Best Camping in and near Charlestown State Park

100% (3 reviews)

Discover Charlestown State Park's rugged beauty and outdoor adventures.

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Stay at a public campground in Charlestown State Park

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Charlestown Campground

189 sites · RVs, Tents In Charlestown State Park

Top-rated campgrounds near Charlestown State Park

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Hones Pointe

24 sites · RVs, Tents47 acres · Pendleton, KY

Hones Pointe was established in 1988. It was built by four insurance agents to elude our sales managers in a unique natural setting. Over the years, we have planted many different varieties of trees and perennials to observe. Also evidence exists of this area being an Indian camp long ago as suggested by arrowheads and an old handmade rock wall. Primitive camping where you can pick your own scenic spot. We will furnish picnic table, fire ring, garbage can, and charcoal grill during your campout.Welcome!

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(770)

Happy Hollow Homestead

24 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents30 acres · Marengo, IN

We now have 3 buildings for rent. The Cozy Camping Cottage, the Camping Cabin and the newest addition is our A-frame which is the most secluded spot on the land. - Voted best Hipcamp in Indiana to visit for 6 years. - Listed on Rachael Ray Magazine's "8 of America's Coolest Campgrounds" We offer a "Camping Cabin", The "Cozy Camping Cottage" or tent camping in Black Walnut Grove, in an open field, in the woods, or a shady grove. We like to interact with people or you can keep to yourself and have a quiet getaway in the woods. Sorry, but the tree house isn't available to rent since it is my home. I may rent it out in the future. Also in progress is the "Dome" We are on a solar powered, off the grid 30 acre homestead that has 24 acres of wooded land and 6 acres of groomed land. Come explore our land and relax in the "Tree Web", see the 2 story tree house that I live in, have fun on the tire swing, or just sit and enjoy all that nature has to offer. You can explore our interesting topography that has close to 100 foot of elevation changes, our (mostly) dry creek system that starts with 2 springs that drain into 3 sinkholes or walk 3 miles of trails (if you follow each trail from end to end). We love groups - Host your event here or have a group gathering with all your friends and family. We have spaces large enough to host hundreds of people. We welcome pets for camping, but no pets allow in the Camping Cabin. Also be aware that we have 2 friendly dogs on the land that roam freely. - 3.5 miles to Marengo Cave - 7 miles to the Blue River (canoes, rafting and swimming) - 30 minutes to Patoka Lake - 37 miles west of Louisville - 13 miles north of Interstate 64

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Camp Escape

6 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents15 acres · Louisville, KY

15 acres with a barn and creek. Our property also boarders the Jefferson County Forestry and is close to Tom Wallace Park. This 5 acres is a corner lot next to railroad tracks so there are two roads on two sides. This is a very rural type area yet still in the city so you will hear and see a combination of city/country things. We are very close to Fort Knox and Knob Creek gun range. You will most likely encounter wildlife, hear gunfire, hear cars and the train go by, you will probably see and hear us and the neighbors on tractors and trucks. This is a working farm among other farming type residents. This is a space for someone to camp with their personal camping equipment. There is no water, no shower, no electric or anything else besides a fire pit. You need to bring your own supplies. We border the Jefferson County Forestry with an entrance about 1 mile away. We are about 30 mins away from downtown, but just 5 mins from a Kroger, Walmart, and a dozen different restaurants. We are also about 15 mins from Fort Knox. There is a shared porta potty onsite.

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Hidden Valley River Camp

4 sites · Tents7 acres · Westport, KY

Beautiful valley on the Ohio River with 300 feet of beach front, private boat dock, covered 20x30 community pavilion and a large fire pit. A beautiful creek to explore, very secluded and off the beaten path with lots of wildlife to enjoy.Learn more about this land:Beautiful private Valley setting on the Ohio River with private boat dock. Creek bed with rocks and fossils. 2 covered pavillions and fire pit and eagles and wildlife There is a mile gravel road and steep hill is why no rv's. Cars and trucks have no problems.

