Pokagon State Park, Indiana

Pokagon State Park
450 Lane 100 Lake James
Angola, Indiana 46703
(260) 833-2012
Overview
Pokagon State Park is located in extreme Northeast Indiana just Southwest of the intersection of the Indiana Toll Road (Interstates 80 & 90) and Interstate 69. The entrance to the park is on SR 727 which intersects Interstate 69 at exit 154.

On the shores of Lake James and Snow Lake, which is also attached to Little Otter, Big Otter, and Jimmerson Lake, Pokagon State Park offers unexcelled opportunities for healthful, outdoor recreation at all seasons of the year. In a region where the Potowatomi Indian tribes ruled for many years, the park takes its name "Pokagon" from one of their famous chiefs.

The lakes form an attractive background for Pokagon State Park, offering a combination of excellent fishing, boating, and swimming throughout the summer and form a setting for the winter sports which are a feature of the park.

While walking on many of the wooded trails, you will very readily notice piles of rocks and outcroppings seemingly coming from out of nowhere. These rocks are known as glacial debris or glacial till. Kettle holes and natural lakes found in the area were formed by the melting of the huge masses of ice. The variations of plant species and topography is also typical of a region formed by the effects of glaciation. Don't overlook the Bluebird Hills Trail which leads through the Potowatomi Nature Preserve on the northernmost end of the park.

Some of the facilities include: 5 campgrounds (from primitive to electric), rowboat ($5/hr), pontoon ($155/day + $100 deposit), and paddle boat rentals ($8/hr), Nature Center, saddle horses ($12.50/person), pony rides ($3/child) and hayrides, a campstore and beach concession stand, toboggan slide, cross-country ski rental ($5/hr), two beaches, cabin rental, and many picnic areas equipped with shelters.

This is our favorite place to cross-country ski during the winter.

Winter Activities
Pokagon is the only Indiana State Park with a 1780 foot refrigerated twin toboggan slide. People come from miles around to enjoy the tobaggon run and the warming shelter that one can go to when they are frozen to the bone. The toboggan run is open from November through March even if the temperature is above freezing. The sleds must be rented and cost $10/hour. The staff at the warming shelter sells hot chocolate, coffee, and an assortment of hot foods to warm you back up. The shelter is a great place to sit down, relax, and get out of the elements.

Cross-country skiing is the other popular winter activity at Pokagon. There are two professionally maintained trails: the beginners & advanced. The beginner's trail is relatively flat and is easy to navigate, designed for those of us that may have never skied before. The advanced trail is more challenging. It has two long steep slopes, many sharp curves, and it is about 4 miles long. The most challenging part of the advanced trail is just after the flat first 1/4 mile where the trail takes a right turn down towards Lake James. This section of the trail has 4 turns that must be navigated very skillfully if you expect to get to the bottom without falling and getting coated with lots of the white stuff! You don't need to bring your own skis because they will rent them to you if there is at least 4 inches of snow on the ground. The fact that Pokagon is on the southernmost edge of the lake effect snow zone, normal winters provide many opportunities during each winter for this much snow to be on the ground.
Potowatomi Inn & Cabins
A big attraction at Pokagon is the recently remodeled Potowatomi Inn with 142 guest rooms and is complete with a public dining room, Courtyard Cafe, gift shop, sauna, whirlpool, indoor swimming pool, exercise room, craft room, game room, laundry, and library. Nestled on the side of a southwest facing hill, Potowatomi Inn provides a wonderful view of the southern most basin of Lakes James and Potowatomi Beach.

There are four different room types: Inn Rooms, Patio Rooms, Suites, and Cabin Units. All rooms include main service daily and access to Inn facilities as well as a private bath, television, phone and air conditioning.

Inn Rooms: Call
Ninety-seven inn rooms are furnished with either two queen beds or two double beds. Eighteen rooms have one double bed. The original design of the Inn has been preserved as much as possible throughout serveral renovations.
Patio Rooms: Call
The eight patio rooms on the ground floor have a lake view and direct outside access. They are studio rooms with a bed and a sofa/bed. Extra amenities are included.
Suites: Call
The three two-room suites are furnished with extra one or two beds and a sofa/bed. Extra amenities are included.
Cabin Units: Call
The sixteen cabin rooms are located in four buildings west of the main Inn in the woods near the toboggan run. The cabins are furnished similiar to the Inn rooms with two double beds. They are more private and provide a more rustic setting. They do not have cooking facilities or fireplaces. Adjoining rooms are available but not guaranteed.
Peak times are all weekends, holidays, Christmas vacation, and mid-June until mid-October. Cots are available for $5/night and Cribs are available for $3/night. No rooms are equipped with cooking facilities and you may not bring electric kitchen appliances. Pets are not permitted in the Inn or the Cabins.

Reservations are accepted and require a deposit equal to one night's rate plus tax. Potowatomi Inn will take reservations up to 2 years in advance. Deposits may be made by cash, check, or credit card. Deposits must be received with ten postal days. Reservations made less than 5 weekdays in advance of the requested arrival date which are not guaranteed will be released at 5pm Indiana time. Cancellations will be granted up to 4 calendar days prior to the arrival date with a full refund. Confirmation for the advance deposit will be mailed to you. Check in time is 4pm, check out time is noon. Indiana is on Eastern Standard Time (no daylight savings time) year round. If you'd like to learn more about staying or visiting Potowatomi Inn, call (260) 833-1077.

Pokagon has cabins to rent to large groups. Camp Mitig, overlooking the northernmost basin of Lakes James, accommodates up to 120 people. It features a common cooking area, shelters, large campfire area, volleyball court, and your own private access to the lake. The base price to rent Camp Mitig is $150/night. The Indiana DNR site says the off season rates, from Labor Day to Memorial Day, are $1.25/person + $60/day (not to exceed summer rate). Call to verify availability because the Camp is shutdown during the winter.

