Lieber State Recreation Area

This is very much like a traditional Indiana State Parks campground. It's pretty tight, and most sites are carved into the woods around very tall trees. There are several loops, some backing up to a steep ravine, some facing a dirt play area for kids on their bikes (kids LOVE this area) and some more private and quiet. As others have mentioned, many of these loops are pretty tight - so it will take some doing to get a large fifth wheel into some of these sites, especially if you get there after your neighbors. There is little grass on most sites, so expect a bit of dirt/mud being tracked everywhere, especially if there is any precipitation. (There is a newer area for tent camping, which is much more open and grassy, more like "newer" campgrounds with less trees and less shade.)

If you are looking for any modern amenities beyond electricity, this isn't for you. There is little to no cell signal to speak of, and the nearest town/grocery is 25-30mins away. There are water fill stations in the front, which are easy to access, and have great pressure - in addition to some water spigots/fountains located throughout the campground. The dump stations are easy in/out. There are only two of them (which is normal) and they can get backed up quite far at checkout time. We had a worn out breaker on site 13, but once it reset, it worked just fine.

If you have a group that will be camping together, I recommend one of you getting site 14, which has an excellent large area with two picnic tables, and plenty of room for a few sites to get together to sit around the fire. We put a popup in site 13 (backwards so the door faced site 14) and shared the middle area from site 14.

The beach/lake area is large, and seems to be more of a fishing destination than a swimming one, but if you like lake swimming - the beach area seems very nice! We did not use the bathhouse due to COVID, but were told that it had recently been renovated and is very nice.

The center piece of Lieber State Recreation Area is the 1,400 acre Cagles Mill Lake. This is a flood control reservoir that is popular for pleasure boating, small house boats and sport fishing. Nearby attractions include the beautiful Cataract Falls. The campground consists of 115 Class A (electric only) and 94 Class B campsites with most tucked under hardwood and pine tree canopy. The campground features include a camp store for basic needs; firewood, ice, sundries and boat rental plus a recently updated dump station and potable water access area. Electric service is 30 amp only. Plenty of spots for larger rigs and many are fairly level. The park offers a seasonal aquatic center with a zero entrance pool and water slide, a nature center with interpretive naturalist program, numerous shelters, playgrounds and picnic areas. Boating is the focus...but the camping is nice too! Easy access location just 3 miles south of Interstate I-70 on IN-243, 40 miles West of Indianapolis, 35 miles East of Terre Haute. Reservations recommended on summer weekends; reserveamerica.com

We enjoyed this park. It is clean and cozy. The water station and dump station are very accessible. If you do not have an Indiana State Park Pass, you have to pay a one time fee of $7 to get in. We were here in the middle of October but it seems there would be some amazing things to do in the summer such as the pool, beach and marina. There were lots of activists at the nature center.

The downside to this campground is that it is tight to maneuver around and park your rig. We are in a 35 ft 5th wheel and found site 93 to fit us, but we definitely took our time to navigate around the trees. However, all the trees do make a very beautiful canopy to stay under. The other downside was little to no cell service but if you want to disconnect from the outside world, this is definitely an amazing place to escape to.

The staff was super friendly and very helpful. It was fun to see all the campers decorate for Halloween! Quiet hours were respected by everyone around us. We will definitely be back and do recommend this park.

This seems to be an overlooked gem. The campground is nestled in towering old grow trees. It has a large lake with a swim beach, plus a pool with water slides. The restroom/showers are clean, though pretty basic The staff is friendly and there are good restaurants nearby.

They apparently gets crowd on holiday weekends, but in the July weekend we were there it was almost empty.

The downside:
— Electricity only. That did not bother us and there was a free dump/fill station.
— The fees. $21 per night isn’t bad, but they add a $3 user fee. But first you must buy a $7 entry tag, unless you have an annual permit.

Nevertheless, I would go back. It was among the prettiest campgrounds we have stayed in a dozen states.