Camping at Brown County State Park in Nashville Indiana makes for the perfect weekend. I would recommend staying at least 3 nights to get the most of your stay as there is so much to do. Indiana’s largest park is nicknamed ‘Lil Smokies’ for it’s 16,000 acres of rugged hills, deep ravines and scenic vistas overlooking miles of uninterrupted forestland. Large campgrounds, hiking and mountain biking trails, a saddle barn for guided horse rides and a separate horseman campground with 70 miles of horse trails are some of the things that make Brown County State Park popular year-round.
*Our favorite sites are highlighted in the map above*
Camping at Brown County State Park
The Site
This past weekend we took our pop-up camper and shared a site with friends who had a tent. Although I do suggest checking out the sites ahead of time, many of them are large enough for two families. Ours was perfect as it was flat, shaded, relatively close to the bathrooms (but not too close) and was far away from the main area which meant there weren’t many cars driving around our site. TIP: Sites near culdesacs mean less traffic so kids can ride bikes and scooters safely. Make sure you check ‘driveway grade’ when reserving your site. If it says ‘sloped’ or ‘slight angle’ that could mean you’re on a hill. Hills aren’t as big of a deal with a camper but pay attention if you’re tent camping.
The site had pit toilets near by but there were also showers and normal toilets near by. We were able to easily walk to the playground that is nicely tucked away in the trees in a nice shady spot. Bike trails surround the playground making it a fun hiking obstacle course for kids.
The Park
Brown County State Park is the kind of park you can go any time of year and it is absolutely stunning. I’ve heard it’s highest season is during the fall when all of their trees have turned beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow. I’ve been during the winter where everything is blanketed in soft white snow. The sledding hills at Brown County are awesome. During the spring and summer you can spot various types of wildflowers on the trails after learning about them at the Nature Center. There is a small wild flower garden marked with the flower names right by the Nature Center (keep going and you’ll see a beautiful vista view behind the center).
We’re putting together a binder of maps with all of our favorite sites. Where are your favorite parks to camp? What do you look for in a park?
Print out this free Family Camping Checklist for your summer trip!
