In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From the southern shore of Lake Michigan via Shipshewana and Indianapolis to the gorges of Turkey Run, the wooden bridges of Parke County, the hills of Brown County and the old river port of Madison: around 1,100 kilometres through an Indiana hardly anyone expects.
The spirit of the route
Indiana is seen as a pass-through state between Chicago and the East – flat, corn, interstate. Turn off, and you find something else. On Lake Michigan, dunes migrate that are so high you can see over the treetops to the Chicago skyline, while the blast furnaces of Burns Harbor steam on the horizon. Two hours east, buggies with orange warning triangles clatter along the country roads, laundry without buttons hangs on the line, barns wear fresh paint. In the west, creeks cut narrow sandstone gorges into the ground, with hemlocks standing above them, and you roll at walking pace through red wooden tunnels from the 19th century over Sugar Creek and Raccoon Creek. In the south, the land turns hilly and wooded: Brown County, limestone quarries, cave streams. In October, the view from the sliding door is a sea of leaves in red and gold, crickets chirp in the evening, and the morning coffee steams above the mist of the Ohio River.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Chicago (southern edge) to Indiana Dunes (approx. 80 km)
- The drive
- From the southern edge of Chicago, head east on the I-94 (Borman Expressway) or the US-12. The I-94 has six lanes, heavy truck traffic and roadworks, but no tolls; the parallel Indiana Toll Road (I-90) is tolled. From Gary, the US-12 (Dunes Highway) is worth taking: two lanes, speed mostly 45–55 mph, past steelworks, a power station and dune forest – industry and nature sit right next to each other here. Pure driving time 1–1.5 hours, considerably more in rush hour. Plenty of fuel stations in Gary, Portage and Chesterton. Note: the three lakeside counties (Lake, Porter, LaPorte) are on Central Time, the rest of the route on Eastern Time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- West Beach (Indiana Dunes National Park): swimming beach with a view of the Chicago skyline, and the Dune Succession Trail, a loop with long wooden staircases that shows how bare sand turns into oak forest via grass and shrubs. The national park entrance fee is checked here; in season, the car parks fill up early at weekends.
- Indiana Dunes State Park: the “3 Dune Challenge” leads over Mount Jackson, Mount Holden and Mount Tom, the highest dunes in the park – short, but steep in loose sand. Separate state entrance fee, not covered by the national park pass; beach and pavilion at the end of the park.
- Mount Baldy (Indiana Dunes National Park) near Michigan City: an active moving dune that migrates inland every year. The summit is only accessible on guided ranger tours; the path to the beach at the foot of the dune is open. Check ranger tour dates on nps.gov.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Indiana Dunes State Park Campground: wooded campground behind the dunes, sites with electricity, bathhouses with showers and a dump station, booked up early in season, check winter operation in advance; reservations via the Indiana State Parks reservation system. Alternative: the national park’s Dunewood Campground near Beverly Shores, 66 sites in the woods (12 of them walk-in tent sites) without electric or water hookups, with showers and a dump station, open seasonally, reservations via recreation.gov; check length limits when booking.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): There is no public land for dispersed camping on the southern shore of Lake Michigan. The beach car parks of the national park and the state park close at night, and overnighting in a vehicle on the streets of Gary, Portage and Michigan City is not tolerated.
- Insider tip for campers
- Visit Chicago itself without the camper: the South Shore Line, an electric commuter railway, stops at Dune Park near Chesterton and in Beverly Shores close to the campgrounds and runs into central Chicago – no parking or toll stress. The eastern shore of Lake Michigan with Sleeping Bear and the lighthouses is covered in the CampingSpirit travel guide to Michigan’s west coast. Fill up with water before the Dunewood Campground, as the sites there have no hookups.
