12 Best Private Campsites Near Van Bibber Lake, IN, US 2025

Looking to get away from it all and immerse yourself in nature? Look no further than camping near Van Bibber Lake, Indiana with Hipcamp. With over 250 private sites available, you'll have no trouble finding the perfect spot to pitch your tent or park your RV. And with prices starting as low as $25 per night, it's an affordable way to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Check out top-rated campsites like Happy Hollow Homestead (441 reviews), Walnut Valley Realm (230 reviews), and Shalamar Farm (53 reviews) for a truly memorable experience. Enjoy popular amenities such as potable water, trash disposal, and toilets, and take part in activities like swimming, fall fun, and wildlife watching. Book your camping adventure today!

96% (70)

Top-rated campgrounds

Looking to get away from it all and immerse yourself in nature? Look no further than camping near Van Bibber Lake, Indiana with Hipcamp. With over 250 private sites available, you'll have no trouble finding the perfect spot to pitch your tent or park your RV. And with prices starting as low as $25 per night, it's an affordable way to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Check out top-rated campsites like Happy Hollow Homestead (441 reviews), Walnut Valley Realm (230 reviews), and Shalamar Farm (53 reviews) for a truly memorable experience. Enjoy popular amenities such as potable water, trash disposal, and toilets, and take part in activities like swimming, fall fun, and wildlife watching. Book your camping adventure today!

96% (70)

Top-rated campgrounds

1. Celtic Glen Farm Stay

98%

(53)

30mi from Van Bibber Lake · 11 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging · Spencer, IN

Celtic Glen is a working, 100 acre family farm of heritage breed livestock, nestled in an old limestone quarry on the banks of the White River, on one side, and Fall Creek, on another. Lots of space between campsites and are often all to yourself. Learn about regenerative farming with rare breeds on a farm tour, or mining and wetlands restoration on an ecological history tour. Pet and feed the livestock. Fish and bird-watch. Take a yoga class (at times with goats or bunnies) in the center of the stone henge. Have coffee with goats. Eat farm craft meats, eggs, prepared soups, casseroles, and baked goods, or hop into town for a bite.We are across the river from McCormick's Creek State Park (Indiana's first state park with miles of trails, a swimming pool, and lodge) and just two miles north of Spencer, a small town with an excellent brew pub, winery, cafe, and more. Just 12 miles north of the farm is Cataract Falls State Recreation Area. We are only 20 minutes from Bloomington and Indiana University; 45 minutes from Indianapolis Int'l Airport. This is a working farm with lots of livestock, electric fences, and working dogs, so please leave the farm animals alone unless someone from the farm is available and present. Dogs must be on a leash in the camping area. given the above features of a working livestock farm, the quarry ruins, the operative railroad tracks, and the river (not suitable for swimming), family friendly (children under the age of 18 must be attended by adults at all times). *We have lots of on-farm food and supplies options, please contact us for a complete list and any requests. All sites have a private stone fire circle as well as access to a common grill, handwashing station, porta potty or septic outhouse, cold/solar water shower. *We have posted many events on our farm facebook page @celticglenllc and we are within 2-4 miles of lots of options. *Please note that the riverfront wetlands will be closed to guests during deer rifle hunting season for safety.

2. Dirt Weapon Ranch

98%

(41)

31mi from Van Bibber Lake · 10 sites · Tents, RVs · Gosport, IN

Come and enjoy our private 90-acre retreat, perfect for any outdoor enthusiast. Nestled in an arch of the White River, this secluded sanctuary boasts two private lakes, offering opportunities for swimming, hiking, fishing, and relaxation. Conveniently located within a short driving distance to Indy, Bloomington, and Southern Indiana, you'll find yourself immersed in nature while still having access to nearby urban amenities. We offer five powered campsites and numerous options for primitive camping lakeside or riverside. Please note that there are no direct water hookups, so be sure to bring your own water for your stay.

