Hidden Gems Hidden Paradise Campground

Hidden Paradise Campground

About an hour away from downtown Indianapolis lies Hidden Paradise Campground, a familyfriendly place to experience the area’s natural

beauty. Visitors will find quarry swimming on the spring-fed “Dream Lake” — a 20-foot-deep lake amid high limestone cliffs. It offers a designated swimming area with all the inflatable fun: a floating trampoline, obstacle course, jumping platform and slide. Hidden Paradise also offers a large dock and open swimming areas. No cliff jumping is allowed — which is welcome news for many parents. Paddle boats are available to rent by the hour, which take you around the intimate lake. Life vests are required for everyone. Guests can bring their own, but they also offer them for free as a part of the admission price.

Guests can also enjoy Flat Rock River along the northside of the grounds. Kayaks and canoes are available for rent, but you are also welcome to bring your own — including tubes. On a recent visit, we enjoyed the shallow waters for creek stomping and talked to many regulars about how much they enjoy river fishing. There are day passes available, along with dog-friendly overnight camping. The family-owned 80-acre campground offers 168 wooded sites (for RV and tent camping) with water and electricity. For those less adventurous, the campground also has six cabin rentals. For camping, the sites are off the street and are away from road noise, and they offer beautiful sites directly on the Flat Rock river. Most of the campers stay in RVs, but for tent campers without walls as sound barriers, be prepared for unregulated sites (e.g. multiple tents/cars at a site, golf carts, late night noise, etc).

There’s always a lot of activity at Hidden Paradise, and many of the sites are reserved by full-timers. The grounds play host to a variety of activities, including live music, karaoke, chili cook-offs, fishing derbies, campsite decorating contests and more. The facilities include a well-stocked camp store, bathrooms and showers (though limited for the amount of campsites), snack shack, playground and picnic area. Have patience, as it’s a very popular destination and the workers are typically doing the jobs of many.

802 E. Jefferson St., Saint Paul, IN

hiddenparadisecampground.com