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Don't go here if you expect to sleep - from TripAdvisor.com
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If you expect to get any sleep, do not stay at Lake Rudolph campground. "Quite" hours are from 11-7, but absolutely no enforcement. I felt like we were trying to sleep in a stadium. The camp spots are almost on top of each other, giving you no privacy. The "resort" rents golf carts, which sounds like a good idea, until you are trying to either sleep or walk anywhere (especially with kids). With all the noise, nature takes second stage. So disappointed ... next time we will stay at the nearby state park.
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Posted by Roadtrippers99 on 8/17/2008
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Nice campground Skip the Cabin! - from TripAdvisor.com
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The campground was well-landscaped and very conveniently located next to the water park. The cabin was incredibly over-priced given its lack of amenities.
Having to bring your own bedding and towels and no housekeeping service while staying in a cabin is perfectly reasonable but not when your cabin costs as more than a suite in downtown Indy! The dishes were dirty (you're supposed to clean them before checking out, but apparently no one checks before the next group checks in), the were cobwebs and dust bunnies under the bed & futon that must have been months old, and the futon pad was stained and mashed & lumpy. No dishwasher to clean the dishes before using them, no TV, and the town of Santa Claus closes before the amusement park, so you'd better have all your groceries when you check in. If this had been a $40/night cabin in a state park, I would have been pleasantly surprised; for the cost of a 2BR suite, it was just plain ridiculous. I would consider tent-camping in the campground, as it looked like a nice place to stay.
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Posted by Jtfortwayne on 8/7/2008
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Memorable experience - from TripAdvisor.com
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Stayed here for two nights in a King rental RV and just wanted to echo the previous poster. The RV was spotless, had a new picnic table and fire ring outside with all the conveniences of home inside (sans TV!:) . Campground offers a lot: a pool, peddle and row boats, horseshoes, basketball, bingo and movie nights. Mini golf and fishing are free, as is the shuttle that takes you directly to the front gates of Holiday World. If you want a golf cart, rent one early as they were sold out when we arrived. However, we didn't really need one since we spent most of our time at the amusement park.
Holiday World was perfect for our family of two tween boys and parents. As others have mentioned, the waterpark, Splashin Safari, is where we spent most of the day. They have two of just about everything (wave pool, lazy river, tube rides, raft rides, interactive play areas, etc.) so everyone could spread out. The main park had just the right mix of types of rides for our age group plus special areas for younger ones. Food everywhere was fresh, tasty, and a good value. Free drinks and sunscreen were really appreciated since it was 92 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.
Prices everywhere are extremely reasonable and everyone is helpful and smiling. You will learn a lot about the history of the area, especially if you go to Santa's Candy Castle where the salespeople are very informative. They don't offer much in the way of different types of candy but they do have 29 flavors of candy canes and several flavors of frozen hot chocolate plus divinity, a few flavors of fudge and some store brand stuff thrown in.
Back to Lake Rudolph and a few packing tips if renting an RV: bring some dishtowels and a sponge along with your bath towels but leave the soap, dish soap and toilet paper at home they're included. Also, bring along an ice cube tray or plan to buy ice at the campstore.
Have fun and enjoy the crickets and cicadas. We did.
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Posted by Coolrun2 on 7/29/2008
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Overall Nice for camping, not perfect though - from TripAdvisor.com
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The campground is above average for what is is. Trust the reviews noting the golf carts. I still don't know where all those people were going, but it was crazy every night, carts zooming everywhere.
Mini golf was fun, camp store was well stocked (and reasonable $$), folks were friendly. Our site was level, but some of the "super" sites around us had quite a front/back slope to them- enough that some of the campers couldn't be leveled without lots of effort (and a few not at all). Shuttles ran all the time to Holiday World. It was also a nice walk.
Campground has a lot of stationary rental RV's. Not a big deal in the main area of the campground, but toward the back that's all there are
identical RV's stacked up felt more like a FEMA camp than a getaway.
We used the bath house once- I've seen worse, but they weren't spotless by any means-plenty of mold/mildew on the shower curtains, dirty floors, etc.
Overall, a decent experience, I'd go back. But Disney Fort Wilderness sets the standard- wish there were more of them.
