Enjoy the trees, trails and more – safe distancing at Indiana State Parks with kids

Roaming close to home is our theme these days. I’m not quite ready to take more than a day-long road trip, but definitely ready to get out of the house to explore something other than the 2-mile radius around our neighborhood – enter Indiana State Parks. State parks, no matter where you live, are a great option for several reasons during these COVID-19 safe distancing days: you can get outside; get some exercise from hikes and bikes; find some peace and quiet; listen to babbling brooks and chirps of native birds; and enjoy the flora and fauna of the local landscape. You might also find some history, cool natural environments, or other fun stuff along the way.

While most state parks around the country are great for hiking, nature, and picnicking, here are four Indiana State Parks from the northern shores of Lake Michigan to the southern border of the Ohio River where you can see more than trails and trees (though we still love our trails and trees). These are also perfect for introducing kids to the great outdoors or for younger kids – limited hiking in order to see really cool stuff. 

INDIANA DUNES STATE PARK / INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL PARK

Indiana Dunes State Park is one of the best spots in the state period. With 200-foot dunes towering over the beaches of Lake Michigan, it is a truly unique environment. We love the Great Lakes and all they have to offer- no stingy eyes from the salt in the water; it’s often calmer and gentler water than an ocean (but not always, so be sure to watch for wind and current advisories); and no sharks or jellyfish! There are three miles of beaches for fun in the sand and water.

Climbing the dunes is a fun experience, too, but get ready for a workout! We recommend the 3- Dune Challenge, which entails hiking up and down the three tallest dunes in the park (and completion earns you a 3-Dune Conqueror sticker). If you want your kids to nap or sleep well at night, it’s perfect, but if your legs aren’t used to hills, you will feel it the next morning. You’ll also get some great views of the lake. 

There are also miles of trails through bogs and other diverse ecosystems. And, in the winter you can cross-country ski.

Just last year, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore was named an official U.S. National Park. It is adjacent to the Dunes State Park. With 15 miles of beaches, there are plenty of spots for sunning, swimming and sandcastle building. Don’t forget to stop at the Visitor’s Center to pick up Junior Ranger Guide, besides the beach activities, it’s my boys’ favorite thing. If you complete the information in the guide, you earn a badge. 

Who thought a beach area would also include some history? There are more than 60 historic structures throughout the Park like the Bailly Homestead which was a former fur trading post area. You can take tours during the summer months. 

Lake Michigan and several tributaries like the Little Calumet River are great spots for paddling, too. Bring your kayak, canoe, or paddleboard or rent them at some nearby outfitters.

Campgrounds are available at both the State and National Parks. Lake and river fishing.

PROPHETSTOWN STATE PARK

Prophetstown has deep historical roots. So named because the village there was established by the Woodland tribe and brothers Tecumseh and Tenshwatawa, also known as The Prophet. Part of the reason they located in the northwestern Indiana prairie is that they wanted to form an alliance with other tribes in the area to stop the white settlers from pushing them from their land. The village includes a wigwam, the chief’s cabin, a meeting cabin, and a medicine lodge which you can tour. There’s a 1-mile loop hike through the prairie that connects to the Prophetstown Farm at the Park.  If you park in the lot at the Farm, you can tour that area and take the prairie trail over to the Woodland Village. You can also park at the Visitor’s Center and walk across a road to get to the village.

At the Farm, so you can explore farm life on the Indiana prairie from the 1920s. The homestead was built from a Sears catalog house kit – and still standing strong. You’re free to roam the property along with hens, roosters, and geese. Visit with miniature horses, horses (sweethearts rescued by Friends of Ferdinand and living out a life of leisure), pigs, cows, and rabbits. A barn cat roams the property as well. Even though it’s open to the public, it is still a working farm. You can buy eggs, meat, fruit, and veggies grown right on the land.

Several farm implements and gadgets from the 1920s are housed in barns. The rustic “corn sheller” blew my kids’ minds.

