Celina Recreation Area

Celina Recreation Area is located in Hoosier National Forest near Branchville, IN off IN37. My drive in took me first through the rolling hills of upper Kentucky farmland, than across the Ohio River into Cannelton, IN where I found a sweet Winery named Blue Heron with excellent views and an awesome host/owner. There is a wine trail through the lower Indiana area that might interest you (Hoosier Wine Trail) if that’s your kinda sightseeing . 

Tell City is where you might want to stop and get your supplies, there’s the usual fast food, gas stations and Wally World. The area Ranger Station is also in Tell City but it is closed on the weekends.

We took IN37 which runs down the middle more or less of Hoosier NF. There is a zip-line “Eagles Wings” and a Citgo fuel stop enroute to the Celina RA.

Once you turn into the Recreation Area Celina Lake and the two campgrounds (North Face Loop and South Slope Loop) are to the left, Indian Lake is straight. 

Indian Lake is accessed by a basic boat ramp with parking only. I liked the fact that there are several parking pull offs along the road to the ramp to park and access the Two Lakes Trail which meanders around both lakes covering about 15 miles in all. The trail is moderate, technical but not too steep, a good workout. You can disperse camp for 5$ a night as long as you are 300 ft off the trail. 

Celina Lake boat ramp has more to offer. There is a pit toilet and small picnic area in a small shaded grassy area between the parking area and boat ramp access road. 

The parking area is handicap accessible with a small fishing pier that can be reached directly from the handicap parking spot. 

The Rickenbaugh Historic family home and cemetery are located in the far side of the boat ramp with a kiosk and 1 mile Interpretive trail that tells the story of the area.

We enjoyed the trails which is where we spent most of our time, sight seeing and communing with the crazy number of ticks present and hitching rides. 

The boat dock was pretty busy though quiet due to the electric motor restriction. 

The lake is good size, you could paddle to an area and disperse camp to fish or just enjoy the area. 

The two campgrounds were well maintained with helpful live in hosts. North is Basic and South is RV with electric hook up. The dump station is south on IN37 near Tipsaw Lake. Both offer good shade and privacy. They were very peaceful . I liked North more then South the North sites were further apart offering the most privacy and quiet.