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Posted by Jakcz on 7/28/2008
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Great alternative to a hotel - from TripAdvisor.com
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Due to a lack of hotels in the area, we decided to try the Lake Rudolph Campground rentals while visiting Holiday World. We have three teenagers and were quite comfortable in the rental RV. The downside is packing the sheets, pillows, blankets, etc., but once we got in we were quite happy with the accommodations. The campground has mini-golf, trails, a pool, game room and camp store. Also a small shopping center/grocery store is across the street. We rented a golf cart (6 person at $55/day) and it was well worth it for traveling around the campground. I would highly recommend this experience to other people who (like us) are not really into "camping". A great change from the usual hotel rooms.
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Posted by _Rugrats_5 on 7/15/2008
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Cabins are functional - from TripAdvisor.com
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If you are "campground people," Lake Rudolph is a nice campground with pool, playground, mini golf, multiple bathhouses, campstore, etc. If you are not "campground people" (that is us), then remember that the cabin you rent is still in a campground. We took our grown son, wife, and grand baby for 3 days and rented a family cabin. It was pretty clean (but I wouldn't say spotless). My husband and son are both 6'4" and the low ceilings in the galley kitchen, bathroom, and loft were something they had to be cautious around. The bed in the back bedroom was very, VERY hard so we put the futon pad on it after the first night which helped a lot. It was nice to return to air conditioning after a day at Holiday World and to have a campfire in the fire ring provided behind our cabin. Our purpose for the trip was to spend a couple days as a family at Holiday World which is adjacent to Lake Rudolph Campground. Lake Rudolph has a terrific shuttle bus system that continually runs, picks you up at shuttle stops (or sometimes in front of your cabin if they're not busy) and takes you right to the front gate of Holiday World. All in all, we had quality time as a family during this long weekend and that is really what matters anyway.
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Posted by Ohio Traveller on 7/8/2008
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Tent Camping at campground area - from TripAdvisor.com
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We stayed at the (tent) camping area #115, & #116. Our family, Son & his family , had a great time at (Lake Rudolph Campground), The tent area was clean & well kept. Fire ring, & stand up-grill. Showers & bathrooms areas near by was great for kids. We through that (Holiday World Theme Park), Splash Safari. Was next door near the camping area was great, Both Campground & holiday world theme park where very clean & staff at both areas was helpful in information on stores near by, for groceries, etc... Camping area has a lot of amenities, for everyone to enjoy, two swimming areas, games, horseshoe pits, miniature golf, fishing lake area (7 acres), golf cart rental (campground huges area), paddle boats rentals, We have already started to make plan's to stay again next year. A must if you have a large family. For adults & kids.
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Posted by N9nzh on 7/4/2008
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Very nice - from TripAdvisor.com
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We stayed in one of the resorts rental RVs and found the campgrounds to be very pleasant. Lots of shade, newer RVs with all the modern conveniences. Free shuttle to and from Holiday World. And friendly staff.
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Posted by Petenorthwestohio on 7/2/2008
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Two Families, One Goal - from TripAdvisor.com
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My family of three (two adults and our 9 year old son) from Georgetown Kentucky and my sisters family of five (two adults, 9, 7, 4, and infant) from Cincinnati Ohio stayed at the camp ground from August 18 to August 21, 2007. We each rented a regular RV. The RV was spotless and met our expectations. However, next time I think my sister will rent the deluxe RV just for more space. They say the RV will sleep 8 and it does have 8 beds but the living quarters are cramped as one would expect in an RV. The RV had all the basic things you would find and as I stated were extremely clean. The beds however were not very comfortable but then again you are camping so it's not like you can expect comfortable bedding. The RV Park was wonderful in so many ways. The grounds were spotless, the putt putt course was really nice and free, the camp ground staff were extremely polite and helpful, the camp store was well stocked, and the lake was wonderful.
On Saturday they had bingo which was only a dollar per card and it was real nice. We also rented golf carts which was one of the kid's highlights. I don't think they are really necessary but if you drive to the camp store or the pool they have limited space for regular vehicles but many golf cart parking spaces. The golf carts were just fun to drive around the park in.
We also went to Holiday World and the camp offers transportation which I highly recommend. The parking at Holiday World is free but the back ups are a nightmare. With the transportation offered from Lake Rudolf you wait at a local stop, (they are through out the park) they pick you up and drop you off when you return to the park. That was a wonderful extra.
