Best Tent Camping near Tell City, IN

South Slope Loop At Hoosier National Forest is located second campground in on your way to Celina lake. This is the RV friendly campground with electrical hookups for your toys. You give up some privacy and quiet to have your electric as the sites are closer together and of course your neighbor may not be as courteous with the noise said electronics create.

There is excellent tree cover and you do have some tree block between sites. A nice large newer showerhouse, water points, picnic tables and fire rings to finish off the homeyness.

All of the hosts that i interacted with were very friendly and went out of their way to assist when they could. The local Ranger Station is located in Tell City and closed on the weekend.

We spent our time hiking on the Interpretive Trail (1mi)near Celina Lake and Two Rivers Trail (15 mi) which encompasses both Celina and Indian Lake . You can disperse camp for $5 a night as long as you are 300 ft from the trail. And take your bug spray or you may be nothing but a dried out husk by the end of your visit, ticks are horrible right now!

We spent time at the lake also. Very peaceful, electric motors only so no waves or tubers flying by. There is a small handicap accessible fishing pier adjacent the parking area. A nice area to visit.

Goldenrod group campground at Tipsaw Lake Recreation area Hoosier National Forest is laid out in a lollipop design with no sites at the circle. It is an excellent group camp area cause it’s all you. Reservable and self contained with its own pit toilet , picnic tables and fire rings and you can easily set up a get together area near the entry. However...if you want a shower the showerhouses are a short walk down to the adjacent areas. 

The beach facilities are also within easy walking distance and the boatramp is right next to the beach. 

There is the 5.9 mile Tipsaw Lake Trail to hike, pay attention to your map and trail signs, we lost the trail twice and meandered around some before finding it again.

If you pack everything you need ( I’m never that lucky) you can park your vehicle for the duration of your visit. If, like me, there’s always something that got left sitting on the kitchen floor....then you are in luck! Citgo is south down IN 37 and Tell City with a Wally World and fast food is not to far beyond that.

And if you want to add some more adventure and hiking to your stay there is a zipline Eagles Wing and additional trail Mogan Trail (24ish miles shared with horse back riders) south on IN 37.

Saddle Lake Recreation Area and Campground is located of IN37 right outside Tell City, IN in Hoosier National Forest. 

I thought I had already found my favorite campground in Hoosier NF when I stayed at Celina Lake but then we visited Saddle Lake. To me this campground of 13 sites down a gravel road in the woods is the model for good basic camping. Only thing missing is being able to put in to the lake directly from your campsite. At Saddle you have to continue down the road to the boat ramp. 

Otherwise the sites are a little open to each other but it depends on which one you pick. There are two walk ins that are secluded ;) there is a pit toilet and each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Very dark at night and quiet, nice! 

The Ranger Station is in Tell City , not open on the weekends. The sites are pay on the honor system and there is a host. 

There is a parking area at the boatramp, electric motors only.

The Saddle Lake Trail Trailhead is at the boat ramp , it is a 2.2 mile hike around the lake. If you want a longer trail the Mogan Trailhead is north on IN37. Mogan is about 24 miles of intersecting trails shared with horse riders. 

We enjoyed the hikes and the dogs played along the boat ramp, next visit we are bringing the kayak ;)

North Face Loop in Hoosier National Forest is my idea of camping. This is no loud party hub with people blowing by on their golf carts and playing music until 2 in the morning.

Moderately wooded, well spaced, basic sites that provide privacy and shade. There are walk in sites as well with picnic table and fire ring. There are pit toilets, water access points and a small showerhouse. The camp hosts were friendly and helpful, one actually “chased” me down when she realized she gave me inaccurate information. You need cash by the way, no card machines here. $5 and $1 bills will do you.

There are two lakes, Indian and Celina , in the immediate area, electric motors only, which just adds to my liking it;). Two Rivers Trail is a nice 15ish mile technical trail that goes around both lakes, with dispersed camping $5 a night, 300 ft off the trail and your good. The interpretive trail by Celina Lake is about 1 mile and has small signs with historical information. The Rickenbaugh's once lived on this secluded lake and their home still sits on the shore. There is a kiosk nearby with information about them and the area and their family cemetery is about 100 yards up the road.

