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Best Tent Camping near Winslow, IN

415 Reviews

Tent camping options near Winslow, Indiana include several primitive sites and established campgrounds within the Hoosier National Forest region. Mitchell Creek Road Dispersed camping offers roadside pull-offs for tent campers seeking a more secluded experience, while Happy Hollow Homestead provides more amenities for tent campers in a forest setting. Springs Valley Recreation Area offers tent-only sites accessible by hiking or boating in, though recent reviews indicate overnight camping may be restricted.

Most tent campsites in the area feature minimal amenities, particularly at dispersed locations. Mitchell Creek Road has no restrooms, fire rings, picnic tables, or drinking water, requiring campers to be fully self-sufficient. Cell service is typically unavailable or unreliable throughout the region, with one visitor noting "there is no cell signal and GPS was spotty." Sites are generally situated on unimproved surfaces, often along creek beds or forested areas. Happy Hollow Homestead offers more facilities including drinking water, fires, picnic tables, showers and toilets, making it suitable for tent campers wanting basic amenities.

The tent camping experience varies significantly between locations. Dispersed sites along Mitchell Creek Road provide quiet seclusion in thick forest with minimal traffic. According to one camper, "only two vehicles passed during the entire 16 hours. VERY quiet." These primitive tent sites are best suited for experienced campers comfortable with true backcountry conditions. The terrain includes rock outcroppings and creek access, offering natural exploration opportunities. Happy Hollow Homestead provides a more managed tent camping experience with spacious sites that one visitor described as "level" and "spaced out." Wildlife encounters are common throughout the region, with some campers reporting coyote sounds at night. Most tent-only sites require some planning for water access and waste disposal.

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Best Tent Sites Near Winslow, Indiana (6)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Winslow, IN

8 Photos of 6 Winslow Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Winslow, IN

415 Reviews of 6 Winslow Campgrounds

  • Sofia A.
    Oct. 24, 2020

    Marengo Cave Campgrounds

    Near Caves

    I stayed on late October and I was the only one there, except for a family on the cabins. The spots are just near and walking distance from the caves and other attractions. They have two potable water spots (so no water on each spot), picnic tables, fire rings, grills and every spot faces the little river. restrooms and showers too. You can bring small pets inside the cave if you carry them all time. I have a small zuchon and carry her in a doggy backpack 🎒 she loved it!

  • Shelly S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 4, 2018

    Hoosier National Forest South Slope Loop Campground

    Glam ping in the woods

    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.

  • Sam H.
    Apr. 2, 2023

    Saddle Lake Campground — Hoosier National Forest

    Average National Forest campground

    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.

  • N
    Jul. 20, 2016

    Newton Stewart State Rec Area - Patoka Lake

    Good campground, bad weather :(

    Campsites had paved parking pads, picnic table, fire-ring, and electrical hookups. Restrooms and showers were clean. Lot's of open space and nothing really separating you and your neighbors. This SRA is right on Patoka Lake, so there's plenty to do on the water - boating, fishing, floating cabins, beaches. There's also a disc golf course, archery range, and plenty of paved & dirt trails. It also has a great nature center. Unfortunately our trip got cut short due to very high winds, but we will definitely be back!

  • Tim E.
    Jul. 30, 2018

    Sun Outdoors Lake Rudolph

    Not for Little Kids

    We chose this campground due to its proximity to Holiday World and its family friendly atmosphere.

    The Bad: We took our 5 and 3 year old daughters for their first camp out with the plan to do Holiday World the next day. This place has golf carts zipping all over all hours of the day and night. Apparently it is the thing to do to decorate golf carts with bright lights, blairing music, and megaphones. They even has a golf cart parade that went from 8:30-10:40pm and included thrown candy that ran about 30 feet from our tent! There was no privacy between sites, constant noise, and trash all over the ground! As an advocate for leave no trace camping, I was completely disgusted with the amount of trash on the ground at our camp site.