Holiday World was very nice. It's a little amusement park (we are use to Kings Island in Ohio) but it had plenty of rides that were nice and a wonderful water park. It's large enough to keep a family busy for their stay but also small enough to take in all the rides and the water park in one day. If time allows two days would be nice but one day is sufficient. Free soft drinks and sun screen were offered through out the park. The sunscreen is only found at the water park.
We took advantage of the free wrist bands for kids in which you write your cell phone number on the band and attach it to your child so that if they become lost the workers call your cell phone and then you collect your little one. Luckily we never had to go through that but it was a nice perk they offered.
The food at Holiday World was very good and priced very good. We ate at Kringles Kafe which is at the front of the park. It is the only eating area we could find that you could eat indoors.
The Holiday World staff for the most part were very nice, of course you always have to have one who ruins it for others and we did find one young man working the skee ball game a bit on the rude side but other than him everyone was very pleasant.
They are strict at Holiday World when it comes to their height restrictions so don't even think for instant you can get by with being a bit under the height rules. Each ride attendant has a two measuring devices and they use them for each little one. Which was really nice to see them care so much for the little ones safety.
We ate at Santa's Lodge and were highly impressed. Our waiter was wonderful. He filled us in about just about everything. He gave us more information on the area than we could find. He did an exceptional job waiting on us, made sure we were well taken care of, and let us go outside to feed the huge fish in their pond. Trust me, the food portions are huge and with so much food left over we fed the fish our left over fries. The fish had plenty to eat. The food was very good and the portions were huge. So if you want a good meal I highly suggest eating there.
We also ate at the pizza place next to Holiday Foods grocery store and were very disappointed. Their pizza was not very good. If you want good pizza I suggest getting pizza at Holiday World. That was very good pizza.
We also ate at a place in Dale called Windells which is even on the Food Network TV show. We were highly disappointed. The staff was rather rude. It seemed as though they did not like out of town guest. It may have just been the waitress we had. The food was what I would call standard. The only thing that was really good was their desserts. They also stop serving breakfast at 10, which was a problem for us with trying to get all our little ones there.
Since we stayed at the RV Park we had to visit their local food mart called Holiday Foods. The staff is wonderful, their selection pretty good and their prices were just a bit higher than what I am use to, but not enough to bulk over.
We also visited the St. Meinard Archabbey. That was very nice. We were a bit disappointed in our tour only because we thought we would see more of their grounds and learn more about
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Posted by Vacation_Bound_40324 on 8/22/2007
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Excellant Camp - from TripAdvisor.com
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We stayed at Lake Rudolph Aug 10-11 and all in all were very pleased with the camp and looked forward to next time staying longer. Now things never go without challenges. My biggest frustration was site assignment. When I booked I told them I had a big tent 12x15 and obviously wanted a site that accommodated it. When we got there, later in the day than I wanted, we were placed on what they called an trailer site used for overflow tents. No way would this site hold our tent. It took 2 more tries before they fit us in. I accepted a shared responsibility in this as I wanted to get there earlier in the day, most sites were taken by the time we arrived. However I made a point of advising them of my need when I reserved and would expected that to be considered as they were placing reservations, it was obvious no consideration was given. We made it work. I toured the camp and next time I will reserve a specific site number which they say they are happy to do.
The good things of this camp so far out weigh that negative. The camp was managed very well with staff always tending to things ( bathhouses etc ) and security alway visible. The camp was extremely clean, the pool was outstanding, camp store everything met our expectation. Staff very polite and the shuttle back and forth to Holiday World was nice.
Heads up the web site said it had a grill, what we got was a fire ring with a grate that flipped over, not a grill. If in a tent bring you own.
Over all great camp!
