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A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

Forest Service campground

Tipsaw Lake

Forest Service campground in Hoosier National Forest, Perry County, Indiana. 380 feet. 11.7 miles from Alton.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Forest Service Hoosier National Forest
Elevation
380 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
47 16 standard electric, 15 rv electric, 10 standard non-electric
Longest rig
72 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
Electric, Water, Sewer
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Perry County

Overview

The Tipsaw Lake Recreation Area is located on the shores of its namesake lake in south-central Indiana's Hoosier National Forest. It offers camping, picnic areas, boating, swimming, hiking, biking and educational programs. Visitors enjoy the scenic views of the forest and all it has to offer.

Recreation

Boating, fishing and swimming in the lake are popular activities. Electric motors are allowed, and fishing for pan fish is considered excellent. The boat ramp and parking area is open year-round.

A beautiful swimming beach with playground equipment and a modern bathhouse is also available. The beach offers a combination of sand and sun or a shady, grass-covered hillside.

A 5.9-mile trail for hiking and mountain biking runs from the day-use area around the lake. The trail includes scenic overlooks of the lake and valley and traverses a variety of forest types. A trail permit is available for purchase and is required for mountain bikers age 17 and older.

Facilities

The area offers dozens of individual, double and group campsites, available for tent and RV camping. Group sites can accommodate up to 65 people.

Each site is equipped with tables and campfire rings with grills. Accessible flush toilets, showers and drinking water are provided. A beach area is fully accessible and is equipped with washing stations and changing rooms. Electric and water hookups are available at some sites and parking surfaces are paved.

A day-use area is also available and provides access to the beach and picnic areas and shelters, as well as the boat ramp. Horseshoe pits and and open areas for games are nearby.

Natural Features

The campground is adjacent to 131-acre Tipsaw Lake, in a hardwood and pine forest. Situated at an elevation of 380 feet, the campground is composed of five loops that offer dozens of campsites. Some sites are shaded and the roads are paved.

Nearby Attractions

Special Places on the Hoosier National Forest

Brooks Cabin

Buffalo Trace

Carnes Mill Site

Clover Lick Barrens

Hickory Ridge Lookout Tower

Initial Point

Lick Creek African American Settlement

The Jacob Rickenbaugh Homestead

Wesley Chapel Gulf

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • boating
  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • hunting
  • swimming site

The land around Tipsaw Lake

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

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