Indianapolis to Dallas Road Trip Guide
Introduction
Indianapolis is a city located in the midwestern United States. So it would make perfect sense for it to be a great starting point for a road trip. Whether you are in an RV or a van, a road trip from Indianapolis down to the heart of Texas can take a good three to five days if you make a few stops along the way. Indianapolis is home to the Indianapolis Colts, the Brickyard 400 and the Indy 500. By the time you get to Dallas, you might want to consider catching a Cowboys game or even a Rangers game if you are a baseball fan.
The Dallas-Fort Worth area metroplex is quite big. And you know what they say about Texas. Everything is bigger. This road trip will take you through a few states from the midwest and the Deep South. By the time you get to Texas, you might be up for a good ol’ fashioned Texas BBQ, country music, and so much more. Let’s strap up and head out!
Point of Interest
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
We begin our road trip in the Circle City with the world’s largest circuit. This raceway is the home of the world-famous Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Brickyard 400. The oval-shaped track is measured at 2.5 miles long and brings excitement to race fans every single year during the racing season. Whether it’s racing season or not, it’s a great place to check out before you hit the road.
If you are looking for a campground to stay at before you hit the road, there’s a KOA Campground located just off I-70 on the eastern outskirts of the city. As a rule of thumb, if you are looking for a reliable campground and don’t seem too impressed with the options, there might be a KOA campground nearby. They are clean, family-friendly, and always accommodating every RV no matter the size.
Shawnee National Forest
After driving through much of Indiana and Illinois via Interstates 70 and 57, you’ll come across the Shawnee National Forest. This is located in the southern end of Illinois and is adjacent to another park known as the Garden of the Gods Recreational Area. This forest has plenty of hiking and biking trails. You also don’t want to miss the awesome rock formations that the Garden of the Gods has to offer. If you are a photography fanatic, you might want to bring a camera and take a look at the awesome rock formations. While exploring the Garden of the Gods, do watch your step since you will be near some high cliffs. If you are going to explore, you better do it safely.
As you might expect, there’s a whole slew of campgrounds and RV parks that will fit any sized van or RV. If you want to spend the night in either the forest or the Garden of the Gods, take your pick. Either way, you’ll be waking up to some pretty awesome scenery. That’s one of the beautiful things about road trips.
Graceland
For a good part of the trip, you’ll probably be running parallel with the Mississippi River. By this point, you should already be in Arkansas on I-55. But across the river in West Memphis is Tennessee and the city of Memphis itself. If there is one thing that you have to check out in Memphis, it’s Elvis Presley’s Graceland. You might be a fan of the King’s music or not, but this house is beautiful and serves as a museum in honor of Elvis’s life and his contributions to music.
Sure, it might be out of the way, but it’s not that far out. With that said, there are some RV parks and campgrounds that have plenty of amenities that you can take advantage of. Rest, relax, grab something to eat, take a dip in the swimming pool...there are plenty of places to get a space. Of course, there is an RV park that is a stone’s throw away from Graceland if you don’t want to go too far.
Hot Springs National Park
Now that you’ve spent time at Graceland, it’s back on the road. You’ll be back in the state of Arkansas for the final stretch of your journey. Before you leave the Natural State, it might be time to squeeze in a stop at Hot Springs National Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Legend has it that a lot of people came to this place to relax and take in the warm waters (hence the name Hot Springs). It was said that the springs brought some therapeutic relaxation and healing. If you want to spend the day relaxing at America’s Spa before the home stretch, come right in. The water is warm and very comfortable.
After a day at the springs, you can park at the Treasure Isle RV Park at the west end of the city so you can rest and recharge before you power on through the rest of the trip.
Ouachita National Forest
If you go a little farther west of Hot Springs, you’ll find the Ouachita National Forest. Not only is this one of the perfect places to go on a walk, but this mountainous national park also has plenty of hiking trails. You can do plenty of biking, fishing, swimming, and so much more. Just a reminder though, you are slightly a bit out of the way on your route towards Dallas. Remember to head back towards Hot Springs as you are finished up taking in the fresh Arkansas air.
As for which RV park to stay at, we suggest the same one as the last POI. You can visit that national forest in the morning as you head out and finish up the road trip in Texas later that day.
Summary
Finally, you have made it to the Big D! Dallas is a big city, but the metropolitan area is simply huge. They don’t call it the “Metroplex” for nothing. While you are in the city you can check out plenty of places like AT&T Stadium in nearby Irving. If football season is in full-swing, catch a Cowboys game. Or if you are a baseball fan, check out a Texas Rangers game in nearby Arlington, Texas. Other places in Dallas you might want to check out is Dealy Plaza, the site where President John F. Kennedy was tragically assassinated.
While there are plenty of RV parks in Dallas, the Dallas Hi Ho RV Park might be the best of the bunch if you are looking for plenty of amenities while you are resting and relaxing after a successful road trip from the middle of America all the way down to the heart of Texas.
