Knox County Parks and Recreation Department

What Knox County Parks and Recreation Department does

Knox County Parks and Recreation Department is a county-government department under Knox County Government, headquartered at 3500 N Lower Fort Knox Rd, Vincennes, Indiana. It operates and maintains five public park properties totaling roughly 469+ acres, with Ouabache Trails Park (254 acres) as the flagship property and supporting sites including Hillcrest Park, Fox Ridge Nature Park, Pyramid Mound, and Emison Mill. The department offers a diversified recreation portfolio spanning 35 full-hookup RV sites, primitive tent camping, four fully furnished ADA-compliant log cabins (Eagles Nest, Lookout, Ouabache Retreat, Sleepy Hollow), eight rentable shelter houses, 4+ miles of walking and biking trails, fishing access, picnic areas, playgrounds, and a dog park.

The business runs on a direct-to-consumer go-to-market model targeting local Knox County residents and regional visitors. Revenue is generated through unit-priced nightly rentals of cabins (ranging from $110-$185 depending on property, day-of-week, and season), daily and weekly RV site rentals ($27/night standard; $415/month), primitive tent sites ($22/night), flat-fee shelter house rentals ($50/day), and small concession sales (firewood, ice, dump station fees). Reservations are processed through a third-party platform, Leisure Interactive (properties.camping.com), enabling 24/7 online booking up to one year in advance, with phone-based reservation support Monday-Friday 8AM-4PM. The department employs approximately 8 staff: a Superintendent, administrative assistant/bookkeeper, activities director, and three maintenance crew members, overseen by a seven-person volunteer board of directors reporting to Knox County Government.

Strategic posture is consistent with a stable, grant-supported municipal operator rather than a growth-stage enterprise. The most significant recent capital action was the 2015 acquisition and conversion of the former Fox Ridge Golf Course into a 95-acre nature park, partially funded by Indiana's Bicentennial Nature Trust and the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. Pyramid Mound's inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places provides a unique regulated heritage asset within the system's portfolio. Pricing includes a roughly 10% military discount across rentals, indicating a community-access orientation rather than revenue-maximization.

Name

Knox County Parks and Recreation Department

Legal name

Knox County Parks and Recreation Department

Website

https://knoxcountyparks.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Knox County Parks and Recreation Department is a county-government operator of five public park properties in Knox County, Indiana, providing outdoor recreation including RV camping, cabin rentals, tent sites, shelter houses, and trails to local residents and visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Parks and Recreation Services

NAICS

RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Campgrounds (721211), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Campgrounds & RV Parks (Developed Sites) (THAGAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI), RV Parks & Motorhome Resorts (THAMAJAA)

Keywords

• Public parks management
• Recreational facility operations
• Campground and cabin rentals
• Outdoor recreation services
• Nature preserve management

Headquarters

HQ city

Vincennes

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Camping & RV Site Rentals: Revenue from Class A RV sites (daily, weekly, monthly rates) and primitive tent sites at Ouabache Trails Park. Includes electricity, water hookups and access to full-service shower house and laundry facilities.
2. Cabin Rentals: Revenue from four fully-furnished ADA-compliant cabin rentals (Eagles Nest, Lookout, Ouabache Retreat, Sleepy Hollow) with nightly rates varying by season (weekday, weekend, holiday) and discounts for military personnel.
3. Shelter House Rentals: Revenue from daily rental of multiple shelter houses across park properties for picnics and events.
4. Concession Sales: Revenue from firewood ($10/bundle), ice ($2/bag), and dumping station fees ($20) for non-camping visitors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Knox County Parks and Recreation Department operates five public park properties in Knox County, Indiana, delivering outdoor recreation services that include RV and primitive tent camping, four ADA-compliant cabin rentals, shelter house rentals for events, and over four miles of maintained walking and biking trails. Revenue is generated primarily through per-unit rental fees for campsites, cabins, and shelters, plus concession sales such as firewood, ice, and dumping station fees.

Product overview

Knox County Parks and Recreation Department operates a system of five park properties offering diverse recreational experiences. The flagship Ouabache (Wabash) Trails Park serves as the primary destination with the most amenities including four rustic log cabins (Eagles Nest, Lookout, Ouabache Retreat, Sleepy Hollow), a 35-site RV campground with primitive tent camping, over 4 miles of trails, and five shelter houses. Supporting properties include Hillcrest Park (featuring a dog park and pine tree habitat), Fox Ridge Nature Park (95-acre passive recreation area), and Pyramid Mound (historic earthwork). The department also offers shelter house rentals across multiple locations for events. Online reservations for cabins and campgrounds are managed through a third-party Leisure Interactive platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ouabache Trails Park: 254-acre naturally wooded park featuring hiking trails, RV and tent camping, rustic log cabins, fishing, and nature study activities
• Hillcrest Park
• Pyramid Mound
• Fox Ridge Nature Park
• Emison Mill