Shelters & Recreation Building Rentals
Pokagon supplies shelters for you to reserve. The rates range from $25-$75/day. That may be reserved up to one year in advance. Shelters not reserved one day in advance will be open on a free, first-come, first served basis. Shelters are open from 7am to 11pm. Reservations may be make in person at the park office or by telephone.

Pokagon rents the Warming Center between April and October. This building is for day use only. Reservations may be made one year in advance. To make a reservation, a deposit in the amount of one day's rental fee is required for each application which is used as an advance damage/cleaning deposit. The rental fee plus tax is paid upon arrival, and the deposit is refunded following checkout.

Campgrounds
The campgrounds are divided into 6 different campgrounds. A camp store is open during the busier weekends and sells most needed items as well as firewood.

Up to 6 people may occupy any one site. Up to 2 tents or 1 camper and 1 tent may occupy any 1 site. Only 1 vehicle is allowed on each site and this regulation is strictly enforced! A site may be rented for a maximum of 14 days.

A few years ago, Pokagon officials reduced the number of sites in the campgrounds. Now the campsites are larger and there is less congestion. But now it is harder to find a campsite. Thus if you want to camp in any of the campgrounds during the warmer months, it is strongly advised to obtain camping reservations as all the campgrounds usually fill to capacity as early as Wednesday. Half of the sites can be reserved, the others are available on a first come first served basis. You can only reserve the sites by mail or in person.

When sending a reservation in by mail, you must include a $6 reservation fee in addition to the fee charged for the site. As of February 1, 2002 electric sites (class A) are $16/night and non-electric sites (class B) are $12/night.

Camping reservations can be sent in as early as March 1st for reservations between May 25th through Labor Day. When making reservations for Memorial Day, July 4th, & Labor Day, you must reserve and pay for the site for three nights. Sorry this is Indiana, no telephone reservations are accepted yet. Reservations cannot be cancelled by may be reassigned to other people or changed to other dates if you have your reservation receipt. There is a $6 fee for each site reserved.

My wife and I consider a good campsite one that: 1) can accommodate a small pop-up camper, 2) are secluded more than most, and 3) are shaded. My recommendations on specific campsites below are based on these criteria.

Campground #1

Campground #1 is set apart from the other four campgrounds on a large hill overlooking the northernmost basin of Lakes James and provides a limited view of the southern part of Snow Lake. Sometimes the DNR puts out 2 floating docks for fisherman and sport boaters to dock their boats to. All the sites in this campground are electric (class A). The best sites Pokagon has to offer are in this campground and are sites: 115, 117, & 119 which are all reservable. This campground is closed during the winter.

Campground #2

Campground #2 is a non-electric (class B) campground. This means there is no electricity but there are comfort stations that have shower facilities. It features a playground on the most southern end of the campground. The best sites in this campground are sites 220-244, all of which are reservable except sites 228, 230, 236, & 238. Site 220 is the closest one to the comfort station. This campground is closed during the winter.

Campground #3

Campground #3 is an electric (class A) campground. It is most suitable for motor homes and has two comfort stations, one of which has a pay-telephone. The other comfort station also has a playground. This campground has a frost free water fill station and dump facilities. Sites 366, 368, 374, & 376 are handicapped sites. This campground is the only electric campground open during the winter.

Campground #4

Campground #4 is an electric (class A) campground. It has one comfort station and a playground. This campground is closed during the winter.

Campground #5

Campground #5 has recently been upgraded to an electric (class A) campground. Set behind campgrounds 2-4, it provides a little more privacy but tends to be louder late at night. The best sites in this campground are 502, 513, 523, and 525 none of which are reservable. A paved trail connects this campground to campground #3. This campground is the only campground other than campground #3 that is open during the winter. Near to this campground is the Spring Shelter where you can get water year-round.

Youth Tent Camping

The youth campground is situated behind campground #5 and has 5 separate camping areas. Sites Y3-Y5 are reservable. Near to this campground is the Spring Shelter where you can get water year-round.

The youth tent campground area contains camping areas are designed for groups of 10 or more with campers under 21 years and their adult leaders. The sites are available to public, semi-public, and not-for-profit groups only. Only tent camping is permitted. The facilities include: fire rings, picnic tables, pit toilets, and nearby drinking water. The rate for these sites are $2 per person per night. Reservations can be made by sending a $20 deposit, which will be credited toward the total bill, plus a $6 handling fee.

Wildlife
The park is home to an overabundance of deer and raccoons. Food and coolers left outside during the evening or nighttime hours are invitations to theft and danger from the coons. In my opinion, Pokagon has the most pesky coons of any park in Indiana. In the picture below of our camper, they attacked in the middle of the night and awoke my wife and I as they crawled under the axle of the camper in a quest to acquire food. The coons at Pokagon are not afraid of pets and routinely attack campsites in packs starting around dusk.

Park Map

2002-2003 TOBOGGAN INFORMATION
General Information

$10 per toboggan per hour
Maximum of 4 people per toboggan
Must use park's toboggans
Children must be able to understand and abide by rules
No cameras allowed on ride
No group reservations; or group charges
No all day rentals
Sleds rented on first come first serve basis only
Refrigerated Track (snow not needed to operate)
Warming Center Concession (carry-in food prohibited)
All park entrance fees apply
A driver's license can rent up to 4 toboggans
Cash or checks only
Toboggan will close if temperature drops to zero degrees or below
To try and avoid long lines, it is recommended to visit the slide prior to December 21st

Hours of Operation

Hours and Dates will be updated when released from the State Park Officials.

Our 2nd campout in our 1st camper - March 1991

Number of times this page has been accessed since November 29, 1997

Last updated March 22, 2002