Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Chain O' Lakes

    4.2 (25 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 11:00 pm

    Chain O' Lakes Photos

    You might also consider

    More like Chain O' Lakes

    Recommended Reviews - Chain O' Lakes

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Kirk H.

    Nice camping park with best lake kayaking in Indiana. Sites are nicely sized and 9 lake challenge is 6 hours and 10 miles of kayaking. Very nice place, no cell on Verizon except at school house.

    Allison F.

    I love this park because of the many opportunities to hike along the lakes, which double as picturesque points of interest and cool down zones for pets. If you're wondering if this is worth the day trip, my vote is yes.

    Serene winter setting
    Nathan B.

    Decided to hike a few of the trails on a mild winter day and glad we did. Even tho some of the trails were covered in ice they were still fairly easy to trek across. Did trails 8 and 9. 9 is a bit rugged but it is worth it to see the cool beaver dam and lots of evidence of beavers in the area.

    Brittney R.

    I had never heard of this state park, until we were researching for a new place to go camping. I am so glad we decided to try this park out. It is soo beautiful and full of wildlife.They have over 10 lakes inside the park, a nature center, a large beach, and rental of kayaks, canoes, paddle boats, nu canoes, and bicycles. They also have what appeared to be very nice cabins. Some of the campsites are pretty small and some are in the direct sun all day, so do your research before booking. If you're looking for things to do outside the park, Shipshewana and Ft. Wayne are about 45 min away, and there is an awesome animal sanctuary called Black Pine in Albion. Driving through Ligonier is also fun, they have a lot of neat murals painted on the buildings and really cool moss covered fountain. Annie Oakley's factory is also located in Ligonier.

    Primitive spot 412- midmorning sun
    Jalee L.

    You might as well call me Yogi the Bear because after this camping trip I want to move here permanently! But really- Chain O' Lakes is the best Indiana State Park that I have been to. We decided to go camping here for the 4th of July holiday. The campground is massive- with a good variety of RV hookups, primitive sites, cabins, and special large group camping sites. We went for the primitive site ($15 a night)- which is set off to the side of the main campground. It was a huge bonus because the area is smaller (meaning your view was of the woods, not of other campsites) plus you didn't have the roar of generators in your ear. In the primitive site there are only pit toilets (fancy porta potties) but we did stop by the main campsite full restrooms/showers a few times. As another review stated (and I'm glad I read!) the actual showers down at the beach are nicer/cleaner than the campsite showers- so after a hot day of hiking we drove over to the beach site to shower. The water activities were a blast! The beach/swimming area itself was packed full of kids, so we opted for kayaking- $5 an hour is a great price! We actually ended up being gone for a hour and 45 minutes and they still only charged us for an hour. The wood-lined views from the Kayaks were gorgeous while traversing through the channels connecting the lakes. As for the hiking options- even the moderate trails are wide and have smooth footing, making any direction the right one. For more in depth trail info- Here is my take: Trail 1- Easy to connect from the campsite for a short hike- All tree covered- View is pretty much just woods- not able to see the lakes except for 2 bridge crossings. Mostly hiking at a mild incline. Trail 8- Gorgeous views! Short- but worth it. All Tree covered, but it takes you down to the actual water lake level. Trail 6 to10- (Northern 1/2 near campgrounds) Mostly sunny- There is a big open field that would be great for a pickup game. Trail 9- HAZARDOUS! The first portion is the butterfly garden that is full sun and filled with bees- the portion around the lake is a traditional narrow (foot wide) game/hiking trail that has Poison Ivy crawling all over the place- needless to say we turned around rather quickly.

    School House Rocks

    See all

    10 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ed L.
    991
    2755
    10457

    2 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kirk H.
    0
    21
    111

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Nice park to enjoy with friends and family. You can spend a whole day paddling in the lakes without getting bored.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Best hiking in northern in. Lots of trail options and the cabin camping is amazing too.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    6 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Judith G.
    1
    125
    38

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Kristin C.
    108
    49
    168

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    10 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    13 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    15 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Connie C.
    228
    306
    178

    10 years ago

    Many option including hiking, swimming and fishing. Clean park, nice trails and the camping environment is welcoming. Nice get away.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    Ask the Community - Chain O' Lakes

    Review Highlights - Chain O' Lakes

    s. When you're not on the water, the park has a good amount of trails for some hiking and nature walk

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Parks 101 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Krider World's Fair Gardens

    Krider World's Fair Gardens

    4.9(9 reviews)
    29.3 mi

    Tucked in off a street in Bristol, IN, is a place for serenity and a short walk through beautiful…read moregardens. The stone path leads to one of the 26 area heritage trail quilt gardens. Along the pathway, you will be shaded. These gardens include a huge ornamental lifelike mushroom with short sidekicks. Another photo worthy decoration is a wood carved cardinal next to a blue life sized Dutch windmill. The little park contains flowing water, a koi pond, scented roses, and multiple flora, as it winds up and down stairs on a stone pathway. Many artistic metal structures adorn the pathway. Definitely a place to visit!!!! I wish I lived closer.

    For those who are fairly new in my world, you likely don't know about my long history as an…read moreactivist in the area of violence prevention with a strong emphasis on child abuse and sexual violence prevention. Since 1989, I've traveled over 6,000 miles in my wheelchair and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for a wide variety of organizations. I spend a lot of my wheeling time in Indiana - my home state and lifelong home. Among my favorite places to go in Indiana is Elkhart County, a Northeastern Indiana jewel filled with magnificent trails, a strong Amish community, a number of historic peace churches, and a vibe that just really clicks with me. My favorite trail in Indiana is the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail that winds its way through four Elkhart County communities and runs a bit over a marathon in terms of length. You get to visit a variety of cool small towns and will likely see some Amish folks on their bicycles. Quite honestly, it's awesome. If you stop in Middlebury, and I always do as I have multiple friends there, you can take a break along the trail here at the Krider World's Fair Gardens. For once, this is not small town braggadocio. Krider World's Fair Garden started out its life as a 1934 World's Fair exhibit and has been meticulously maintained ever since. I won't say it's "the" pride of Middlebury, but it's certainly one of the things of which the community is most proud. This is a botanical garden that weaves together gentle walking paths, a quilt garden exhibit, iconic structures, and facilities that include waterfalls, picnic tables, viewing benches, a gazebo, and a swing arbor. The park itself is really only about 2.4 acres. It's not a huge place, but it's a beautiful place. It can be rented for special events, weddings, and photography needs. If you're on the Pumpkinvine, then you'll run into this area as a perfect place to stop and rest and enjoy a beautiful part of Middlebury. The biggest city in Elkhart County is, in fact, Elkhart itself. But, a visit to Elkhart County isn't complete without visiting places like Goshen, Middlebury, and Shipshewana. Yes, I'll admit that it can get a bit touristy but it's a friendly community and a place I absolutely love to visit. This part of the state has about 2 dozen quilt gardens. A "quilt garden" means that they lay the quilts out in a pattern that changes each season. You can also see "Garden With a Cause" here, a garden devoted to charities and local organizations improving the lives of the people of Middlebury. They have a replica of the "Sunrise Bench," a bench that was included in the World's Fair Exhibit and there's a Statue of Hebe and a Water Wheel House among other attractions. If you're in Elkhart County, a stop at Krider World's Fair Garden just really needs to happen. I have some photos, but I'm still trying to find them from past tours. When I do, I'll post my own photos but you can definitely capture the garden's vibe in the available photos here.

    Photos
    Krider World's Fair Gardens
    Krider World's Fair Gardens
    Krider World's Fair Gardens

    See all

    Chain O' Lakes - parks - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...