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Best Tent Camping near Terre Haute, IN

390 Reviews

Terre Haute, Indiana offers several tent camping options within short driving distance. Lake Waveland Park, located in nearby Waveland, provides numerous primitive tent sites throughout its expansive grounds. The park features both drive-in and walk-in tent camping areas with varying levels of amenities. Rattlesnake Campground in Owen Putnam State Forest offers a more rustic tent camping experience about 35 miles southeast of Terre Haute, providing backcountry tent camping opportunities in a natural forest setting.

Most tent campsites at Lake Waveland Park include picnic tables and fire rings, though fire rings are not always present at every site. Primitive sites are first-come, first-served with no reservations required, while the park also offers electric hookup sites that can be reserved. Campers should note that Rattlesnake Campground is strictly primitive with no drinking water available on-site. Lake Waveland's camping season runs from May 15 to October 15, with most facilities accessible during this period. Sites at Lake Waveland are generally well-maintained with regular mowing of common areas and tent pads.

The tent camping experience varies between locations. Lake Waveland's primitive sites offer more seclusion and quiet compared to its modern sites. A visitor noted, "The primitive sites are very secluded and quiet but get there fast because spots are first come first serve!" These sites are particularly appealing to tent campers seeking more natural surroundings. Most primitive tent areas at Lake Waveland feature good tree cover providing shade during summer months. The campground's location also places tent campers within convenient driving distance to both Turkey Run and Shades State Parks for additional outdoor activities. Rattlesnake Campground provides a true off-grid experience for experienced backcountry tent campers, though one camper cautioned it's "only for the off grid camper" with no amenities available.

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Best Tent Sites Near Terre Haute, Indiana (3)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Terre Haute, IN

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Tent Camping Reviews near Terre Haute, IN

390 Reviews of 3 Terre Haute Campgrounds

  • E
    Jul. 14, 2022

    Lieber State Recreation Area Campground

    Great pool; rough sites and campers

    Pros: Very nice large-size pool with slide, attached playground, green space, and sand-filled soccer pitch all included on the pool grounds. These amenities are great as the pool takes a 15 minute clear-out break about once per hour. There is a concession stand with limited selection, but the benefit is that it takes credit card (and cash). 

    The camp store is not the best we've visited. Very limited supply, but they did keep a stock of bacon in their refrigerator and that made my wife happy. 

    Cons: Typical Indiana State campground. We visited for a weekend and landed in a terrible spot. The grade was severe and despite using all the travel trailer tricks to level my site, I could not get level. We dealt with it, but I noticed 4 or 5 quality spots that sat vacant through the weekend, however, were allegedly reserved. I had terrible anxiety for the entire weekend that we would roll backward into a ravine. 

    We were on an electric side of the park, and the pull-through site across from us was occupied by a tent with a minivan. No judgment here, but they were watching highly taboo movies on a wide screen projector with loud speakers around midnight, well after quiet hours had expired. 

    Verizon and AT&T cell phone service were nil, even with a booster and WiFi pack. Our site was littered with cellophane wrappers and cigarette butts. Clearly the previous campers did not adhere to the "leave no trace" doctrine. 

    DNR was very, very present at the campground, but at many sightings it seemed like they were watching for rule infractions as opposed to upholding the integrity of the park. I know that seems conflicting, but if you visit this park you will understand. 

    Bathrooms were mostly clean. Vault toilets were disgusting, but that's expected for concrete topped port-a-potties.

  • Jennifer T.
    Jul. 31, 2018

    Fowler County Park

    Wonderful Family Campgrounds

    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. Modern shower houses with rest rooms. Handicapped accessible. Dump station. Pets are welcome but must be kept on leash. Must provide own firewood. Firewood must be purchased from within state. Fishing from campsite. In park, swimming beach (Memorial Day-weekend before school opens in fall), boat ramp, trails, playgrounds, horseshoe pits, pioneer village.

    Campground open May 1 - October 15. Park open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. No reservations. Must check-in between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Night guard on duty. Electrical sites - $20 a night, weekly rate - $120, 2 weeks rate - $200. Primitive sites - $12 a night, weekly rate - $60, 2 weeks rate - $100. Price includes Indiana Sales Tax.

