Sarah M.
Scout
ScoutHickory Ridge
Super quiet at night and lots of space. Good privacy.
Camping near Unionville, IN
15 campgrounds with availability next weekend
Search destinations
Add dates
Camping areas near Unionville, Indiana blend state forests and recreational areas, with significant options in Brown County State Park, Yellowwood State Forest, and Hoosier National Forest. Several mixed-use campgrounds accommodate both tent and RV camping across the area, with primitive sites in Yellowwood State Forest offering more secluded experiences. Multiple developed campgrounds like Paynetown on Lake Monroe provide electric hookups, water access, and shower facilities, while dispersed options like Berry Ridge Road offer free primitive camping for those seeking solitude.
The region's camping infrastructure varies widely from fully developed campgrounds to basic forest sites. Brown County State Park features multiple campground loops including Buffalo Ridge, Taylor Ridge, and Raccoon Ridge with various amenity levels. Yellowwood State Forest provides more primitive camping experiences with vault toilets and limited facilities, making it suitable for campers seeking a more rustic experience. One visitor noted, "Very beautiful yet primitive campground. All the campgrounds are numbered and have their own names. Think there are 80 sites in total. They have outhouses for toilets."
Campers consistently highlight the peaceful atmosphere and natural beauty of the area's camping options. The proximity to multiple lakes—including Yellowwood Lake, Lake Lemon, and Lake Monroe—creates opportunities for fishing, boating, and shoreline camping. State forest campgrounds like Morgan-Monroe and Yellowwood receive positive reviews for their seclusion and hiking access. While many sites operate on a first-come, first-served basis rather than reservations, several reviewers mention finding availability even on holiday weekends. As one camper observed about Yellowwood State Forest, "The only time we have ever seen the campground busy is over big holiday weekends like Labor Day, Memorial Day, and 4th of July. Otherwise use is light." Several campgrounds maintain primitive facilities with vault toilets rather than modern restrooms, which appeals to campers seeking a more authentic outdoor experience.
Best Campgrounds near Unionville (121)
1. Paynetown Campground
"It's a bittersweet type of situation."
"This is one of the largest campgrounds in all of Indiana. It includes hundreds of campsites. This includes RV hookups, standard campsites, and primitive campsites."
299 Sites AvailableAvailable next weekend
from $16 - $38 / night
2. Taylor Ridge Campground — Brown County State Park
"We have visited Nashville Indiana several times but this is our first time camping nearby. My wife loves to visit Nashville and all the little shops they offer."
"It was backed up to the edge of the woods which made for a lovely view. Driving through the campground it looks like there are some sites pretty close together but ours wasn’t too bad."
Check Availabilityfrom $18 - $43 / night
3. Buffalo Ridge Campground — Brown County State Park
"This is a beautiful State Park situated in the rolling hills of southern Indiana."
"I make multiple visits here every year, mainly for the mountain bike trails. There are almost 30 miles of trails inside the park with new trails every year for the past 3+ years."
Check Availabilityfrom $43 / night
4. Yellowwood State Forest
"Peaceful little place but unfortunately it rained but we made the best of it, there’s some secluded spots where you can stay away from others or stay in the more general areas, nice lake to fish and we"
"Drive up, select your site, and then go to the park office to pay using a self-pay envelope. Bring exact change(cash). Current prices are listed on the Indiana DNR website."
1 Site AvailableAvailable next weekend
from $225 / night
5. Hardin Ridge
"This campground is nestled on a ridge above Indiana's Lake Monroe."
"Hardin Ridge is a fantastic place to camp, and is very close to lake Monroe. But it's also quite a ways away from any stores in case you forget anything."
Check AvailabilityCampground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $24 - $64 / night
6. Blackwell Campground — Hoosier National Forest
"The ground is level and all grass with less bugs than sites directly off trail. We just have a simple backpacking tent set-up and we had a great campfire."
"Site is a wide open and well-groomed, with trails just a short walk (or ride) away. Toilets and covered picnic tables nearby."
7. Oak Ridge Camping Area — Morgan-Monroe State Forest
"This is probably the best state forest in the state of Indiana. The property is well maintained. There is a new visitors center built a few years ago."
"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."
