Beach camping in Indiana with a private bathroom

Stretching down from the Great Lakes into the southern heartlands, Indiana borrows the best of both regions for a warm hug of southern hospitality bolstered by the outdoorsy spirit of the Midwest. Outdoor adventurers can climb the sand dunes along Lake Michigan, paddle the Ohio River, or trek through forested canyons, while a bonafide Indiana camping experience means fishing for your supper and toasting s’mores on the campfire. With temperatures that rarely fall below zero even in mid-winter, camping is a year-round affair in Indiana. Our pick is fall, when breezy weather and fiery autumnal colors make for incredible hiking. 

Indiana’s most Instagram-worthy landscapes can be found at the state’s northeastern boundary. Sloping dunes and sandy beaches line the southern shore of Lake Michigan, and Indiana Dunes National Park has tent and RV camping right by the beach. Further east, industrial towns pepper the road to Amish Country, where you can check into a rustic log cabin in the woods or camp by the lake in Chain O’Lakes State Park.