2Stage 2: Indiana Dunes to Amish Country (Shipshewana) (approx. 220 km)
- The drive
- At Portage, get on the Indiana Toll Road (I-80/90) and head east to Elkhart: four lanes, well built, toll system with ticket or E-ZPass, service plazas with fuel stations. Then take the SR-19 south to Nappanee, country roads via Goshen to Middlebury and the US-20 to Shipshewana; for the night, continue south on the SR-5 and SR-9 towards Albion. From Elkhart, buggy country begins: two lanes, flat, many junctions, speed 50–55 mph. Pure driving time around 3.5 hours. While still on the Toll Road, at the crossing from LaPorte into St. Joseph County, the time zone changes to Eastern Time – put your watch forward one hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Nappanee: the former Amish Acres is now called The Barns at Nappanee – farm buildings, a round barn and a theatre; all around are Amish farms, woodworking shops and farm shops with baked goods and raw-milk cheese.
- Middlebury and the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail: a cycling and walking path on an old railway line between Goshen, Middlebury and Shipshewana, through fields and past Amish farms – with bikes from the camper, the best way to take in the area slowly.
- Shipshewana: the flea market and auction halls in town are a meeting point for the region’s Amish and Mennonites; check market days and season beforehand. The Menno-Hof museum explains the history of the Anabaptists from Switzerland and Alsace to Indiana.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Chain O’Lakes State Park near Albion, around 45 kilometres south of Shipshewana: a chain of small kettle lakes connected by channels, campground with electric sites, bathhouses and a dump station, plus a canoe tent camp. Reservations via the Indiana State Parks. Alternative to the north-east: Pokagon State Park near Angola on Lake James, several camping loops with electricity, around 40 kilometres east of Shipshewana. In the town itself there are private campgrounds.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): There is no public land for free camping in Amish Country. Car parks of markets, restaurants and churches are private property; only stay overnight with explicit permission.
- Insider tip for campers
- Buggies travel at 10–15 km/h and often have only weak lamps after dark. Overtake with a wide berth and only when you can see clearly ahead, don’t honk, don’t tailgate – horses shy away from large vehicles. Many country roads have wide shoulders for buggies; don’t park there. Don’t photograph Amish people without asking. Many shops and farm shops are closed on Sundays. Elkhart is the “RV Capital” of the USA: RV workshops and parts dealers are more concentrated here than anywhere else.
3Stage 3: Albion to Indianapolis (approx. 230 km)
- The drive
- Take the US-33 to Fort Wayne and the I-69 south-west to Indianapolis: four lanes, flat, corn and soybean fields, speed 70 mph; around Indianapolis, roadworks and heavy traffic on the I-465 ring road. Pure driving time around 2.5–3 hours. Fuel stations and supermarkets at every exit. For the Speedway on the west side of the city, take the I-465 and Crawfordsville Road (US-136) or 16th Street.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway: the most famous oval race in the world, the Indy 500, on the weekend before Memorial Day. The museum shows winning cars from 1911 to today; bus laps of the track and trips to the “Yard of Bricks” at the finish line can be booked on non-race days. Large visitor car park with room for RVs too.
- Downtown Indianapolis: Monument Circle with the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, the Canal Walk along the old Central Canal and the Indiana State Museum. In the centre, watch out for height limits in multi-storey car parks; better to park on the outskirts or use buses.
- Indianapolis Cultural Trail: a wide cycling and walking path linking the Fountain Square and Mass Ave neighbourhoods with the centre; rental bikes at stations.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: There is no state park campground within the city; Fort Harrison State Park and Eagle Creek Park are day-use only. Private campgrounds with full hookups lie on the outskirts; the camping areas at the Speedway open only for race events. If you want to stay overnight on public land, drive on for around 1.5 hours after your visit to Shades or Turkey Run (stage 4).
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Indianapolis and its suburbs prohibit overnighting in an RV on streets and in public car parks. Supermarket and department store car parks only with the store’s permission; in May, around the Indy 500, the city is packed and enforcement is strict.
- Insider tip for campers
- In May, especially in the week before the Indy 500, campgrounds within 100 kilometres are booked up and roads around the Speedway are closed – either come precisely for that or avoid those weeks. Fill up the tank and restock supplies in Indianapolis before heading west; the choice in Parke County is small.
4Stage 4: Indianapolis to Turkey Run State Park (approx. 120 km)
- The drive
- Take the I-74 west to Crawfordsville, then the SR-47 south-west to Shades State Park and on to Turkey Run. From Crawfordsville, two lanes, gently rolling, across fields and through wooded creek valleys; speed 55 mph. Pure driving time around 1.5–2 hours. Fuel stations in Crawfordsville, hardly any after that.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Shades State Park: sandstone gorges above Sugar Creek, the path to Devil’s Punchbowl, a round rock chamber hollowed out by water, and viewpoints over the creek. Quieter and less visited than Turkey Run.
