A park by any other name…would be easier to pronounce. When I pulled up to the gatehouse, I asked the nice young lady how to pronounce the name of their park. She said very clearly – “oh-BAH-she”. This is the English pronunciation of what is the French word Ouabache. But Ouabache itself is a transliteration … More oh-BAH-she
I always thought Shakamak was a cool name. It’s fun to say. Shakamak is believed to be the Kickapoo or Napale word for “river of the long fish” referring to nearby Eel River. It is now the name of one of the 3 lakes in Shakamak State Park. The park contains 3 separate lakes which … More Shak-a-mak
Shades State Park is a sister park to Turkey Run. They both include a section of Sugar Creek. As my dad says, the difference is that most of the hiking trails at Turkey Run are across the creek, and all of Shades State Park is on the same side of the creek. As a kid, … More Shades of Death?
One of the few places I had not visited in Southern Indiana was the area around Patoka Lake. There are 8 State Recreation Areas (SRAs) that surround Patoka Lake: Lick Fork SRA, Jackson SRA, Tilery Hill SRA, Little Patoka SRA, Painter Creek SRA, Walls Lake SRA, South Lick Fork SRA and Newton-Stewart SRA. As far … More Patoka Lake
Today is the first day in a 10-day road trip that I am taking along with my daughter. We are visiting National Parks and all 5 Great Lakes. It was a no-brainer then that we would visit both the Indiana Dunes National Park, as well as, the Indiana Dunes State Park. I have never … More Indiana Dunes – A Cautionary Tale
My long drive from Sellersburg to Anderson, Indiana, was made more reasonable by the possibility of visiting 2 state parks in one trip. First, I drove to Mounds State Park which I describe here in Part 1. Then, I traveled 30 minutes to Summit Lake State Park which I describe in Part 2. Name: Summit … More Mounds and Summits Part 2
My long drive from Sellersburg to Anderson, Indiana, was made more reasonable by the possibility of visiting 2 state parks in one trip. First, I drove to Mounds State Park which I describe here in Part 1. Then, I traveled 30 minutes to Summit Lake State Park which I describe in Part 2. Name: Mounds … More Mounds and Summits Part 1
On the coolest day in a month (under 80), I headed up to Indianapolis and to Fort Harrison State Park. Named for Indiana Governor and US President Benjamin Harrison, the Fort itself is still part of the Army Reserves. You don’t have to go through any security to get to the state park. It is … More Big City Nature
New state parks for me to visit are starting to get farther and farther from home. Since I was going to the far east part of the state, I decided to visit two locations. I stopped first to hike one trail at Mounds State Recreation Area, and then drove on up to Whitewater Memorial State … More Brookville and Whitewater Lakes
Of all the State Parks I remember from when I was a kid, Turkey Run was my favorite. The canyons and unique trails are memories I still hold dear from my childhood. I have memories, too, of many canoe trips down Sugar Creek, sometimes floating under the bridges right through the middle of the park. … More A Visit to Turkey (Squirrel) Run.
Hiking the Indiana State Parks 