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Blue River Retreat

9 sites · Tents2 acres · Fredericksburg, IN

Welcome to our primitive campground on the beautiful Blue River! We have 2 acres of riverfront property at the end of a dead end road at the Crawford/Washington County line. Nice and secluded, we have the perfect place to getaway. There is river access for swimming and fishing or you can rent a canoe or kayak from us for a little paddling around. We provide picnic tables and fire rings. Firewood can be purchased from us for an additional cost. Our grounds are fairly flat with plenty of tree cover. If you enjoy hammock camping, our trees are perfect for that! Wildlife is abundant in the area; deer, otter, eagles, raccoons, and beaver are likely to be seen year round. If you are looking for activities nearby you will find Old Mill Canoe Rental in Fredericksburg (15 min drive), Marengo Cave (15 min drive), Beck's Mill (20 min drive), Buffalo Trace Park (25 min drive), as well as many other attractions in nearby Corydon, Salem, and Paoli.

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(35)

Bourbon Trail Campground

10 sites · Tents35 acres · Lawrenceburg, KY

Primitive tent camping Portable Toilets Group fire pit Catch and release 1/2 acre stocked pond Perimeter walking creek Indoor Gathering 40×50 metal building Stone fence Epic Kentucky beauty on the Bourbon Trail in Anderson county 7 miles off both I64 and Bluegrass Parkway; directly off US 127.

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Hideaway on Two Crane Lake

2 sites · RVs, Tents223 acres · Frankfort, KY

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Rockytop Family Farms

3 sites · RVs, Tents3 acres · Henryville, IN

**25 Minutes north of Louisville, KY** Due to local demand, the dates of April 20-25 (Thunder over Louisville, KY Derby events) that are not currently booked are slightly higher in price, with a 2-night minimum. __________________________________________ RV Site(S) on our family land. 30amp electric, water, sewer. Fire-pit with seating, free firewood provided. Trash can provided. Next-door to Yankeetown Area/indoor roping arena. If you participate in the rodeo at Yankeetown, utilize our site with hookups for your horse trailer! Nearby access to the Knobstone trail access point. Just a few miles away from LM Sugarbush; Indiana's largest annual Maple Syrup Festival. Long gravel driveway; 1/4 mile or more off of State Rd 160. We border the Clark-State Forestry. We have a small farm pond that's full of fish; no license required. Bring your fishing pole and have fun! Expect to hear chickens, guineas, pigs, dogs barking, kids playing. You may hear a tractor, lawn mower, or gator ATV go by as we are always busy doing something. Your pets are welcome, but keep in mind that this property is patrolled by two large Great Pyrenees dogs, and while they are friendly to people, they are territorial and have been aggressive towards other dogs until they become friends. For the safety of all the dogs, your pets must be contained/on a leash at least until all of the dogs can get to know each other. We are 5 miles from I-65, and 19 miles north of Louisville, KY. Verizon phone/data service is good; can't confirm others.

