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
Roof tents and Indiana setbacks
A roof tent suits the Hoosier, where dispersed camping is allowed across most of the forest and drive-in designated dispersed sites exist along several roads. Stays run 14 days in 28 and 28 days a year, and a dispersed camp sits 200 feet back from trails, roads and water.
It does not solve the state forests. Dispersed camping there is quarter-mile walk-in on three named trails, so a rooftop tent stays in the numbered campground. Height matters at the gates too: several state forest fire trails are cabled and padlocked, and low branches come with a hardwood canopy.
A roof tent gets you off the ground and sets up in minutes. It also puts weight on the highest point of the vehicle, and the rack underneath matters as much as the tent. A dealer who installs will check your roof's load ratings before anything else.
What they sell and install
01Hard-shell and soft-shell roof tents
02Awnings, annexes and insulation
03Racks and crossbars rated for the load
04Installation and removal
05Parts: covers, zippers, struts and poles
How to choose a roof tent
Open it, climb into it and close it before you buy it.
01Know your two roof numbers: the dynamic rating for driving and the static load for camping with people inside. They are different, and the rack has its own.
02Hard shells open fastest and cut through wind. Soft shells give more space for the weight and the money.
03Check the mattress, the ladder angle at your vehicle's height, and whether it closes with bedding inside.
04Ask about parts and repairs before you need them.
05Measure your garage door.
What to have ready before you ask for a quote
The roof decides what is possible.
01Vehicle, and what is on the roof or bed now
02How many people sleep in it
03The weather you camp in
04Garage height, if it lives indoors
05A budget range for the tent and the rack together
Questions people ask
Will a roof tent fit my vehicle?
Almost any vehicle can carry one with the right rack, but check the roof's dynamic load rating in the owner's manual and the rack's rating. The lower number is your limit while driving.
Hard shell or soft shell?
Hard shells are quicker, quieter in wind and better in rain and snow. Soft shells sleep more people for less money and weight, and take longer to pack. If you move camp every day, speed matters more than you expect.
Does a roof tent hurt fuel economy?
Yes, some, and you will hear it on the highway. Lower-profile tents and a fairing help. It is a trade most people accept for the sleep.
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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