Potato Creek State Park (IN) Overnight

"Wander often, Wonder always."

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After returning from our Tennessee/Kentucky Fall Colors trip, we still had the travel bug. We'd been home for less than a week and just had an urge to be out again. So when the forecaster called for a couple of days in the upper fifties with nights in the forties, we thought that sounded a lot like an invitation to hit the road once more.

Big lots at Potato Creek SP

We didn't have a big window of time, so we wanted to maximize our camping time by staying a bit closer to home but still on the edge of adventure. We've enjoyed nearby Potato Creek State Park (near South Bend) for its daytime playgrounds, trails, and bike paths, but we've never camped there. This is a huge park with lots of camp sites as well as a separate horse lovers camp area with its bridle trails. Upon arrival at the campground (approximately three miles from the main gate) I requested as level a site as they could offer and was directed to Site 92 in one of the smaller loops of the camping area. The site was anything but small, and we think on future trips we'll request this same loop. The sites were level and large and had a thick stand of foliage in the back to add to a sense of privacy. Each site on a gravel pad, offered 30amp electric, a fire ring, and a nice picnic table. We also had a huge tree near us. We tweaked the minor leveling issue by using our Beech teardrop-shaped risers.

There are bath houses nearby, and the roads throughout the campgrounds are smooth and well maintained. While there were plenty of open sites with the cooler weather, there were also a good number of campers, including families with pets and single adventurers.

Big space and a foliage wall in the rear

You meet the nicest people camping, and Potato Creek was no exception. After registering for the night at the campground gate house, our first task was to fill our water tank at the nearby filling station. Due to some malfunction, the water from the freeze protection spigot was blasting out at the pump. I couldn't get it to turn off, and a large pool of standing water was making it difficult to even get near the pump. We left in search of another water source, but finding none, we circled back again and told the gate attendant of the problem. They called for help, but couldn't promise when someone might arrive. We returned to the water spigot to consider other options and found another camper, a young father, struggling to fill his unit's water tank. He had done the dirty work of hooking up his hose to a flowing spigot, and he got wet in the effort. We waited for him to complete the task, figuring that would be our only option. As we chatted by the pump and compared notes of other Indiana camping venues, he offered to let me use his hose to fill my tank. I still had to hook a live hose into my receptacle, but through his generosity, I didn't have to do the hard part of hooking to the main line. I could pinch the hose to stop the flow and only got moderately wet. I told him he was the definition of a Good Sam and thanked him for his kindness.

As it was late in the afternoon when we set up camp, we were soon enjoying our evening meal we had picked up to-go an hour and a half earlier at Papa Vino's Italian Restaurant in our home town. Sue appreciated the easy preparation, and I liked the easy clean-up. We soon settled in for a toasty evening in our Leisure Travel Van Wonder Rear Lounge.

One of the many trails for hiking

We took advantage of the bright skies the next day and took a walk on a few of the many varied walking trails found in the park. In the process, we passed through other campgrounds, found the camp store, the lake with its wide beach and snack bar, and numerous substantially equipped playgrounds. At every turn, we were impressed by the planning and care that went into building this park. Along our journey, we were delighted by a number of natural sightings in addition to enjoying the fall foliage.

Morning trail at Potato Creek

Autumn brilliance

Evie gets her morning stretch

Bright fall colors

Dog and master on the trail

The wonder of a hornet nest

Upon leaving the campground, we made a stop at the dump station near the campground gate house. Potato Creek State Park has the finest dump station I've ever experienced. It seems like an odd thing to appreciate, but the design, planning, and maintenance of this necessary duty were worth mentioning. The approach to the area has a designated area to stage the campers wanting to use the facility. The entire complex included about four lanes and was completely concreted. The black water flushing hose was hung nearby on an easily accessible pole, and the sewer pipe area was void of dirt, gravel, and leaves that are usually present in this low-priority area. Potato Creek took the time to plan and execute a fine facility for a necessary task.

We've recently learned that Potato Creek is going to be the site of a new lodge, the first built in Indiana since 1931. It looks to be a great build with lots of rooms and a pool and located on Wooster Lake. We are looking forward to a return trip to Potato Creek to explore more of the park, and maybe we'll find you there Along the Pooka Trail.