Small yet relaxing state forest!…read more Found the forest while looking for a nice spot to have a picnic. It's small but never seems crowded. I've been on both weekdays and weekends, and most weekdays you'll only share the place with a handful of people. It's $7 to enter the park (if someone's at the gates), $13 / night to camp, and $5.35/hour to rent a small boat or canoe. The forest hosts a lake for swimming (sand beach) or boating, two playgrounds, a plethora of grills, and many covered pavilions with picnic tables. Things to know before you go: there is no running water that I could see, however the restrooms were kept well stocked. This is also a place where you leave with everything you came in with, including trash. There are no trash cans available. I usually make it a habit to stop at the gas station headed back into town. ALSO: bring bug spray!

Since COVID 19 is still an issue we were looking for local places to try while avoiding crowds so…read morewe spent a day here. If someone is on the gate the price is $7 to enter and despite the fact that its a smaller park it does have a lake that allows for kayaking, fishing & electric trolling motors only. Jon boats & canoes can be rented by the hour and the lake has a beach area where a handful of children were taking advantage of the good weather. A lifeguard isn't provided but there is a changing house. There are grills within the park and we had a small portion of the lake to ourselves while grilling. There are picnic tables & benches around one side of the lake and it made for a peaceful break during the normal work week. Camping is available for tents and other sections for campers & RVs. The hiking is limited but if you combine all the trails & fire lanes its about 10 miles. The city of Ferdinand is what I call a sleepy little city and I mean that in the best way, so on a Wednesday I saw only a dozen people on this day and relaxed, avoided COVID and look forward to a time when its safe to try the local brewery & restaurants.

We were renting a Duplex Cabin for a family reunion weekend. The price is right and it's a pretty…read morenice cabin, however I say that with a couple caveats. The beds are horribly uncomfortable. You will feel every single spring in them. My body was really sore the next day and I am not old! I would recommend that you bring some extra blankets to try to make the bed softer because it's really hard to get to sleep and honestly almost painful. The bed was also very noisy, so if you are tossing and turning because of the extreme firmness, that will also keep you away. It's also really, really dark at night. There needs to be some exterior motion detector lights so people can see to get in the cabin. We just used our phone flash lights but you can't really even tell which cabin is yours in the dark (at first arrival) so I would advise them to at least install a motion light near the door so you can see the lock. We also had very luke warm water in the shower. I can get by with that, but others might not. We also had some wasps and a stink bug in the cabin, but that's to be expected in the woods and they do provide a fly swatter. If I was going to stay here again, I would want a different cabin due to the bed. Otherwise, it was fine.

I needed knew that this place existed…read more It was a wonderful place to relax for the week end. We rented a boat for the day which was a good price for the day. I thought that I would catch more fish but I was wrong. For the record. I didn't know my fishing license didn't carry over from state to state lol. THE MORE TOU KNOW! Please make sure that you buy fishing license when you cross over state lines. Lol as I didn't know my Kentucky license for fishing was no good. The good thing was that the game wardens were nice enough to issue us a warning. All sowed is to buy one online while they waited. Which made it awesome. I thank them kindly for their patience and respect. We spent the whole day on the lake and it was so relaxing and fun. I know that being on a boat all day is great but no one warns you about your body adjusting to being in the boat all day. You feel like your on the boat hours after you have been off. It's like being drunk without liquor. There are plenty of fishing places to be had and they even rent you a tube if you need it. Then again they can rent you out everything. Soooooo there is that. If you don't want to go far but want to relax on a wonderful lake. This is your place. I recommend staying on a boat all day fish and relaxing and taking a swim. It's worth the trip. Stay awesome Batman

As someone skiing for the first time, I believe Paoli Peaks was the perfect place to learn! I came…read morethree times in the span of a week, and here is what I learned. Opening weekend/Sunday afternoon: The rental line was no joke two hours long. It became significantly shorter later in the evening. If you don't want to wait, come later or bring your own gear. Somewhat crowded but not so much that I wasn't able to learn in the discovery zone. During the week: The temperatures were above freezing, so what snow was left was turning to slush. Better than the ice experienced a few days prior though. There were several points where I was the only person in the discovery zone, especially as it got later in the evening. Being here at night is so cool!

Paoli Peaks' Arctic Blast tubing was an absolute mess and a clear example of poor planning and…read moreworse communication. We drove 2 1/2 hours to get there, only to have the experience effectively canceled. No warning ahead of time, no meaningful explanation on site, just a refund. To make it even more frustrating, the refund email was titled "Thank you for your purchase," which felt incredibly tone-deaf considering the experience never happened. There was no apology, no acknowledgment of the inconvenience, and no effort to take responsibility for the situation. The staff at the window showed no care and said "yeah a lot of people have booked that for today" when expressing that we booked for it and were charged for this experience. Wasting customers' time, gas, and entire day with this level of disregard is unacceptable. Paoli Peaks clearly prioritizes sales over customer experience. We won't be back, and I strongly recommend others think twice before making the trip.