    From I-70, go south on U.S. 41 for 7.2 miles. Turn left onto Oregon Church Road and go .8 mile east to park entrance on left. After entering park, turn right to go to campground.

    Personal Thoughts and Experience: We had a wonderful time. We absolutely loved the pioneer village. it is a must go especially when they are having pioneer days in the fall. There is a mountain bike park close to the campground that is a premier facility. Beginner to advance trails with a practice course. Amazing! My husband competes in the Dyno series and loves to train at the facility then camp at Fowler Park!

  • T
    Aug. 6, 2021

    Shades State Park Campground

    Wooded Sandstone canyon with primitive camping.

    Located north of turkey run state park shades offers all the hiking and scenic terrain with less amenities and less crowds. Sugar creek cuts through the ancient sandstone floor creating canyon walls. The park is connected to a nature preserve that dose allow backpacking but has designated camping within the park separate from the car camping sites, so you can’t set up camp on the trail. The car camping sites, labeled as family camping, are primitive only with vault toilets. There is a shower located in the campsite with flushing toilets. Campsites are close but most have trees separating them for privacy. Avoid sites next to toilets or dumpsters their practically in your site. There’s no cellular signal in the park so heads up. Ice and wood are located for sale at the entrance. If you have little ones there are a few playgrounds located in the park including one in the campsite which is located a short hike in the woods. This park is quite, shaded, rugged at times and the canyon/creek can be breathtaking. Although I would go early or late in the season to avoid Indiana’s humid muggy summer heat.

  • Randy M.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 13, 2023

    Happy Campers Campground

    Off the beaten path by a lake

    See all 3

    Approx $35 / day

    Happy Campers Campground

    5.0 (1 reviews)

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    Roam with care

    Remember to enjoy these campgrounds in a sustainable, respectful way. Clean up after yourself, be friendly with others, and don't overstay your welcome :)

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    Got it

    Details

    Call 812-239-6263 for reservation. Plan to arrive before dark.

    5 full hook-up sites, 1 primitive site, and one primitive cabin. On a lake stocked with fish. Port-a-potty and shower house available.

    Location

    Contact

    39.4931, -87.0188

    https://happycamperscampgroundinc.com

    Cell signal

    Verizon LTE

    AT&T LTE

    T-Mobile LTE

    Sprint LTE

    Weather

    Averages

    Forecast

    Jan

    2.57"

    34.6°

    16.8°

    Feb

    2.48"

    39.6°

    20°

    Mar

    3.39"

    50.5°

    28.6°

    Apr

    3.99"

    62.9°

    39.4°

    May

    5.41"

    72.4°

    49.3°

    Jun

    4.67"

    81.1°

    58.7°

    Jul

    5.19"

    84.2°

    61.7°

    Aug

    3.37"

    83.2°

    60.2°

    Sep

    3.73"

    77.3°

    52.3°

    Oct

    3.49"

    65°

    41.2°

    Nov

    3.98"

    52°

    31.8°

    Dec

    3.26"

    38.3°

    20.7°

    Seasonal scales

    Spring

    Summer

    Fall

    Winter

    Crowdedness

    Others between 10 and 50 feet away

    Fullness

    Almost full

    Noise

    Occasional man-made noise (trains, cars, etc...)

    Shade

    Mostly shaded, but still some spots with sunlight

    Cleanliness

    Pristine, no trash at all

    Safety

    Very safe

    Road difficulty

    No problems with any vehicle

    Features and amenities

    Water hookup

    Sewer hookup

    50A Electric

    Showers

    Picnic tables

    Toilets

    Pets allowed

    Wifi

    Fire pits

    randyorsusan

    Great place to stop overnight or for a few days. Can hear the highway; but it's not very loud or intrusive. Camp host/owner is very friendly. Plenty of room for kids or pets to roam and play. Very clean and safe.

  • Mary S.
    Sep. 8, 2018

    Mccormick's Creek State Park Campground

    Beautiful state park but sites are too close/visible to each other

    There is just one thing that keeps me from rating this a 5 star campground. It's the sites!  So....4 stars...but read on for my thoughts on the sites.

    What's up with these sites?

    • If you want to be be able to see what your neighbors are eating and hear their conversations, you'll love the electric sites (1 through 189).

    • If you like to feel like you're alone in the woods, you won't like most of the electric sites. 

    • There is a partial solution. Sites 190-202 have no electricity, but most are fairly private/secluded. Sites 203-222 are additional primitive sites on a loop but they are not at all private; you can see lots of neighboring sites. There's a lot of shade, but you could probably set up solar panels if you require electricity.

    • If you want privacy in the electric section (1-189), I don't have a great recommendation other than you should stay on the outside of the loops. Then you'll only have people beside you rather than beside and across from you.

    Good luck! Stay one night when there aren't many people and scope out sites for your next stay. If you're from the area, this could be a park worth returning to over and over if you are able to stay on a site you enjoy.

    I've included a map of sites 1-189 and photos that show some sites I like and sites I don't like. In my opinion, a site is not one for me if I can see 3 other picnic tables while sitting at the table at my site. If you camp with other families, this would be good because you can make your own 'group' site.

    Something you need to know: Indiana state parks have a $7 entry fee but you'll only pay it once (unlike some states that make you pay every day). It's supposed to be $9 for non-residents, but we were only charged $7. The hang tag for your vehicle will get you in the main entrance for the rest of your stay.

    If you come without a reservation: The registration attendant assigned a site to us but maybe you can choose one. Since it was the day after Labor Day and the park was sparsely populated, there was no one near us. Privacy was not an issue for our stay, but we wouldn't have enjoyed our site on a busy weekend...although there were many sites we would have liked even less.

    The basics: picnic tables, fire rings, dump station, potable water, flush toilets and sinks in the bathrooms, separate shower facility. There are vault toilets closer to sites 190-222. Sites 1-189 have electricity.

    Activities: Nearby swimming pool and playground. There are almost 11 miles of hiking trails. The longest one is 2 miles, but you can combine some trails and wander in the woods for quite a while. You can also wade in McCormick's Creek; the water was low in early September. You can stay busy in this park for quite a while. And if you want to go to Bloomington, it's only about 25 minutes away

  • Shelly S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 26, 2017

    Lieber State Recreation Area Campground

    In the woods

    Lieber State Recreation Area, Cloverdale, IN is west down I70 from Indianapolis, 2 miles down RT243. Cagles Mill Lake borders the southwestern side of the area.

    We arrived to a very quiet campground with few campers. Our site was next to the showerhouse, in the trees and had an attached grass trail out the back. All of the campsites boasted two picnic tables and some were very spacious. The sites were electric only and there were water sites positioned strategically throughout the campground.

    The showerhouse was older but maintained. There were also pit toilets throughout the campground( not much to say about typical pit toilets....)

    There were primitive sites in the adjacent campground that did not have much tree cover but appeared to be good size sites to set up in.

  • Anna O.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 19, 2023

    Fowler County Park

    Beautiful lake

    This is our family favorite camp park in Terre Haute! Has great hiking trails, a covered bridge with historical log cabins for festivals. They have 1 cabin you can rent out. Bring your fishing gear, they stock the lake. There's and boat ramp and bank access to kayak. They have some pull through for your big riggs and some sand beds for your tent camping

  • Mike V.
    Jul. 23, 2016

    Lake Waveland Park

    Waveland Lake and Park, near Waveland, Indiana

    Nice clean park in west-central Indiana that has a lake and a large number of camping sites along with restrooms and showers. The primitive tent camping sites don't require reservations, and each have a picnic table. There are modern campsites that have water and electrical hook-ups, and there are some small cabins that can be rented. The bath house was clean, and the grounds crew does a great job keeping the grass cut. Camp sites seem more spread out here compared to most state parks. Location is fairly close to Sugar Creek and other parks such as Turkey Run and Shades State Park. The lake is popular for fishing.

  • Stephen & Theresa B.
    May. 6, 2020

    Lieber State Recreation Area Campground

    A boaters paradise!