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Carefree Sister's Sleepover

1 site · RV, Tent6 acres · Leavenworth, IN

Our 6 acre property is a small, simple place to sleep for a night or a weekend while you're traveling through. No fancy frills, just a quiet, pretty place to pitch a tent or park your camper for an evening or two. Only 3.2 miles north of Exit 92 (Carefree exit with a Love's Truckstop), this is the perfect place to stop over while traveling. Both my sister and I travel solo and with friends and having affordable place to park your vehicle or pitch a tent with a place to go to the restroom, gaze at the stars, and have a campfire makes cross country trips more enjoyable. Our land has a gorgeous nighttime view of the stars on the front half, and the back half is wooded and borders a creek. At night, you can watch the soft glow of the Milky Way climb across the sky or sit by a campfire. There is a cleared walking path from the front of the land to the creek at the back so you can sit for a while and enjoy the sound of the running water 11 months a year (the creek is very low in August). You can't drive back there, but you could pitch your tent or hang a hammock in the flat area by the creek. If you stay for a few days, we are: 5 miles to the Louisville Astronomical Society's Dark Sky viewing location, 6.1 miles to Wyandotte Park 7.8 miles to Marengo Cave 8.6 miles Cave Country Canoe 6.6 miles Rothrocks Mill Public Access to Blue River (you can swim here!) We are a perfect half way spot between RRG and Jackson Falls NOTE: This property is completely off grid. We have an enclosed pit toilet and hand sanitizer in the green privy. A gas fire ring and a wood fire ring. You will need to bring wood for burning. This place is very safe, but I always like to be near the road when I travel solo. You might choose to park a little further in, and that is fine, but the topography goes downhill (literally) toward the back of the field. You are welcome to park by our little tiny house if your vehicle is safe to do so. Be aware that this road is gravel and in the spring, it can be muddy if there has been a lot of rain! Remember, we are in the country! :) Our neighbors have cows and they talk to each other during the day. You might hear dogs in the distance, as farmers often have dogs. This is mostly raw land, so be mindful of ticks. There is 40% Deet on the porch of the tiny yellow house if you need to use some. Be mindful if you are highly reactive to poison ivy if you are walking around in the woods. We've never had any issues but I wanted to bring it to your awareness that you should be mindful if you are reactive. You can park near the little red cabin if you'd like. In the summer, you will hear birds, crickets, and cicadas, so if nature sounds annoy you, this might not be the place for ya! Past guests have identified the following birds on the property: Cardinal House sparrow House finch Blue Jay Eastern Bluebird Crow Common crackle Bobwhite quail Yellow warbler Catbird Barn Swallow Mourning doves Chipping sparrow Field sparrow Night Herons Owls among others not identified. Also, the Indiana Brown Bat We love this little get away and we think it is perfect for a safe, simple, and affordable place to stay while you are on the road. :) If you have any questions, reach out! While you are here, please feel free to message us if you need something or have questions. We are happy to help and if we aren't sleeping, we will respond as soon as possible! For special groups that plan in advance: My little sister is a Wilderness EMT and has taught Survival courses for over 10 years. It might be fun to get a group of friends together and take a small group weekend course on the property where you'd learn how to build a fire, make simple shelters, walk slack lines, orient, and learn what to do if you are lost in the woods (and/or how to teach children what to do if they are lost in the woods), among other things. I have a telescope and for those groups, I can set up the telescope for you to see stars and planets. Other options include a rest and reflection weekend, group yoga weekends, and group sound baths. If these options interest you, reach out in advance.

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Full hookup RV Fairy land because of all the little Christmas lights that come on every night

77 sites · RVs10 acres · Brooks, KY

Learn more about this land: Beautifully landscaped, super safe, all full hook up RV Park located along Brooks Run Creek! The only park in Louisville Kentucky with creek front and or concrete pad sites. We are conveniently located just 1.8 miles from I-65 at the Brooks exit 121 just 3 miles south of the Louisville's outer loop for easy access to all Louisville, KY has to offer . Far enough away from the Freeway so there is no road noise. There are 2 nice golf courses within 3 miles. South Park Country Club and The Crossings Golf Course is adjacent to the park. We are located near shopping, restaurants, Churchill Downs, Downtown Louisville, the bourbon distillery trail, and many other attractions. Many are under 8 miles away. Come visit us! Daily rates for full hookup starting at $55 a night, weekly starting at $245-$330 and monthly rates start at $495-$925 for the creek front with concrete pad sites. We are the only RV Park in the Louisville area offering all full hookup creek front and concrete pad sites! We also offer over-sized, pull through sites, and a combo of creek front concrete pad, oversized, hill side, and pull through sites. (All rates include tax and electric except our monthly). All sites include water, sewer, dumpster service on lot 62, lawn care and monitored security cameras in beautiful and very safe park. All sites are 50 amp, and we have 50 to 30 amp adapters for sale for a $25 fee. Currently there is limited Wi-Fi available through the park but especially near the office on lot 50, if you need it, ask the Manager to put you near it because we are trying to provide a radiation free area for our Manager and guests. Enjoy the beautiful new landscaping in this Resort like RV Park with twinkly lights that come on throughout the night and we have a beautiful winding creek with creek front sites. The park has paved roads, concrete pads. This is a big rig park that can handle coaches as large as 50 feet. Because we are conveniently located in the greater Louisville metropolitan area, please know there is a nearby train track that comes by a few times a day, but you get use to it, and we are only 8 miles from the Louisville International airport, but there is no freeway noise which can be very loud. We do not have bath or shower houses, or a pool, but we do have laundry facilities on site. There are showers within 2 miles at the Pilot gas station on I-65. We strive to offer excellent customer service, so please feel free to call if you have any issues! We have an on-site Assistant Manager. Annie is located on lot 12a, and you can reach her after you arrive by calling (502) 276-6090, or look for Annie working in the park. For long term RV guests, we require RVs to be 10 years or newer. We do give variances to some Airstream and restored classic RVs with a picture pre-approval by Management plus there is a free application see our website for an application on the banner.

