The Ohio River Valley surrounding Jeffersonville, Indiana features diverse camping options within a 45-minute drive radius. Charlestown State Park, located just 10 miles northeast, offers full-hookup RV sites with concrete pads and rugged hiking trails with elevation changes. Across the river in Kentucky, Jefferson Memorial Forest provides more primitive camping experiences with tent sites and limited RV accommodations. Closer to town, Louisville North Campground in Clarksville serves as a convenient base for urban exploration, though it lacks natural surroundings. The Knobstone Trail area offers dispersed camping opportunities for hikers seeking more remote experiences, while Deam Lake State Recreation Area combines waterfront sites with family-friendly amenities.
Indiana state parks in this region typically require advance reservations, especially during summer weekends and fall color season. Many campgrounds operate year-round, though water systems may be winterized from November through March. Non-Indiana residents should note the additional entrance fees at state parks, which apply even with camping reservations. As one camper noted, "We biked the Ohio River Greenway path from Jeffersonville to New Albany and crossed the pedestrian bridge to Louisville." Cell service varies significantly across the region, with better coverage at campgrounds closer to the Louisville metro area. Campground amenities range from basic (vault toilets, picnic tables) to comprehensive (full hookups, shower houses, camp stores).
Waterfront camping locations receive consistently positive reviews, particularly sites along the Ohio River or at Deam Lake. Campers frequently mention the hiking opportunities, with Charlestown State Park's trails described as "pretty rugged with elevation changes for a good hiking challenge." The region's campgrounds serve dual purposes: natural retreats and convenient bases for exploring nearby attractions. Visitors report varying experiences with site privacy, with state parks generally offering more separation between campsites than private campgrounds. Noise levels can be an issue at some locations, particularly at Louisville North Campground where trains pass nearby throughout the night. Wildlife encounters, particularly with raccoons, are commonly mentioned in reviews of the more wooded campgrounds.
$33 - $40 / night
"We biked throughout the park and hiked 4 of the trails, 3 of which were pretty rugged and all had elevation changes for a good hiking challenge. "
"It's a fairly new park on the site that used to be the Indiana Ammunition Plant. Good-sized sites with a very helpful staff. I hiked trail 2 and found the waterfall and several other gorgeous views."
$26 - $64 / night
"I used this location as my FOB for a weekend of hiking in southern Indiana. The campground was nice."
"Great sites close to the lake"
$40 - $45 / night
"If you are looking to be close to downtown Louisville, this is the campground for you. The staff was super nice and the location is very convenient for getting downtown."
"Close to shopping and restaurants. We will stay here again when back in the Louisville area."
$15 - $30 / night
"Tent sites have so many trees surrounding them. If you're looking for more privacy anything off of the loop will do just fine."
"Just a guess, but I would say around 1.5 acres. About 2/3 of this site is open, grassy field. The other 1/3 is shaded."
"Will absolutely come back again especially with the proximity to the city but having peace and quiet to the south. The walking trail was much longer than expected and really nice."
"There was corn hole, ladder ball, pool, walking trails, access to the river, cat fish pond, small dog park, and washers & dryers."
"The KT is rugged and has lots of elevation gains over short distances. Everywhere you hike there are lovely vistas and lots of fossils on the trail snd creek beds."
"Most people, even Hoosiers don't realize the Knobstone Trail exists. It's often referred to The Little AT by those who know about it. It's no walk in the park."
$20 - $35 / night
"If you live outside of Indiana you have to pay a $9 entrance fee on top of the campground reservation fee, which makes for a pricey weekend trip for those on a budget."
"No sewer or water hookup as you would expect at most Indiana State Parks. The sites are extremely spacious and plenty of sites with shade."
$55 - $60 / night
"What a nice RV campground near all Louisville and the surrounding areas have to offer visitors. It is nicely landscaped with fairy lights at night. The Manager Annie is awesome."
"Nice sized sites, reasonable priced comparied to the KOA, all good full hookups, nicely kept, and most importantly it is in a safe country setting surrounded by large trees and on a dead end road."
"there’s parking after a decrepit gravel road and suitable for camping. there are campsites along the trail just have to find them"
LegendGreat Location for Buffalo Trace, Woodford, Whiskey Thief, Wild Turkey, and castle key. Price is a bit stiff for amenities offered, but nice level concrete sites with stable electric
GuideThe area is clean and lots of shaded areas. The sites are level and lots of room. There is electric, water and sewer at each site. There are a few pass through sites for bigger RVs. It is close to Ft Knox military base (commissary, etc). The bathrooms are clean and the washer/dryers are well maintained (cost is $1 for washer and dryer). It was very quite this time of year and only hand few of RVs onsite. There is no cell or WiFi, I used Starlink and it worked great. They are adding fiber to each site and I asked one of the workers and he said it should be a few months to finish. The staff was friendly and easy check in.