- Turkey Run State Park: cross a suspension bridge over Sugar Creek into the Rocky Hollow and Bear Hollow gorges; Trail 3 leads through narrow rock clefts, over ladders and along the creek bed – sturdy shoes needed, impassable at high water. Under hemlocks that have survived here since the Ice Age, it stays cool even in summer.
- Narrows Covered Bridge at the edge of the park: a covered wooden bridge from 1882 over the rocky narrows of Sugar Creek, plus the Lusk Home, the house of the first settler in what is now the park.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Turkey Run State Park Campground: large wooded campground with many electric sites, bathhouses with showers and a dump station; book early for October and summer weekends (Indiana State Parks). Alternative: Shades State Park with a basic campground in the woods; check facilities and season in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): There is no public land for free camping around Turkey Run; canoe rental outfits on Sugar Creek offer their own tent meadows. Overnighting in state park car parks is prohibited.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Indiana State Parks charge entrance per vehicle, based on the licence plate: vehicles with out-of-state plates pay a considerably higher daily rate, and a little more again at Indiana Dunes State Park. If you’re visiting several parks, weigh it up against the annual pass for non-residents – check current prices on in.gov/dnr. A canoe trip on Sugar Creek between Shades and Turkey Run shows the gorges from below; in late summer, the water level can be low.
5Stage 5: Turkey Run State Park to Brown County State Park (approx. 190 km)
- The drive
- First a zigzag along the county roads of Parke County to the covered bridges, then via Rockville on the US-36 and the US-231 or SR-46 south-east via Spencer to Bloomington and on along the SR-46 to Nashville. The county roads are narrow, some of them gravel; from Spencer, it gets hilly and wooded. Pure driving time around 3 hours; with bridges and Bloomington, a full day. Fuel stations in Rockville, Spencer, Bloomington and Nashville.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Parke County calls itself the “Covered Bridge Capital of the World”: over 30 covered bridges, most of red timber and still open to traffic. Bridgeton with its bridge, mill and dam and Mansfield with the Roller Mill are the most beautiful spots. In October, the big Parke County Covered Bridge Festival takes place – Rockville and the bridge villages are then overcrowded.
- Rockville: county seat with a courthouse on the square and the tourist information in the old railway station, where you can get maps of the bridge routes.
- Bloomington: college town of Indiana University with the Sample Gates, limestone buildings and Kirkwood Avenue full of cafés; on the edge of town, the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Brown County State Park: Indiana’s largest state park with the Buffalo Ridge and Raccoon Ridge campgrounds, electric sites, bathhouses and a dump station, plus a horsemen’s campground. Often booked up for the autumn colours in October – reserve well ahead via the Indiana State Parks. Alternatively, Paynetown State Recreation Area on Lake Monroe, south-east of Bloomington.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Yellowwood State Forest and Morgan-Monroe State Forest between Bloomington and Nashville have basic forest campgrounds; free camping outside designated sites is not permitted in the state forests. Check rules and fees with the forestry office.
- Insider tip for campers
- The bridges have low clearances and weight limits; large RVs and rigs towing trailers park in front and you walk through. The same goes for Brown County: the north entrance leads through a covered wooden bridge with a clearance of around 2.7 metres (9 ft) and a 3-ton weight limit – RVs and trailer rigs must use the west entrance on the SR-46 near Nashville. Gravel roads in Parke County get muddy after rain.
6Stage 6: Brown County State Park to Spring Mill State Park (approx. 120 km)
- The drive
- From Nashville, take the SR-46 back towards Bloomington and the SR-446 south across the Lake Monroe dam into the Hoosier National Forest; then via Bedford and Oolitic to Mitchell. The SR-446 is winding, up and down through oak and hickory forest, speed 45–55 mph. Pure driving time around 2 hours. Fuel stations in Bloomington, Bedford and Mitchell; none in the National Forest.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Brown County State Park in the morning: Hesitation Point and the fire tower on Weed Patch Hill with views over wooded hills, in autumn over a sea of leaves. Nashville with galleries and crafts, and the T. C. Steele State Historic Site, the house and studio of the best-known painter of Hoosier Impressionism.
