Dave E.

Columbus, IN

Joined August 2017

Husband|Musician|Traveler

Unbelievable

I simply can't describe this place in words. I've spent a week out here for the last 4 years and I'm going again this October. This place is my #1 recommended place on this site (as of right now).

I want my ashes spread here. It's the quietest, most peaceful, remote place I've ever been to. It doesn't feel like earth. More like the surface of Mars. Watch the sunset behind the high desert prairie. Explore slot canyons that you can barely get through with a backpack. Visit Cowboy Camp which is… well… an old cowboy camp. Don't move or take the artifacts.

Few things to remember: There is NO water, so pack it in. They recommend a gallon a day. That's a lot of weight, but you will use most if not all of it, depending on weather and activity level. Also, in the fall months, it is perfect during the day (high 60s to high 70s) and falls to 30s at night (occasionally 20s). So dress in layers and pack appropriately. I highly recommend visiting the national park website and reading up before ever venturing out into the backcountry.

Lastly, if you're the kind of jerk that takes spray paint or a knife into the backcountry with a plan to "leave your mark", don't go here. Don't ruin the beauty. No one cares if you Luv some girl named Rachel 4 Ever. Write her a letter. Pack out your trash and TP.

Not good.

I don't mean to point fingers or anything, but my wife found this campground and made a reservation and I thought to myself, "How bad could it be?". Well, it was bad. Real bad. Loud and congested mainly. We were put next to a pond with a fountain in the middle of it. We thought, "well maybe that'll at least drown out the sound of loud campers", but nope… right as we went to bed, the fountain turned off and all we heard all night was partying and cars going down the gravel road. I will never go back here. I honestly wonder if this place still exists. It was THAT bad.

Good Weekend Getaway

This is a nice park for those who want to camp/hike/fish and not travel too far from home. It's a relatively quiet campground with lots of different sites available, some of which are right on the water. All sites have a picnic table and fire ring. Sorry, I don't have any pictures :(

Kinda bummed...

I called ahead of time to reserve a lot. They asked if I had any preferences and I said, "I don't want to be next to a playground or the bathrooms." We were looking for the quietest spot available. The ranger said he had the perfect spot for me. When we arrived that evening, the campground was packed and my the site the ranger gave me was literally right across the street from the bathrooms. The light was shining right in our faces. It was after quiet hours and it felt like I was camping at Woodstock. Not peaceful at all. I've been to Clifty Falls several times before and the trails and falls are nice, but I would never recommend staying in the campground.

First to Review
Best backpacking in Indiana!

Most people, even Hoosiers don't realize the Knobstone Trail exists. It's often referred to The Little AT by those who know about it. It's no walk in the park. There are continuous ups and downs that will challenge your leg strength and footing at times. There are plenty of great places to camp along the trail. Water can become scarce in the summer/fall months, but if you walk far enough, you're likely to come by a stream of some sort. Be respectful of the leave no trace rules and if you see any dickheads out there on 4 wheelers, take their picture and report them.

Practically Your Own Private Beach

Great place to go to introduce someone to backpacking. It's easy, plenty of water around, no predators… it's camping on the beach for crying out loud! We made sure we were the appropriate distance from the shore, but during the day, we'd bring a tent right down to the water to have some refuge from the midday sun. Great place for hammock camping as well. Beach hiking can be a pain, so I recommend walking as close to the water as possible, where the sand has been matted down.

Freaking Awesome!

Reserved a site here as a pit stop on a long road trip out west. I did not have high expectations, but was thoroughly surprised. A bald eagle flew over the car on our way in. Things were already looking good. Very nice ranger at the front told us we could return whatever firewood we didn't use for a full refund. Got back to our site on the island and there was hardly anybody else around. Our closest neighbors were 7-8 sites away and around the bend in the road. Couldn't even see them. Great trails throughout the island. When we pulled up, there were 5 deer on our site. I will definitely go back here. I highly recommend the island campground over the main campground.

Wasn't bad, but there are better dunes experiences in MI.

Gave Warren Dunes a try a few years back. The dunes themselves were cool. If you go, definitely hike up to the top. One setback was that you can't bring alcohol into the park. I wasn't planning on getting tanked or anything, but it would've been nice to drink a beer around the fire. And if you think the rangers don't enforce that rule, you're wrong. Our neighbors got busted for it when we were there. I can understand if you're causing a nuisance, but 2 to 3…. to 4 responsible beers isn't gonna hurt anybody. I'd recommend Nordhouse Dunes in the Manistee National Forest over Warren Dunes.

