Our camping adventure this summer was a quick trip to
Turkey Run State Park, just across the boarder in Indiana. We'd heard lots about the park but never had been over there ourselves, so decided to give it a try while I had some time off work.
We drove over on Monday afternoon and set up camp in a nicely wooded and relatively secluded spot.
Went for a short hike before supper. The kids stop briefly for a picture.
The park is bisected by Sugar Creek, a clear, scenic little river that winds quietly through the Indiana hill country. In the park, the river and the little streams that feed it have cut dozens of deep, rocky ravines into the native sandstone. Most of the trails follow those ravines, winding in and out and up and down over lots of stairs and cut stone steps, through secluded canyons, and under massive overhanging ledges.
Looking over Sugar Creek from Sunset Point.
Turkey Run is also Indiana's second oldest state park and features the requisite historic structures. Like this cabin sitting on the bluff overlooking Sunset Point. Check out the size of the logs!
Making our way back to camp. Yes, that really is the trail.
Anthony relaxes.
We spent most of Tuesday hiking. The majority of the trails in the park on the other side of the river from the camp ground, which usually isn't a big deal because there is a nice suspension bridge close by that spans the river and provides quick access. Unfortunately, that bridge had been damaged by spring floods, so we had to walk up the river to the next crossing and then back down again before we could see what we really wanted to see.
Little Anya is a little too big for the backpack, so she had to walk. She did really well.
The trail along the river bottom winds through some fantastic stands of tulip trees, or poplar - the same wood used to build the cabin in the picture above. The trunks of some of the trees had to be five feet across and they rose straight up into the air with very few branches until the very crown of the tree, some eighty feet above the forest floor, creating an open, airy canopy like a massive green cathedral. Supposedly, Turkey Run was established in part to preserve some areas of old growth forest. I don't know if this was one of those areas or not, but it was amazing anyway.
You can barely see the covered bridge that will take us across the river in the background of the picture below.
Andrea had to stop and smell the flowers.
Finally, the bridge across. Also historic.
The trails were very neat. We did a lot of climbing up and down stairs and steps and even a few ladders. This was the kids favorite part of the whole hike.
Unfortunately, is was also quite hot and humid, so by the time we ate our lunch and started heading back up the trail we were all pretty worn out and looking forward to a dip in the pool. Anya especially had had enough. She gets a lift from Mom.
A swimming pool never felt so good.
After a hot night we woke Wednesday morning to some clouds. Kenrick and Anthony wanted to hit one more trail before we packed up, so we headed out from the campsite after breakfast. We almost made it back before the thunderstorm hit. We holed up under an overhang for a bit, but finally had to just make a run for it because I knew Andrea would be waiting for us. We finally got back to the parking lot and gave her a call to come pick us up (note to self: next time put your cell phone in a plastic bag), then had to get everything packed up before checkout at noon. It just kept raining. I don't think I've ever been so wet.
Anyway, we made it. Got everything dried back out again when we got home.
Now we know what Turkey Run is like. I'd recommend it, but check the weather before you go.
