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    Crawford County Forest Preserve

    5.0 (1 review)

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    4 years ago

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    Shakamak State Park - Patio view of one of the cabins.

    Shakamak State Park

    4.1(11 reviews)
    34.7 mi

    Shakamak State Park is considered one of Indiana's more rustic state parks with a strong focus on…read morecamping and fishing within the park. Shakamak includes three man-made lakes within its boundaries offering 400 acres of lakes along with an aquatic center for family activities. Shakamak was dedicated on Sept. 3, 1928 with land donated by the counties of Clay, Greene, and Sullivan. It's believed the name was chosen by the park's founders and is an Indigenous word meaning "river of the long fish" meant to describe the nearby Eel River. The word is believed to be either from the Delaware (Lenape) or Kickapoo Indians. The first lake was created by stopping up a 5-foot sewer. The other two lakes were added in following years including Lake Kickapoo (30 years later). Prior to these lakes being made, there were no lakes in the area. Richard Lieber stocked the lakes with bass and began what would really make this particular park noteworthy. The Civilian Conservation Corps also helped develop the park from 1933-42. Shakamak State Park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. In terms of camping, Shakamak has 8 sites with full hook-ups, 114 electric sites, 42 non-electric sites, and on Maple Loop there are 10 sites (2 are paved and accessible). There's group camping, a dumping station, and a camp store. There are also cabins - I generally find them not very accessible. Shakamak offers picnic areas w/shelters (must be reserved), a nature center, a boat launch ramp, fishing/ice fishing, hiking trails, paddleboat/rowboat/kayak rentals, a recreation building that can be rented, a tennis area, a basketball court, and a swimming pool/water slide area. Shakamak is about 3 miles southeast of Jasonville in Sullivan County. Shakamak has seven marked trails with five being labeled as moderate in difficulty. The other two, both under two miles, are considered easy, multi-use trails for hiking or biking - these two trails have no stairs and white-tailed deer have been known to be seen on them. The longest trail is just under four miles and will take you by Lake Shakamak. The multi-use trails are for the most part accessible, though you are out in nature and I generally recommend not going on trails alone. That said, I've been able to do just fine on both trails. This isn't a real touristy state park except for those who want to fish and hike. That's the real selling point here. For those needing accessibility, it's definitely possible but will involve pre-planning. As some have noted, upkeep here is somewhat hit-and-miss. It's a beautiful park, however, my experience has been it's fairly lightly staffed compared to some other parks. That said, my recent visit things were in good shape and I know DNR has been really working on our less popular parks. I tend to see Shakamak as a less appreciated park that is definitely worth a visit for nature lovers and for hikers who want a chance to see wildlife. I've never not seen wildlife on the trails here.

    Shakamak is much bigger than I anticipated. My husband, dogs, and I got a lovely 4-mile hike in…read morewith great views of Lake Kickapoo, one of the three lakes. With two more lakes and six more trails to explore, it appears we'll have to make another trip in the future. I look forward to it!

    Photos
    Shakamak State Park - Another lake view.

    Another lake view.

    Shakamak State Park - One of three Shakamak State Park lakes.

    One of three Shakamak State Park lakes.

    Shakamak State Park - External view of a cabin - entry not accessible, but for those with ability to hop small steps it's possible.

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    External view of a cabin - entry not accessible, but for those with ability to hop small steps it's possible.

    Dobbs Park & Nature Center - touch table items with matching identifying cards

    Dobbs Park & Nature Center

    4.3(3 reviews)
    41.5 mi

    This is a nice nature park. It has a couple of ample sized parking areas, three to be exact. There…read moreis a nice calm 3 acre lake in the park with picnic tables and picnic shelters with tables under them and grills just outside of them. Fishing is allowed in the lake, but with limits. You will definitely need a fishing license to fish here. With every nature park, there is some green space to play filed activities such as soccer, football, catch, kite flying or other activities. This park is no exception. There is a decent amount of green space by the playground area. Some of the shelters are in desperate need of repair though. A couple has sections of the roof collapsing in. There is a small playground at this park with older traditional equipment laid on a wood chip bed. Some of the playground equipment includes a some traditional and toddler swings, A tall spiral slide, a decent sized jungle gym with slides, a see-saw, and a large truck tire. It has benches and picnic tables on the perimeter of the area where parents can sit and watch their littles. There are a couple of small accessible piers on the lake that you can walk out on. They do not go too deep into the lake. I would say about 10 to 15 feet from shore. You will find a nature center and Native American Museum here at the park, along with some awesome wooded trails. It you are not feeling adventurous and are intimidated by the wood trail, you can just walk around the lake. I saw a bunch of people doing that while I was there. Additionally, there is a nice bike/running trail that goes past the front of the park. All in all, there are approximately 3 miles of trails which will take you past restored wetlands, through pine woods, old growth and second growth forest as well as a 25 acre State Nature Preserve. With visits to the Nature Center, native American Museum, Lake, playground and trails, you could easily spend a half a day or more here. I wish that the playground area was a little bit more robust, but it will do. This park has a peaceful vibe and is very relaxing. It is a destination park and hopefully you will get to visit it in the near future.