- Hoosier National Forest at Lake Monroe: Hardin Ridge Recreation Area on the lakeshore, the Charles C. Deam Wilderness as Indiana’s only designated wilderness area, and the Hickory Ridge Fire Tower with far-reaching views over the forest.
- Bedford and Oolitic: this is where Indiana limestone is quarried, used to build the Empire State Building and numerous government buildings in Washington; at the old quarries you can see the stone up close.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Spring Mill State Park near Mitchell: campground with electric sites and basic sites, bathhouses and a dump station, around 1.5 kilometres from the pioneer village. Reservations via the Indiana State Parks. Alternative in the Hoosier National Forest: Hardin Ridge Recreation Area on Lake Monroe with six loops, around half the sites with electricity, showers and a dump station at the entrance; open roughly from early April to late October, reservations via recreation.gov.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Hoosier National Forest allows dispersed camping on most land outside the recreation areas and at prescribed distances from trails, water and roads; suitable spots for an RV are rare, though, and the forest roads are narrow and often gravel. Check current rules and closures with the Forest Service and only use existing sites.
- Insider tip for campers
- Vehicles are prohibited in the Charles C. Deam Wilderness; trailheads are small car parks on the forest roads that are tight for large RVs. Ticks are common in the forests of southern Indiana – check yourself after every hike. Fill up with water at the campground in Brown County or Hardin Ridge.
7Stage 7: Spring Mill State Park to Madison (approx. 170 km)
- The drive
- Take the SR-60 east via Salem, then the SR-56 to Scottsburg, across the I-65 and on along the SR-56 or SR-256 to Madison. Two-lane country roads through hills, woods and small farming towns, speed 50–55 mph. The last kilometres lead steeply down into the Ohio River valley. Pure driving time around 2.5 hours. Fuel stations in Salem, Scottsburg and Madison.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Spring Mill State Park before you leave: the pioneer village with a 19th-century limestone mill that still grinds flour, the boat tours into the Twin Caves (seasonal) and the Gus Grissom Memorial for the astronaut from Mitchell.
- Madison: 19th-century river port with one of the largest historic districts in the USA, brick houses, the Broadway Fountain and the Lanier Mansion State Historic Site with its garden above the Ohio River. The bridge to Milton, Kentucky, offers the best view of the town.
- Clifty Falls State Park on the edge of town: a gorge with several waterfalls, including Tunnel Falls, Hoffman Falls and Little Clifty Falls, and a railway tunnel from the 1850s that was never completed. The falls carry the most water in spring and after rain, often hardly any in late summer. The tunnel (Brough’s Tunnel) is currently closed indefinitely after a rockfall; check the current status with the park.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Clifty Falls State Park: campground on the plateau above the gorge with electric sites and basic sites, bathhouses and a dump station; reservations via the Indiana State Parks. Alternative: the municipal Riverview Campground in Madison right on the Ohio River, with a view of the boats; check hookups and season with the city.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Overnighting in a vehicle outside campgrounds is not permitted in Madison or on the Ohio riverbank. The nearest public forests (Hoosier National Forest) are far to the west.
- Insider tip for campers
- The roads from the plateau down into Madison’s old town, especially the SR-7 (Hanging Rock Hill) and the SR-62, are steep and winding – in heavy vehicles, go down in low gear and spare your brakes. In the old town, park large vehicles on the riverfront. From the Clifty Falls Campground, trails lead to the nature centre and the gorge trails; the park entrances are on the SR-56 and the SR-62.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- Indiana has hardly any public land for dispersed camping. The exception is the Hoosier National Forest in the south, where free camping outside the recreation areas is permitted subject to distance rules. In state parks and state forests, only on designated sites; Indiana DNR rangers patrol.
- Cities such as Indianapolis, Bloomington and the communities on Lake Michigan prohibit overnighting in a vehicle on streets and in car parks. Supermarket and department store car parks only with the store’s explicit permission; in Amish Country, market and church car parks are private property too.
