Road Trips Starting from Fort Wayne, IN
Best National Parks Near Fort Wayne, IN
Indiana’s only national park, Indiana Dunes National Park, is located 119 miles from Fort Wayne on the shores of Lake Michigan. At this park, visitors can explore a vast trail network along the beach and through the countryside. Perhaps the best time to visit the park is in the summer when the weather is warm enough for swimming and boating. Fauna of the park includes shrews, chipmunks, squirrels, beavers, and mice while flora includes the endangered Pitcher's thistle and wildflowers.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park is located in Ohio and is home to over 100 waterfalls, including the tallest of the northern half of the state. Hikers love this park because it has 125 miles of trails, and many explore the park’s environment of rolling hills and deep ravines. At the park, you may see animals such as mice, moles, voles, shrews, chipmunks, and squirrels. Horseback riding, biking, and fishing or boating in the park’s river are other top activities at this park located 204 miles away from Fort Wayne.
Found in Kentucky, Mammoth Cave National Park is 326 miles south of Fort Wayne. This park is known for its extensive underground cavern system, which happens to be the largest in the world. The public can explore sections of these caverns on a guided tour, including the Rotunda, Gothic Avenue, and Frozen Niagara areas. On the surface of the park, hiking and biking opportunities are available through forests and fields. Inside the caves, you may encounter cave crickets, Allegheny woodrats, and Rafinesque big-eared bats while, on the surface, you might see white-tailed deer and foxes.
Popular State Parks Near Fort Wayne, IN
Found in Ohio 52 miles from Fort Wayne, Independence Dam State Park is located on the banks of the Maumee State Scenic River. This location makes the park the ideal retreat for kayaking, canoeing, and fishing for catfish, crappie, smallmouth bass, northern pike, and walleye. The park’s Buckeye Trail is also a great hiking destination for those who want to learn about Ohio’s past while exploring the park’s natural environment.
Harrison Lake State Park sits in northwest Ohio, just 73 miles from Fort Wayne. At this 142-acre park, visitors can enjoy recreational activities in and around the park’s lake or see animals that come to the park’s wetland areas, like great blue herons. Other towns near the park include Fayette, Wauseon, and Archbold, all of Ohio.
Originally created to supply water for nearby canals, Lake Loramie is now open to the public for water sports, swimming, boating, and fishing. This lake is found at Lake Loramie State Park in Ohio, 70 miles from downtown Fort Wayne. Open since 1949, this park also offers a campground with full hookups and sites for RVs up to 70 feet in length.
Must-see Monuments and Landmarks Near Fort Wayne, IN
While there aren’t many national sites and monuments found near Fort Wayne, there are some located in Ohio that are worth the drive. For example, the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park is the site of the first aircraft testing done by the famous Wright brothers. Also at this park is an interpretive center about early aviation, a preserved bicycle repair shop once operated by the Wright brothers, and additional interpretive exhibits about African American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. This park is located 131 miles away from Fort Wayne.
Another great site to check out when you want to learn about Ohio’s history is the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument, 144 miles from Fort Wayne. This national monument is dedicated to the life of the first African American National Park Superintendent, Charles Young. This man was also a military figure of the Civil War and a professor at nearby Wilberforce University.
The William Howard Taft National Historic Site is a site that honors the 27th president of the United States. Taft was also Chief Justice of the United States, and this historical place preserves his childhood home. Consider taking a tour of the whole site with a park ranger to learn about his life and wife, Helen Taft, when you visit this location that is 182 miles from Fort Wayne.
RVshare’s Top Picks for Nearby RV Parks & Campgrounds
Found right on Harry Baals Drive in Fort Wayne is Johnny Appleseed Park, which features a campground with 45 RV-friendly sites, many with electrical hookups. There are also back-in and pull-through sites, and the campground is located near the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo.
In Auburn, about 20 miles north of Fort Wayne, campers will find Fireside Resort RV Park, which can be easily accessed via I-69. At this campground, you can enjoy free Wi-Fi, showers, laundry facilities, and even a recreation hall.
For a luxury camping experience, check out the Bluffton/Fort Wayne South KOA, found 27 miles from Fort Wayne in the town of Bluffton. This campground has lots of shade plus 124 campsites with full hookups. There are also plenty of on-site amenities, including a playground, walking trails, a pool, laundry facilities, and a snack bar.
RV Dump Stations Near Fort Wayne, IN
For RV dumping right in Fort Wayne, check out Berning Trailer Sales, found on New Haven Avenue. This location offers dump services for $10 or less on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. You can also use this location for RV storage with indoor and outdoor storage available.
The Marion Municipal Utility facility in Marion, 50 miles from Fort Wayne, also offers RV dumping services. Services are offered for free to the public at this location on weekdays, and you may call ahead to request these services.
Also in Marion is the Loves Travel Stop No. 323, which is found near the corners of Highway 69 and Highway 18. This location is open 24 hours daily and offers dump services for $10 or less. You will find this dump station 46 miles south of Fort Wayne.