Spacious Sites

Went here on a short trip with some friends. Didn't spend much time in the campground, but mornings and evenings were pleasant. Heard some wolves howling at night. Sites had plenty of room and were spread out.

Great family campground

This has been an annual destination for my family. We would camp here 2 weeks every summer with all of our relatives and basically turn this little place into home. There are nice clean sites, facilities, and easy access to town (Pt. Austin) if you want to go explore. I highly recommend Grindstone's Ice Cream place in Grindstone City. During summer months, it books up 6 months in advance. So learn their online reservation system and be quick at it if you have a specific site in mind. The sites on the front row by the water are the best in my opinion. Amazing sunset views and quick access to the beach. When storms come it, make sure you have everything put away and your tent staked down reeeeeal good, cause I've definitely seen 60mph+ winds and tents end up in the trees.

Scenery? Check. Solitude? Check.

This campground is perfect. It's used primarily as a hiker's camp, but there are some car campers who venture out there. It's about an hour to hour and half of driving from Apgar Village, as there are several miles of dirt/gravel roads that require you to go slow at times. Bowman Lake is absolutely beautiful and there are several trails leading you to amazing views of the lake and surrounding mountains.

Stellar views, some sketchy roads

Camped here 2 nights this past June. Because of the time of year, there were more people back there than I thought would be. It was surprising what some of those people are willing to take up that mountain road. We were in my Honda CR-V and it did fine, but if you're not careful, you could easily do some damage. The risk was worth the reward though as we found a great spot at the top of the hill. We had just enough wind break, and mountain views. There is a wide variety of site types scattered throughout the area. About 30min from the closest civilization. Highly recommend this one!

Good location, but didn't meet expectations.

Don't get me wrong, it's hard to be critical about anything related to Glacier National Park. I absolutely love that place. St. Mary Campground was a little bit of a buzzkill for campers looking for solitude and epic scenery. Most of the mountains are obstructed by trees, our sky view had a power line running through it, and it was a bit noisy. However, it is arguably the best location on the east side of the park to start your adventure up Going To The Sun Road. The rangers were very friendly. Up the road, there is a couple bars, gas station. PS: Don't buy Going To The Sun Beer unless you're just into the novelty. I gave it a shot and it was eh…

Huge Campground, Clean sites.

To be honest, this wasn't our first pick, but it ended up being great. Clean sites and bathrooms. It's a huge campground with tons of loops, which I usually shy away from due to crowds, but everyone seemed to respect quiet hours and there weren't too many whiny kids. Great biking trails throughout the area and you are in a great location to visit Lake McDonald and Apgar Village.

Great location for hikers

Stayed here on night 1 of a 5 day backpacking trek through paintbrush and cascade canyons. It basically puts you right on the trail. Most sites are shaded, but some open up to a great view of the Tetons. Be bear safe, as this campground was closed last time I passed through due to a black bear rummaging through the sites in search of food.

Better than staying in the park!

The greater Hamburger Rock area located off of Lockhart Rd is one of my favorite places in the world. You can stay in the "developed" part of the campground, which consists of a picnic table and firepit and are scattered around the actual rock. There are plenty of other campsites along Lockhart Rd. and down side trails that are free. Most of them have fire rings that are build/maintained by those who find them. This place is so peaceful. We watched a full moon rise between the silhouette of two massive canyon walls. The night sky is amazing out here.

Great alternative to Brown County State Park

Yellowwood State Forest is a great area for camping, hiking, fishing, kayaking, etc. It's just a couple minutes drive from the more popular Brown County State Park. I feel like this is still a bit of a hidden gem. Very easily missed, you will drive a few miles off the main road before you even get to the park, then you have a long stretch of gravel road with a several camping options (electric and non-electric sites available). There is a camp office where you can self register, and if you are there when the office is open, you can purchase firewood on site. Huge cart load for $5 or $6. Late fall, winter, and early spring when the nights are a little chilly, you may have the whole place to yourself, unlike Brown County State Park, where there will likely still be some campers scattered about.