I finally visited Pokagon State Park for the first time. After hearing my mom talk about a childhood visit she had (including the Toboggan run) for decades, we made the three hour trek north from Indy for a cozy weekend of staying at the lodge, hiking on the trails, visiting the nature center, etc. The overall park and setting was peaceful. The Tobaggan run definitely makes them stand out from other Indiana state parks as one of the more winter-friendly destinations. It was certainly hopping during our chilly January visit. Given the park's popularity, I was surprised at how much TLC the inn could use. The nature center is fairly simple but worth a visit. They have a trail that runs out the back door and easy parking. You'll also find Nordic skiing trails, homes along the lake and a simple restaurant at the inn. The toboggan run was a hit with our four year old. I cheered overhead with our two year old and I have to say that watching is quite enjoyable as well read more

We absolutely loved it our dog had a blast sniffing everywhere she was allowed. The cabins were wonderful considering how old the buildings are and my family is so excited to go next year. read more

They have a day long hike called the Hell's Point Challenge. I would love to return in the warmer weather and complete this hike, due to below freezing weather in January I just did portions of the hike, with car heater breaks. There is a beautiful historic lodge with restaurant. The restaurant prices are reasonable and the dining room is historic. For kids they have sled riding shoots, when I was a kid I would have lived this. There is a unique beauty about hiking in the winter. read more

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Charge entrance fee to eat at the inn for Easter dinner and the front gate gal was not friendly at all. No "happy Easter" from her. Disappointed. They didn't charge last year I am told. Business must not be good. read more

I've been coming to this state park for years for camping both in tents and campers as well as staying at the hotel and cabins! It's never a dull experience coming here, there's lots to do and plenty of great places to relax too! Little slice of heaven in my opinion! read more

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The Park is beautiful, however my first visit was not exactly pleasant. Thumbs down on Manager's demeanor and Dump site locations! Booked a site SPECIFICALLY for the Halloween festivities. Called office, direct, DAYS BEFORE arrival. Asked approximately how many kids to expect so I have enough treats. Cheryl, who was kind and helpful, informed me - IT'S HUGE! - they tell vendors and campers to expect around 1,200!! However, where I was - wouldn't be AS busy, so I figured maybe around 100 - 200. Asked campers how many kids come to the 200's sites where I was ---was told NOBODY comes in this area or the other CGs (all in walking distance)- they are all DIRECTED to the 300 sites! Arrghh - had 11 gallons of all natural, whole milk hot cocoa with proper equipment to dispense, and more treats! Facing the possibility I would have to throw out - asked manager at the office (Tammy?) if I could post a sign where to find me. She was unnecessarily rude and her tone conveyed --annoyed. Was informed couldn't put up a sign DIRECTING people. Directing?? No - -- giving people an option if they choose! Safety was NOT an issue as they CLOSE DOWN the roads when the kids are trick or treating. Rangers stationed to enforce. In her defense - she did say I could bring everything over to the 300 sites. REALLY? with my set-up, supplies and heavy equipment- not an option! Walked over during the festivities. Crazy - in a fun way! Too many people in one area! I worked for a risk management insurance company for 26 years. Unwise. They should ALLOW kids go to other campsites as well so it's less congested! Some campers at other sites stated the same and were also disappointed and couldn't understand why I couldn't post a sign. Another woman shared how rude the manager was to her daughter so it wasn't just me. Was able to give away about 5 gallons due to some wonderful campers and kiddos who spread the word! Was also told by trick-or-treaters they found out about the hot chocolate from... staff! Grateful for them, but the remaining goodies sadly-- WASTED$$! Management could have been more helpful. Usually go to Raccoon S.P. in Indiana for their Halloween festivities --- it's HUGE and FAR BETTER organized with helpful management! Dump stations situated NEXT TO CAMPSITES with long lines causing back-ups and blocking roads. Witnessed a few angry campers trying to navigate around this. Been to many state parks- never saw this goofy set up. read more

This is an underrated state park in Indiana. It is one of the few that has an inn (currently undergoing renovation). There is something to do here no matter what the season. They have a couple nice beaches for when the temperatures rise. In the winter there are the refrigerated tobaggon runs. There are lots hiking trails (cross country skiing trails) and there's even a horse stable. read more

Pokagon State Park - Parks Near Me - Angola, Indiana

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Pokagon is a fun state park for swimming and camping. Their camp store is pretty small so try not to forget anything. read more

