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The U.S. state of Indiana has 25 state parks maintained and operated by Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The DNR divides its parks into three regions. Six belong to the northern lakes region, seven to the central river plains region and nine in the southern hills region of the state.
[edit] History
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, Indiana in 1916, followed in the same year by Turkey Run State Park in Parke County, Indiana. 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; Indiana Dunes being the major exception. Of the initial twelve, only Muscatatuck State Park is no longer a state park, having been given back to Jennings County in 1968.[1] It was during the Great Depression of the 1930s that much infrastructure was built within the park, constructed by New Deal agencies 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.[2]
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.[3]
While Indiana does not have as many state parks as other states, it has avoided obtaining too many smaller properties that would be hard to manage, keeping the quality of Indiana state parks higher than the norm. 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.[4]
|
Name |
Image |
City |
County |
Established |
Latitude |
Longitude |
Size |
Summary |
| 1 |
Brown County |
 |
Nashville |
Brown |
1929 |
39°06′49″N |
86°15′53″W |
|
Largest State Park in Indiana (15,696 acres) |
| 2 |
Chain O' Lakes |
|
Albion |
Noble |
1960 |
41°19′59″N |
85°22′50″W |
2,718 acres (11.00 km²) |
Features eight connected kettle lakes |
| 3 |
Charlestown |
 |
Charlestown |
Clark |
1996 |
38°25′53″N |
85°37′38″W |
5,100 acres (21 km²) |
Built on the grounds of the old Indiana Army Ammunition Plant |
| 4 |
Clifty Falls |
|
Madison |
Jefferson |
1920 |
38°45′34″N |
85°25′07″W |
1,416 acres (5.73 km²) |
Features a canyon that has daylight only at midday |
| 5 |
Falls of the Ohio |
 |
Clarksville |
Clark |
1990 |
38°16′32″N |
85°45′49″W |
165 acres (0.67 km²) |
Offers views of the Falls of the Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky |
| 6 |
Fort Harrison |
|
Indianapolis |
Marion |
1996 |
39°86′N |
86°01′W |
1,700 acres (6.9 km²) |
Built on the site of old Fort Benjamin Harrison |
| 7 |
Harmonie |
|
New Harmony |
Posey |
1966 |
38°06′N |
87°95′W |
3,465 acres (14.02 km²) |
A seldom visited park |
| 8 |
Indiana Dunes |
 |
Porter |
Porter |
1925 |
41°66′N |
87°04′W |
2,182 acres (8.83 km²) |
Attached to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. |
| 9 |
Lincoln |
|
Lincoln City |
Spencer |
1932 |
38°06′15″N |
86°59′47″W |
1,747 acres (7.07 km²) |
Across from Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, it was the last state park established by Richard Lieber. |
| 10 |
McCormick's Creek |
|
Spencer |
Owen |
1916 |
39°29′N |
86°73′W |
1,924 acres (7.79 km²) |
First state park in Indiana |
| 11 |
Mounds |
|
Anderson |
Madison |
1930 |
40°06′N |
85°36′W |
290 acres (1.2 km²) |
|
| 12 |
O'Bannon Woods |
 |
Corydon |
Harrison |
2004 |
38°13′41″N |
86°17′46″W |
2,000 acres (8.1 km²) |
Formerly the Wyandotte SRA, renamed in honor of the late Indiana governor Frank O'Bannon. |
| 13 |
Ouabache |
|
Bluffton |
Wells |
1962 |
40°72′N |
85°11′W |
1,104 acres (4.47 km²) |
Name comes from the French spelling of "Wabash" |
| 14 |
Pokagon |
 |
Angola |
Steuben |
1925 |
41°42′50″N |
85°01′31″W |
1,260 acres (5.1 km²) |
Well known for its skiing. |
| 15 |
Potato Creek |
|
North Liberty |
St. Joseph |
1969 |
41°55′N |
86°35′W |
3,840 acres (15.5 km²) |
|
| 16 |
Prophetstown |
|
West Lafayette |
Tippecanoe |
2004 |
40°30′N |
86°50′W |
|
|
| 17 |
Shades |
|
Waveland |
Montgomery |
1947 |
39°94′N |
87°00′W |
3,082 acres (12.47 km²) |
Only state park to ever have its own airstrip. |
| 18 |
Shakamak |
|
Jasonville |
Sullivan |
1929 |
39°18′N |
87°25′W |
1,766 acres (7.15 km²) |
Used to be a strip mine |
| 19 |
Spring Mill |
 |
Mitchell |
Lawrence |
1927 |
38°44′00″N |
86°25′12″W |
1,319 acres (5.34 km²) |
Featured a pioneer village, numerous caves, and a memorial to Gus Grissom |
| 20 |
Summit Lake |
|
New Castle |
Henry |
1988 |
40°02′N |
85°33′W |
2,680 acres (10.8 km²) |
|
| 21 |
Tippecanoe River |
|
Winamac |
Pulaski |
1943 |
41°03′N |
86°36′W |
2,761 acres (11.17 km²) |
|
| 22 |
Turkey Run |
 |
Marshall |
Parke |
1916 |
39°53′4.24″N |
87°12′24.37″W |
2,382 acres (9.64 km²) |
|
| 23 |
Versailles |
|
Versailles |
Ripley |
1943 |
39°07′N |
85°22′W |
5,988 acres (24.23 km²) |
|
| 24 |
Whitewater Memorial |
|
Liberty |
Union |
1949 |
39°36′50″N |
84°57′55″W |
1,710 acres (6.9 km²) |
Built on land donated by four counties |
| 25 |
White River |
 |
Indianapolis |
Marion |
1979 |
|
|
250 acres (1.0 km²) |
An urban state park, built in downtown Indianapolis |
[edit] See also
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[edit] References
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Indiana State Parks |
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