3. H.E.R. LIVING CAMPUS

99%

(36)

47mi from Van Bibber Lake · 20 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging · Indianapolis, IN

H.E.R. stands for Honor, Educate, and Restore. As avid campers who have enjoyed the beauty of nature by camping all across America, we are happy to share the joys of camping with others. We do this in the solid spirit of Honoring our Ancestors, Educating our children, and Restoring the spirit of family. We share these values with every visitor to H.E.R. Living Campus. We hope to share these values with you.

4. Shalamar Farm

100%

(126)

29mi from Van Bibber Lake · 3 sites · RVs · Lebanon, IN

BEST IN STATE 2025, hosted over 240 rigs since 2020! Private home with 13 acres built in 2018 with maintained lawn, shade trees, quiet and peaceful setting. Accept long term renters and traveling professionals. Eleven miles to LP1 (North Eli Lilly site) and 4 miles to Leap (Foundry). Welcome to Shalamar Farm, our second time around! SHADE TREE: full hook ups, pull thru, rig must be less than 30 feet. NORTH: full hook ups, back in, rig must be less than 35'. SOUTH: full hook ups, back in, rig must be less than 45'. BOOKED UNTIL 8-2027 HOSPITALS: Lebanon 7 miles, Crawfordsville 19 miles, Zionsville 20 miles, Westfield 25 miles, Indianapolis (86th Street area) 26 miles, Carmel 31 miles. Do not feed our friendly pets, George our 20 yo horse and Lowell our 7 yo cat. Eastern time zone.

5. Swanky Acres

100%

(4)

21mi from Van Bibber Lake · 22 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging · Bloomingdale, IN

Our property is located north of Rockville, Indiana, in beautiful Parke County, right off Highway 41. Nestled in a quiet ravine, it offers a peaceful getaway close to local attractions. Turkey Run State Park and Shades State Park are just a few miles away, and kayaking or canoeing is available down the road. The area is famous for its 30+ beautiful covered bridges, as well as local Amish shops and food stands. Rockville itself has several charming coffee shops and unique shopping spots. On-site, our property features walking trails, a his-and-hers bathhouse with toilets and showers, and a covered picnic area for you to enjoy. We are also within 30 minutes of Bridgeton and Mansfield—perfect if you’re visiting for the amazing Bridge Festival.

6. Peak Animal Sanctuary

96%

(13)

36mi from Van Bibber Lake · 7 sites · Tents, RVs · Freedom, IN

Peak animal sanctuary is a non-profit vegan sanctuary that is home to 44 farm animals that have been rescued from neglect situations and/or factory farms. We are located on 65 beautiful acres in Owen County Indiana where you can view star filled skies on a clear night and camp near our animal enclosures. We do require that anyone who chooses to camp on our property has to adhere to our "vegan only" policy while onsite and not bring or consume any animal/fish or dairy products while on the property. For the safety of our animals and guests, visitors are not permitted to enter any of the animal enclosure areas without a staff member. We do offer a short tour and introduction for a small donation. We also have 2 Airbnb rooms that are listed on our website. If you'd like to know more about our property. Visit our Facebook page

7. Camp with Alpacas at Aris Farm

100%

(57)

29mi from Van Bibber Lake · 4 sites · Tents, RVs · Universal, IN

This was once a self sustaining farm built in the 1950s. The farm raised cattle, pigs, chickens. There was 35 tillable acres which produced corn and oats for the livestock. The farm had its own feed grinder in the old barn. There is an old hand built cooler room where all the meat was stored. There are four wells on the farm one of which is used for watering animals and cooling alpacas on hot summer days. One of our tent sites is in the corner of our alpaca pasture. You'll hear the roosters, goats, donkeys and more than likely, Rose, our Maremma livestock guardian dog, throughout your stay.