Check Availabilityfrom $25 - $55 / night
8. Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping
"If you are into boondocking at all defiantly check out berry ridge it’s just south of brown county Indiana beautiful country mostly hills tons of camp spots sometimes half mile or more apart haven’t seen"
"I have lived in Indiana for ever and have made many trips this way, but I never knew sites like this existed."
9. Raccoon Ridge Campground — Brown County State Park
"Holiday Fourth of July 2022 weekend the start Park was special excitement in downtown Nashville, Indiana a short drive outside the State Park."
"Our third Indiana state park. Still impressed, they have all been friendly, well maintained with good, spread out sites and good signage everywhere (even the trails)."
Check Availabilityfrom $43 / night
10. Brown County-Nashville KOA
"If coming from the north-west, try to arrive before dark as the road over the hills to this place is beautiful, but narrow and forested with some trees very close to the roadway."
"And the town of Nashville Indiana is about 10 minutes away with lots of neat shops and food. We had a great time."
Drive Time
- 15 min from Bloomington, IN
- 48 min from Columbus, IN
- 1 hr 1 min from Indianapolis, IN
- 1 hr 19 min from Terre Haute, IN
Recent Camping Photos near Unionville, IN
185 Photos of 121 Unionville Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Hoosiers On The Ridge
Yellowwood State ForestF
Oak Ridge Camping Area — Morgan-Monroe State ForestG
Bill Monroe Memorial Music Park & Campground
Paynetown Campground
Peninsula Trail
Buffalo Ridge Campground — Brown County State ParkS
Taylor Ridge Campground — Brown County State ParkS
Raccoon Ridge Campground — Brown County State Park
Brown County-Nashville KOA
Ransburg Scout Reservation
Friends O' Mine Campground & CabinsN
Recent Reviews near Unionville, IN
647 Reviews of 121 Unionville Campgrounds
Ron W.ScoutCamp Atterbury Campground
Outstanding
Mark & Denise are great camp hosts they care about everyone and will help them if they need it. They do so much for the holidays and have some great times together around the campfires. Will miss them this winter but will be thinking of them during the Army Navy game. (A inside joke lol).
- C
Christian C.Scoutmystic lake
Military base campground
LDS Sister H.
GuideFriends O' Mine Campground & Cabins
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Our First RV Home Has Been Such a Blessing!
My husband and I absolutely loved our first few months here at Friends O' Mine Campgrounds & Cabins as first-time RV owners with our Class A RV.
We downsized from our 5-bedroom home in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. We sold our home and I followed my Husband back here to Indiana after he received a wonderful career opportunity. My Husband is a Veteran, 🇺🇸 and after moving to Nashville, Indiana, we had immediately fallen in love with this small town - where we respected and admired the way Nashville reminds us of where we had just moved from in Missouri.
We stayed at Grand Wood Suites for six months, after paying for a hotel, all while continuously paying for our two large storage units, as well as our mortgage payment and then rent for most of the beginning of this year; so, we decided to downsize to save money to buy land sooner, instead of continuing to rent. 🏕️ We already loved camping - we started with a pop-up camper on the 🔝 of our Jeep and camped dozens of times, then traded up to a pop-up camper. So we used what we had in savings, bought our Class A RV, donated our pop-up camper, and came to Friends O' Mine - and it was the best decision!
From day one, the other campers have been so friendly, as are the nice employees and amazing owners. They truly make you feel like family. They set up weekly entertainment that brings the whole campground together around the campfire - there is a huge fire in the middle with six porch swings attached to a massive gazebo and veranda surrounding it. It's incredibly cozy and just inviting you to join in.
We've enjoyed live musical singers entertaining us around the campfire all evening, and we were invited to watch a documentary about a local racecar driver in their indoor recreational room, right next to the indoor laundry facilities.
There is also a subterranean pool that my Husband and I enjoyed swimming in almost every day during our first month here - it was very relaxing and refreshing!
One of our favorite parts has been our peaceful, nighttime walks around the large, well-stocked catch-and-release pond. My Husband and I hold hands together and walk around it at sunset almost every evening. It's so serene and calming to hear the sounds of the water and feel the beautiful Autumn breeze.
