With October just days away, fall weather is surely on our minds.
The cooler season is a great excuse to get out and roam local parks, especially since Indiana has so many! For a few must-visit spots you should have on your October travel list, read below and get a feel for all the state has to offer you and your adventurous spirit!
But don’t just let this list be all you take into consideration – Indiana is FULL of beautiful parks around the state – so be sure to do some research on your own, too!
Mounds State Park
Just 20 minutes away from Ball State’s campus (off I-69 east of Anderson), Mounds State Park features 10 unique earthworks built by prehistoric Indians known as the Adena-Hopewell people. The largest earthwork, the Great Mound, is believed to have been constructed around 160 B.C. Archaeological surveys indicate the mounds were used as gathering places for religious ceremonies, from where astronomical alignments could be viewed. This a great park for small hikes, picnics and educational walks.
Chain O’ Lakes State Park
In Chain O’ Lakes State Park in northern Indiana (about 200 kilometers northeast of Indianapolis), nine connecting lakes provide boaters, swimmers and fishing enthusiasts a serene paradise. You can kayak or canoe across all nine lakes, or, if you prefer staying on land, hike the park’s 16 kilometers of forested trails. To learn more about the area’s wildlife, spend some time at the nature center, housed in an old one-room schoolhouse. Chain O’ Lakes is quite popular in the summertime, though the fall foliage casts magnificent colors across the lakes.
Clifty Falls State Park
Clifty Falls State Park encompasses more than 570 hectares of waterfalls, stony canyons and amazing hiking trails along the Ohio River. This park in southeast Indiana (about 70 kilometers northeast of Louisville, Kentucky, and 120 kilometers southwest of Cincinnati, Ohio) is also the place to go if you’re a fan of fossils. Clifty Creek is imprinted with ancient corals and sea animals. (Look but don’t touch, as fossil collecting is not allowed in the park.) Two other canyons intersect with Clifty Creek Canyon – Deans Branch, home to Tunnel Falls, and Hoffman Branch, where hiking trails lead to the scenic Hoffman Falls. Camping is widely available, but the Clifty Inn offers more comfortable accommodations if roughing it isn’t for you.
Brown County State Park
Southern Indiana is also home to the state’s largest park, Brown County State Park. With almost 6,500 hectares of ridges, ravines and forests, this beautiful wilderness area has earned the nickname “Little Smokies” because of its similarities with the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee. Located about 75 kilometers due south of Indianapolis, Brown County State Park features ample hiking and biking trails, not to mention tennis courts and a swimming pool. But perhaps the best way to experience the park is on horseback. Guided rides along the park’s 110-plus kilometers of horseback riding trails are offered all year long.
Turkey Run State Park
Like Brown County, Turkey Run State Park is another popular spot for hikers, bikers and casual tourists, alike. Nestled along State Road 47 southwest of Crawfordsville, you can marvel at the natural geologic wonders of this beautiful park as you hike along its famous trails, and the park offers the chance to explore deep, sandstone ravines, walk along stands of aged forests and enjoy the scenic views along Sugar Creek. Make sure you alsi visit the Colonel Richard Lieber Cabin, which commemorates the contributions of the father of Indiana’s state park system.