Saddle Lake Recreation Area: A Hidden Gem in Indiana

Finally, we found some quality boondocking on our way to the Great Lakes at Saddle Lake Recreation Area in Indiana!

The Hoosier National Forest stretches 100 miles – from Tell City to Bloomington, Indiana – and offers multiple free camping sites.

Here’s our personal experience of Saddle Lake Recreation Area:

Location: Tell City, Indiana

GPS: 38.05911, -86.65196

Price: $5 (self pay at campground), with a 14-day limit

Date/Temp: May 25 to May 31. The high has been in the low 80s, with a low in the mid-60s. There is plenty of tree coverage to keep the temps lower.

Amenities: Saddle Lake Recreation Area offers a picnic table and fire pit for every site. There is a centralized vault toilet, and its been kept pretty clean. The area also has a hiking trail and boat launch.

The Forest Service says, “This scenic, somewhat remote lake is an excellent place to get away from crowds, and you will often have the place to yourself!”

Noise: There are five other sites occupied here – one is a large RV with a loud generator. This doesn’t bug us, because we’ll run our quiet Honda genny at the same time. But, if we were tent campers, it might get on our nerves. Otherwise, the campground is very quiet.

Wifi/Cell: We get strong T-Mobile 4g coverage here and have been streaming a lot of Hulu. Our AT&T jumps back and forth between 3g and 4g.

Grocery/Errands: Tell City is about 12 miles from Saddle Lake Recreation Area. Walmart is the only grocer in town. The local health food store doen’t offer much, and it’s way overpriced. There are a few antique shops, a post office, and plenty of fast food.

Dog Friendly: Dogs are welcome at Saddle Lake Recreation Area, but the environment isn’t ideal. The hiking trail is infested with ticks, and there are so many trees that it’s hard for River to be on a line without getting tangled.

Entertainment: Since it rained for a few days, we’ve been entertained mostly by streaming TV shows and movies. Tell City doesn’t offer much for entertainment, and because of the ticks, it was hard to enjoy a long hike.

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