This has been a very relaxing, enjoyable, and heartwarming experience for us. If you are looking for a clean, friendly, peaceful, and welcoming place to stay - whether for a weekend or for a season - we cannot recommend Friends O' Mine Campgrounds & Cabins enough. We are so grateful we found it!
Kaley A.GuideBuffalo Ridge Campground — Brown County State Park
We absolutely LOVED this park! It was hands down our favorite of this year. We camped at site 100 and it has a neighbor on one side and behind while the other side was a huge open space. It is in the center of a loop. It was mostly level. There was some minor doming to the site but not bad at all. It was a busy camp ground but not as crowded (sites not on top of each other) as some I’ve been in. The outsides of the loops did have more space between and privacy but could be smaller or more sloped, it just really depended. The bathrooms and showers were cleaner than some of the other state parks we have been to, so much so my 11 year old son mentioned it. The park itself is absolutely gorgeous. The hiking trails (which is what we usually go for) were nice but I believe that the biking trails were actually more scenic than the hiking trails and a lot more rugged. We liked trail 8 starting from the west lookout tower and stopping at Hesitation Point for lunch/break/bathroom. Trail 6 was also a pretty, rugged, shorter trail. The Nature Center was also nicer than a lot of the others we have been to in the state. We did choose to do horseback riding at the stables. We showed up about 5 minutes after opening and were able to pay and told to come back in an hour and 45 minutes. That didn’t bother us since we had the time but if you are on a tighter schedule, the earlier the better. We also went into Nashville and it was a very cute town to visit. Well decorated for Halloween, very walkable, and a little something for almost everyone. Prices were about what I would expect for a tourist town but not terrible. I also have T-Mobile and had pretty good service almost everywhere in the park.
- JJacob S.Scout
Ogala Horse Camp
Little loop pull off with a stone fire pit in the middle. Walking trail goes down to a swampy pond.
Mark T.ScoutIrwin City Park
Nice little city park/campgound
Clean paved sites, rigs under 35 feet will fit. Water and electricity 50/30 (water is in the ground.
SkywaystoHighways.com Y.
LegendBill Monroe Memorial Music Park & Campground
Fun Event Location
We stayed for the weekend during a Campout event. Lots of fun seeing all of our camping buddies. I don’t think we would camp here otherwise as it isn’t really our type of camping. Sites are close together, so don’t expect privacy. Porta potties had not been serviced from their previous event… needless to say, it was foul. The country music museum was pretty cool. The guide was very knowledgeable!
- JasonGuide
Camp Atterbury Campground
Host is great, park is nice, MWR needs help
Great place to stay. Full hook ups, about 90 percent level sites. 33 RV sites and 3 or 4 primitive camp sites. The main bathhouse is pretty clean, included laundry, and a great host and hostess (Mark and Denise). The only bad is the price hikes here. One would think MWR would throw money towards some things...like a dog park, some leveling, lights at the kids playground, and MWR sponsored and paid for holiday parties/outings for vets, retirees, and all the active here on base. But nope, just collecting revenue without any beanies. Anyway, the host keeps it grounded.
Guide to Unionville
Dispersed camping options near Unionville, Indiana vary from primitive tent sites to full-service RV campgrounds within a 30-minute drive. The region sits at elevations between 600-900 feet with rolling hills that create varied camping terrain. Seasonal considerations are important as summer temperatures typically reach 85-90°F while spring and fall camping provide more moderate conditions in the 60-75°F range.
What to do
Water activities on Monroe Lake: Paynetown Campground offers direct access to Monroe Lake with rental options for boats and kayaks. "This lake is huge and alot of fun. There are beaches everywhere besides the4 designated one so it's easy to swim with your dogs or find private spots," notes Rebecca J. Another camper adds, "We live a couple of hours away from the lake but find it's worth the drive for a day of boating."
Mountain biking on dedicated trails: Buffalo Ridge Campground features extensive mountain biking trails with varying difficulty levels. "I make multiple visits here every year, mainly for the mountain bike trails. There are almost 30 miles of trails inside the park with new trails every year for the past 3+ years," shares Frank M. The campground connects to Yellowwood and Hoosier National Forest for even more biking options.