Pokagon State Park - Campspot - Parks Near Me - Angola, Indiana

Camped in the 500 loop with 15 other couples and had a wonderful time. The staff was friendly and extremely welcoming. Most of the sites were very level for experienced campers of the 15 couple only 2 or 3 of us even needed to use leveling pads. The 200 loop is non electric most of those sites have a level spot for a tent or a small camper. 300 and 400 loop are electric with some smaller sites and pull through sites. The 100 loop is paved surface all pull through 50' long sites. Trails, bike trails, foot trails and equestrian trails. I didn't bring a bike so I can't say much about those other than there were a lot of kids in the park and it seemed like they all had bikes. Hiking trails, hiked with my dog about 5-6 miles a day and in 4 days didn't hike every trail, the trails are developed, moderate and some are used equestrian and pedestrian. Most of the trails we were on had benches along the way. This is a popular state park. read more

Beautiful state park with so much to offer! Hiking, swimming, tobogganing, nature center, horse riding and more!

Nice state park. We stayed at the lodge so getting around was easy. There's a ton of easy to moderate hiking trails. I think we did about all of them. If you take pictures at different points shown on the hiking map, and then go to the nature center, you are rewarded with a sweet decal for your car. I'd recommend this park. read more

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Excellent facilities, information, hiking trails! Super easy access from highway and great price for camping.

I would rank Pokagon State Park up in the top 5 of my favorite State Parks. This is another one of those Indiana treasures. I wanted to experience this Park in the winter for their Tobbagon Run. I have never seen anything like it. This gem was built in the 1930's and has been maintained ever since. The Tobbagon run is only open in the Fall/Winter, from Thanksgiving until the end of February on weekends or long breaks from school so check the website for exact times. The Tobbagon is $20 per hour. At first I thought that was a bit pricey until I realized several people could ride on the Tobbagon. Unlike Tubing, several people ride on a tobbagon together and that makes it more fun! There is a rental center near the track as well as a warming center with refreshments. When we got to the top I was preparing myself for the same terrifying feeling of riding a rollercoaster, however once you are on the toboggan and going down the incline of the man-made hill. It is not so much the terrifying feeling of a roller coaster, but the exhilarating feeling. There were two park employees on the top who were able to direct the riders and show them exactly how to get on and how to position their feet to get the most out of the toboggan and to be safe. Do not worry if it's an unseasonably warm day or if it hasn't snowed, the toboggan run is refrigerated so there's always a sheet of ice on it when it's open. A few things to keep in mind, the heavier toboggans will help you go faster however, you will have to carry them up once you reach the end. This could be quite difficult even with a group. There were also a lot of stairs to walk up with your toboggan. We were able to get four good rides down in an hour , but I did see a sign that said it's not uncommon during busier times to only get one ride an hour. Other than the warming center there was also a very inviting fire pit maintain by park staff along the route that you could stop at to warm up. I loved this place. We also explored the trails, which were a lot of fun and not too complicated. There was also a nature center which would be great for small children. The park was located on a beautiful lake that offers a beach for swimming in the summer. This State Park also features an Inn! Although I did not stay on this trip I have stayed in the past and found it to be very inviting. This would be a great year round destination. read more

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I'm a non local so my fee to enter the park was $9. They do not offer veteran discounts unless you want to purchase an annual pass. My husband and I did the devil challenge trail which is 8 miles. The map we were given was not the best and trails were not marked very well. We ended up going 8.77 miles. At the end of the hike we showed pictures of specific points to earn a sticker. I recommend using both spf and inspect repellent spray. The bugs are really bad on the wetland trail. read more

We rented the Group Camp for a family Christmas weekend. We were very disappointed to learn that our guests were going to be charged every day they stay at the group camp. This is on top of the $1500 we have paid to rent the Group Camp. This makes OUR state park look like a low rent money grubbing operation. Quite embarrassing to now ask our guests to pay to enter the park every time they go in town. Huge disappointment. read more

First time coming here, I've always wanted to explore this place since my last time I was in Angola. I was happy that parking was free because I don't think this place is worth the admission price. Sure it's a beautiful place with scenic views but it just seems like a normal park just to visit. read more

This review is for the toboggan run at Pokagon State Park. Pay a $9 entry fee ($7 if you're residential) and look for the signs that direct you to the toboggan run. The park has onsite lodging called the Potawatomi Inn that is convenient, but for the weekends I was able to make it, it was completely sold out. So book early! The park itself has plenty of parking. We parked near the top of the toboggan run. Toboggan rentals are $13 an hour. You get a choice of a 3 seater or a 4 seater, 40lbs or 65lbs. The theory is the heavier you go, the faster you go. But keep in mind, you'll be hauling the toboggan back up to the top of the hill. Lines can get somewhat long. We waited about 20-30minutes per run and were only able to 3 times in a span of a little under 2-hours. Overall, its a lot of fun! There's a speed gun at the bottom that tells you how fast you went (33mph for us). There are bathrooms and a snack stand where you can pee and eat (or eat and pee) when you get tired. BATHROOM REVIEW: Located on the other side of the rental shelter, the mens bathroom is super small. There is one stall and one urinal and a sink. It was tolerable. Sit or squat? Squat read more

