Pike State Forest Family Campground

Camped 6/12/20 (Friday night). $13/night rate reflects our family campground site (horse CG sites are more). We had a bit of confusion upon arrival to Pike State Forest. One sign said "Horse Trails and Campground", the other pointed to "Family Campground" which we thought was perhaps a group camp area. We took a narrow gravel road that we thought would loop us through the "Campground", but it kept going, taking us to the river. Luckily, there was a large parking area at the river and we were able to turn around. We asked some fishermen, who explained one CG is for campers with horses, the family one for other campers. Back at the intersection, we took the road to the Family Campground.

This small, primitive campground has 11 sites (we didn't check out the Horsemen's Campground). It's situated on a little hill, so consequently most sites slant downhill. Site 3 looked level though, and ours (11) was mostly level. Sites are on a main loop from the road, and there's another loop with 4 sites farther back in the woods. Pads were gravel. VT and water pump are centrally located, between the two loops. On the road past the campground was a neat shelterhouse, with a swingset, slide and teeter-totters behind it. The buildings in the forest had interesting architecture. The fee station is at another office building located on the next road over (back at the intersection). Once we set up, we drove there to pay.

Thankfully, there was only one other tent camper during our stay, so pretty quiet, with birds singing and woodpeckers about. We did hear a train, but it wasn't bothersome. The forest is about 13.5 miles from Oakland City, off I-69. It was a one-nighter for us, so we didn't explore the trails. We did go see the fire tower after we registered, but it is fenced off - can't climb up as we have done in other IN parks.

Mostly shade here of course. We had 1 bar AT&T, 2 bars at the fee station & at the shelterhouse. No light lit up the campground. VTs had TP & didn't smell, but were not private - screen windows, screen door. Water was a faucet across from the VT. No camp host. Picnic tables were on a cement pad but had a lot of dirt & moss underneath (probably not a lot of use). Conveniences in Oakland City were an IGA grocery, a Dollar General, a liquor store and we didn't see much more.