Indiana Campers: Here’s How You Can Camp for Free
If you are an avid camper in Indiana and wouldn't mind doing more camping in 2023 for free, you might want to take advantage of this opportunity.
My mom's dream after retirement is to travel around several campgrounds around the country. To be honest, it's something that I wouldn't mind doing either. Traveling the state or the country and soaking in the scenery at beautiful campgrounds, cooking over an open fire, fishing all I want...what's not to love?
I know so many people who love going camping and will go all throughout the summer and fall. Some people even stay at campgrounds for extended periods of time. If you're like my mom or one of those other people who enjoy camping as much as possible, you can save yourself some money and go camping for free in Indiana!
How to Go Camping for FREE in Indiana
As you know, rarely in life is anything free, right? Sometimes you have to put a little work in to take advantage of the benefits. If the idea of going camping for free is appealing to you, you can become a campground host in Indiana. Indiana State Parks is campground hosts in several locations. According to the Indiana DNR website:
Most Indiana State Parks and State Forests offer opportunities for campground hosts. Hosts work a minimum of 20 hours per person per week in exchange for free camping for a specified period of time. The time period varies at sites, based on the number of applicants and on the amount and type of work required. See below for detailed information about each property’s host program. Contact the property of interest to check the status of its host program.<br /><br />A volunteer application and agreement will need to be filled out and turned into sites. <a href="https://www.in.gov/dnr/state-parks/how-you-can-help/volunteering">Download forms here</a>. Background checks will also be done.
Where Can You Become A Campground Host In Indiana?
To serve as a campground host, you will need to contact the property to check on the status of its host program. You will want to do this by early summer, most host schedules are full but waiting lists are available. As far as where you can be a campground host in Indiana, there are several options with all Indiana State Parks including:
- Brookville/Whitewater Complex
- Brown County State Park
- Cagles Mill Lake/ Lieber SRA
- Clark State Forest
- Chain O’Lakes State Park
- Falls of the Ohio State Park
- Hardy Lake
- Harmonie State Park
- Indiana Dunes State Park
- Lincoln State Park
- Monroe Lake
- Patoka Lake
- Shakamak State Park
- And more
Duties as a campground host varies from park to park. You can learn more about these parks, their duties, and how you can apply to become a campground host by clicking here.
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