List of Indiana state parks

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Indiana State Parks (clickable map)

The U.S. state of Indiana has 25 state parks maintained and operated by Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Marion and Clark are the only counties to have two. Brown County, the largest state park, has the greatest number of visitors, followed by Indiana Dunes State Park.[1]

Richard Lieber was instrumental in the foundation of the Indiana State Park system. The first state park in Indiana was McCormick's Creek State Park, in Owen County in 1916, followed in the same year by Turkey Run State Park in Parke County. A steady climb in the number of state parks rose in the 1920s, mostly by donation from local authorities to the state government for the purpose of a state park. Of the initial twelve, only Muscatatuck State Park is no longer a state park, having been given back to Jennings County in 1968.[2] It was during the Great Depression of the 1930s that much infrastructure was built within the park, constructed by New Deal agencies such as the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration, with the majority of this Depression-era construction still in use in the 21st Century. This delay in infrastructure was due in part to Richard Lieber believing that the parks should be kept as natural as possible.[3]

Initially, the state parks were meant to feature natural environments in Indiana; establishing Mounds State Park for its historical nature and establishing Shakamak State Park purely for recreational purposes (it was an abandoned strip mine) strayed from the initial purposes of the Indiana state park system.[4]

While Indiana does not have as many state parks as some other states, it has avoided obtaining too many smaller properties that would be hard to manage. A goal of having at least one state park within an hour's drive for every Hoosier was met when Prophetstown State Park was established.[5]

Contents

State parks [edit]

