Cicero, IN – White River Campground Review
White River Campground Website
Date of our stay: October 29, 2015 arrival, October 30, 2015 departure
General Information:
Located on the west bank of the White River, this county campground on 26 acres offers 106 modern and primitive sites. The RV sites have full hookups, playground, large group facilities, laundry facilities, RV hook-up, hiking trails, canoe launch, fishing, river views and access, bath and shower facilities, and picnic shelters and tables.
They don’t provide a campground map at check in but they do have one online.
Rates:
Daily, weekly and monthly rates are available here. Note they charge a fee for credit card transactions so best to pay by check or cash.
Overall Impression – 3/5
This was a quick overnight stay for us on October 29th, 2015 after leaving Middlebury, IN where we were for service on our coach. We had a late start so we didn’t arrive at this campground until 4:25 p.m. (office closes at 4:30 p.m.). The young girl at the desk assigned us to site #10 – good thing we drove over in our van to check it out as there was no way our big rig would fit on that site.
Many of the back in sites along the river are relatively short and not big rig friendly. The office had closed by now but luckily we were able to talk to the campground host who advised us that sites #87-94 and sites #27-34 would be big enough for our rig. We were told to pick out one that best suited us but she warned us to be careful about driving on the grass in the middle of the loop because it had rained heavily, might be muddy and we most likely would get stuck. After looking at all the sites she recommended we decided that site #92 would be the best fit in terms of size and ease of back in access. We were glad of her warning. The sites are all perpendicular to the loop road making back in a little more challenging and it will be more difficult here during the busier months if cars are parked along the side of the main road and/or all the sites are occupied.
We didn’t get much of a chance to explore the campground but it seemed pleasant enough with the paved roads, full concrete pads, large metal picnic tables and a fire ring at the back of each site. There could have been more space between sites or some foliage to provide more privacy. We would return here if we needed some place to stay along our route but we wouldn’t go out of our way.
Sites:
Size – 3/5
There is a mix of site sizes and be aware that not all are big rig friendly. Our site #92 was a fairly long and wide full concrete pad, large enough for both the coach and our toad. Sites #87-94 and sites #27-34 are all big rig compatible, there may be others as well.
Privacy – 2/5
Amount of space between sites varied with some sections of grass wider than others, most had no privacy but spacing was adequate.
Amenities – 3/5
In addition to the full hookups, other amenities include a playground, bath house, laundry facilities, fishing, canoe launch, hiking trails, large group facilities, picnic shelters, picnic tables and river views.
Location:
Convenience – 3/5
This was just an overnight stay for us. Since we arrived late in the day, we didn’t get a chance to explore the area. The campground was located close to the small town of Cicero which we drove through on our way to the campground. Noblesville was about 10 minutes away – lots of retail, restaurants, pharmacies and other services are available there.
Physical Surroundings – 3/5
Maybe because of the season (we were here in October) and the fact that it was overcast and cold, it didn’t live up to the expectations set by the website and the satellite image. It is situated along the White River, in fact quite a few of the sites overlook the river, but it didn’t look all that pretty. Perhaps in the summer it would be nicer.
Maneuverability and Roads – 3/5
Roads were paved and wide enough. However, there was limited room to maneuver a bigger rig without driving on the grass. Driving on the grass is probably not an issue in the drier weather but after extended rain it could be a little dicey. To avoid driving on the soft grass in the center of the loop, we backed partly across the grass between our site and the one adjacent, but that may not be doable when the site is occupied.
Peace & Quiet – 4/5
We didn’t have windows open due to cold temps so we didn’t notice any road or train noise. Not sure how it would be in the summer. Most of the sites are located a fairly good distance from the road and are not near an interstate so I wouldn’t think that traffic noise would be an issue.
Utilities – 4/5
- Sewer – Located at the back of the site so was a full 15′ run for us from our mid coach wet bay. However the fitting was at grade and we had a proper slope despite the long distance. Threaded cap.
- Satellite – From site 92 no problem hitting the DISH western arc including 129 which was necessary to acquire locals. 61.5 did NOT have any locals in its spot beam either in HD or SD. Some sites have mature trees, particularly those along the river, so it will be hit or miss depending on site.
- WiFi – Surprisingly the free campground WiFi had good signal and decent performance, but the campground was not full.
- Cellular signal – Adequate. Inside coach only had 1 bar for Verizon 4G LTE.
- Over-the-Air (OTA) TV – picked up all major broadcast stations with no problems.
- Power – Very good. Good voltage, 120+ on both legs. Clean and up to date electrical box which had 50/30/20 amps. Well placed, in rear 1/3 of site.
- Water Pressure/Quality – Pressure was excellent. No off odors or taste, no turbidity or cloudiness observed.
What We Liked:
– Paved roads.
– Level full concrete site pads.
– Fairly wide sites with adequate room for both the coach and the toad.
What We Didn’t Like:
– Somewhat difficult to maneuver into some sites due to soft grassy section in the middle of the loop and no angle to the sites.
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