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Posted by Smbcincinnati on 8/14/2007
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What a lovely vacation - from TripAdvisor.com
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Needing a chance to get away, I saw the commercials for the friendliest cleanest park in the US (Holiday World). Sounded like fun, and I had read on here about Lake Rudolph being a great place to stay so we booked it and Friday we were on our way! We arrived at the campground at 5pm after stopping to eating at the local pizza place called Brick City Oven (absolutely terrible pizza and way overpriced buffet .Save your money). Check-in was painless, even though by then we were in a downpour. Upon receiving our keys for the RV rental as well as a golf cart rental, we followed an employee in her golf cart to our site. We had reserved the king-sized RV rental, as we had eight people in our party. It was lovely! There were 2 bathrooms (only one with shower tho), a king sized bed in our room, and a queen sized bed along with four bunks in the other bedroom. One of the bunks actually laid on the ground which none of the children liked, so we looked around and discovered the small loves eat had a pullout bed attached. The small kitchen was completely stocked with enough plates cups silverware, etc for us all.
Theres a little campfire pit we roasted marshmallows on the second night in as well as a small grill. The golf cart will be your lifesaver, especially if you are in the RV area 300 block. We were so far away from the camp store and arcade games that if we had to have walked the kids would've been exhausted. The golf cart is a fun way to meet other families too, and to see the whole grounds, as it is very very big. They have 2 pools tho only one was open during the time we were there (25th-27th of July) and it rained so much the kids didn't want to swim. They even provide a shuttle to the park which comes every 15 minutes at four designated spots in the camp and it was wonderful to not have to fight the crowds for a parking spot. For 150.00 per night I feel like we had a great bargain in this nice campground. There are cabins also, but im already booking to stay next year in the King size RV again. The kids met so many new friends and it was a wonderful weekend getaway.
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Posted by Missdjv on 7/30/2007
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Nice escape from standard hotel! - from TripAdvisor.com
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Due to the lack of hotels in Santa Claus and not so good reviews of the ones that are available, we decided on alternative accommodations. I read a review of a family who had a less than desirable stay at a hotel but had spoken to several people who were staying at Lake Rudolph and loved it. After going to the web site and seeing that there were not many RV's or cabins left we decided to jump on it. We wanted a king size RV and the site showed no availability. So I called direct and was able to find one for 2 nights. We wanted 3 nights but decided to go for 2 and stay in a hotel in Corydon for the 1st night. We left around 10 am Wed. in order to enjoy Lake Rudolph prior to our 3 pm check in. We were told upon arrival we could not enter the facility until 3pm. It was disappointing but understandable as the place is packed and I'm sure double the traffic would not be safe for people already camping. We had 4 hours to kill so we headed to Abe Lincoln boyhood state park and museum. This is so cool and our 10 yr old daughter who is fascinated with pioneer life loved it! We hiked a little and drove around the area and returned to the park at 2:45 only to be told our RV still was not ready and it was guaranteed by 3. So we left, went to the local grocery (very nice) and got the perishables we needed; an returned to a long line at the check in. It was a bit frustrating as we felt we had wasted an entire day but the Abe Lincoln park was a nice distraction. The campground is hilly, so if you planning on walking everywhere, spend the $40 and rent a golf cart. We drove and took the park bus so it wasn't necessary for us. The camper was awesome! HUGE! A king, queen, 4 twin bunks, and a full hide a bed couch. Plus - 2 bathrooms! It was a bit pricey ($150 per night peak season) but no more than the supposed mediocre local hotels. We were near a bus stop (for going to Holiday World) and could walk there. The pool is new and awesome. It was packed but heavily lifeguarded and my 2 year old loved the kiddie pool. The camp store is fully stocked and has a game room and mini golf which my husband and 10 yr old enjoyed during a big storm that cut our Splashin' Safari day short. This is a neat park and we will stay here again. I will try to reserve a smaller RV next time as we could've saved a little $; but this is theplace to stay for your Holiday World trip!
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Posted by H00sier_Family on 7/22/2007
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Great place to stay - from TripAdvisor.com
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We rented a family cabin for my family of 6 for 3 nights at Lake Rudolph. Two adults and kids ages 1, 3, 8, 13. We loved it!
The cabin was about $150 per night after taxes, but it was so worth it. Especially considering how much you'd have to pay to rent a hotel room with 6 people, if you can find a place to do it. The cabin was SPOTLESS, which surprised me. We had an idea of what they'd look like because they have pictures on their website, [], but it was even better than we expected. It's heated/air conditioned and there are 2 ceiling fans, which really helps after spending a day walking at Holiday World! It was almost completely stocked, with microwave, fridge/freezer, stove, toaster, and coffee maker. They even had pots, pans, and silverware. All you need to bring is towels, sheets for the mattresses, food, and soap. The kids loved the loft area. It also comes with a stand-up grill and a firepit.