8. Howling Moon Homestead

100%

(5)

34mi from Van Bibber Lake · 3 sites · Tents, RVs · Spencer, IN

We are a small farm using regenerative practices and permaculture ethics. We are still early on in our journey of working with the land. Our land has been part of our family's homestead for close to one hundred years. Enjoy walks around the farm where you'll find many places to relax, meditate or simply enjoy the views. Guided tours can be arranged and you can explore the gardens, orchard, different methods of raising chickens. We're always building and trying new things to optimize our property and care for the land. There are many great restaurants only 20 minutes away including Mexican, Thai, a brew pub, a winery and a great coffee shop.

9. Harmony Hills

100%

(4)

48mi from Van Bibber Lake · 2 sites · Tents · Bloomington, IN

Located just outside of Bloomington, Indiana our forested property offers a unique opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. Camp under mature forest, hike the trails, or sit by the stream. This is a working farm with sheep on pasture as well as a horse and a pig which you might get to see during your stay. Note: there is traffic noise from nearby highway 69.

Camper favorites near Van Bibber Lake

Top-rated campgrounds reviewed by the Hipcamp community.

Shalamar Farm

100%

(126)

29mi from Van Bibber Lake · 3 sites · RVs · Lebanon, IN

BEST IN STATE 2025, hosted over 240 rigs since 2020! Private home with 13 acres built in 2018 with maintained lawn, shade trees, quiet and peaceful setting. Accept long term renters and traveling professionals. Eleven miles to LP1 (North Eli Lilly site) and 4 miles to Leap (Foundry). Welcome to Shalamar Farm, our second time around! SHADE TREE: full hook ups, pull thru, rig must be less than 30 feet. NORTH: full hook ups, back in, rig must be less than 35'. SOUTH: full hook ups, back in, rig must be less than 45'. BOOKED UNTIL 8-2027 HOSPITALS: Lebanon 7 miles, Crawfordsville 19 miles, Zionsville 20 miles, Westfield 25 miles, Indianapolis (86th Street area) 26 miles, Carmel 31 miles. Do not feed our friendly pets, George our 20 yo horse and Lowell our 7 yo cat. Eastern time zone.

Swanky Acres

100%

(4)

21mi from Van Bibber Lake · 22 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging · Bloomingdale, IN

Our property is located north of Rockville, Indiana, in beautiful Parke County, right off Highway 41. Nestled in a quiet ravine, it offers a peaceful getaway close to local attractions. Turkey Run State Park and Shades State Park are just a few miles away, and kayaking or canoeing is available down the road. The area is famous for its 30+ beautiful covered bridges, as well as local Amish shops and food stands. Rockville itself has several charming coffee shops and unique shopping spots. On-site, our property features walking trails, a his-and-hers bathhouse with toilets and showers, and a covered picnic area for you to enjoy. We are also within 30 minutes of Bridgeton and Mansfield—perfect if you’re visiting for the amazing Bridge Festival.

Peak Animal Sanctuary

96%

(13)

36mi from Van Bibber Lake · 7 sites · Tents, RVs · Freedom, IN

Peak animal sanctuary is a non-profit vegan sanctuary that is home to 44 farm animals that have been rescued from neglect situations and/or factory farms. We are located on 65 beautiful acres in Owen County Indiana where you can view star filled skies on a clear night and camp near our animal enclosures. We do require that anyone who chooses to camp on our property has to adhere to our "vegan only" policy while onsite and not bring or consume any animal/fish or dairy products while on the property. For the safety of our animals and guests, visitors are not permitted to enter any of the animal enclosure areas without a staff member. We do offer a short tour and introduction for a small donation. We also have 2 Airbnb rooms that are listed on our website. If you'd like to know more about our property. Visit our Facebook page

Camp with Alpacas at Aris Farm

100%

(57)

29mi from Van Bibber Lake · 4 sites · Tents, RVs · Universal, IN

This was once a self sustaining farm built in the 1950s. The farm raised cattle, pigs, chickens. There was 35 tillable acres which produced corn and oats for the livestock. The farm had its own feed grinder in the old barn. There is an old hand built cooler room where all the meat was stored. There are four wells on the farm one of which is used for watering animals and cooling alpacas on hot summer days. One of our tent sites is in the corner of our alpaca pasture. You'll hear the roosters, goats, donkeys and more than likely, Rose, our Maremma livestock guardian dog, throughout your stay.