My family and I enjoy staying at state parks. It's important for all of us to have time away from the connected world. This park offers many amenities that will help you and your family unwind from a busy schedule. The hiking and lake offer a relaxing retreat from the constant go go environment. The downfall is the food at the park. The food being served for the buffet is days old. I'm pretty sure they are reserving food from the day prior. The service at the restaurant also needs help. They have a lot of potential, they just need to get hyper focused on the core areas of restaurant. read more

I took my camper to Pokagon to spend time with a buddy whose sister and husband live on Lake James. Pokagon is very overgrown,with very uneven campsites. Ground. Bring boards to to put under your tires. I got locked out of my camper. Cell, wallet in camper. I went to the entrance booth and asked the park ranger about a locksmith? 2 hours later I went back and they say I need to call one myself? ???? No phone. The girl at the store was gracious to let me use her phone. Bring boards and be aware that you are alone in a forest. It is no Maumee Bay State Park. read more

One of my favorite state parks. We've stayed at the inn a few times now and it's always a great experience. Lake James is huge! Get a boat if you can and do some fishing! read more

Beautiful park, well keep trails that will keep you busy for days and all on the Lake James chain of natural lakes. Gorgeous.

There is so many things to do here! And you don't have to just hike, you can go to the pool, the lake, as well as a craft room, and arcade.Due to COVID-19 the arcade is closed and there is limited space for your safety.Me and my family have been here many times and had a blast! read more

I love almost everything about this park! We stayed in a cabin in the fall and had the greatest time! We returned again yesterday for tobogganing and will definitely return again - we had so much fun! The cabins and lodge are both put together so well! Our cabin had two full sized bed, a bathroom with shower, cable TV, and a fridge. The lodge has a gym, pool, rec room, and restaurant. We utilized all of the amenities except the gym. My children and I also went on a couple hikes while staying in the cabin for our friends wedding. On our hike, we came across a stable that had a little pony that my kids enjoyed looking at and taking pictures with. We will probably return at some point in time for some more tobogganing since everyone seemed to enjoy that the most! The entire crew for tobogganing (from the welcoming center to the rentals) were super nice and fun! The only thing that I noticed could use improvement was the pool at the lodge. The pool and the pool area could have used some cleaning! It seemed pretty grimy to me. Other than that, everting else was nice! read more

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Stayed for a week in the fall. Beautiful park, very well maintained, and the staff is knowledgeable of the area and super friendly. Shout out to Ally who helped us pick the perfect campsite! We will definitely be back. read more

Pokagon State Park - Lake James inside Pokagon state park - Parks Near Me - Angola, Indiana

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Beautiful park with hiking trails and a nice nature center. The toboggan rides are definitely the highlight of the park!

I'm just coming on here to complain about the staff members. I was previously a housekeeper there about a year &' a half ago and i had my reasons for leaving, mind you, NEVER GOT FIRED, I LEFT MYSELF. I was working with my sister at the time and she was my only ride to work, they knew that. Danielle proceeds to FIRE my sister for having me help her with her rooms after we JUST had a meeting about "team work". That caused me to have to leave with her because again, I HAD NO RIDE. Well here i am today, i rehired about a week ago, had my interview WITH Danielle, she got my hopes up about being able to come back. I proceed to call her today and tells me I'm not eligible to work there anymore. Really? because last i knew, i got offered to come back after a year and it's been well over it. I'm over this place. Also, when i worked there, if the bed was slept in but not dirty, they would NOT change the bedding once so ever nor sweep the floors in rooms. There ya go!! read more

This is a review of the campsite only. The campground is divided into five separate loops. One loop has no electric. None of the loops have full hook up. All lots are close to each other with only a few exceptions. There are no lots that are completely secluded or private where he can't see other campers although the campground is fully wooded. Most sites have gravel/grass combo with no paved drives. This created a soggy mess after a heavy rain. The majority of lots are uneven and require leveling. The back of our camper scraped as we backed up into our inclined site. We had no internet or over air tv reception in our RV. The water fill was one spicket along side the road prior to entrance into the camping area. This created a long wait as lines formed. It was also dangerous as the water was on the opposite side of the tank thus the hose had to be brought to other side as the filler stood on the road. It was not a "pull off" location. The dump site was within the loop and difficult to get to in loop 4 as we had to drive around and circle back. A line formed blocking the road and exit for other vehicles due to the location and width of the road. It was a definitely a poor set up. I would not recommend to larger RV's or those without leveling. The staff and people were friendly, but the facilities, uneven sites, and poor set-up will keep us from returning. read more

