Here are the best campgrounds (and parks) in south central Indiana

Indiana may get lambasted by shows like Stranger Things, The Middle and Parks and Recreation for being dull, flat land with sleepy towns, but southern Indiana folks know the region is full of vibrant woods, rolling hills, flowing rivers and idyllic lakes.

South-central Indiana is home to a particular wealth of natural beauty, with the Morgan-Monroe State Forest, Yellowwood State Forest and Hoosier National Forest surrounding local towns and cities. If you're looking to get out for a camping trip this summer, the area has plenty of options, from free primitive campgrounds to affordable RV and cabin lodging.

Here's a few of the region's favorite campgrounds and the natural attractions nearby that make them special.

For mountaineers: Brown County State Park

Location: 1801 Ind. 46, Nashville, IN

Average cost: $23-$50 per night based on type/amenities

Types of rentals: Electric access, equestrian electric, equestrian primitive, non-electric

Famous for the rugged, rolling hills that earned it the nickname “the Little Smokies,” Brown County is known for its wooded areas. Brown county State Park offers adventure seekers more than 20 hiking and biking trails up to 5 miles long and elevation gains up to 2,600 feet. With two different lakes (Ogle and Strahl) for fishing and boating, horse trails and stables, and a 1,058-foot climbable fire tower, there are plenty of activities to keep you busy for a weekend camping trip, or longer.

The state park has four campgrounds with 612 total sites, most of which have electric hookups. There’s a camp supply store near the Buffalo Ridge and Rally campgrounds.

The Abe Martin Lodge and a variety of cabins, from family-style suites with full kitchens to rustic cabins, complete this park's camping amenities.

See campground rental options here.

While you're there: Visit the town of Nashville, Indiana, which is full of shops selling every kind of creation imaginable. You can also stop in to the T.C. Steele State Historic Site to take in the same landscape that inspired the Hoosier impressionist.

For a lake weekend: Patoka Lake State Park

Location: 3084 N. Dillard Road, Birdseye, Indiana

Average cost: $23-$40 per night based on type/amenities

Types of rentals: Electric access, primitive, shelter

Located about 20 miles south of French Lick, this 8,800-acre lake (the second largest reservoir in Indiana, behind Lake Monroe) brings campers from both Kentucky and southern Indiana for its idyllic summer lake days.

Between swimming, fishing, kayaking and rentable pontoons, the lake offers plenty of recreation options. But for those looking to stay dry, the park also features hiking and biking trails, wildlife cruises, archery, hunting and an 18-hole disc golf course. The Patoka Lake campground features 529 total sites, including 443 electric hookups, 82 primitive sites and four shelter sites.

Patoka Lake is also abutted by plenty of rental lodging options, including state park-owned cabins starting at $69.

See Patoka Lake rental options here.

While you're there: Take a drive to Marengo, Indiana, to visit Marengo Cave, a U.S. National Landmark that the public has been touring since 1883, or take the family to spend a day at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, a theme and waterpark in the town of Santa Claus, Indiana.

For a bit of everything: Spring Mill State Park

Location: 3333 Ind. 60 E, Mitchell, IN

Average cost: $25-$50 per night based on type/amenities

Types of rentals: Full RV hookups, electric access, shelter, youth tent

Centered around a historic industrial village with a three-story limestone grist mill, Spring Mill State Park is known best for its spate of hikeable caves and Spring Mill Lake, where visitors can paddle boat, canoe, kayak and more (no swimming in the lakes, though there is a swimming pool on the property).

Spring Mill’s campgrounds, which are east of the lake, have approximately 229 camping sites, most of which have electric hookups. There’s also a nearby camp supply store.

The Spring Mill Inn is currently closed for renovations and is expected to reopen sometime in late fall 2024.

See Spring Mill rental options here.

While you're there: Consider taking a short drive to dine in the atrium of the West Baden Springs Hotel, try your luck at the French Lick Casino or take a boat ride through Bluesprings Caverns on American's longest navigable underground river.

For equestrians: Blackwell Horse Camp

Location: Ind. 446 and Tower Ridge Road, Bloomington, IN

Average cost: Free (gate fees may apply)

Types of rentals: Open campground with restrooms and a water spigot

Designed especially for equestrians, but a popular destination for overnight campers from around the area, this primitive campsite (meaning it lacks active attendants or typical amenities) sits in the center of the Charles C. Deam Wilderness Area, perfect for those looking for an experience off the beaten path. The campground also has easy access to the 16 mile Grubb Ridge Trail.

Hoosier National Forest also has four other campgrounds in recreation areas, offering amenities like shelters and bathrooms. Some of these require reservations.

See Hoosier National Forest campground options here.

While you're there: There is a lot to explore in the Hoosier. Consider treks to Lick Creek African American Settlement and Wesley Chapel Gulf, where you can spy the Lost River, swallow holes, sinkholes and caves.

For the history-obsessed: Harmonie State Park

Location: 3451 Harmonie State Park Road, New Harmony, IN

Average cost: $23-$35 per night based on type/amenities

Types of rentals: Electric access, cabin, shelter, youth tent

Harmonie State Park straddles the Illinois-Indiana border of the Wabash River and is renowned for its varied topography, rich woodlands and the fascinating nearby historic town of New Harmony. Harmonie’s grounds feature over 10 hiking and biking trails, plus fishing sites, boat launches and equestrian trails.

Spend a summer morning exploring the trails, then drive a few miles north to New Harmony, an architecturally avant-garde historical town that began in the 1800s as an envisioned socialist “utopia.” While the utopia dream never materialized, the Georgian-style downtown still has plenty of coffeeshops, ice cream stores, and vintage emporiums to make for a fun afternoon visit away from camp.

Harmonie’s campgrounds feature 210 total sites, including 192 electric hookup sites.

See Harmonie rental options here.

While you're there: Explore a walkable open-air art gallery at the JBO Sanctuary or explore the Working Men's Institute, Indiana's oldest continuously operating library, which also houses a museum.

For McCormick’s Creek lovers: Skyview Meadow at Spencer Pay Lake

Location: Specific address not displayed on website prior to booking

Average cost: $60 per night

Types of rentals: Primitive

After a tornado ripped through last March, the campgrounds at McCormick’s Creek State Park just outside of Spencer remain closed, with no set reopening date announced. For those who want to spend a few days in the area, but don’t want to stay at the Canyon Inn, there’s still an option with the privately owned Skyview Meadow campground just over the river in Spencer.

The primitive campground with 156 sites lacks electrical or water hookups, but is still an ideal middle ground for those looking to camp close to McCormick’s Creek’s iconic trails, falls, fire tower and more.

See Skyview Meadow rental options here.

While you're there: In addition to visiting the park itself, both the Exotic Feline Rescue Center and Cataract Falls, Indiana's largest waterfall by volume, are a short drive from the campground.

Reach Brian Rosenzweig at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter/X at @brianwritesnews.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Best camping sites, parks in southern Indiana, Brown County, Patoka