List of Indiana state parks explained

The U.S. state of Indiana has 24 state parks maintained and operated by Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR). In addition, a separate state agency operates White River State Park in downtown Indianapolis.^[1] Marion and Clark are the only counties to have two parks. Brown County, the largest state park, has the greatest number of visitors, followed by Indiana Dunes State Park.^[2]

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. The number of state parks rose steadily in the 1920s, mostly by donations of land from local authorities to the state government. Of the initial twelve parks, only Muscatatuck State Park is no longer a state park, having been given back to Jennings County in 1968.^[3] It was during the Great Depression of the 1930s that much infrastructure was built within the parks, 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's belief that the parks should be kept as natural as possible.^[4]

Initially, the state parks were intended to feature natural environments in Indiana. The establishment of Mounds State Park for its historical nature and Shakamak State Park (an abandoned strip mine) purely for recreational purposes represented changes from the initial purposes of the Indiana state park system.^[5]

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 in 2004.^[6]

It is possible to view the Milky Way at 3 of the 24 Indiana State Parks,^[7] which are Shades State Park, Tippecanoe River State Park, and Turkey Run State Park.

State parks

Park Name	Image	City	County or Counties	Year Established	Size^[8]	Remarks
Brown County		Nashville 39.11°N -86.26°W	Brown	1929	15776acres	Largest State Park in Indiana^[9]
Chain O' Lakes		Albion 41.33°N -85.38°W	Noble	1960	2718acres	Features eight connected kettle lakes^[10]
Charlestown		Charlestown 38.43°N -85.63°W	Clark	1996	5100acres	Built on the grounds of the old Indiana Army Ammunition Plant^[11]
Clifty Falls		Madison 38.76°N -85.42°W	Jefferson	1920	1416acres	Features a canyon that has daylight only at midday^[12]
Falls of the Ohio		Clarksville 38.277°N -85.763°W	Clark	1990	165acres	Offers views of the Falls of the Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky^[13]
Fort Harrison		Indianapolis 39.87°N -86.01°W	Marion	1996	1700acres	Built on the site of old Fort Benjamin Harrison^[14]
Harmonie		New Harmony 38.06°N -87.95°W	Posey	1966	3465acres	Near historic Rappite and Owenite villages.^[15]
Indiana Dunes		Porter 41.66°N -87.04°W	Porter	1925	2182acres	Attached to Indiana Dunes National Park.^[16]
Lincoln		Lincoln City 38.1°N -87°W	Spencer	1932	1847acres	Across from Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, it was the last state park established by Richard Lieber.^[17]
McCormick's Creek		Spencer 39.29°N -86.73°W	Owen	1916	1924acres	First state park in Indiana^[18]
Mounds		Anderson 40.1°N -85.62°W	Madison	1930	290acres	^[19]
O'Bannon Woods		Corydon 38.18°N -86.29°W	Harrison	2004	2000acres	Formerly the Wyandotte SRA, renamed in honor of the late Indiana governor Frank O'Bannon.^[20]
Ouabache		Bluffton 40.72°N -85.11°W	Wells	1962	1104acres	Name comes from the French spelling of "Wabash"^[21]
Pokagon		Angola 41.71°N -85.02°W	Steuben	1925	1260acres	Well known for its skiing.^[22]
Potato Creek		North Liberty 41.55°N -86.34°W	St. Joseph	1969	3840acres	^[23]
Prophetstown		West Lafayette 40.5°N -86.83°W	Tippecanoe	2004	2000acres	^[24]
Shades		Waveland 39.93°N -87.08°W	Montgomery	1947	3082acres	Only state park to ever have its own airstrip.^[25]
Shakamak		Jasonville 39.17°N -87.24°W	Clay, Greene and Sullivan	1929	1766acres	Used to be a strip mine^[26]
Spring Mill		Mitchell 38.73°N -86.42°W	Lawrence	1927	1358acres	Featured a pioneer village, numerous caves, and a memorial to Gus Grissom^[27]
Summit Lake		New Castle 40.03°N -85.3°W	Henry	1988	2680acres	^[28]
Tippecanoe River		Winamac 41.15°N -86.6°W	Pulaski	1943	2761acres	^[29]
Turkey Run		Marshall 39.88°N -87.21°W	Parke	1916	2382acres	Famous for its sandstone gorges and unique terrain^[30]
Versailles		Versailles 39.08°N -85.23°W	Ripley	1943	5988acres	^[31]
White River		Indianapolis 39.77°N -86.17°W	Marion	1979	250acres	An urban park in downtown Indianapolis^[32]
Whitewater Memorial		Liberty 39.61°N -84.97°W	Union	1949	1710acres	Built on land donated by four counties^[33]

See also

• List of Indiana state forests
• List of National Parks of the United States

External links

• Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of State Parks and Reservoirs

Notes and References

1. Web site: White River State Park. in.gov. State of Indiana. September 3, 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140904071353/http://www.in.gov/mph/kpiwhiteriverstatepark.html. September 4, 2014.
2. Web site: DNR: State Parks: Find a Park. March 28, 2010. Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
3. http://www.muscatatuckpark.com/history.htm History
4. Ralston, Patrick.
5. Ralston
6. http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2444.htm DNR - State Parks & Reservoirs: History & Culture
7. Web site: R. Mike. 2021-08-13. State Parks Light Pollution Map And Statistics. 2022-01-16. CosmosPNW. en-US.
8. Web site: Indiana Recreation Guide 2010. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 31 March 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100217083007/http://www.in.gov/dnr/files/RecreationGuide2010-hi.pdf. 17 February 2010.
9. Web site: Brown County. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
10. Web site: Chain O' Lakes. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
11. Web site: Charlestown. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
12. Web site: Clifty Falls. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
13. Web site: Falls of the Ohio. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
14. Web site: Fort Harrison. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
15. Web site: Harmonie. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
16. Web site: Indiana Dunes. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
17. Web site: Lincoln. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
18. Web site: McCormick's Creek. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
19. Web site: Mounds. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
20. Web site: O'Bannon Woods. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
21. Web site: Ouabache. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
22. Web site: Pokagon. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
23. Web site: Potato Creek. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
24. Web site: Prophetstown. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
25. Web site: Shades. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
26. Web site: Shakamak. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
27. Web site: Spring Mill. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
28. Web site: Summit Lake. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
29. Web site: Tippecanoe River. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
30. Web site: Turkey Run. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
31. Web site: Versailles. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.
32. Web site: White River. White River State Park. March 28, 2010.
33. Web site: Whitewater Memorial. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 28 March 2010.