    The Good (there was some): The shuttle to Holiday World was great, the staff were friendly, they have a great mini golf course that the girls loved, a top notch playground, and scheduled kuds activities (many are free). they also have a pool and water slides, but i cant comment on those as we did not try them.

    At the end of the day, we had a great trip. but if i were to stay here again it would have to be a more secluded camp site without the constant buzz of golf carts. And I sure hope the amount of trash we saw was a fluke.

  • V
    Jun. 20, 2021

    Saddle Lake Campground — Hoosier National Forest

    Straightforward little campsite

    There are 8-10 spots available, all but one of which are drive-in. I think a smaller RV or third-wheel could get into the first and last spots, otherwise, all the spots looked suitable for tent or hammock camping. 

    We had enough Verizon coverage to get emails and make calls but not enough to have worked on for a longer stay. The campsite is near Saddle Lake and it is walkable at a stretch but there is no swimming allowed there. Based on the other visitors, fishing is the main draw here. The sites were somewhat divided by trees and undergrowth but you will see or hear other campers and the occasional truck flying up the nearby gravel road at 2 am. Site #11 is more private and not visible from the drive in, it is on the right as you pull in going toward the lake.

    Collecting firewood is not permitted here. Bring whatever you need out, I did not see anywhere to get ice or firewood between the campsite and I-64.

    The vault toilet was adequately clean. 

    Dry camping (no water). 

    All drive-in sites had a fire pit and picnic table. 

    We had a hook for trash and whatnot. Be advised that bears are only very rarely seen in Indiana but the racoons are ruthless and highly organized.

    I wrote about my visit here: Saddle Lake camping un-fails

  • Sarah R.
    Jan. 20, 2021

    Saddle Lake Campground — Hoosier National Forest

    Primitive Paradise

    This is a centrally located primitive campground that my siblings and I use often for weekend expeditions. The long winding gravel road takes you away from the highway and deposits you in a serene location that is perfect no matter which season you visit. Each site offers ample space for multiple vehicles and occupants; each site also has a picnic table, double lantern hook, and a nice iron fire ring with a swiveling grate. We have spent many weekends here and have never had any issues with any of the other patrons. Each site is $5 a night, they use the honor system, and they have a pit vault bathroom that is usually in pretty clean condition.

  • Shelly S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 7, 2018

    Hoosier National Forest Goldenrod Loop Campground

    Meet me at Tipsaw

    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.

  • Jack M.
    Nov. 16, 2019

    Crane MWR Campground

    Decent campground

    Located on a Navy Base, so only open to active duty, retired military, DoD civilians and their families. Must have ID card to get on base.

    The base is very large in area and wooded. Watch out for wildlife, especially deer and pay attention to speed limits. Don’t mind the occasional explosions and distant machine gun fire ; they test ordnance there. But no worries, it isn’t loud at the campground.

    The campground is located by Lake Greenwood, so the MWR operates a marina where you can rent boats, kayaks, paddle boards and so on. They sell bait and ice. There’s a nice boat dock if you need to launch your own boat and plenty of dock space to tie your boat up. You can fish or waterski on the lake; it’s that big.

    The campground is not real large. It’s all gravel, but full RV hookups. The electric, water and sewer services are reliable, but no Wi-Fi and unless you have Verizon, no cell service (but they are supposed to have a new AT&T tower up soon). They have nice cabins and a separate tent site area, where there’s a small beach for swimming. Pets are welcome. They have a little shack with firewood; $5 a wheelbarrow load. Every site has a fire ring and a picnic table. The shower house is a bit dated, but clean. There’s dumpsters close by. Very pretty location.

    They do have daily, weekly, monthly and seasonal rates.

    There’s a base exchange and commissary on base, but the closest town is about 20 minutes away, a small town called Odon, but you can find whatever you need there. Bloomington is about 50 miles away. The tiny village of Crane is outside the gate. There’s a bar and a pizza place and that’s about it.