Pokagon State Park - Original entrance check station. Love the brick work throughout the Park. - Parks Near Me - Angola, Indiana

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This place is amazing. Pay a small fee ($7/car) to get in. The sleds are $12/ hr. The sled course itself is refrigerated so it doesn't need snow to operate! Max 4 per sled. We had had a blast, went up to 35 mph. Hold on!!! There is a little cute enclosed area that is heated, has bathrooms and a little concession stand, clean and neat though the candy was a tad stale lol. There is an Inn in the park and bike trails and horseback riding (saw the signs). Definitely a place we will be back to explore when the weather warms and hope to come back again this winter! read more

Pokagon State Park - The Tobaggon run is amazing! $12/hr per sled. Max 4 per sled - Parks Near Me - Angola, Indiana

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Such a beautiful park! We went at the beginning of November and the fall foliage was in full swing. The colors were too die for near the beach. It wasn't too cold but it wasn't exactly warm either. I will gladly pay again just to be there. It's cash only and I believe it $9 per out-of-state car. read more

Pokagon State Park - Parks Near Me - Angola, Indiana

Beautiful place to camp. Recommend scouting out your site prior to visit. Modern facilities as well as vault bathrooms. DNR cleaned daily. Beach was large with a wading area. The Pokagon Inn is available for those who don't like to camp with a beautiful restaurant that has an excellent salad bar. Only downfall is they think August is fall. read more

Pokagon State Park - Parks Near Me - Angola, Indiana

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This is a fantastic place for the whole family. Lots of indoor and outdoor activities for children and adults alike. My personal favorite is hiking for nature trails and the toboggan slide, but playing board games and video games inside is what the kids like. And don't forget the pool sauna and hot tub whenever you're in the mood. read more

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Super disappointed. We called ahead for the toboggan run to see if they were open and figure out how it works. Well, they don't tell you on the phone or on the website anywhere or on their FB page how busy it's going to be... So we got to the park, ate at the Inn (good luck finding a sign for it by the way), and then headed up to the toboggan rentals. We spent half an hour in line just to get a ticket for the rental. When we finally got to the front and were handed tickets for our sleds, the park worker told us it would be AT LEAST an hour and a half wait for two sleds to become available. If we'd have known that, we would have gotten the tickets first and then gone to eat! And that hour and a half doesn't even include the actual wait for the ride, which is about another 45 minutes to an hour. We ended up giving our toboggan rental tickets to a family that was waiting. Doing something nice felt good, but riding the toboggans ourselves would have been nice too... Please figure out another system for the ride. Spending four hours waiting is just ridiculous. read more

My family and I have gone camping here dozens of times. There is a vast array of site sizes and quality (how much you want to "rough it") so, unless you're looking for some mountains, you'll find what you're looking for. The river is excellent for swimming and fishing, there's horseback-riding, the nature center is gorgeous, and there's SPACE! There are a couple playgrounds, a general store and the Inn. If you need some indoors time and a meal you don't have to make yourself, that's where you go. Anyone who enjoys easy to moderate camping will love Pokagon. I only have two complaints: 1) the bathrooms are gross. Granted, they are camping bathrooms. It's really best to "go" outside at night so you don't slip on something inside. 2) I ate at the Inn's restaurant with an ex and we received the worst service I've ever had. The five or six other seated tables got the excellent service my relatives have always had, but we waited 20+ minutes for just a menu. The only difference between the other tables and us was that we're out of the closet - could that have been why? read more

Over Father's Day weekend, the hubby and I camped out Pogkagon, in the non-electric campsites. One of our party was extremely late (11pm) getting there, and we were worried they'd not be let in, but they were escorted by the staff to their site! The park was beautiful, and the staff was very friendly. I will say that I've never seen such a strong staff presence at a state park. They were helpful and polite, but it was a bit disconcerting at first. On Sunday, the park's plumbing system went down (no water pressure in the toilets/showers), and was fixed within an hour or so of the staff becoming aware. The flushables were reasonably clean, but the pit toilets were about what you'd expect. fire-pits have iron rings with a folding grate over them. There was a surprisingly well-stocked camping store, nice bike trails, and the option to take a horse-trail ride. A bundle of wood is $5 at the store. There are also kayaks, row boats, fishing boats and party-barges for rental. We rented a rowboat ($30 for 24 hrs) and had a nice few hours on the lake, fishing. A few caveats: 1) As has been mentioned in other reviews, the campsites vary widely in size/shape/grade, despite being the same price. I was worried that our largeish tent would not fit on our site at first, given the placement of the gravel drive for the parking spot. (Luckily it did) Best to scout them out in person beforehand, if possible. 2) Our spot had gravel under the dirt, so it was hard to drive those cheap plastic stakes into the ground. As always, be sure to bring a mallet and good metal stakes if you are pitching a tent. 3) The campground allows dogs, but not on all the beaches. read more

