Best Camping near Winona Lake, IN

The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Winona Lake. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Find the best campgrounds near Winona Lake, IN. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.

Best Camping Sites Near Winona Lake, IN (97)

Showing results 1-10 of 97 campgrounds

Pet-friendly camping near Winona Lake

Recent Reviews in Winona Lake

434 Reviews of 97 Winona Lake 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

  • jennifer C.
    Camper-submitted photo from France Park
    Sep. 20, 2024

    France Park

    Great place for the whole family to camp at !

    Hit a little rough patch in life and needed a break from sleeping in the car and hotels . All the staff at the park were very friendly and understanding of our situation. At $20 a nite for tent site ,showers ,clean toilets ,whole park is very clean ! Lots of things to do here and the waterfall was our fav part ! Deff will be back when in the area . Our site was right down the Rd from the waterfall so had a great view !

  • 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.

  • Jennifer H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Tall Sycamore Campground
    Jul. 25, 2024

    Tall Sycamore Campground

    Love staying at Tall Sycamore- a great family camp

    I love staying by the Wabash River at Tall Sycamore. It’s a true community where everyone helps one another and the carry in dinners are fun and delicious!

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Greg D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from KOA Campground Middlebury
    Apr. 11, 2024

    KOA Campground Middlebury

    Shipshewana visit

    Small campground good for a visit to Shipshewana or stopover on a long trip. Staff are very nice and helpful, facilities are decent. There is occasional traffic noise due to being close to the road, but not so bad as to keep you from getting sleep. It’s nice to hear the clopping of the horse drawn carriages of the Amish every so often.

  • fThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Crooked Creek Campground and Cabins
    Mar. 8, 2024

    Crooked Creek Campground and Cabins

    Nice first experience

    We reserved a spot roughly a month in advance and really enjoyed our spot. Had partial shade and picnic table at our site. The bathrooms/showers were large and private (one occupant at a time). River access at this campground so you can kayak about 5 hours to the public access and drive back. Or you can also rent kayaks near the public access and they will transport for you.



Guide to Winona Lake

Camping near Winona Lake, Indiana, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an action-packed adventure, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.

What to do:

  • Kayaking and Canoeing: Enjoy the water by kayaking or canoeing on the nearby lakes. One camper shared, "Kayaking the 13 lakes can easily last from morning to sundown" at Chain O' Lakes State Park Campground.
  • Hiking Trails: Explore the numerous hiking trails available. A visitor at Potato Creek State Park Campground mentioned, "Great spacing between sites and offers miles of hiking and biking trails."
  • Fishing: Cast a line and enjoy some fishing. A camper at Tippecanoe River State Park Campground noted, "Fishing was poor according to my husband," but many still enjoy the experience.

What campers like:

  • Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate well-maintained restrooms and showers. One reviewer at Johnny Appleseed Campground said, "The key lock entry bathroom/shower house was the nicest cleanest we’ve used."
  • Friendly Staff: Many campgrounds have friendly staff who enhance the camping experience. A visitor at Bear Cave RV Campground mentioned, "Easy registration, friendly staff."
  • Spacious Sites: Campers enjoy having enough space to spread out. A reviewer at Pokagon State Park Campground stated, "The sites are large and private."

What you should know:

Tips for camping with families:

  • Kid-Friendly Activities: Look for campgrounds with playgrounds and activities for kids. A reviewer at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Barton Lake said, "The kids loved the activities and amenities."
  • Safety First: Choose campsites that are safe for young children. One camper at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park expressed concerns about their sloped campsite, saying, "This was dangerous given the fact that the picnic table was sloped right by the fire ring."
  • Plan for Meals: Bring easy-to-cook meals or snacks. A visitor at Indiana Beach Campground noted, "Wish they had a better food option."

Tips from RVers:

  • Check Site Sizes: Make sure to check the size of the sites if you're bringing a big rig. A camper at Bear Cave RV Campground advised, "Call beforehand if you are 40' or bigger."
  • Dump Stations: Look for campgrounds with convenient dump stations. A reviewer at Pokagon State Park Campground mentioned, "There are 2 dump stations located in loops 3 & 4."
  • Electric Hookups: Ensure your campground has electric hookups if needed. A visitor at Potato Creek State Park Campground appreciated the "fifty amp hookups."

Camping near Winona Lake, Indiana, has something for everyone, from families to RV enthusiasts. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the great outdoors!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What camping is available near Winona Lake, IN?

    According to TheDyrt.com, Winona Lake, IN offers a wide range of camping options, with 97 campgrounds and RV parks near Winona Lake, IN and 1 free dispersed camping spot.

  • Which is the most popular campground near Winona Lake, IN?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Winona Lake, 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 Winona Lake, IN?

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

  • What parks are near Winona Lake, IN?

    According to TheDyrt.com, there are 6 parks near Winona Lake, IN that allow camping, notably Indiana Dunes National Park and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.