- Rest areas on the interstates and the service plazas on the Toll Road are for taking a break, not for overnighting with camping activity; observe the maximum parking time on the signs.
- Reservations: Indiana State Parks and State Recreation Areas via the Indiana DNR’s central reservation system; Dunewood Campground and Hardin Ridge via recreation.gov. In October (autumn colours, Covered Bridge Festival) and in May around the Indy 500, book very early.
- Entrance fees: Indiana State Parks charge entrance per vehicle, with a higher rate for out-of-state plates; annual passes are also available to non-residents. Indiana Dunes National Park charges its own fee; since 2026, visitors without US residence face higher fees and surcharges in some national parks – check current prices on nps.gov and in.gov/dnr. The America the Beautiful Pass is only valid in the national park, not in the state parks.
- Apps: iOverlander, Campendium, The Dyrt and Recreation.gov; Park4Night is not widely used in the Midwest.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Dump stations: at almost all state park campgrounds (Indiana Dunes, Chain O’Lakes, Turkey Run, Brown County, Spring Mill, Clifty Falls) and at the Dunewood Campground; also at private campgrounds and some truck stops.
- Drinking water: at campground taps; outside the season, some water points in state parks are turned off. Tap water is drinkable.
- Only empty grey water and chemical toilets at dump stations; draining into woods, creeks or lakes is prohibited and fined.
- Electricity: state park sites in Indiana usually offer 30 or 50 A, full hookups are rare; the Dunewood Campground and many Forest Service sites have no electricity.
- Propane: fuel stations, DIY stores and RV dealers fill US cylinders; European cylinders are generally not refilled. Around Elkhart there are especially many RV workshops and parts dealers.
- Shopping and fuel: supermarkets in Chesterton, Elkhart, Goshen, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Crawfordsville, Bloomington, Bedford and Madison; supplies are thin in Parke County and the Hoosier National Forest.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: interstates in Indiana mostly 70 mph for cars, lower for heavy trucks; country roads mostly 55 mph, in towns 25–35 mph. There is no separate limit for RVs, but signs for trucks apply depending on weight.
- In Indiana, phones may only be used hands-free while driving. The move-over law applies to vehicles with flashing lights and broken-down vehicles at the roadside: change lanes or slow down significantly.
- Tolls: the Indiana Toll Road (I-80/90) between Chicago and Ohio is tolled, with rates by number of axles and vehicle class; E-ZPass is accepted. Cash payment at the toll plazas is currently still possible; state law provides for the switch to all-electronic tolling by the end of 2027 at the latest – check payment methods and rates on the Toll Road website in advance, and with rental vehicles, clarify the rental company’s toll arrangements. The parallel I-94 is toll-free.
- Buggies: Amish vehicles are slow, marked with an orange triangle and have the same right of way as any other road user. Only overtake when you can see clearly ahead and with a wide berth; drive attentively, especially on hilltops and at night.
- Time zones: the counties on Lake Michigan (Lake, Porter, LaPorte) are on Central Time, the rest of the route on Eastern Time – bear this in mind for check-in times and ranger tours.
- Covered bridges: low clearances and weight limits, often single-lane; large vehicles and trailer rigs avoid them. Clearances are signposted.
- Weather: in spring and summer, thunderstorms with a risk of tornadoes; heed National Weather Service warnings and know where the shelters are at campgrounds. Emergency: 911.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Bikes or a folding bike: for the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail in Amish Country, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail and the paths between campground and beach at the Dunes.
- E-ZPass transponder (or the rental company’s toll arrangement): for the Indiana Toll Road and any onward trip to Ohio or Illinois.
- Hiking shoes with good tread and spare socks: Trail 3 at Turkey Run leads through creek beds and over wet sandstone ladders.
- Tick remover and tick repellent: ticks are common in the forests of Brown County and the Hoosier National Forest.
- Printed map of Parke County with the bridge routes: mobile signal is weak on the county roads, and satnavs send large vehicles through bridges with low clearance.
- Weather radio or severe-weather app with National Weather Service warnings: thunderstorms and tornadoes come on quickly in the Midwest.
As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