    The center piece of Lieber State Recreation Area is the 1,400 acre Cagles Mill Lake. This is a flood control reservoir that is popular for pleasure boating, small house boats and sport fishing. Nearby attractions include the beautiful Cataract Falls. The campground consists of 115 Class A(electric only) and 94 Class B campsites with most tucked under hardwood and pine tree canopy. The campground features include a camp store for basic needs; firewood, ice, sundries and boat rental plus a recently updated dump station and potable water access area and clean comfort stations. Electric service is 30 amp only. Plenty of spots for larger rigs and many are fairly level with asphalt pads. The park offers a seasonal aquatic center with a zero entrance pool and water slide, a nature center with interpretive naturalist program, numerous shelters, playgrounds and picnic areas. Boating is the focus...but the camping is nice too! Easy access location just 3 miles south of Interstate I-70 on IN-243, 40 miles West of Indianapolis, 35 miles East of Terre Haute. Reservations recommended on summer weekends; reserveamerica.com

Guide to Terre Haute

Lake Waveland Park provides tent camping sites about 35 miles southwest of Terre Haute, Indiana. The park contains both primitive and modern campsites across its extensive grounds, with primitive sites offering more natural settings. During the camping season from May 15 to October 15, the park maintains regularly mowed grass areas and tent pads. Several other camping options exist within driving distance, including Rattlesnake Campground in Owen Putnam State Forest for those seeking backcountry camping experiences.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: Lake Waveland Park offers fishing access on its sizeable lake. "If fishing is your way of relaxing, you should have a good time here," notes Randy A., who also mentions the "TON of green space on this property" for other recreational activities.

Bird watching: Lake Waveland Park provides natural habitats for various bird species. "This is a lovely space with lots of birds to observe," reports William David S., who found the primitive camping area particularly good for wildlife viewing.

Holiday festivities: The park hosts special events during holidays. "Fireworks in July and Halloween for the whole family in October," explains Nicole B., highlighting seasonal activities beyond standard camping.

What campers like

Spacious sites: Many campers appreciate the roomier layout at Lake Waveland compared to other parks. "Camp sites seem more spread out here compared to most state parks," notes Mike V., who found the primitive tent camping areas particularly comfortable.

Well-maintained grounds: Lake Waveland Park receives consistent praise for its upkeep. "Really well maintained grounds," states Katie R. Similarly, Randy A. observed that "Lake Waveland's grounds crew does a very good job keeping the property in order."

Peaceful atmosphere: The quieter environment appeals to many visitors. "Small but peaceful campground. Well worth the time spent here," reports Douglas W. about his stay at Lake Waveland.

What you should know

Site availability: The non-reservable primitive sites fill quickly. "The site fills up pretty fast so come early. No need to pay because it is first come first serve," advises Kevin T. about Lake Waveland's primitive camping areas.

Amenities vary by site: At Lake Waveland Park, primitive sites have basic facilities. "The sites aren't marked, but are indicated by picnic table and fire ring, though fire rings are not always present," notes William David S., indicating inconsistent amenities.

Facility conditions: Some campgrounds require updates. William David S. observed Lake Waveland is "Not fancy, some updating of infrastructure is due," while still recommending it as "a decent stop" for campers.

Tips for camping with families

Beach access: Lake Waveland Park offers swimming options for children. "They do have a beach," mentions Nicole B., providing recreational opportunities beyond camping and fishing.

Cabin rentals: For families wanting more shelter, Lake Waveland offers alternatives to tent camping. "There are some small cabins that can be rented," explains Mike V., noting these structures supplement the primitive and modern camping options.

Alternative nearby parks: Leiber State Park receives positive reviews for family camping. "Family friendly!!! Love this place!!!!" enthusiastically reports Tracy T., suggesting another option for tent camping near Terre Haute, Indiana.

Tips from RVers

Hookup availability: Modern sites at Lake Waveland Park provide essential services. "As for the modern the best part is sites include water and electric," reports Nicole B., detailing the available amenities.

Size limitations: Lake Waveland Park has restrictions for larger recreational vehicles. Nicole B. observes "they need more spots for those long campers. lots of pop up size sites," indicating better suitability for smaller RVs and pop-ups.

Shade considerations: The park offers natural coverage for RV camping. "The majority of electric sites are well shaded," notes Randy A., which helps keep vehicles cooler during summer months when seeking the best tent camping near Terre Haute, Indiana.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Terre Haute, IN?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Terre Haute, IN is Lake Waveland Park with a 4-star rating from 8 reviews.

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

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

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