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⛺ Indiana Camping Reservations 2026

Indiana uses Reserve America for state park camping reservations, with a 6 months booking window. This page covers how to book, what fees to expect, and which state park and federal campgrounds are best for hunters, anglers, and outdoor travelers.

🌐 Reserve America
📅 6 months
🏞️ 24 reservable parks
🎫 5,300 sites

How Camping Reservations Work in Indiana

Indiana DNR runs its state park camping reservations through Reserve America with a 6-month advance window. The 24 state parks include marquee fall destinations Brown County (Indiana's premier fall foliage destination), Turkey Run (rugged sandstone canyons), Shakamak, and the Indiana Dunes State Park on Lake Michigan. Cabins and family cabins are available at nearly every state park.

🌐 Ready to Book

Indiana campsite reservations are made through Reserve America, run by Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Reservation phone: 1-866-622-6746.

Book on Reserve America

Quick Facts

Reservation Portal
Reserve America
Booking Window
6 months
Total State Parks
24
Reservable Parks
24
Total Campsites
5,900
Reservable Sites
5,300
Nightly Fee Range
$22–$40
Reservation Fee
$7.00
✓ RV Hookups ✓ Cabins / Yurts ✓ Group Sites ✓ WMA Camping

🎯 Peak Season & Deadlines

Peak season runs mid-April through October, with Brown County State Park (fall foliage) and Indiana Dunes booking to capacity 6 months out. Whitewater, Turkey Run, and Shakamak see heavy summer weekend demand.

💡 Booking Tips

Brown County State Park cabins during October foliage weekends are among the hardest bookings in the Midwest — set a 6-month reminder. Turkey Run is exceptional for spring wildflower hiking. Indiana Dunes State Park (separate from the Indiana Dunes National Park) offers Lake Michigan beach camping with better availability than the adjacent NP.

🔄 Cancellation Policy

Free cancellation more than 7 days before arrival; a one-night charge is forfeited within 7 days.

🎯 WMA & Wildlife Area Camping

Indiana DNR fish and wildlife areas allow primitive camping in designated hunt-season areas at select properties. Hoosier National Forest (federal, book via Recreation.gov) adjacent to many state parks offers additional dispersed camping options.

🏞️ Featured State Park Campgrounds

state park
Brown County State Park
401 sites $27–$42/night Near Nashville
Brown County State Park is Indiana's largest state park at 15,776 acres and holds the distinction of being the state's premier fall foliage destination. The 401-site campground plus 39 cabins occupy rolling ridges and hollows in the Brown County Hills of south-central Indiana. October foliage weekends here book completely 6 months in advance the moment the reservation window opens. The Village of Nashville, Indiana (world-renowned arts and crafts colony) sits at the park's entrance, making Brown County a rare state park with genuine cultural attractions on top of the natural beauty.
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state park
Turkey Run State Park
213 sites $25–$38/night Near Marshall
Turkey Run State Park in west-central Indiana protects some of the state's most dramatic sandstone canyons and slot gorges carved by Sugar Creek. The 213-site campground plus 44 historic cabins provide access to the park's signature attractions — the Turkey Run Inn (an original CCC-era lodge), the "Trail 3" ladder-and-boulder hiking route through Bear Hollow and Falls Canyon, and Sugar Creek canoe launches for float trips. The park attracts spring wildflower photographers, fall foliage tourists, and year-round hikers pursuing what many consider Indiana's finest state park scenery.
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state park
Indiana Dunes State Park
140 sites $25–$40/night Near Chesterton
Indiana Dunes State Park (distinct from the adjacent Indiana Dunes National Park) offers 3 miles of Lake Michigan beach and 200-foot sand dunes — the tallest freshwater dunes in the Midwest. The 140-site campground with full-hookup RV sites and tent-only loops provides a more accessible and less crowded alternative to the neighboring national park, whose campgrounds often book out. The park also protects globally-rare interdunal wetland ecosystems supporting rare plants and migratory birds, and offers the Trail 8 "Devils Slide" — a 176-foot vertical dune climb with lake vista rewards.
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