GuideThis is strickly a place to hookup when you're passing through. It was convenient for us because of the time of year and most places aren't open. Their website say's it "will" have landscaping and security. There wasn't any when we were there. It has a locking front gate, but the sides and back of the campground/lot are open to businesses and a trailer park. It definitely feels more like an industrial park. I personally wouldn't stay there again, however I will say it was a bad time of year, it was early Spring and wet/muddy.
TravelerDecided to stay another weekend here at Deam to test out some new equipment. Found the E section of camp to be quiet and secluded from the F section. My only complaint is that all of the spots on E definitely require some balancing acts. Overall great weekend.
TravelerGreat view of the Ohio River. Only around five sites. Very clean. Super clean (pit) toilet. Great out of the way place. I was only one there.
TravelerStayed for the weekend as a first trip for the season to ensure we were setup for the season.
Self check-in was quick and easy. Vault toilets were open, and clean. Someone was even nice enough to have Mr. Buddy heaters in there along with fresh propane (very kind and thoughtful). Entering the park there was a sign for winter water spigot (brought my own so didn't check).
LegendWe received an information email the day before prior to arrival with general info and wifi password plus how to pre check in. The morning of arrival, we received another email with specific instructions to not trust GPS and follow their instructions. Our Trip Wizard and Waze GPS instructions actually brought us right to the campground (CG). Since we had pre checked in, we were instructed in the directions email to go directly to deluxe pull-through site 78, where our welcome package would be in the electrical box. The site was plenty long enough for our 40’ toy hauler and F450. Not sure why this is a deluxe site as its gravel with a picnic table and portable fire pit? The utilities were more towards the front of the pad with no issues reaching the connections. It was a nice touch to see a small cement circle pad on the sewer connection. This is a new CG, so amenities like the laundry and gift shop were not opened yet. Water pressure was good. We got 4 bars on Verizon and 3 bars 5G on T-Mobile. We used our T-Mobile Internet versus Starlink. It would not have been an issue to use satellite as there are no mature trees in the campground. They have one large(about 1/4 acre) fenced dog area. The dog park slopes down a hill and connects with a fence that goes around the property. Do not throw small balls down the hill as they can go through the fence and there’s no way to recover the ball due to no openings/gates near by to get to the back of the dog park. There’s also a smaller fenced dog area near the front of the CG. Great customer service before and during our stay.
TravelerI had a great experience it's for gay people who loves the outdoors and keep it safe for all
ScoutSmall campground. Good for transient campers. A lot of full timers and campers that are older than 10 years. Office and women’s bathroom smelled like cat pee otherwise women’s bathroom was clean.
Jeffersonville campsites sit along the Ohio River Valley where Indiana meets Kentucky, providing access to diverse terrain including forested hills, limestone formations, and river valleys. The area combines developed state park campgrounds with more primitive backcountry sites. Winter camping is available but typically sees reduced amenities from November through March, with many campgrounds winterizing water systems.
Trail hiking with elevation gain: Charlestown State Park offers trail systems rated from easy to rugged. One visitor described Trail 6 as having "waterfalls" while another noted most trails have "pretty rugged and all had elevation changes for a good hiking challenge." Some trails connect, allowing hikers to create longer routes.
Historic exploration: Rose Island at Charlestown State Park features remnants of an early 1900s amusement park. A camper described it as "haunting but sublime" with "a paved trail to see Rose Island about 1/2 mile long hill that is very steep in parts."
Water recreation: Deam Lake provides no-wake boating with electric motors only. The lake is "perfect to kayak for a beginner bc no wake zone," according to one visitor. Fishing for bluegill is common, with one camper reporting, "Caught some bluegills."
Urban cycling: Several campgrounds provide access to the Ohio River Greenway path, a paved 7-mile trail connecting river communities. The path includes "a bike/pedestrian bridge across the Ohio River to the trail which runs along the river on the Louisville side."
Secluded forest settings: Jefferson Memorial Forest offers primitive camping in wooded areas, providing a natural retreat. A camper noted, "You are literally ten minutes from anything you want or need. Once you get to the top of the hill you are far removed from the noise, hustle and bustle of city/suburb living."
Concrete pad sites: Several campers appreciate the level, solid surfaces at some campgrounds. At Charlestown State Park, one visitor noted "concrete pads and full hookups" and that the "campground is very large and very well kept."