Howling Moon Homestead

100%

(5)

34mi from Van Bibber Lake · 3 sites · Tents, RVs · Spencer, IN

We are a small farm using regenerative practices and permaculture ethics. We are still early on in our journey of working with the land. Our land has been part of our family's homestead for close to one hundred years. Enjoy walks around the farm where you'll find many places to relax, meditate or simply enjoy the views. Guided tours can be arranged and you can explore the gardens, orchard, different methods of raising chickens. We're always building and trying new things to optimize our property and care for the land. There are many great restaurants only 20 minutes away including Mexican, Thai, a brew pub, a winery and a great coffee shop.

Harmony Hills

100%

(4)

48mi from Van Bibber Lake · 2 sites · Tents · Bloomington, IN

Located just outside of Bloomington, Indiana our forested property offers a unique opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. Camp under mature forest, hike the trails, or sit by the stream. This is a working farm with sheep on pasture as well as a horse and a pig which you might get to see during your stay. Note: there is traffic noise from nearby highway 69.

Stories from the community

m

mike

3 weeks ago

Tent

Weekend Trip to Celtic Glen Farm Stay

My boyfriend and I stayed here for a short-notice camping trip, and we’re so glad we chose this farm. We booked the upper vista site and it was peaceful, secluded, and beautifully tucked away.. exactly what we were hoping for. Even though we arrived later than planned, Phil and Lessie were incredibly nice, welcoming, and understanding. The next morning we woke up to the sound of Highland cows and a few donkeys, which was both funny and surprisingly relaxing. We enjoyed breakfast and coffee by the fire while taking it all in. We were greeted by the owners’ sweet, friendly dogs, and later got to tour the farm. It was so much fun seeing the goats, Highland cows, donkeys, and especially watching their cattle dog proudly show off his herding skills. Lessie shared so much interesting information about the farm and the history behind the animals, you can tell she truly loves what she does. Overall our stay was amazing, peaceful, and refreshing. We’ve already planned to come back, and next time we’re bringing our kids and family. Highly recommend this place for anyone looking to unwind and enjoy a unique farm experience!

J

Juan

November 2025

Tent

2 nights at Celtic Glen Farm Stay

Quiet and clean. Close to the state park for hikes. Very private

Z

Zack

October 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Dirt Weapon Ranch

Great place to pitch a tent. I would go back. View was great.

B

Brittney

October 2025

12 ft travel trailer

With pets

Weekend Trip to Swanky Acres

We loved the property including the modern amenities while still having privacy to relax and unwind. Sherri is an outstanding host and we will absolutely consider staying on her property in the future!

G

Grace

October 2025

Tent

With pets

Weekend Trip to Swanky Acres

Sherri’s property is beautiful! It’s an old campground that they’ve spruced up, there’s a nice bathhouse with showers and flushing toilets. There’s a cute little pavilion with yard games & a coffee maker. There’s a sand volleyball court, tether ball, and swings. There’s a gravel drive so you can get your car to the camp sites and back right into your spot.

Z

Zack

October 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Celtic Glen Farm Stay

Great tent site! Great communication with Leslie. Would go again

d

david

October 2025

16 ft car

With pets

3 nights at Celtic Glen Farm Stay

Low stress place to camp. Nice fire ring! Bathroom basic, but very, very clean! Dogs nearby were quiet at night and not bothersome generally.

J

October 2025

45 ft travel trailer

3 nights at Dirt Weapon Ranch

Pros: RV electric hookups. Clean onsite bathroom with running water, sink, flushing toilet and shower. Nice well maintained camping sites (tent and RV). Plenty of land to roam and enjoy nature. Beautiful views of the lakes, nature and wildlife. Cons: Limited number of firepits. All 5 RV sites share one firepit. Not a real issue if you're the only one there but not great if there are other groups booked on site. Some of the camping sites have firepits but not all of them. Lakes have some junk in them, tires, etc. There is overflow from the river so when it floods the river flows into the lakes and it brings along the trash with it. It wasn't too bad but does give you pause when considering swimming or fishing. Overall: We had a great trip and will book here again. The pro's outweigh the cons and it was a lot of fun getting away for a weekend with friends.