Indiana Caverns has a large gift shop, with tons of seating as you wait for your tour to begin. It…read morehas excellent educational signage and posters, and a large fluffy orange cat named Mr Tooth. Our guide was great, very funny. I forget her name but she had dark hair in two long braids. The cavern is spectacular, the first time seeing actual live critters, in situ ice age bones, and of course the unique boat ride. 10/10

Visited Indiana to see a friend and we checked out Indiana Caverns. I was definitely blown away to…read moresee that they offer a cave AND boat tour for such a low price, and it was a nice tour. It was a bummer not being able to see any stalagmites or stalactites in the cave, but being able to view so many prehistoric bones and remnants made up for it. Indiana Caverns also provides other amenities like a zip line area and additional cave exploring.

Very dated and bug infested. Jacuzzi tub in bathroom with steam. Shower doors wouldn't close…read moreproperly. Drain plug was missing and drain was rusty. Furniture is terribly worn. Company paid, not a chance I'd return.

The resort really needs updates to the rooms. Keys are not digital old school metal with 25.00 fee…read moreif you lose one as well. The check-in office is not really inviting or vibrant. The staff are friendly and are welcoming, but it is so dark that the colors of walls etc needs a update. The unit we had was 97A, 97B so we had both upper and lower units. Let's start the lower unit 97A it had a large TV in the main area and no TV in the bedroom. The cabinets were from the 70's and need to be refinished or replaced from the kitchen to the bathrooms and even the drawers that hold things. The bar stools are fabric and are stained and look disgusting they need to replace them with bar stools that match the table in that unit in 97A. Modern chairs. Couches were up to date pain for needs to be done and done properly. It looks like they have just painted over old paint and stuff never really sanded and replaced anything was issues. Also, the bathroom toilets are so low and small that it's like toddler toliets in church schools not ok for adults of any height or size. The shower needs work, and remodeling it is gross, and the drain is completely hard water and lime rusted and crusted super nasty if you actually wanted to use that half Jacuzzi tub. 97B the upper unit that dinner table is out dated and the chairs match the downstairs bar stools so at some point the replaced things half way and mixed matched stuff that is pretty bad also both stoves are old and outdated but the fridges were ok on both levels dishes were ok but again lots of mixed matched stuff and each floor had one shot glass per unit that I found funny. The upstairs door or glass has dew or water damage in-between the panels probably from the Jacuzzi upstairs that can seat 2 or 3 grown people however the hot water runs out a quarter way filling the tub and takes so long to heat back up the water level will drain it self before it can actually be filled properly. Design flaw or need better water heater for the unit to actually use the Jacuzzis either one. Same thing for up stairs cabinets needs updates lighting seems dark either bright white bulbs or med white bulbs would help make the place look more vibrant they Yellow bulbs with paint color make it seem dark and ugly once the sun sets just depressing. You can easily take a few of these recommendations even if just updating the stained yellow lamp shades on the lamps and changing the yellow bulbs to fresh lamp top shades and led bright white bulbs would make the place so much better. Right now, you have a few bright white led bulbs and mix matched yellow bulbs. Not only does it not match, but it shows you could give it potential with such minimal changes. I'm still on-site bit don't want to be bothered this is my shared opinion and none of these things can be fixed overnight or while I'm here I want to enjoy my time unbothered so no point in bothering the front desk and the binders that are passed out could be updated to smaller information with those binder part showing restaurants and area attractions etc that should be kept in the room on the table in a separate book that stays there showing all the things to do. Not lugged around forced to check in and drop off when you leave just leave a book version in the rooms with all that second half of the binder and cut the stuff someone has to carry around down. So that is my experience it's quiet people were friendly, but the Villas them selves I'm sure charge their owners for upgrades, and they need to actually do so. Upgrade the investments, people! More will actually want to come.

Nice quiet place. Well stocked kitchen, linens were nice, bed and pillows quite comfortable…read more Internet and cell service were fine. We had a cabin with a hot tub, nice to come back from a day exploring and relax. Trails around the cabins for hiking, definitely recommend!

This was our first visit to the area, and we weren't sure if we were going to be spending our time…read moreat the lake, or in French Lick. having never been there before, we left this open. we found the location acceptable, as it was ten mins from town, and ten mins from the lake. the cabin was reasonably clean, with exception to the plethora of cobwebs in the corners. my wife is not a fan of spiders. the solitude was AMAZING. however, there was only one other tenant in the vicinity. the place was very quiet. we liked that there were no cigarette butts sitting around, and a sign that forbade it. ditto fireworks. we were able to leave our windows open our first night and slept like babys. downside. NO INTERNET, NO CELL SIGNAL. also only a handful of tv stations, and the signal on that kept fading out making watching anything impossible. shower faucet was busted. it was a single handle moen, which i would have fixed myself just to be able to take an appropriately temp'd shower. no hardware close though. we managed with it, but it was not good. we mentioned this to the "maint person" upon our departure, and she stated she had mentioned it and it was decided they would not repair it. will we be back? jury still out. our room (discounted b/c it was a Sunday/Monday stay) was STILL $277 with tax for two nights....we saw many rooms in the same area starting at $69.00 a night...that had no more or less amenities than ours did. i would sacrifice the 4 minutes farther for half the money! **Rooms in the West Baden Springs Hotel, (hallmark of the Midwest) were only $250 starting price. to say they are only twice as good as these is a joke! do the research...look on the internet...read these...you STILL will have to go for yourself to find out. you can only see so much on here.

