There’s no denying that Santa Claus, Indiana is a haven for holiday events. And while there’s no shortage of Christmas and winter holiday fun, there’s a place that pings my radar for the best RV park for Halloween: Lake Rudolph. From trick-or-treating to cabin decorating to onsite activities, here’s why Lake Rudolph is the best campground for Halloween.
Best Campground for Halloween – Lake Rudolph
I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Lake Rudolph several times and each time has been a fun experience. As a self-professed indoor girl, I don’t dig tent-style camping but can really get on board with hanging out in a luxury cabin for a weekend.
I’ve been chomping at the proverbial bit to visit during the Halloween season and things finally worked out, happily. Here’s what you can expect when you visit Lake Rudolph for Halloween and why so think it’s the best tv park for it.
Disclosure: I was graciously hosted by the fine folks at Santa Claus, Indiana, to give you a firsthand take on the experience. All opinions are my own!
Lake Rudolph- The Basics
If you’ve never had the pleasure of visiting Lake Rudolph, here’s the scoop.
Lake Rudolph is a massive campground with a holiday theme. On property, there are 250 rental lots and 284 spaces for camping and bringing your own RV.
We had a couple of nights in a Holiday Cottage, and it was perfect for the two of us. I loved the fact that we had a full kitchen to cook our meals, a screened-in porch, and parking for two vehicles if we needed it.
Each Halloween, Lake Rudolph designs a Halloween-themed shirt for the year and they are super popular. Personally, I love the kooky, quirky decorations on them and have bought several to go with my Halloween shirt collection. This year’s theme is the Headless Horseman and it’s downright cool.
If you want to stay for Halloween, or anytime during the Halloween season, you really need to book a year in advance. The lots sell out super quickly as the time of year is not only fun, the temperature is much more moderate.
Trick-or-Treating at Lake Rudolph- What to Expect
Halloween is probably the most popular time at Lake Rudolph, so be prepared for hundreds of trick-or-treaters when you visit. We had the pleasure of visiting during the second week of the holiday, and they were easily between 400 and 500 kiddos all dressed in costume.
My Advice. If you’re planning on going, buy more candy than what you think you’ll need so you don’t run out. If you have extra, and don’t wanna eat the leftovers, you can always return full bags back to the store.
Hourly Halloween Activities
Make sure you check the activities calendar when you check in, so you have a heads up on the hourly activities. During our visit, there was everything from a haunted hayride to a Halloween theme dance party to costume contests for both pets and humans.
Lake Rudolph Golf Cart Parade
The golf cart parade is a true highlight of Halloween weekend at Lake Rudolph. Whether you decide to rent a golf cart or bring your own, you can get as crazy as you want with decorations as long as they’re within legal limits.
For example, you can add lights decorations, and even dress up in costume to go along with the theme. Just make sure that none of the decorations hinder your view.
Lot Decorating Contest
Visitors really get into decorating their lots during Halloween. Each weekend, there’s a Halloween decoration contest and people go all out. During our visit, we spied everything from haunted graveyards to music sink light shows to hundreds of inflatables.
Holiday World Halloween
Well, you don’t have to visit Holiday World during Halloween, it really does ramp up the the fun. During Happy Halloween Weekends, the park offers fun activities, including both a large and small corn maze, trick-or-treating around the waterpark, live Halloween themed shows, spooky treats, and lots of cute decorations.
In a Nutshell
Honestly, I can’t imagine a better RV park and campground to celebrate Halloween. Halloween lovers like we are revel in the fact that they can go all out for the holiday. In the fact that lots can be decorated golf carts can be spooky side, and there’s so much trick-or-treating it make your face hurt from smiling.
I’d go back to lake Rudolph for Halloween in a heartbeat. In fact, it’s the most fun I’ve had for the holiday season in quite a while.