Camping and Hiking at Indiana’s Deam Lake

Camping and Hiking at Indiana’s Deam Lake
Last year as our last camping trip we chose to go to Deam Lake in Clark County, Indiana. We had wonderful weather during our four-day stay.

Camping facilities include a horseman’s camp and 116 Class A campsites. Class “A” facilities include electrical hookup, modern restrooms/showers (at least one shower station wheelchair accessible), picnic table, fire ring and parking spur. Drinking water and a dump station are also available in the area.

While there, I hiked the Flower Gap Trail, which is a The 1.9-mile-long trail is also a horse trail, so it is nice and wide and had a rock surface. There are several steep slopes to climb, but it is a nice trail. It is about a mile hike from the parking lot at the campground to this trail, so I hiked about four miles, maybe a little less, in total.

The next day my walk consisted of a couple trails, the Tree Lane and the Three Hills trails. The trails connect. I had intended to take the Lake Vista trail, which was 1.5 miles. The hiking trails here connect with the horse trails and are not labeled the same as the ones on the map I had. I took the wrong branch and ended up hiking way longer than I intended, about 9 miles. This was one of the most challenging hikes I have ever taken, but it was very pretty. It reminded me of a hike my wife and I did many years ago in the Smoky Mountains, Charlie’s Bunion. The trails basically ride a ridge overlooking some deep ravines with high hills on the sides that resemble the mountains, only smaller. I think, at one point, I could see the Ohio River way off in the distance; but am not sure. I have since acquired a horse trail map to help me figure out where I am. I would recommend acquiring both and studying them well before embarking on a hike here. At several points I could see Deam Lake in the distance. I am glad I missed the initial branch, as it was a very pretty trail. I had left about 8:45 and got back to camper about 12:30. Showered, ate lunch and had a short nap, as that hike wore me out.

On the last day I hiked the Lake Vista Trail. The trail begins at the parking lot near the campground entrance and uses the same trail head as Trails 3 and 5. This trail is not as well defined as the others, especially in the fall after the leaves begin to fall and cover it. It is discernible spur to this trail is on the right. A sign indicates the trail. This is the eastern spur of the trail. There is another spur a short distance down Trail 3 and 5 that also leads off to the right. It may be best to take the first spur, as it is not quite as steep as the other spur, however this trail is not for the meek. The ascent is quite steep and long. It leads to a rock outcrop at the top of the knob. The rock offers a stunning view of the valley below. On the day I hiked a dense fog blanketed the valleys, so the lake was not visible. The trail emerges to a rock shelf after a steep ascent and continues to the other side of the ledge. You can climb to the top of the rock for a better view, but be careful, as it is a precarious perch. Do not be deceived by a trail leading back into the woods from the top of the rock. This is a rogue trail that leads further west and finally disappears. The real trail is on the opposite end of the rock shelf. It begins a steep descent immediately and turns back east quite quickly. There are trail markers with a yellow blaze at intervals along the trail, however there are none near the rock.

This was the last camping trip of the year and feeling both sad that our first season was over, we were happy that it had been fun and rewarding.

Much of this article is excerpted from my book:
Camping Across Indiana

Join us on our first summer of exploring Indiana’s myriad destinations by camper. Visit the World’s Largest Paintball, a sunken garden, and stroll across the mighty Ohio River. Using Indiana State Park campgrounds as a base camp we day trip to many intriguing destinations across the Hoosier State. Looking for some interesting road trips? Use this informative tourism guide to plan your own Indiana road trip adventure. Even if you don’t camp, you can still enjoy the road trips.