Name Photo City County Established Area[6] Description[6]
Brown County Brown-County-Szmurlo.jpg Nashville
39°07′N 86°16′W / 39.11°N 86.26°W / 39.11; -86.26 (Brown County)		 Brown 1929 700415776000000000015,776 acres (63.84 km2) Largest State Park in Indiana[7]
Chain O' Lakes
—
 Albion
41°20′N 85°23′W / 41.33°N 85.38°W / 41.33; -85.38 (Chain O'Lakes)		 Noble 1960 70032718000000000002,718 acres (11.00 km2) Features eight connected kettle lakes[8]
Charlestown Fourteen Mile Creek waterfront.jpg Charlestown
38°26′N 85°38′W / 38.43°N 85.63°W / 38.43; -85.63 (Charlestown)		 Clark 1996 70035100000000000005,100 acres (21 km2) Built on the grounds of the old Indiana Army Ammunition Plant[9]
Clifty Falls Clifty Falls at Clifty Falls State Park.JPG Madison
38°46′N 85°25′W / 38.76°N 85.42°W / 38.76; -85.42 (Clifty Falls)		 Jefferson 1920 70031416000000000001,416 acres (5.73 km2) Features a canyon that has daylight only at midday[10]
Falls of the Ohio FotO LewisClark statue.jpg Clarksville
38°16′37″N 85°45′47″W / 38.277°N 85.763°W / 38.277; -85.763 (Falls of the Ohio)		 Clark 1990 7002165000000000000165 acres (0.67 km2) Offers views of the Falls of the Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky[11]
Fort Harrison Fort Ben - Fall Creek Boardwalk.jpg Indianapolis
39°52′N 86°01′W / 39.87°N 86.01°W / 39.87; -86.01 (Fort Harrison)		 Marion 1996 70031700000000000001,700 acres (6.9 km2) Built on the site of old Fort Benjamin Harrison[12]
Harmonie
—
 New Harmony
38°04′N 87°57′W / 38.06°N 87.95°W / 38.06; -87.95 (Harmonie)		 Posey 1966 70033465000000000003,465 acres (14.02 km2) Near historic Rappite and Owenite villages.[13]
Indiana Dunes Indiana Dunes-State-Park-02.jpg Porter
41°40′N 87°02′W / 41.66°N 87.04°W / 41.66; -87.04 (Indiana Dunes)		 Porter 1925 70032182000000000002,182 acres (8.83 km2) Attached to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.[14]
Lincoln Lincoln state part1.jpg Lincoln City
38°06′N 86°00′W / 38.10°N 86.00°W / 38.10; -86.00 (Lincoln)		 Spencer 1932 70031847000000000001,847 acres (7.47 km2) Across from Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, it was the last state park established by Richard Lieber.[15]
McCormick's Creek McCormicks Creek falls Indiana.JPG Spencer
39°17′N 86°44′W / 39.29°N 86.73°W / 39.29; -86.73 (McCormick's Creek)		 Owen 1916 70031924000000000001,924 acres (7.79 km2) First state park in Indiana[16]
Mounds MoundsHouse.jpg Anderson
40°06′N 85°37′W / 40.10°N 85.62°W / 40.10; -85.62 (Mounds)		 Madison 1930 7002290000000000000290 acres (1.2 km2) [17]
O'Bannon Woods O'Bannon Woods Entrance.jpg Corydon
38°14′N 86°18′W / 38.23°N 86.30°W / 38.23; -86.30 (O'Bannon Woods)		 Harrison 2004 70032000000000000002,000 acres (8.1 km2) Formerly the Wyandotte SRA, renamed in honor of the late Indiana governor Frank O'Bannon.[18]
Ouabache
—
 Bluffton
40°43′N 85°07′W / 40.72°N 85.11°W / 40.72; -85.11 (Ouabache)		 Wells 1962 70031104000000000001,104 acres (4.47 km2) Name comes from the French spelling of "Wabash"[19]
Pokagon Angola
41°43′N 85°22′W / 41.71°N 85.36°W / 41.71; -85.36 (Pokagon)		 Steuben 1925 70031260000000000001,260 acres (5.1 km2) Well known for its skiing.[20]
Potato Creek
—
 North Liberty
41°33′N 86°35′W / 41.55°N 86.58°W / 41.55; -86.58 (Potato Creek)		 St. Joseph 1969 70033840000000000003,840 acres (15.5 km2) [21]
Prophetstown
—
 West Lafayette
40°30′N 86°50′W / 40.50°N 86.83°W / 40.50; -86.83 (Prophetstown)		 Tippecanoe 2004 70032000000000000002,000 acres (8.1 km2) [22]
Shades
—
 Waveland
39°56′N 87°05′W / 39.93°N 87.08°W / 39.93; -87.08 (Shades)		 Montgomery 1947 70033082000000000003,082 acres (12.47 km2) Only state park to ever have its own airstrip.[23]
Shakamak Shakamak Nature Center 181.jpg Jasonville
39°10′N 87°14′W / 39.17°N 87.24°W / 39.17; -87.24 (Shakamak)		 Clay, Greene and Sullivan 1929 70031766000000000001,766 acres (7.15 km2) Used to be a strip mine[24]
Spring Mill Spring Mill Gristmill.jpg Mitchell
38°44′N 86°25′W / 38.73°N 86.42°W / 38.73; -86.42 (Spring Mill)		 Lawrence 1927 70031358000000000001,358 acres (5.50 km2) Featured a pioneer village, numerous caves, and a memorial to Gus Grissom[25]
Summit Lake SummitLakeStatePark.jpg New Castle
40°02′N 85°18′W / 40.03°N 85.30°W / 40.03; -85.30 (Summit Lake)		 Henry 1988 70032680000000000002,680 acres (10.8 km2) [26]
Tippecanoe River Tippecanoe R SP Indiana TheRiver P1300080.jpg Winamac
41°09′N 86°36′W / 41.15°N 86.60°W / 41.15; -86.60 (Tippecanoe River)		 Pulaski 1943 70032761000000000002,761 acres (11.17 km2) [27]
Turkey Run Turkey Run SP, IN 4.jpg Marshall
39°53′N 87°13′W / 39.88°N 87.21°W / 39.88; -87.21 (Turkey Run)		 Parke 1916 70032382000000000002,382 acres (9.64 km2) Famous for its sandstone gorges and unique terrain[28]
Versailles Busching, Versailles SP, Versailles Cty.jpg Versailles
39°05′N 85°14′W / 39.08°N 85.23°W / 39.08; -85.23 (Versailles)		 Ripley 1943 70035988000000000005,988 acres (24.23 km2) [29]
White River C4241-Indianapolis-Canal.jpg Indianapolis
39°46′N 86°10′W / 39.77°N 86.17°W / 39.77; -86.17 (White River)		 Marion 1979 7002250000000000000250 acres (1.0 km2) An urban park in downtown Indianapolis[30]
Whitewater Memorial Whitewatersign.jpg Liberty
39°37′N 84°58′W / 39.61°N 84.97°W / 39.61; -84.97 (Whitewater Memorial)		 Union 1949 70031710000000000001,710 acres (6.9 km2) Built on land donated by four counties[31]

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ "Statistics". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  2. ^ History
  3. ^ Ralston, Patrick. New Deal Resources in Indiana State Parks MPS
  4. ^ Ralston
  5. ^ DNR - Division of State Parks & Reservoirs: History & Culture
  6. ^ a b "Indiana Recreation Guide 2010". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 31 March 2010. 
  7. ^ "Brown County". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  8. ^ "Chain O' Lakes". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  9. ^ "Charlestown". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  10. ^ "Clifty Falls". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  11. ^ "Falls of the Ohio". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  12. ^ "Fort Harrison". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  13. ^ "Harmonie". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  14. ^ "Indiana Dunes". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  15. ^ "Lincoln". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  16. ^ "McCormick's Creek". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  17. ^ "Mounds". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  18. ^ "O'Bannon Woods". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  19. ^ "Ouabache". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  20. ^ "Pokagon". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  21. ^ "Potato Creek". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  22. ^ "Prophetstown". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  23. ^ "Shades". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  24. ^ "Shakamak". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  25. ^ "Spring Mill". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  26. ^ "Summit Lake". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  27. ^ "Tippecanoe River". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  28. ^ "Turkey Run". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  29. ^ "Versailles". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  30. ^ "White River". White River State Park. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
  31. ^ "Whitewater Memorial". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 

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