Clean facilities: Many campgrounds maintain well-kept bathhouses. At Brooks RV Park, a camper described it as "clean park" with "the manager Annie was very helpful," while another called it "a hard to find gem in Louisville."
Waterfront sites: Deam Lake features shoreline camping access. According to a visitor, the area is "very family-friendly and fun. There are horse trails, a beach, and great water for swimming/kayaking/canoeing."
Train noise impacts: Several campgrounds near railroad tracks experience nighttime train traffic. At Louisville North Campground, a camper warned, "The trains. All night, every night. I'm a heavy sleeper and it sounded like the trains were going to crash into our RV."
Airport flight patterns: Campgrounds south of Louisville may experience airport noise. At Louisville South KOA, a visitor noted, "The platz liegt in der Einflugschneise des Flughafens. Auch die ganze Nacht hört man Fluglärm" (The site is in the flight path of the airport with noise all night).
Seasonal water issues: Facilities may have limited water availability in colder months. A Deam Lake camper reported, "Being the first weekend in April, the water wasn't turned on so there were no modern restrooms/shower houses available."
Gate fees separate from camping fees: Some parks charge entrance fees beyond camping costs. A Charlestown visitor advised, "Be aware of an additional $9 fee at the gate besides the camp fee."
Cabin options for non-tent campers: Deam Lake offers cabin accommodations with modern features. A family reported, "We stayed in the Cardinal Cabin. Tons of privacy and the best bathrooms I have ever seen. Not a single bug and they even had antibacterial hand soap at every sink."
Playground accessibility: Clifty Falls State Park offers recreation areas for children, though one camper noted the "campground playground is small, not much to write home about. Nice flat paved loops and sites that are good for biking."
Wildlife awareness: Children should be supervised around campgrounds due to local wildlife. One camper advised to "hide your trash as wildlife is very brave to get up close and personal with your things."
Pool facilities: Several state parks offer swimming pools during summer months. A Clifty Falls visitor mentioned "a very nice pool located close to the campground" with "a walking trail to the pool from the electric loop."
Leveling challenges: Some campgrounds require significant leveling. At Clifty Falls, a camper reported, "Site 22 was so sloped our red levelers barely made it work. Site needed gravel, it was mostly sticky dirt that got tracked into our travel trailer."
Navigational skills required: Some RV parks have tight maneuvering areas. One Louisville North camper stated, "Someone else said that you have to be skilled to drive here..and they were right! We have a 41' Class A towing and I don't think we would fit of any bigger."
Non-traditional RV restrictions: Some campgrounds have specific rules about camper types. A camper at Louisville South KOA reported being turned away because their "professionally converted 12'x6' RV trailer" did not "come from a factory with AC or septic."
Site width variations: RV sites at some campgrounds have limited space. A Louisville North visitor noted, "I could sit on my picnic table facing my camper and lean against my neighbors RV," while another added, "When people say tight, they mean it here."
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a KOA campground in Jeffersonville, Indiana?
There is no KOA campground directly in Jeffersonville, Indiana. However, Louisville South KOA is located approximately 25 miles south in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, making it the closest KOA option. This KOA offers pull-through gravel sites, back-in sites, and tent sites. It's easily accessible from I-65 and has convenient amenities nearby, including a Walmart for resupplying. For those wanting to stay closer to Jeffersonville, Add-More Campground in nearby Clarksville provides a non-KOA alternative with full amenities.
What campgrounds are available near Jeffersonville, Indiana?
Jeffersonville has several excellent campgrounds nearby. Charlestown State Park Campground is just a short drive away, offering concrete pads and hiking trails. Louisville North Campground provides convenient access to downtown Louisville while being close to Jeffersonville. Other options in the region include Clifty Falls State Park, Hardy Lake State Recreation Area, and O'Bannon Woods State Park. For those wanting to stay on the Kentucky side, options include Louisville South KOA and Add-More Campground. Most campgrounds in the area offer a mix of tent and RV sites with varying levels of hookups.
Where can I find full hookup campsites in the Jeffersonville area?
Clifty Falls State Park Campground offers electric hookups though no sewer or water hookups at individual sites, which is standard for many Indiana State Parks. For full hookups, Swiss Haven RV Resort is a good option with helpful and friendly owners. Another excellent choice for full hookups is Brooks RV Park, which provides water and is big-rig friendly. Some private campgrounds in the region like Elkhorn Creek RV Park also offer comprehensive hookup options. Many campers recommend calling ahead to confirm current hookup availability and restrictions, especially during peak camping seasons.
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