Products and services

• Ouabache (Wabash) Trails Park A 254-acre naturally wooded flagship park featuring steeply rolling hills and low flatlands with deciduous growth. Offers river fishing, nature study, wildlife observation, RV and tent camping, picnicking, hiking, over 4 miles of walking and biking trails, 5 shelter houses, 4 playground areas, a baseball field, and 4 rustic log cabins. Same address as the KCPR office at 3500 N Lower Fort Knox Rd, Vincennes.
• Ouabache Trails Cabins Four fully furnished rustic log cabins offering TV, full kitchen, air-conditioning, heating, plumbing, outdoor deck, grill, and picnic table. Accommodations include Eagles Nest (queen bed, $110-$135/night), Lookout (queen bed + kids loft, $110-$135/night), Ouabache Retreat (2 queens + single + futon, $135-$165/night), and Sleepy Hollow (2 queens + bunk beds, $140-$185/night). All cabins are ADA-compliant and offer approximately 10% military discount. Check-in 2PM, check-out 11AM.
• Ouabache Trails Campground Campground featuring 35 RV sites with electricity (20, 30, and 50A), water, picnic tables, and fire rings, plus primitive tent sites with fire rings (max 2 tents, $22/day, max stay 7 days). RV rates: Daily $27 standard/$24.30 military; Weekly $130/$117; Monthly $415/$373.50. Amenities include full-service shower house, laundry facilities, firewood, and ice. Park reserves right to reject RVs older than 15 years.
• Shelter Houses Rental venues for picnics and events including Houchins, Dayson, Ginger, Sacajawea, Hedstrom, Hillcrest Park Shelters 1 and 2, and Foxridge Shelter House. Each priced at $50 per day. Inflatable and slip & slide equipment require proof of insurance and liability waiver.
• Hillcrest Park A 20-acre park at 1640 Hillcrest Drive, Vincennes, featuring white, red, and spruce pine trees that provide a habitat for small wildlife. Offers a shelter house, picnic facilities, open play areas, and a dog park.
• Fox Ridge Nature Park

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CISMAminorOthersListed as donor on the Knox County Parks donors page, indicating financial or material support for the parks department.
• Leisure InteractivecoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides the online reservation and booking platform for Ouabache Trails Park campground and cabin reservations.
• Indiana Bicentennial Nature TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided partial funding for the acquisition of Fox Ridge Nature Park property through a grant project.
• Federal Land and Water Conservation FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant funding supporting ongoing development efforts at Fox Ridge Nature Park.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Good Sam Club: RV enthusiast membership club offering trip planning, campground discounts, and roadside assistance. Comparable as a channel and demand-generation partner for RV travelers — many Good Sam-affiliated private parks compete directly with KCPR for the same loyalty-program RV visitor.
• Leisure Interactive: Reservation and campground-management software platform already powering KCPR's booking flow. Comparable as the technology/infrastructure peer; other campgrounds on the same platform (visible at properties.camping.com) effectively compete for the same Leisure Interactive-redirected travelers.
• Recreation.gov: Federal government's outdoor recreation reservation platform covering national parks, forests, and Corps of Engineers sites. Comparable as the dominant public-sector booking channel that competes for the same RV and cabin travelers; many federal sites offer similar hookup configurations and amenity levels.

Emerging players

• The Dyrt: Camping marketplace and trip-planning platform aggregating public and private campgrounds with reviews and booking. Comparable as a discovery layer that shapes traveler choice among campgrounds; presence (or absence) on The Dyrt affects demand generation for rural parks.
• Hipcamp: Online marketplace for booking private-land camping, cabins, and glamping experiences. Comparable as a digital channel for cabin and unique-lodging bookings that competes for destination cabin travelers; represents the broader shift toward platform-mediated outdoor lodging discovery.

Direct peers

• Thousand Trails: Network of RV resorts and campgrounds with cabin and tent accommodations across the U.S. Comparable as a destination-lodging RV operator offering similar product mix (RV sites plus cabins/lodging), competing for the same leisure RV and family cabin travel segment.
• Kampgrounds of America (KOA): Largest private franchised campground network in North America operating thousands of RV parks and cabins. Directly comparable as a competitor for overnight RV and cabin travelers seeking developed-site amenities; KOA's cabin product (KOA Holiday/Resort) competes most directly with KCPR's four Ouabache Trails cabins.
• Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park: Franchised family campground and RV resort network with cabins, RV sites, and family-activity programming. Closely comparable in product mix (cabins, RV sites, family recreation focus, pet considerations) and competitive set for family cabin/RV travelers in the Midwest.

Regional players

• Vincennes/Knox County Visitors & Tourism Bureau: Local destination marketing organization for Knox County. Already linked from KCPR's resources page; comparable as a regional tourism ecosystem partner that channels visitors to the county's attractions and competes/cooperates with the parks department for visitor mindshare and tourism funding.

Broad incumbents

• Indiana Department of Natural Resources (Indiana State Parks): Indiana's state-level public parks operator managing 30+ state parks and reservoirs across Indiana. Directly comparable as a public-sector parks operator in the same state; KCPR already cross-links to Indiana DNR on its resources page, and DNR's properties (e.g., nearby state parks) represent the most direct competitive overlap for overnight and day-use visitation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knox-county-parks-and-recreation-department

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Knox County Parks and Recreation Department