Raccoon Lake

[Richwon4]

Is raccoon lake a good place to camp? Anything you can tell me is great. Site Recommendations?

 

[terrehautian]

The one thing I know is that it is a flood control lake. That means if it rains a ton and stays raining, at some point the lake will overtake the road leading into the park. It has happened at least once a year for a while with the exception of a few. I can't comment on camping, but it is a nice boating lake with some good idle zones (they have boat rentals there also).

 

[Gadgetmonster]

It is a fine place. Pretty clean, has trails, has a lake, bank fishing might not be very productive. Has a beach and rental boats and a camp store.

Has primitive sites. Has RV sites but no sewer at the sites only the dump station. Showers are pretty nice.

They must be doing something good because is somewhat crowded on holiday and peak summer dates.

The dam is pretty cool to visit.

We boat there a lot in the summer and have a mobile home around the corner.

 

[OneBadV8]

YES! And it's a short drive to Sugar Creek canoe rentals if you want to do that while you're there.

 

[Tactically Fat]

YES! And it's a short drive to Sugar Creek canoe rentals if you want to do that while you're there.

Also a short drive up to Shades State Park and Turkey Run SP as well. I recommend both highly. But Shades first.

 

[lovemachine]

I always heard that turkey run was better than shades...

 

[indybrownsfan]

I have camped there many times in my Pop Up camper .
It can get very crowded at times . Campstore is decent ..Bathrooms have been updated .
One thing ...There are a lot of raccoons and they aren't afraid to come right up to your table...lol

 

[terrehautian]

I always heard that turkey run was better than shades...

Camped at both, Shades is all primitive camping. Turkey Run is a mix of everything. Turkey Run has bigger tent sites while Shades has some real crappy ones. I have a huge tent (13' wide by 18' long) and the first campside we had at the birthday campout wouldn't even fit my tent, let alone two tents. Second site barely fit both. Funny story about Shades, was camping there with friends for my birthday a few years back and on a walk, someone seen a raccoon get a six pack of beer from an picnic table not being watched and take it into the woods.

 

[Tactically Fat]

The hiking is better at Shades. WAY WAY less people, too. T.R. being jam-packed with people really ruins the hiking for me.

Plus, I'm a bit biased. I grew up near Shades and worked there one summer break while in college. Just over 9 miles from the door of the house I grew up in to the main gate.

 

[Hoosier8]

I always heard that turkey run was better than shades...

Busier but Shades has some nice trails too. Used to fly in there with my daughter but the strip is gone now.

 

[churchmouse]

We grew up camping at Racoon. The lake is great for boating mid-week when traffic is low. Weekends it gets pretty crowded.
Campsites are OK if you pick a good one.
You have to go online and reserve a spot.

 

[Tactically Fat]

We grew up camping at Racoon. The lake is great for boating mid-week when traffic is low. Weekends it gets pretty crowded.
Campsites are OK if you pick a good one.
You have to go online and reserve a spot.

Summer weekend boating, and especially holiday weekends, renders the lake almost unusable. TOO much traffic. TOO much DANGEROUS traffic.

 

[churchmouse]

Summer weekend boating, and especially holiday weekends, renders the lake almost unusable. TOO much traffic. TOO much DANGEROUS traffic.

We had a slip in the park ramp area for several years. Kept the Party Toon there. 28 Ft Riviera with 80 HP johnson on it if memory serves.
Kept the speed boat up the hill at relatives trailer. Spent untold hours on the lake. Great times.
Then the "Personal" water craft became popular and the houses started being built around the lake. Became very much like Gieste res. on the weekends replete with drunken idiots and moroooons.
This limited the good boating to mid week.
Camping has always been pretty good there.

 

[Dtrap]

We camp there at least 16-20 days a year. It's a nice campground. Plenty of stuff to do and the fishing is pretty good as well. Lots of stuff to do with in a short drive also.

 

[bigbore]

As others have said it is a nice place but can get crowded on weekends during peak times. The lake management is boom or bust. I have been there when it was flooded and when they drain the lake. When they lower the water it makes the boat ramps and docks/piers unusable.