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Riverside Camp & Ramp

9 sites · Lodging, RVs1 acre · IN

Get away from the city life and come stay down at Riverside Camp and Ramp. This campsite is nested on a beautiful view of the Ohio River just 3 miles outside of Madison, IN. Get away from it all when you stay under the stars at the Riverside O-Asis! With access to a fire ring, picnic table and shared green space, you can enjoy all of the amenities of camp life plus a beautiful view.

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Little Slice of Heaven <3

2 sites · RVs, Tents5 acres · Bloomfield, KY

Learn more about this land: I live on 5.5 acres. It's peaceful and quiet and I love it here. I've stayed at other hip camps and simply decided that I would love to share my little slice of heaven with others passing through my area. Notes: there is a wee bit of road noise, I live on a dead end road, there are 10 acres between my 5 acres and the Blue Grass Parkway. I find it peaceful here and can easily ignore it but I'm mentioning it so your not surprised by it ;) The Neighbor dog (Roxy) is very friendly and might visit you while you are here :) You are welcome to hang a hammock in a small section of woods, by a small pond, or even on my covered porch. You are welcome to pitch a tent anywhere you like. You are welcome to park an RV or vehicle in the drive. The drive is about 250ft long, you would need to back in in order to hook up to the 30 or 50 amp plug. RV's can use the 50 amp plug and hose for water. I have an outdoor shower and a camping toilet. I am ... - one hour from Lexington, Louisville, Elizabethtown, and Frankfort.- 1 mile from a mini mart with Gas, Ice, Pizza, Chicken Wings, Sandwiches, ect.- 6 miles from Dollar General and A pizza Restaurant - 15 ish miles from Wal-mart and other chain stores and restaurants I'm a great travel guide so feel free to tell me what your in town for or things you like to do. I will happily make you up a list of things to do and see and places to eat. Keenland, Churchill Downs, The Bourbon Tour (Jim Beam, Makers Mark, Heaven Hill, and many others) are within an hour of here. Also within an hour are 2 great bike paths, wonderful hiking and kayaking. As well as Great Shopping and Restaurants. Anything your heart desires.

The best camping near Charlestown State Park guide

Overview

About

Hidden away in southern Indiana, Charlestown State Park offers all the scenic outdoor adventuring you’ve been craving. Binge on the beauty of Fourteenmile Creek Valley and the Ohio River from the scenic vistas or chill back at your campsite for plenty of forested goodness. The park is characterized by rugged, rolling hills and deep ravines that give this place some unique qualities. In that same vein, we encourage you to check out the Devonian fossil outcrops and karst sinkhole lands as you hike along the terrain. During the spring, the wildflowers really pop, making this the ideal place to hike among flora and fauna. From summertime fishing to fall time color viewing, you won’t have a season to skip here at Charlestown.

Notable campgrounds

Full Hookup Sites: Enjoy the convenience of 60 sites equipped with all the necessary amenities for a comfortable stay.
Electric Sites: Choose from 132 sites offering electric hookups, perfect for powering your camping essentials.

Tips for snagging a campsite

Book early, especially for peak seasons, to ensure you secure your preferred campsite.
Consider mid-week stays for better availability and a quieter camping experience.
Keep an eye on cancellations for last-minute opportunities to reserve a spot.
Explore nearby camping options if your desired dates are not available at Charlestown State Park.

When to go

The best time to visit Charlestown State Park is during spring and fall when the weather is mild and the park's flora and fauna are most active. Summer offers lush greenery, but be prepared for warmer temperatures. Winters can be harsh, with some amenities and trails less accessible due to snow or ice.

Know before you go

Check for any park alerts or closures before planning your visit to ensure all areas are accessible.
Wear appropriate footwear for hiking the park's rugged and sometimes steep terrain.
Remember to bring water and snacks, as options for purchasing food within the park are limited.
Be mindful of the park's wildlife; observe from a distance and do not feed the animals.
For those fishing along 14 Mile Creek, ensure you have the proper Indiana fishing license.