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1387 East US 50 Versailles, IN 47042

812-689-6424  Reservations (all IN State parks) – http://indianastateparks.reserveamerica.com/

VSP is located in SE Indiana, approx. an hour west of Cincinnati, OH. This park was created during the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC).  This was part of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal program to help Americans work through the Great Depression.  Camping is available year round, however, restrooms are closed from Nov.-Apr. Winter camping rates apply.

This campground is divided into three sections: A,B,and C. Areas  A and C consist of shady sites, whereas Area B is comprised of both shady and full sun sites. All sites are electric only, including tent sites. We enjoyed our stay at the campground.  There were many positive aspects about our stay and a few negative points.

Appearance:

There are 226 paved sites. All roads throughout the campground are paved as well.  This is a great feature for families with children who love to bike and/or families with pets (helps keep their paws clean. ) The sites are spacious and do not seem crowded. Most sites have well-maintained grassy areas.  There are adequate trash containers throughout the campground. Every site has a fire ring (with grill grate) and a well-constructed, but not overly large, picnic table.

Rating (1-5 lanterns, with 5 being the highest rating):

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Restrooms:

The restrooms were disappointing.  Although there were flush toilets and hot showers, it seems that Versailles State Park does not invest adequate resources into the bath facilities.  The bathhouses were not equipped with soap dispensers and the toilet paper was ultra-thin.  The first night of camping there was no soap in the restroom.  The following day, a container of hand soap was available.  The sinks took about 30 seconds to get warm water and the faucets required you to hold and turn.  This made washing your hands difficult. Similarly, the showers took about the same amount of time to get warm.  The showers also needed to be continually pressed, letting go of the button only enabled approximately 5 seconds of water flow.  While not unkempt, the facilities did not seem overly clean. There is no laundry facility. One nice feature in the women’s bathroom was several areas with mirrors, ledges, and plugs separate from the sink area.  This enables women to do their make-up/hair without blocking the sinks.

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Activities:

This campground offers a host of activities.  We enjoyed having hiking trails within the campground. There are over six miles of hiking trails, as well as 16 miles of mountain bike trails. Hikers are permitted to use the bike trails. Versailles also offers 25 miles of bridle trails for those who bring their horses.  For more detailed information on the hiking trials refer to our Trailblazer review here.

Versailles Lake offers boat and kayak rentals. The lake is 230 acres and is stocked with an assortment of fish such as bass, bluegill, catfish, etc. For the kids there are playgrounds in each section of the campground in addition to a pool with a 100 ft.  water slide which is open Memorial Day-Labor Day.  There is a camp store in the park that had limited merchandise, however, the staff was very friendly. Firewood bundles cost $5, were large for the price and stored indoors.  We were very pleased with the quality of the firewood.

If you are a bird-lover, there are a variety of types of birds throughout the park.  They are especially active in the mornings.

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Pet/Family Friendly:

During our visit in May 2013, there were several families camping.  Children enjoyed riding bikes on the paved roads, and playing in the playgrounds (available in each section).  While the pool was not yet open, it seemed to be well-maintained and would undoubtedly be a popular place for children.

Many families were camping with pets.  We would routinely see dogs walking with owners throughout the park.  Dogs are allowed on the trails, provided they are on a leash.  There is no fenced in dog park or run to allow pets to be unleashed.

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Overall:

We would return to this park.  It is a state park, so it does not have some of the flashy features that a private campground would have, but the spacious campsites, paved roads, and access to nature, made for a nice camping weekend.

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