B

Bradley

October 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Celtic Glen Farm Stay

We had a fabulous time! The campsite was nice and secluded. My wife appreciated the flushing outhouse. What is really special is the farm, so make sure to have some coffee with goats and do a farm tour if you have the time!

A

Alexander

October 2025

Tent

1 night at Dirt Weapon Ranch

I love this place, very quiet, spacious, good place to fish and enjoy nature, the owner always responded quickly to any questions and always willing to help, in short I would live here without problems, we will definitely return to this place soon

A

Alexander

October 2025

Tent

With kids

Weekend Trip to Dirt Weapon Ranch

the place is beautiful, it's quiet, we loved it, we would definitely go back!

J

October 2025

Tent

With pets

Weekend Trip to Dirt Weapon Ranch

Me and the wife, as well as our two children, had a wonderful time! We caught a lot of fish, and my son caught one of his biggest fish yet out of one of the two ponds! My daughter is soon to be 4, and the grass and property were very well maintained as well as the roads being very easy to navigate! We stayed for 3 days and two nights and had wished we had longer to stay. You're close to two town where you can pick up any warm food if you didn't bring anything like that or any supplies you may need. The bathroom and shower was a very nice addition that we don't always find at every hipcamp. The wildlife in the area is plentiful! Both nights we had deer behind our tent, and one night even had one close enough to hear it make it's snort/blow sound and my family loved that. We will definitely be back anytime we want to camp in that area. The pond by the beach is super clean, and would be great swimming in the summer!

C

Caroline

October 2025

Tent

With pets

Weekend Trip to Celtic Glen Farm Stay

We had the whole space to ourselves. The stars were magical and waking up with the dew on the greenery was so special.

M

Meg

October 2025

Tent

Group trip

Weekend Trip to Celtic Glen Farm Stay

We had a great time at Upper Vista! It was a beautiful and quiet place to relax. We will be back!

C

Caroline

October 2025

With pets

Weekend Trip to Celtic Glen Farm Stay

So cozy and everything is ready to go in the cabin for a great night!

N

Naomi

October 2025

Tent

With pets

Weekend Trip to Celtic Glen Farm Stay

Will definitely be back! Highly recommend going at night to the stone henge to watch the stars.

Z

Ziv

October 2025

Tent

1 night at Dirt Weapon Ranch

Very cool place, private and convenient. I highly recommend

T

Tim

October 2025

Tent

1 night at Dirt Weapon Ranch

Loved how quiet and private this site felt! I would definitely come back and recommended this to anyone looking for a clean, beautiful and easy place to camp!

D

Dan

October 2025

12 ft pop-up camper

With pets

Weekend Trip to Swanky Acres

This was probably the best Hipcamp experience we have had so far! Sherri and her husband have done a great job making this a great site - there were games, campfires and coffee in the morning, plus a real bath house. They are located close to Turkey Run State Park (less than 10 min) and Shades State Park (about 25 min) - a great place to stay if you like hiking at these great parks. We loved staying here and plan to come back - we highly recommend it!

M

Micaela

October 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Dirt Weapon Ranch

Beautiful land. We stayed during a hot October weekend and there were no other campers, so it felt private. Loved being able to cool down in the lake and watch all of the fish splashing out of the water. Plus, this time of year there's not too many mosquitos. There is a communal restroom at the end of the drive with interior and exterior showers. Someone elsewhere out in the woods enjoyed their own weekend, which we could hear. It wasn't an issue for us, but I can understand if that would be a consideration for someone looking for something truly secluded. The long gravel drive was fun to drive down and didn't pose an issue for my tiny 2wd sedan. Thanks for the relaxing stay!