There are five hiking trails – many of them are prairie side, so bring a hat as there’s not much shade, but you should bring your bikes, too – there are miles of paved and groomed dirt loops. 

They also have a very cool looking Aquatic Center, which is closed for this season but is making our list on a return trip in 2021.

For a slower pace, Prophetstown State Park is also a great place to just sit back, imagine life on the prairie and savor the sweet wildflowers blowing in the breeze.

Campgrounds are available.

CHARLESTOWN STATE PARK

I may be biased (I grew up between Charlestown and Falls of the Ohio State Parks), but the two Southern Indiana state parks – are two of the very best, and not just because the scenery is beautiful along the banks of the Ohio River (and you could do both in one day if you start early enough).

About 11 miles east of Jeffersonville along Highway 62, Charlestown State Park is one of the state’s newer parks, along the Ohio River.  There are several nice hikes, both paved and rugged and a campground.

A truly unique trail, we trekked Trail #3 to Rose Island, a former summer resort from the 1920s and ’30s, where you can see the remains of a swimming pool (the boys loved pretending to swim in it), arches from a promenade, chimney from the dance hall, the concrete base of a fountain and even part of the enclosure where a black bear was once kept. 

There are informative signs at each former facility – the landing where the steamboat brought visitors, the grand hotel, and cottages that have pictures and details about the resort in its former glory.  And if you can crank it fast enough, there is a wind-up device that has audio recordings with additional insight.

The Rose Island Island Resort was a victim of the epic Ohio River flood of 1937, one of the worst floods in U.S. history. The property was 10 feet underwater and poles noting the water’s height are scattered about the trail.  After the flood, they didn’t restore the buildings, and they were left to ruin.

Just a 2.2-mile trail, there is a steep hill to get down to the island.  It was a good workout coming back up, and I could feel the burn. My fitness level was questioned after seeing my kids skip up most of it without breathing heavy. The path is paved down to the bridge and is well-groomed around the Island, easy for little ones to walk without worrying about them tripping over roots or rocks.

Campgrounds are available. Creek fishing.

FALLS OF THE OHIO

Finding fossils at the Falls of the Ohio State Park, in Clarksville, Indiana, home of one of the largest fossil beds in the world, is a great way to get outside and touch pre-history.  It’s also the launching site for the Lewis and Clark expedition.

There are acres of geological finds along the bedrock – a glimpse into a sea from the Devonian period that stretched over most of North America 400 million years ago.  Over 100 species of coral and sponges are embedded into the rocks. A volunteer guide helped us identify some of the more common species. You may also find shell, snail, and trilobite (like crab) remnants.

You can look and touch all you want, but you may not take any fossils from the habitat.

However, a few days a year, they bring in piles of rock and dirt from the area and allow you to be a paleontologist for the day to hunt and gather your own treasures. Luckily, it was one of those days and the boys collected a couple of 400 million-year-old treasures. I’ve heard recently that the pile may be there all of the time, so fingers crossed!

You could spend all day fossil hunting, hiking (or as they call it “dry snorkeling”) along the riverbed, and bird watching (eagles are nesting in the area). But there is also the Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center which features exhibits and displays that provide the history and science behind the Falls as well as an auditorium and wildlife viewing rooms.

No campgrounds. River fishing.             

We just bought an annual pass for Indiana’s state parks – $50. Most park entrance fees are around $7 or $8, and we’ve been to three in the last three weeks, so we’re on our way to making it worth the spend. From our recent experience, there are far fewer people first thing in the morning, which makes safe distancing much easier and makes this mom breathe a little easier (and inhaling that nice, fresh air is divine!). While we love to visit faraway places that we’ve never been to, it’s also great to explore your local region, too. 

By exploring Indiana State Parks with kids, or really any state parks, you’re sure to find several hidden gems that are perfect for a day trip, and for making memories – and isn’t that way journeying is all about, anyway.