What is Camp Fowler?
Are you new?? Cool! Welcome! The TL;DR version is that Camp Fowler is an annual Autumn Camping Trip in Brown County State Park, Indiana facilitated by Julia & Brock Fowler for friends and family to have fun, let loose, and enjoy the great outdoors! Julia & Brock take care of the campsite, so all you have to do is show up with your gear and some food and drinks to share. It is an all-weather event so rain or shine, 80 degrees or 20 degrees, we still come out and have a good time! You are invited to come hang out for as long as you like, whether that's just the day, one night, or two. We're all friends and there's plenty of space, so bring your family, friends, and pets. We're happy to have you! Want a little more history? Read on!
Camp Fowler Origins/Soft Launch
Back in 2014, Julia ran the Indianapolis Half Marathon the first Saturday in November and Sarah & Josh Kleymeyer accompanied her and Brock to the race and planned to camp nearby in Brown County afterward (and after going to see the Terracotta Warriors at the Indianapolis Children's Museum at Sarah's behest). We stayed in a single tent site on Racoon Ridge, roasted hot dogs and ate smores and it was cold and our car was filled to the brim but it was fun! "Let's do it again!" we said. The following year, Julia ran the same race, but this time Brian Walsh (a.k.a. Waffles) ran it too, and the Kleymeyers ran the 5k. After the races, we skipped the museum (no Warriors so what's the point), and Nate Dumtschin joined us to camp at the same campsite and brought power tools, eggs and doughnuts in the saddle bags of his fuel-leaking motorcycle. In 2016, we all ran again and invited more friends to join us for camping in Brown County. We couldn't all fit in one tent site anymore, so we moved over to Brown County's Rally Campground, designed for groups of 20+. We didn't have quite that many, but we enjoyed having space to spread out and get a little crazy!
39°09'29.5"N
86°13'48.7"W
Camp Fowler Goes Official
The Wedding Edition 2017
In 2017, Brock (finally) asked Julia to marry him and she said yes (of course). Being who they are, Brock & Julia opted for a very small, intimate, family-only ceremony and lunch in October, then a big, friends camping trip reception! Because it was a wedding celebration and more than one Fowler was present, it was officially dubbed "Camp Fowler." Since we loved Brown County from our previous trips there and it was closer to Chicago so Julia's high school friends, the choice of locale was clear. We wanted 2 nights of debauchery instead of one (it was a wedding, after all), so we went the week after race weekend. And it was cold. OMG it was so cold. But we all ate and drank so much and had the best time ever so definitely worth it!
Camp Fowler 2.0
The 30th Birthday Edition 2018
Julia and Brock are only 5 weeks apart in age, so that means all milestone birthdays happen the same year. Again, being practical and pragmatic people, Brock & Julia had just one 30th Birthday party for all their family & friends celebrating how they prefer to celebrate everything: camping! Moved up to September to be closer to the birthdays, it was almost too hot! JK it was perfect.
Camp Fowler 3.0
Find The Blair Witch Edition 2019
Officially a tradition now, we've moved back to the coolness of late fall and added a Halloween theme in a nod to the most frightening horror movie of our time. The more the merrier! We look forward to the excuse to go camping and spend quality time with our friends in the great outdoors every year for years to come!
Have you heard of The Norwood Haunting?