    RV’s and trailers must use the Crane gate, located off I69 exit 87, then south on US231 a couple miles. You’ll see the signs. Call ahead for reservations; they do fill up most weekends and you’ll need them to explain the check-in procedure once you get on base.

Guide to Winslow

Tent camping near Winslow, Indiana centers around the Hoosier National Forest region, where limestone formations and seasonal creeks characterize the terrain. Elevations range from 400 to 900 feet throughout the camping areas, with summer temperatures typically reaching 85-90°F. Fall camping offers cooler temperatures in the 60-70°F range with colorful foliage displays throughout the forest.

What to do

Hiking trails access: Springs Valley Recreation Area features lakeside trails that connect to campsites. According to a visitor, "this is still a beautiful lake for hiking, fishing, and my favorite, kayaking. Electric motors only, so nice and quiet."

Waterfall exploration: Happy Hollow Homestead provides access to natural water features. One camper mentioned their tour experience: "Kerry took us on a kubota for a tour of the property. We saw a beautiful creek with waterfall, bee hives and sinkholes."

Star gazing opportunities: Mitchell Creek Road's isolation creates excellent night sky viewing conditions. A camper noted, "This is quiet, secluded, and beautiful... While I was exploring and camping on this road, only two vehicles passed during the entire 16 hours. VERY quiet."

What campers like

Natural features: Mitchell Creek Road Dispersed camping offers geological exploration opportunities. A camper observed, "There are rock outcroppings along this road, which follows Mitchell Creek and lots to explore on foot."

Wide site spacing: Happy Hollow Homestead provides ample room between campsites. One review mentioned, "We were all impressed with the land and how spaced out the camp sites were."

Ecological diversity: The forest ecosystem supports various wildlife. A camper at Mitchell Creek Road reported, "At night, we heard some loud mysterious crashing in some nearby trees, and what was possibly a large band of coyotes in the distance."

What you should know

Navigation challenges: Paper maps are essential for Mitchell Creek Road. As one camper advised, "Have a paper map handy, as there is no cell signal and GPS was spotty."

Site limitations: Vehicle size restrictions apply at dispersed sites. A camper at Mitchell Creek Road noted, "I did not see any pull offs that would accommodate an RV of any size, and nothing large enough to turn a trailer around. One pull off was nearly too small to turn around my small pick up truck."

Seasonal restrictions: Not all campgrounds permit overnight stays year-round. A visitor to Springs Valley Recreation Area reported, "the campground is closed for overnight camping, but this is still a beautiful lake for hiking, fishing, and my favorite, kayaking."

Tips for camping with families

Kid-friendly features: Happy Hollow Homestead offers unique play structures. One family noted, "The kids loved the tire swing and tree web. We will definitely be coming back!"

Educational opportunities: Some sites provide learning experiences. A visitor to Happy Hollow Homestead shared, "Kerry had interesting stories to tell about the property. There was a giant bonfire lit on Saturday night and the music went all night, which was so much fun!"

Connection time: Limited connectivity creates family bonding opportunities. One camper at Happy Hollow Homestead appreciated, "There is no cell service but it was so nice to 'unplug' and enjoy talking with each other and making new friends."

Tips from RVers

Access considerations: Creek crossings can present challenges for larger vehicles. A camper with a 20-foot Ford Transit ModVan at Happy Hollow Homestead mentioned, "We were nervous about bottoming in the dry creek bed on way to Walnut Grove area, but no problem."

Signal boosting equipment: Cell service can be improved with the right gear. One RVer at Mitchell Creek Road reported, "With a weboost there was att and tmobile service," while another at Happy Hollow noted, "One bar with cell booster."

Site selection importance: Proper research prevents disappointment. One traveler to Mitchell Creek Road warned, "After 5 min of driving on the very skinny gravel road I saw what it looked like spots but I am not sure really. 10 min later I got to the coordinates and there was nothing, not even an opening just more road."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Winslow, IN?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Winslow, IN is Mitchell Creek Road Dispersed with a 2.7-star rating from 6 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near Winslow, IN, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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