DEAM

We stay here twice a year while working in the area. Wayne Deam is always very accommodating & very nice. We feel safe & know Wayne is just a phone call...

This was our third time at Deam Lake, and we always have a great time. We have stayed in a cabin each time. This time we stayed in the Cardinal cabin. At some point we would love to get in a cabin by the water, but you have to book early! The cabins are a good size. It should be noted they do not have running water or toileting (which you may be used to depending on what kind of camping you do), so it might help to bring ways to clean your hands and possibly a portable toilet if you or your cabin mates (e.g., small children) don’t like having to venture to the bath house in the middle of the night. The cabin does have electricity and a heater/air conditioner as well as ceiling fans in each room. That being said, the lights are somewhat dim and the ceiling fans do very little to facilitate air flow, which is needed as the AC is not in the bedroom. It may also be worth noting that the front / main access room to the cabins have three windows with no window coverings. That room has the heater/AC, a sturdy rocking chair that can be moved elsewhere in the room or even onto the porch as desired, as well as a fixed picnic style table and adjacent shelf which will hold a small coffee pot, a toaster, and a couple other items. The bedroom has wooden beds with NO mattress or pads. There is a full bed as well as bunk beds. They are NOT very moveable (you can’t move them out of the way or reconfigure them to make it more comfortable) and they are NOT comfortable at all. We have been three times and we have never found a way to make them comfortable - sleeping pads, 3 inch foam, air mattresses, and a combination of the above don’t help with the hard wooden slats and immovability of these beds. I wish that they would get rid of all of them and just leave the rooms so you could bring the bed solution of your choice - air mattress, cots, honestly sleeping pads on the floor would be better than these beds. There is a lot to do at the park. Each spot comes with a fire ring and a picnic table. The cabins also have a front poor with a porch swing and a chair. There are too many great trails to count. There is also the beach and a nature center. Sometime revelry they also added a giant playground, which is perfect for anyone with small kids. Also nearby is Huber Winery and Starlight Distillery. We make it a point to go there each time we visit as they have outdoor music, a farmer’s market, an ice cream shop, a tasting room, tours, you pick fields, essentially something for everyone. We always enjoy this park and will definitely be back.

A welcoming, lovely, and well-organized campground. Bathrooms had been used a lot, but were maintained and as clean as can be expected. I'd definitely return!

19 years ago we camped here on our way to the Smokies. I vowed I'd never go back. The bathrooms/showers were horrible & I hated everything about the place. The husband talked me into going back & we decided to do a Fall trip. Wow! What a difference. It looks like they have a different property manager. The playground looked new. The sites were cared for & they tried a little topical management in the bathrooms. Although the property is 1300 acres, the lake is only 194 acres. It's electric motor only, so no water skiers or gas motors roaring all day & half the night. This is a hikers park. Most of the trails are 6 miles or over & rugged. The trails that are less are trails you have to hike from another trail to get to (except trails 1,2 & 4). The Vista Trail (trail 4) is the most interesting, but the incline is very steep. Supposedly able to see the lake from the top, but all I saw were trees. Maybe better in the winter/spring. The Knobstone trail trailhead is here. Very long backpacking trail (60 miles!). Horseback riding is popular & there's a campground just for them. Only 1 trail for mountain biking - trail 3. Fishing was poor, but we were here in late October. The weather was chilly 2 out of 3 days. Probably better in warmer weather. There's a small nature center that would be interesting to families. The beach was closed to swimming when we were there. Campground is well cared for. Some sites better than others. The F loop is the best. Some sites have a view of the lake. The bathroom/showers in F loop were State Park clean, which means on the low end of clean. The sinks & toilets were looked after daily. They covered the walls with some kind of formica board which looked better than bare concrete walls. Pretty easy on & off I-65. Only a few miles to Deam Lake from there. Sellersburg has restaurants & stores. Didn't see a Walmart, but did see a Walgreens.

Fall 2022 over the Halloween weekend was enjoyable. The cabin we stayed in near the Horse Loop was clean and perfect for a campfire. The bathrooms and showers were simple, but cleaned daily. The park really shines in the fishing and hiking, and that's why I'll come back. I hiked part of the Knobstone to the south trailhead. We took our boat past the beach area, and it looked to be very shallow water.

We usually camp at Deam Lake once yearly in the Horse campground. This time however, we were a little disappointed. They were logging and so some trails were closed and just a mess. The bathrooms were a bit dirty, hand dryers weren’t working, and water was cold in shower house. They have two separate campgrounds, one regular and one equestrian...but they were letting campers without horses on the equestrian side. This is not the smartest idea to have people who have no idea how to interact with horses intermingled amongst them. I can see that if revenue is needed, and if there were sites available utilize them, but keep them more towards the front somewhat separate. We enjoy visiting this area, so we hope that this was just a one time thing.