Wayne County. Our own reading at its map point gives 1,249. The low point is 320 feet on the Ohio River in Posey County, footnoted to the Corps of Engineers
Open two weekdays and two Saturdays a month in season, on a permit, after a safety briefing and a signed acknowledgment of danger
Camping kit for Indiana rules
Carry water. The Hoosier’s free campgrounds at Blackwell, Shirley Creek, Youngs Creek and Buzzard Roost provide vault toilets and, at the horse camps, water for livestock, which is not the same as drinking water. Saddle Lake charges five dollars a site at a self-service station and German Ridge eight.
Buy your firewood locally or bring it stamped. On the Hoosier, firewood must be kiln-dried, bought on site, or from Indiana with the bark off, or carry an Indiana Department of Natural Resources compliance stamp, and it has to fit inside the fire ring.
Vehicle camping gear works under a different constraint than backpacking gear. Weight matters less, but everything has to survive vibration and dust and pack the same way every time. Stores that understand the difference stock 12-volt fridges, water systems and kitchens rather than ultralight pots.
What they carry
0112-volt fridges and slides
02Stoves and kitchen systems
03Water storage, pumps and filtration
04Chairs, tables and shelter
05Sleep systems
06Lighting and power stations
How to choose camp equipment
Buy fewer, better things. Every item has to be packed, carried and cleaned.
01Buy the fridge for your power system, not the other way round. Ask about power draw and what battery it needs to run overnight.
02Pack it before you buy it. Bring the measurements of your cargo area or drawers.
03Favor gear that can be repaired and has parts available.
04Choose a kitchen you can set up in the dark, in wind, when you are tired.
What to have ready before you ask for a quote
Space and power are the limits.
01Vehicle and storage dimensions
02Your power system, if you have one
03How many people, and how long you stay out
04What you already own
05A budget range
Questions people ask
Do I need a 12-volt fridge?
For trips longer than a weekend, most people never go back. No ice to find and no wet food. It does need a house battery or a power station that can carry it overnight.
How much water should I carry?
Enough for drinking, cooking and washing between reliable refills, with a reserve. How much that is depends on the climate, the people and how you cook. Carry it low in the vehicle, and in more than one container.
Is a power station enough, or do I need a second battery?
A power station is simple and portable and suits lights, devices and a small fridge for a couple of days. A wired house battery charges while you drive and suits longer trips and bigger loads.
How high is Indiana?
From Tell City at 421 feet to Hoosier Hill at 1,257.
Altitude decides what your engine, your brakes and your lungs have to work with, and how late in the year the passes open.
02,000
Feet above sea level
Towns
RichmondOn the Historic National Road, the nearest city to Hoosier Hill979 ft
BloomingtonThe base for Monroe Lake, Tower Ridge Road and the Deam Wilderness770 ft
BedfordWhere the Hoosier National Forest keeps its supervisor’s office684 ft
ChestertonThe main approach to Indiana Dunes and its state park640 ft
PaoliOrange County services for Youngs Creek and Springs Valley625 ft
BrownstownJackson-Washington State Forest, Skyline Drive and the Knobstone Trail623 ft
Michigan CityEast end of the national park shoreline, on US 12620 ft
MartinsvilleNorth gateway to Morgan-Monroe State Forest and its back country area605 ft
NashvilleBrown County services beside Yellowwood State Forest596 ft
CorydonHarrison County, at the edge of Harrison-Crawford State Forest590 ft
LintonThe town by Redbird, one of two state off-road areas536 ft
EnglishCrawford County, between the Hoosier’s sandstone cliffs and the Ohio River byway507 ft
MadisonOhio River services on the byway east of the forest491 ft
JasperFull services in Dubois County before Patoka Lake and Ferdinand State Forest468 ft
LynnvilleThe town by Interlake, the larger state off-road area463 ft
Tell CityOhio River town at the south end of the Hoosier, near the Tell City ranger district421 ft
Passes, high roads and summits
Hoosier HillThe highest point in Indiana, on farm ground in Wayne County. Our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point gives 1,249 feet1,257 ft
Weed Patch HillOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, in the Brown County hills1,055 ft
PinnacleOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, in the Jackson County knobs954 ft
PinnacleSkyline Drive, Jackson-Washington State Forest954 ft
Nebo RidgeOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, on the ridge the Hoosier’s 8.6 mile trail follows921 ft
Hickory RidgeOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, on the ridge above the Deam Wilderness horse trails908 ft
Hickory RidgeTower Ridge Road: Indiana 446 south of Bloomington to the Deam Wilderness trailheads and the lookout tower908 ft
Low GapOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, at the gap that names the road along Morgan-Monroe’s back country area782 ft
Low GapMorgan-Monroe State Forest roads782 ft
German RidgeOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, in the Perry County hills above the Ohio781 ft
Hardin RidgeOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, above Monroe Lake781 ft
German RidgeGerman Ridge Recreation Area road: Indiana 37 south to Indiana 70, then east less than a mile to the signed turn781 ft
Hardin RidgeHardin Ridge Road off Indiana 446: Indiana 446 south of Bloomington by Chapel Hill Road to Monroe Lake781 ft
Mount HoldenOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, one of the named dunes at Indiana Dunes State Park758 ft
Mount TomOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point. The state says its dunes tower nearly 200 feet above Lake Michigan751 ft
Mount TomIndiana Dunes State Park roads751 ft
Mount JacksonOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, the third of the named dunes at the state park742 ft
Pass, road and summit elevations are the figures published by the agency that manages them. Town elevations are the town’s or county’s own
figure where it publishes an exact one; the rest are from the U.S. Geological Survey (3D Elevation Program at the place’s official coordinates),
retrieved September 18, 2026. Every source is listed at the foot of the page.
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