The bedroom had enough room in it to set up my baby's playpen for him to sleep in. The only thing they didn't have which would have been nice was a dresser or closet to put clothes in. We had to keep all of our clothes in our bags.
If you don't want to rent a cabin, you can bring your own tent or RV. They also have rental RVs which seemed pretty nice.
The campground has a lot of really nice amenities that we didn't get to use, because we spent most of the time at Holiday World. But they have a nice pool, basketball courts, horseshoe pits, put-put, rental golf carts to drive around the campground, two playgrounds, a game room.
They also have shuttles that take you back and forth to Holiday World, which is really nice.
I'd recommend taking an extra day just to spend at the campground itself, because there are a lot of fun things to do.
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Posted by Jzell83 on 5/23/2007
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Had a Wonderful Time! - from TripAdvisor.com
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This is the first time we have gone to Lake Rudolph Campground. What an awesome place to stay! We have 3 children, from 16 to 11ususally they are bored, but they found a lot of things to do. The property is very well kept. We decided on the first night to stay additional nights and they found a site that we could stay in the whole time. The shuttle makes it very easy to visit the parks. The parks are as clean as the campground! All of the staff was very helpful and courtesy. All in all a great family place!
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Posted by A Tripadvisor Member on 7/1/2006
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Excellent place to stay - from TripAdvisor.com
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We stayed at Lake Rudolph Campground for 3 nights on an RV site. Everything about the place is excellent, very clean well kept grounds. Nice staff, lots of amenities like basketball courts, horseshoes, movies, mini-golf, pool playground etc. Not to mention being right next door to holiday world the best theme park around.
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Posted by A Tripadvisor Member on 6/13/2006
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Great Family Vacation - from TripAdvisor.com
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We stayed in a Family Cabin at Lake Rudolph for a three day mini vacation to Holiday World in Santa Claus, IN. We were very impressed with the campgrounds. There were plenty of activities to occupy kids of all ages....playgrounds, swimming pools, basketball courts, horseshoes, and miniature golf...all of it at no extra charge. There was also a lake for fishing and sand volleyball courts. The cabins were very clean and comfortable. The kitchen was great and the kids loved the loft. Other relatives stayed in the RV's next to the cabins. They were also in nice shape, but all the kids fought over who got to sleep in our cabin! Be sure to reserve a golf cart to get around the grounds when cabin/rv reservations are made. You'll want it to get around the area. If you wait until you arrive to rent a cart, there won't be any available. We didn't realize how large the grounds were and ended up driving our car to the different areas. There were so many hills that strollers were difficult to push around! The golf cart would have been nice to have.
Right next door to the campgrounds is Holiday World....an excellent family park. The water park is the best! We like it more than the one at King's Island. Plus the free sunscreen and unlimited soft drinks is a great deal that can't be beat. It's smoke free with designated smoking areas located around the park...a plus for non-smokers! The rides at the park are great...there is a range for every age. The coasters are a wild ride and the kiddie area is surprisingly relaxing! We pay close attention to the ride operators and other park employees and have found that Holiday World has an awesome staff. Everyone was friendly, more than willing to make your visit a great one and they were very thorough with their safety precautions. I could go on and on with praise and still not cover all the great things about this park!
If you are looking for a fun family vacation....this is the place you'll want to go. You can really tell the difference between a family operated theme park and one that is operated by a corporation. We plan to make this an annual family trip.
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Posted by Mommy24 on 6/24/2005
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Fun, Fun, Fun - from TripAdvisor.com
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My kids love camping at Lake Rudolph! We don't have a camper, but that's ok because they have awesome RV Rentals. We have been camping annually for about 4 years now. We enjoy camping during October, during their Halloween weekends. They have games, site judging, hayrides, trick-or-treating and other fun activities. There are two swimming pools, basketball courts, miniature gold, nice bathhouses, laundry facilities, playground areas ... They offer so much for the family. You can rent golf carts and ride around the park. This campground is located next to Holiday World & Splashin' Safari Theme Park. The campground provides discount tickets and free shuttle to the park. Check out this great family place!
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Posted by T2andc2 on 6/21/2005
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