Stayed here for 2 nights. It was great at first. We got here at 4:30 and we checked in to our room in the hotel. When we got up to our room, the elevator door won't open so we pushed the 2 button. Still won't open so we went down and used the stairs. Things to get fixed.... 1. Fix the elevator to level 2. 2. Get more luggage carts. 3. Refurbish the hotel. read more

I have been to Pokagon State Park in the summer, fall, and winter and have loved it each time. Some state parks you only want to go to certain times of the year, this one has something all year long. I've loved Fall hikes with the beautiful leaves. I've gone camping in the summer and kayaking on Lake James. And tobogganing in the winter. Definitely something unique. While kayaking I noticed lots of fun the boaters were having docked together with music and little food places on the water. Great for fishing including ice fishing. I've never stayed in the lodge but have heard good things. There is a nice public space in it with a fireplace and lots of seating with puzzles and games that is very cozy and sweet on a winter day and also an indoor pool. I have seen deer every time I'm there. My only complaint is I do not recommend the little cafe! Expensive for not high quality. The workers were slow and standing around on phones and forgetting everything. There is a sit down restaurant though that I have not been too that I'd assume is a little better. Overall it's a great and fun park! read more

My wife and I are spending a couple days and nights at Pokagon State Park with their buy-one-get-one offer at all state parks during January and February. Great deal. Ate in the dining room for breakfast and dinner today. Great food for being at a park inn. Even greater service. At breakfast Ali gave me special attention when she saw I was standing near the milk pitcher table eating my oatmeal because the bowl was so small that I didn't want to keep running back there to get more milk. She went out of her way to get me a larger bowl. A real service attitude--and with a smile. Then at dinner Brenda also took extra care in servicing our table even though we were not part of the large group of 180 guests who were eating there while attending a conference. She made extra trips to make sure we had all we needed. Both of these ladies made our stay extra special with their excellent service. read more

For $7 you really can't complain. The park is huge with a lot of trails and things to do. I've been twice and enjoyed the lake both times. I plan on going back for horseback riding and tobogganing. The park is only about a 45 minute drive from Fort Wayne, which makes a short trip with plenty of options once you get there. Conviently located close to a sand bar, club, and plenty of restaurant options. The hotel on site even looks promising. I will update later when I try all that this park has to offer, but as it stands it is a great place to go and relax. read more

My first experience at this park was mostly negative. One of the handful of positives this place had was the gate attendant was friendly. From there it went downhill. Honestly they really need to do something about the Toboggan hill. I have heard it originally had an online check in that failed, and while I thought this first come first serve business would be good, it honestly didn't pay off at all. I arrived 45 minutes early and there were about 20 people in front of me. I figured ok, once it opens it would just be an hour or two. I literally waited 4 hours, even after the employee said there are still 15 groups in front of me. Can you tell me how in the holy heck is there 15 groups still in front of me, when I was one of the first ones here? It is unreal and advise this place close the Toboggan park immediately. It is not suitable to be open during COVID in my honest opinion. There is also no real penalty for going over the hour time limit, so families can just keep paying to go for more time. This place is not properly run, especially for COVID. Please stay away, especially if you have any kids, unless you can expect them to sit still for hours. Also the way you have to lug the Toboggan up the hill is unsatisfactory. The potential for injury seems all to real. I would like to know how many people have gotten hurt from this? Overall, I do not recommend visiting during this winter. Maybe things are different when everything was normal, but I would wait to go when things are back to normal. PS: the hiking trails are pretty generic for a state park. Nature center is acceptable. read more

what a waste of money and time. sites are absolutely not level; FULL OF POISON IVY, and the response from the ranger, " I don't know what level is, I don't camp". they gave us another site, still garbage aka NOT LEVEL.... . after several hours of complete and total aggravation we gave up, packed up and I called Jellystone a few miles away and spent the night there. If you dare stay some where in Indiana there are only 2 places I'd vouch for... Indiana Dunes state park or Jellystone in Fremont... outside of that, going forward we plan to just pass on this state all together as it's been nothing but a train wreck each time we've rolled through here. read more