U.S. Forest Service · Hoosier National Forest · Indiana

Shirley Creek Campground

A primitive campground, vault toilets, picnic tables, and hitching racks are available; Water may is seasonally available for livestock (not potable for humans) but bringing water is recommended. Shirley Creek is a primitive campground. There is no use fee at this site.

Open nowReservable · Recreation.gov17 sitesFreeNo hookups

More like this: reservable in Indiana · free in Indiana

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
A photo of Shirley Creek CampgroundA photo of vault toilets at Shirley Creek CampgroundA photo of Site 9 of Loop at Shirley Creek Campground with Picnic Table and Hitching Post.A photo of Site 13 of Loop at Shirley Creek Campground with Picnic Table and Hitching Post (no parking for RV)
Photos courtesy of Jeff Fischer · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Standard, no hookups17
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

17 sites. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SitePeople / vehicles
1– / 2
2– / 2
3– / 2
4– / 2
5– / 2
6– / 2
7– / 2
8– / 2
9– / 2
10– / 2

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
FeesAll sites are free of charge.

A primitive campground, vault toilets, picnic tables, and hitching racks are available; Water may is seasonally available for livestock (not potable for humans) but bringing water is recommended.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusOpen
SeasonYear-round
ForestHoosier National Forest
FeesNo fee for camping.
RulesFirewood Restrictions Any firewood brought onto National Forest System land must meet ONE of the firewood requirements on Hoosier National Forest. Use of on-site firewood must only be from dead, downed material. Standing trees, living or dead, may not be cut or defaced. A complete list of US Forest Service rules and regulations are posted on bulletin boards in the campground.

Hoosier National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Shirley Creek Campground30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 3.41 inches of precipitation, 3.7 inches of snowFebruary: 3.36 inches of precipitation, 5.2 inches of snowMarch: 4.35 inches of precipitation, 1.2 inches of snowApril: 5.44 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowMay: 5.41 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 4.90 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 4.23 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 3.15 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 3.86 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 3.39 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 4.03 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowDecember: 3.95 inches of precipitation, 2.6 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 30.8°F averageFebruary: 34.4°F averageMarch: 43.1°F averageApril: 53.9°F averageMay: 64.0°F averageJune: 72.2°F averageJuly: 75.6°F averageAugust: 74.1°F averageSeptember: 66.8°F averageOctober: 55.2°F averageNovember: 43.8°F averageDecember: 34.8°F average0 in2 in4 in6 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Paoli, 9 miles from the campground at 560 feet, station USC00126705 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 49 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 13 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Coordinates38.6496° N, 86.5984° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗17.3 mi
Outdoor gearJL Waters ↗35.9 mi
RV sales & serviceThatcher RV Sales ↗57.8 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Shirley Creek Horse Camp

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.1 mi
    Shirley Creek 1 ↗
    10.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.2 mi
    Shirley Creek 7
    0.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.2 mi
    Shirley Creek 3
    1.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.6 mi
    Shirley Creek 6
    0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.2 mi
    Shirley Creek 4
    0.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.7 mi
    Shirley Creek 2
    2.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Hoosier National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Natural features

A variety of terrain, scenic hardwoods, and shady trails.

Recreation

Shirley Creek Campground offers access to the Shirley Creek Trail system for horseback riding, mountain bike riding, and hiking

Guidebooks for Indiana

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Five-Star Trails: Louisville and Southern Indiana
    Valerie Askren, 2022
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Rail-Trails Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio
    Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Cincinnati
    Tamara York, 2021
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Shirley Creek Campground?

Sites at Shirley Creek Campground are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Shirley Creek Campground?

Nothing. Shirley Creek Campground is listed as free. All sites are free of charge.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Shirley Creek Campground?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Shirley Creek Campground open right now?

Open as of Oct 16, 2026. Season Year-round.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Shirley Creek Campground have?

17 sites, including 17 standard sites without power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I bring an RV to Shirley Creek Campground?

Shirley Creek Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Recreation.gov

What if Shirley Creek Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Youngs Creek Campground (12.4 mi), Hardin Ridge (26.5 mi), and Blackwell Campground (27.8 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby