★ Field-verified · Dave's ownPublic landFree
Perry County
Drive-up · public land · Perry County, IN · 38.11994, -86.46557
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Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on public land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
A free campground on the hill above the Ohio River. Wooded area. Paved spurs with fire rings and picnic tables. Good cell service. Enough room for one vehicle. Porta-potty. Clean, and not too far south of I-70 if driving cross-country. Well-maintained. Small campground I had mostly to myself. Recommended.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 621 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- FFuel7 mi
- GGrocery7 mi
- MMechanic12 mi
- @Mail12 mi
- RxPharmacy19 mi
- HHardware20 mi
- LLaundry20 mi
- WWater22 mi
- DDump22 mi
- ShShower22 mi
- +Urgent care24 mi
- OOutfitter29 mi
- AAir-up29 mi
- PPropane49 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water is a real 22-mi drive, fuel & food sit about 7 mi out.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
public land
Elevation
621 ft
County
Perry County, IN
Coordinates
38.11994, -86.46557
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureOhio River (river) · nearby
- Nearest townMagnet · ~1.6 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- FuelFuel · ~7.1 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~22.1 mi
- GroceriesThe Derby Market · ~7.1 mi
- PharmacyCVS Pharmacy · ~20.3 mi
- Hospital / clinicPerry County Memorial Hospital · ~17.9 mi
- HardwareHardware · ~19.6 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
Had a signal
Getting there
Any vehicle managed it
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Vault / pit toiletBuzzard Roost Campground · ~0.4 mi W · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletMano Point Boat Ramp · ~6.0 mi SW · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletRainbow Lake · ~7.1 mi SW · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletTipsaw Recreation Area · ~7.9 mi W · USFS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Buzzard Roost Campground~0.4 mi
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (Perry County, IN). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Finding water out here →Fire rules & restrictions →Dispersed camping tips →Picking a spot →All field notes →
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →