Best Dog-Friendly Camping in Indiana

With COVID, it seems that everyone...and then more people are going camping. It's a bittersweet type of situation. Nevertheless, it's been very hard to find decent camping in Indiana that isn't packed in like sardines, while also trying to escape the city and get into nature - not around more people.

Luckily, a friend and I came here last October and this place was great. We got a non electric site and were in the middle of the sites. We had a great lake view and were very happy with our setup. It was a pull-through site, although not all are like that. We were able to set up in no time. 

We had lots of space, away from our neighbors. The campstore had wood and random items that you might need should you forget. We were just steps away from the lake and enjoyed walking down there every morning. There aren't the best hiking trails around, so you'll need to drive to the nearby Brown County or National Forest to hike on trails that are actually worth the time. 

I will add that the setup is a bit odd for non-electric. You basically had to pull up to the gatehouse, get your reservation info, then do a U-turn and go back out past the campstore in order to get to your campground. Very odd setup to say the least.

Out of all places I've camped in Indiana, this is, by far, the worst. Please note that this is for the non-electric sites. Reasons for the low rating:

• the firewood that they sell to you is complete crap. It's so wet and damp that you can't burn it. We have had to take every single batch back we've purchased cause it's so bad. They don't do refunds.
• The playground is so close to most campsites in the non-electric section. I'd recommend getting as far away as possible as the screams of children echo like birds flying throughout the campground.
• Not the park's fault, but raccoons are horrible here. I'm talking, "walk up to your campfire as you're sitting next to it and steal food that's on the burner" bad. Lol.

We were lucky enough to find a campsite (#118) very far away from the playground which was surrounded by grasses that separated the campsites surrounding you which was very nice. Again, the raccoons were horrible though.

Ranger Review: Primus at Harmonie State Park

I recently visited Harmonie State Park near New Harmony, In. https://indianastateparks.reserveamerica.com/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=IN&parkId=570048 Just a heads up when camping in Indiana there is a fee to visit the State Parks. I always carry cash for that , laundry and in some states bathroom use. So, the number one thing that stuck out to me about this campground was the shade. For the most part it’s level (floodplain...I saw no standing water) And all the sites are nicely shaded (we are talking full growth) and good size. The sites are electric only, no water, no sewer. There are centrally located water hydrants and a dump station on the way out of the campground. The campground wasn’t very full when we visited, but there is a plethora of activities to enjoy. An Olympic size pool which back in the day my kids woulda loved. Hiking paths (very wide), one right by the campground and a connector trail to the mountain bike trail area. There’s also a bike section on the paved roads. You could spend a comfortable week here and not be bored.

Product Review: As a Dyrt Ranger I get to occasionally try out outdoor products while camping and this trip I brought along some Primus “kitchen gear” https://primus.us/ . Primus is known for its camping stoves , the kitchen accessories are pretty sweet too. I have the Trailsporks , a long spoon , a spatula for grilling , campfire plates and a campfire knife. These are very sturdy made accessories and pack in my kit without taking up a lot of space. There are a lot of options on the site to fit your packing needs too, from family fireside to fastpacking . I’m building my fireside kitchen kit .

This campground is great proximity to I-70 for an easy on/off the interstate and just outside of downtown Terre Haute (approximately eight miles). The park is nice and shady with large trees. When we were there in November, there were very few other campers and most appeared to be transients there for just one night. With all the amenities in this place there is probably a lot going on in the summer. Downtown Terre Haute has plenty of activities including live music, sporting events, museums, restaurants, and historic sites.

RV sites are pull thrus and back-ins that vary from 50 amp full hook-up with deluxe patio to 30 amp water/electric. All sites were level. There are definitely sites big enough for big-rigs with tow vehicles so you don’t have to unhook if you are just stopping for a night. Water, sewer and electric hook-ups were well-placed and easy to reach. In addition to the RV sites, there are kamping cabins with deluxe accommodations (including air conditioning, kitchens, and bathrooms) capable of sleeping up to 6 people to rustic cabins without bathrooms. Tent sites are available as is a “teepee.”

Amenities at the park include: swimming pool, camp store (with fire wood), full service restaurant (May – November), propane fill, bike rental, basketball courts, playground, horseshoes, petting zoo, and coin laundry. The restroom and shower house was clean. There is a dump station located at the exit of the park. Our Verizon 4G phone and hotpsot had great service. Our antenna picked up about two dozen television channels

If you have a dog, there is an off-leash dog park and you are free to walk dogs around the property and there is a long road leading into park. The only problem we had with the park was that some of the trees were not trimmed and the roads where narrow and would rub against our RV.