Tents, bonfires, s’mores, the great outdoors; all staples of the traditional camping trip. No Indiana summer is complete without at least one of these outdoor excursions, and there’s no better place in the Hoosier state to spend a night or two out under the stars than at Rising Sun Campground in Monterey.
The campground was originally established as a farm in the 1970s, but was bought by Mike Sommers in 1985. Sommers sold the campground in 2000, but five years ago, the site was up for sale again. After a quick visit, the family decided to repurchase it and bring a little of their family history back to life.
“I grew up here, but my parents sold when I was 24,” said Angela Tolson, Sommers’ daughter and now Co-Owner of Rising Sun. “When Dad called me up and said the site was on the market, we all went and toured the property and just said ‘alright, let’s do this!’”
Whether you’re a city dweller at heart or are a seasoned camper with a natural affinity for the great outdoors, Rising Sun welcomes people from all walks of life, and truly has something for everyone to enjoy.
“We get people from all over, from Northwest Indiana to Chicago and beyond,” said Tolson. “We have a lot of different activities to offer, including a swimming pool, convenience store, basketball courts, tents, bonfires, and tubing.”
If traditional camping isn’t your thing, never fear! Rising Sun can also account for all of your “glamping” needs.
“We have space for your typical primitive camping near the river, but also have areas with water, electric, and a shower house with hot water,” Tolson said. “We even have a rec hall and arcade room for anyone who wants just a little screen time.”
While the campground has all that you’d expect from a weekend out camping, it’s not always your typical campsite. Throughout the summer months, it becomes the host of three different music festivals: Brown Town in June, SoulShine in July and, for the first time this year, Regionstock in August!
“We started doing the music festivals a few years ago,” Tolson said. “This will be the fourth year for Brown Town and the second year for SoulShine. This year, we decided to add Regionstock in honor of the 50th anniversary of Woodstock!”
Each festival has been selling out year after year and can have over 300 people come through at a time. These song-filled weekends include three days of access to all campsite services, more than 25 bands, and a whole lot of family fun!
“We’re a family-owned and operated small business,” Tolson said. “It’s my dad, my husband and I, and our children all running this place; we want to make sure we’re always giving a great experience to our guests of all ages.”
Rising Sun is located right near the Tippecanoe River, so it’s no surprise that tubing, canoeing, and kayaking are some of its more popular activities. These experiences become even more exciting during festival weekends!
“We transport people up the river so they can just float right back down to the campground,” Tolson explained. “During festivals you can start to hear the music playing about halfway through the float; everyone loves it, it’s a pretty neat experience!”
Don’t miss the fun this summer; come out to Rising Sun Campground and enjoy a weekend away! Upcoming events SoulShine Music Festival and the first ever Regionstock Music Festival will take place from July 19-21 and August 15-18 respectively.
“It really is just a beautiful, special place and so much more than just a campground,” Tolson said. “Once you come down here for a festival or even just for a weekend, you always find a way to come back.”
To learn more about Rising Sun Campground and all the fun things going on there, visit www.risingsuncamp.com/