Hiking through varied terrain: Berry Ridge Road dispersed camping provides access to secluded hiking trails through hardwood forests. "There are a couple walking trails around, as well each site is fairly far apart," says Ozzie L. These free primitive sites serve as excellent basecamps for day hikers wanting to explore the area's natural features.
What campers like
Secluded tent sites: Yellowwood State Forest offers quiet, primitive camping away from crowds. "The only time we have ever seen the campground busy is over big holiday weekends like Labor Day, Memorial Day, and 4th of July. Otherwise use is light," reports Daisy C. Sites include fire rings with grill attachments and picnic tables.
Lake swimming access: Hardin Ridge provides one of the best beach areas for swimming on Monroe Lake. "This campground is on the south side of Monroe lake and has beach access. I tent camped solo and everything went great!" shares Christine C. The campground features multiple small playgrounds and an amphitheater for evening programs.
Fall foliage viewing: Taylor Ridge Campground offers exceptional autumn color displays due to its wooded setting. "This was our first family visit to Brown County State Park and we really loved it. The park is gigantic! The sites around us were spacious and had a lot of mature trees," explains Jessie W. The campground's elevation provides views of surrounding forests.
What you should know
Self-registration systems: Many campgrounds like Morgan-Monroe State Forest use self-registration. "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," explains Ginger T. Bring exact change for these payment systems.
Site availability patterns: For campsites near Unionville without reservations, weekday camping offers better options. At Blackwell Campground, "It was nearly empty (although it was the end of November). The hiking was fantastic and the few people camping there were very well dispersed and all respectful," according to Kelly G.
Limited cell service: Berry Ridge Road camping areas have variable cell coverage. "No toilet but good reception," notes Ax H., though service quality depends on your carrier and specific location within the campground. Plan accordingly if you need to stay connected.
Tips for camping with families
Activity-focused camping: Paynetown Campground offers diverse family activities. "This is our go to campground. We have stayed at several others in the area and by far Paynetown has the most to offer for families to have a great camping trip," recommends Johnathan H. Another camper adds, "The activity center has programs all the time and there is always something going on there."
Nature education opportunities: Raccoon Ridge Campground includes nature programs through their visitor center. "We visited the nature center which was nothing spectacular but still something nice to do. We also hiked on 3 of the trails and went up the fire tower," shares Melissa W. Many campgrounds offer ranger-led programs during summer weekends.
Kid-friendly swimming spots: Lake Monroe beaches provide safe swimming areas for children. "My family and sister in laws family camp here every year. Our kids love it and we all have a great time. They always have something to do even if it's just going down to swim at the beach," says Kathryn F. about Paynetown Recreation Area.
Tips from RVers
Site leveling challenges: Brown County-Nashville KOA requires careful site selection for larger rigs. "We did need to use several leveling blocks on our site, which made for a doosey of a bottom step into and out of our trailer," explains GP. Another reviewer notes, "Pull through sites are spacious. Trees are young, across the road from Brown County national forest."
Dump station access: Yellowwood State Forest offers limited dump facilities. "There is water available and outhouses, there is a dump station for RVs. I would have given 5 stars, but need some more sites for RVs (some of the sites are not real level)," says Ron H. Many RVers recommend arriving with empty black tanks due to limited services.
Road access considerations: For larger RVs heading to Buffalo Ridge, entry route matters. "Large rigs must access the park through the West entrance due to a low clearance covered bridge at the North entrance," advises Stephen & Theresa B. The north entrance has a 9-foot clearance limit that prevents larger RV access.
Dispersed camping around Unionville includes dirt access roads that become challenging after rain. While sites on Berry Ridge Road are free, "I would not bring a RV here especially after rain," cautions Palynn F. These primitive sites work best for smaller rigs or tent camping.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Unionville, IN?
What camping is available near Unionville, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, Unionville, IN offers a wide range of camping options, with 121 campgrounds and RV parks near Unionville, IN and 13 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Unionville, IN?
Which is the most popular campground near Unionville, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Unionville, IN is Paynetown Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 29 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Unionville, IN?
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Unionville, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 13 free dispersed camping spots near Unionville, IN.
What parks are near Unionville, IN?
What parks are near Unionville, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 11 parks near Unionville, IN that allow camping, notably Monroe Lake and Hoosier National Forest.
Keep Exploring