    We are retired. Nice place to bring your lunch, watch the Canadian geese, and dads trying to teach…read moretheir kids to fish!!

    Photos
    Dobbs Park & Nature Center - Entrance to the nature center

    Entrance to the nature center

    Dobbs Park & Nature Center
    Dobbs Park & Nature Center

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    Twin Caves - Cave

    Twin Caves

    5.0(2 reviews)
    79.5 mi

    Twin Caves located in Mitchell, IN inside Spring Mill State Park. There are several great trails…read moreand these caves are located not to far away from the parking lot. So, it's not a bad little hike to take. This particular day it was gloomy and sort of wet. I was chilly, and couldn't seem to get warm. This particular Park cost a fee to enjoy but because its not in season the shacks gate was open do no charge. I definitely would recommend and go back again.

    Guided boat tours of the twin caves are offered every 30 minutes from 9-5 each day for only $3 a…read moreperson! The tours are in high demand, so make sure someone from your group gets there a few minutes before 9 to line up to schedule your time slot for the day. We did a tour with tour guide Morgan a few weeks ago, and it was awesome! Very interesting and educational. The tour takes about 20 minutes and you get to see a lot of different areas of the cave with different features, as well as some crayfish! There is one part where you can reach out and touch the cave as well. The boat is small and all riders straddle the bench inside for the duration of the tour. Could be difficult for older people and a little scary for some folks, especially those who have claustrophobic tendencies. You also need to be able to go down 85 steps to get to the boat and back up those steps after the tour. Life jackets are provided! Important to mention that my family is NOT outdoorsy at all, but we really enjoyed the tour! I recommend wearing a hat of some sort to prevent panic if any water drips on you as you go through. Highly recommend to those visiting the park!!

    Photos
    Twin Caves - Cave

    Cave

    Twin Caves
    Twin Caves

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    Cataract Falls State Recreation Area

    Cataract Falls State Recreation Area

    4.4(47 reviews)
    62.3 mi

    What a wonderful place to get out of the city and just slow down! My honey took me here 4/26/26…read moresince we've had some nice weather lately. Pleasantly surprised they have many picnic tables, the cover bridge to see and of course the Falls. Just be careful when walking to the lower fall as you are pretty close to the ledge of the falls. Plenty to enjoy here. Next time we shall have a nice picnic and enjoy the scenery. You can swim too.Parking is easy but i'm sure it gets crowded in the summer time!

    Cataract Falls is a geological wonder worth visiting and only an hour west of Indianapolis. These…read moremagnificent Falls were created over millions of years as ice and water carved into the ancient limestone resulting in Mill Creek and two sets of falls. The Upper Falls drops 20 feet and can be viewed near the entrance to the park at several overlooks. We visited this week on a bright summer day. The waters were loud and rapid after recent rains. This is one of Indiana's most beautiful sites. There is a large parking lot near the Upper Falls along with picnic tables, grill, pavilion and small playground. We brought a picnic lunch so we could enjoy the Falls. There are pit bathrooms near the playground in a second parking lot. The Lower Falls are a short drive through the park. A nearby lot provides plenty of parking. The short path to view the falls is not paved, but an easy walk. These falls drop 18 feet with incredible views of the layered limestone exposed west of the falls. I was envious of a lone kayaker below the falls. There are marked trails through dense woods descending near the creek. You'll want to wear good hiking shoes and bug spray if you are up for the adventure. The property was donated by Agnes Stuckey in memory of her mother, Agnes Steiner. The Park is maintained by the Indiana DNR. There was no admission during our midweek visit.

    Photos
    Cataract Falls State Recreation Area
    Cataract Falls State Recreation Area - Inside the bridge

    Inside the bridge

    Cataract Falls State Recreation Area - Info

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    Info

    Crawford County Forest Preserve - parks - Updated May 2026

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