We hiked extensively and though this is definitely not mountainous terrain it will give you a work out. A lot of cool rock formations and wild life to be seen, then there's the tick's. I thought LBL, Ky was bad, the tick's here seem like the Infantry, swarming the objective from all side's. Bring your bug stuff!

We spent time at the lake , though no kayaking this trip. The small fishing pier we visited is handicap accessible adjacent to the handicap parking spot. The pit toilet is nearby and also accessible. The picnic area is in the shade and there is a water fountain. The boat ramp area which is in front of the Rickenbaugh house, is well maintained and a little busy. A lot of fisherman, kayakers and canoers but even with all the loading and unloading it was still very peaceful and low key.

There is a Citgo and zip-line Eagles Wing south on IN 37. If you continue south you end up in Tell City were the local Ranger Station is as well as the usual amenities, ie: Wally World, fast food, ETC.

13 total sites, 2 of which are tent/primitive only and set 50ft or so back into the trees. No electric or water. A single vault toilet of average cleanliness, but was stocked with 6 partial rolls of tp. Tent pads are all flat and level, but parking pads are definitely not. It's all gravel roads including the "Saddle Lake Road" entrance all the way from Old State Road 37. There is a parking lot and boat ramp further down the hill at the lake, but state law does not permit swimming from the shore without a designated beach. $5/night fee paid by honor system drop box near camp entrance.

I suggest you make a reservation as this campground fills up quickly. Axtel is located on the shore of Rough River Lake and has over 150 camp sites. Almost every site has quick access and/or views of the lake. There is a designated swimming and beach area. There are several restrooms located throughout the campsite. They were clean and stocked with toilet paper and hand soap. There is an easily accessed dumpster area and dump station near the main entrance. WiFi is available however, there is a fee. There is a boat ramp, so you can bring your boat and/or other watercraft. Fishing is allowed as well. There are a lot of sites with electric and water, but some without either. There are sites for tent camping and RV's. Sites have fire pits and a post with a hook for hanging trash and/or lanterns. No alcohol is allowed. Dogs on a leash are allowed. While we were here, several of the sites along the lake were flooded (see pics). The beach had recently been closed due to flooding, but was open while we were there. If you dig down just a couple of inches on the beach, you'll find clay. My kids loved this and made a couple of clay pots (see pics). As with most campsites we visit, people here were friendly and courteous. There is not a market on site, however there was a Dollar General about 13 miles away. They had a lot of the groceries we needed. There were also several gas stations along the way there that had ice and firewood. This is a great place for families to enjoy a beach without leaving KY!

Tipsaw Recreation Area Hoosier National Forest is the place to visit if you have a large group or family event planned.

We had a good time doing basic camping activities while here, nothing flashy just fun water sports, campfire activities and hiking. ( no signal so appreciate the quiet :)

5 camping areas which are mostly group based and reservable. Catbrier Loop is the more wide open campground with large RV sites, a pit toilet, pavilion and small field for group events and a path to the beach. Goldenrod (camping side by side) and Primrose (camping around the loop)offer more shade and area to spread out with pit toilets, picnic tables and fire rings. Dogwood has double RV sites and some singles, and you feel more “in the woods” with full canopy coverage. A showerhouse and pit toilet, picnic tables and fire pits. The largest area is Jackpine Loop, good shade, showerhouse and more privacy. 

The beach area on Tipsaw Lake is very family oriented, nice bathhouse facility, small picnic pavilions on cement walkways and a nice beach with play area for the kids. We did not visit the beach because dogs are not allowed. Adjacent is the boat ramp which is ramp, dock, pit toilet and parking. The dogs had fun here playing in the water along the ramp, not much shore to speak of. 

The Tipsaw Lake Trail is 5.9 miles of technical rolling hills with complete tree coverage. We hiked it and I noticed that it is a little overgrown but overall a nice trail. With all the rain the trail was muddy and several of the small streams still had water in them. Ticks are bad with the rain and overgrowth so apply your bug spray liberally! 

In addition to the recreation area there is the Mogan Trailhead in the area which is shared with horses. A zip line Eagles Wing and Citgo gas station. Tell City to the south has the usual stores and fast food for any needed amenities, the ranger station is also located there but closed on the weekends.

I spoke with several of the camp hosts and they were very informative about the area and took good care of their areas. They also have the firewood if you need some.