Paoli Peaks is best known for its skiing and snowboarding, but outdoor recreation in southern Indiana doesn't end when the snow melts. The Paoli area is prime territory for camping during the warmer months, with several campgrounds that provide full-service RV sites and primitive accommodations for tent campers. Visitors can also take advantage of excellent fishing and many miles of secluded hiking trails.
Indiana's rich history is clearly visible at Spring Mill State Park, where you can tour a restored pioneer village from the early 1800s, hike through stands of virgin timber and tour the caves whose underground springs led to the founding of an industrial village here in the early 19th century. About 25 minutes north of Paoli Peaks, the park also includes more than 200 campsites for tents and RVs. The shady, secluded campsites include campfire rings, picnic tables and access to modern restrooms and showers. Electrical hookups are available at most sites. Book a site by phone or through the Indiana Department of Natural Resources website.
Hoosier National Forest encompasses more than 200,000 acres of mostly undeveloped woodlands in southern Indiana. The forest is home to dozens of picnic areas, hiking and biking trails, fishing access sites and campgrounds, including Springs Valley Recreation Area, about 15 minutes south of Paoli Peaks. Nestled around the shores of 141-acre Springs Valley Lake -- formerly known as Tucker Lake -- Springs Valley Recreation Area provides a primitive tent camping area for campers who prefer to get away from the crowds and conveniences of a major campground. Vault toilets are the only amenities provided, and camping is first-come, first-served. The lake offers fishing for catfish, bass and panfish, and you can launch a boat at the Springs Valley Recreation Area boat ramp. A current Indiana fishing license is required, and boats are restricted to electric motors and non-powered craft only.
A little over five miles west of Paoli Peaks, Lane's Motel and Campground provides some of the most modern camping accommodations in the region. The campground's 20 sites all come with full hookups, including water, sewer and 30-amp electricity, which makes them perfect for RVs. The large, grassy campsites include plenty of tall trees for shade. Shower houses with modern restrooms are open to all campers. Reservations are not accepted for the campground, but you can reserve a room at the motel if you prefer to have a roof over your head. Lane's Motel and Campground is a short drive away from the Lost River and Sand Creek, both productive trout streams, and Hoosier National Forest is less than five minutes away.
The 7,000-acre Martin State Forest is an outdoor lover's paradise, with several picnic areas, more than 15 miles of hiking and biking trails, three small fishing lakes and miles of prime hunting ground for game such as deer, turkey and quail. About 40 minutes northwest of Paoli Peaks, the forest sits back-to-back with the Hoosier Woodland Arboretum and its 0.25-mile nature trail, which is open year-round free of charge. Camping is available in Martin State Forest at 26 primitive first-come, first-served campsites. These shady, densely-wooded campsites are best suited to tent camping and have vault toilets and drinking water nearby.