Wildcat Cove Lodge…read more You know how some places you rent don't end up being as nice as the photos in the listing? Not Wildcat Cove Cottage! This place is better than the photos show! Upon our arrival the house was impeccably spotless. Thoughtful touches. Fly swatter on the patio table and indoors on the desk. Nice. Apple device charger next to the desk. Nice. Frosty, frozen beer mugs in the freezer. Nice. Even though we brought our own, masks and hand sanitizer we're provided. Nice. Ample hangers in closets. Nice. Kitchen was stocked with everything we needed. Nice. Master bath needs handrail(s) for safer jacuzzi tub entry / exit. A towel bar to hang wet towels would be a nice touch. We may be more outdoorsey than some, but we would have liked to open the windows at night, but there are no screens. This house has everything, how can it not have screens? State Park style BBQ is literally indestructible, but not a great device for making steaks. We understand having it away from the house, but a standard charcoal BBQ could be installed so it cannot be brought close to the house and be much better to cook on. The grounds are nicely maintained. Chairs and rocking chairs on the front porch were perfect for watching the 3 turkeys. There's a picnic table to the side of the house and down the hill in back a fire pit and horseshoes. This location is great. 10 minutes to the heart of French Lick and less than 15 minutes to the entrance to Patoka Lake. We have never stayed in a place that has supplied wine on a honor basis to just leave money if you open a bottle. What a great idea. If we were to return to French Lick and Patoka Lake we would definitely rent this house from Randy again.

Looking for a great place to stay near Patoka Lake? Check out Wildcat Cove Lodge. This was my 2nd…read moretime staying here and my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay. This is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house that is attractive, nicely decorated, and convenient to French Lick, Patoka Lake and other area attractions like Spring Mill Park. The fully equipped kitchen is really great and has all you need you need to make everything from a snack to a full dinner (provided you supply the food.) Lots of sitting areas outside including a large front porch, a garden sitting area on the side of the house and in the back a grill and fire pit. The house also has a large laundry room and a jetted tub in master suite with a shower. Although this place would be great for hunters and fishermen, it is much nicer than your average hunting lodge and would work well for families, or a get-away week or weekend.

West Baden has now become a regular family destination. My family -- plus my mom, stepdad, siblings…read moreand their families -- just finished our second trip here. And it's safe to say that West Baden is now a family tradition. My parents spent a few days there to celebrate their anniversary, and then the kids all came to stay the last night, during Easter weekend. And we made the most of it. We started with bowling and pizza at the new Ballard's at the Atrium (see my review on that). My older niece then watched all the kids in one of the hotel rooms, while the adults got a drink in the expansive atrium and enjoyed looking up at the picturesque dome ceiling. The next morning, which was Easter, we found a quiet sitting area on our floor to have an Easter egg hunt with all the kids. These are memories we will cherish. We popped over to French Lick for brunch, though the Easter brunch set up in the atrium definitely looked delicious too. The staff is always excellent. We were able to call and get all of our rooms next to each other, which helped. Thanks for another fabulous mini-vacation, West Baden!

The staff is what makes this place great. Friendly, knowledgeable, good with kids. Lots of kid…read morerelated activities. Just wish the services for caring for kids started at younger ages (maybe potty trained and older?) It will be years before my husband and I can stay at this hotel and have a true 'date day or night' and our kids are five and three. Honestly they'd get more money out of us if they offered babysitting for younger kiddos!! Food here is very standard and nothing to write home about. That applies to every restaurant off property we tried in the area. Activities we tried and enjoyed 1. Kids pony ride 2. Carriage ride. 3. Mommy and kiddo pedicure (expensive for what you get but also standard pricing for hotels). 4. The free!! Trolley train ride to the sister property. Activities are easy to book over the phone ahead of the stay and easy to do at the front desk or calling from your room. Very excited about the new bowling alley building they are almost finished with next to the hotel. The stables area is very picturesque with a large covered 'patio'. Patio seems too small a word. More like covered event space. Wedding perfect. Room was clean. Beds are not very comfortable. Killed my back and my husband's. We had a two bedroom suite which was the perfect size for the four of us. It had two balconies overlooking the atrium which I will never, ever book again. Too loud! All night long too loud! Even from the sixth floor, even with earplugs. Only exterior view next time for a stay. I would return next year for all of the holiday events. My kids loved this trip because of all the new experiences they had. Lots of things to do in the area that get you outdoors. Lovely part of Indiana in the Autumn (when we visited).