SPORTS

Hiker's Path: Old Memories at Turkey Run State Park

Susan Anderson, Guest Columnist

Having lived in Indiana most of my life, I was fortunate to have grown up visiting many of the state parks. My father use to take my brother and I camping when we were children. 

He taught us a lot about nature and the forests, mostly by osmosis. We soaked it up like a sponge every time we visited one. I guess you could say it's in my blood to hike and camp, especially in our state parks. I recently visited one of my favorite ones that our family had visited back in the day... Turkey Run State Park. 

One of many ravines at Turkey Run State Park.

It is said the park got its name from the abundance of wild turkeys that use to be found there back in the pioneer days. The park is located in Parke County near Marshall, Indiana. The park is the second oldest park in Indiana.  (McCormick's creek is the first). It was dedicated as a park in December 1916. 

The park has some great geological features, along with deep ravines and hollows, and beautiful stands of hardwood trees throughout the park. Sugar Creek flows right through the middle of Turkey Run and is often called the centerpiece of the park by canoeing enthusiasts. 

There are eleven trails offered for hiking with a total of 14 miles. With so many good trails to choose from, I was hard-pressed to decide on one, so I finally decided to hike two of them: trails 1 and 2. 

Trail 1 is considered moderate to rugged and is 3 miles in length.  It also happens to intersect with trail 2 which is one mile in length but considered very rugged. The day I visited there, the sky was a bit overcast with temperatures hovering in the low sixties.  Still a beautiful spring day.

I drove to the park and stopped at the gatehouse to pick up a map. I started out my afternoon adventure by descending some stairs down to the Suspension bridge that crosses over Sugar Creek. The bridge is 202 feet in length and supplies access to several trails in the park. It was built in 1918.  It was damaged by flooding in 2013 and was repaired the same year. The bridge is over 100 years old. I did not need to cross the bridge for my chosen paths of the day.

I started my hike on trail 2 which was right before the bridge. The trail led me on level ground before ascending up the trail to a steep cliff. I got to see some awesome rock formations as the trail meandered under some cliff edges in Box Canyon. Then I found myself climbing some stone stairs that led me out of the canyon to a ridge top that gave spectacular views of Sugar Creek below.  There was a big array of spring wildflowers scattered along the trail and throughout the woods: Trout Lilies, Virginia Bluebells, Dutchman's Breeches, and purple Violets to name just a few.  

It was then onto “Gypsy Gulch" which featured a tall and narrow waterfall. For a one-mile trail, it's worth the effort one must exert to hike it. I continued on my trek by intersecting with trail 1 at the "Lusk Earth Fill". The earth-fill was built in 1880 by the original owner of the land as a planned causeway for a county road that never came to fruition.  A pond stands there today full of lots and lots of frogs. You'll know that you are near there before you arrive just from hearing the chorus of "croakers" as you approach the pond. 

At this point,  I turned on trail 1 to continue my hike. Trail 1 is known as the " Big tree trail" for the large Sycamore and Walnut trees that can be seen along the path. This trail also leads to the "Narrows Covered Bridge" built originally in 1882 by J A Britton. It was destroyed over time and rebuilt in 1977 by the State of Indiana. It's 121 feet long.  It can be accessed by three different trails in the park. I finished up my day enjoying a small picnic lunch I had made for myself. It had been a great day at the park. I think my dad would have been proud. 

The park is located in West Central Indiana, on State Road 47, two miles East of State Road 41. From Spencer, take Highway 231 North past Greencastle. Turn west onto Highway 236. Follow signs.

A quote for your week: “Th wild calls to all that listen” - Jessica Marie Baumgartner - Author

Until the next trail!  

Susan