for $8 a day."
  • Dump Stations: Know where the dump stations are located. A visitor at Tippecanoe River State Park Campground noted, "The modern bathrooms are right across the road."

Camping in Syracuse, IN, has its perks and challenges, but with the right preparation, you can have a great time exploring the outdoors!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What camping is available near Syracuse, IN?

    According to TheDyrt.com, Syracuse, IN offers a wide range of camping options, with 117 campgrounds and RV parks near Syracuse, IN and 1 free dispersed camping spot.

  • Which is the most popular campground near Syracuse, IN?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Syracuse, IN is Chain O' Lakes State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 50 reviews.

  • Where can I find free dispersed camping near Syracuse, IN?

    According to TheDyrt.com, there is 1 free dispersed camping spot near Syracuse, IN.

  • What parks are near Syracuse, IN?

    According to TheDyrt.com, there are 4 parks near Syracuse, IN that allow camping, notably Indiana Dunes National Park and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.