Non-local parks
Brown County / Hoosier Forest
The largest Indiana state park,
Brown County State Park is east of Bloomington and south of nearby
Nashville. To get there, take route 46 east out of town, and follow 46
until you see signs for the park. The state park has cabins, camping
sites, bridel trails, hiking trails, cross-country skiing, fishing,
swimming, and much more.
On the way, you might decide to stop by the T.C. Steele State
Memorial, the home and studio of an Impressionist artist of Hoosier
Group fame.
For more information, call (812) 988-6406.
McCormick's Creek
McCormick's Creek is Indiana's first state park, and has some
beautiful scenery including waterfalls, limestone formations, and the
White River, which flows along the west end of the park on its way to
the Wabash River. The waterfalls are located near the entrance of the
park along a rocky canyon with steep sides. Up on the north side of
the park is Wolf Cave, a small crack in the rock that leads from one
side of a small hill through to the other side, for a fifteen-minute
tight squeeze. Nice camping, lots of trails, horseback riding, and
more.
To get there from Bloomington, take route 46 west out of Bloomington,
and the park is on the north side of the road about two miles before
you get to Spencer. Only about twenty minutes out of Bloomington.
For more information, call (812) 829-2235.
Cataract Falls
Some of the largest falls in Indiana, Cataract Falls is a small but
beautiful state park area.
To get there, take 46 west out of Bloomington to Spencer, then take 231
north for about half an hour, and turn left (west) when you see a sign
for the park.
Turkey Run
A beautiful state park along Sugar Creek in west central Indiana, Turkey
Run is most popular for its canoeing. Bring your own or rent a canoe for an
hour or for days for some gentle, scenic canoeing. Or just watch others
canoeing from the long hanging bridge and from the beaches and small
cliffs along the creek. Camping and biking are also popular here.
For more information, call (317) 597-2635. Find a map of Indiana to
find the best way to get there, probably using 231, or going through Indy.