The County Line
Sometimes we Hoosiers don’t sufficiently appreciate the great attractions we have here in Indiana. Earlier this week with the relatively cool and sunny weather, I spent a couple of days at Turkey Run State Park. There was no special reason, it was just to get away from home a little while.
I had never spent much time at Turkey Run even though I like the state parks and have often been to Spring Mill, Brown County, McCormick’s Creek and the Dunes.
I knew our parks were among the best because a college friend of mine who headed parks in New York State told me ours stack up well or perhaps better than theirs. But, to visit one of ours served to remind just how true that is.
Unfortunately, we have no state parks in Hamilton County. That’s largely because the topography in the southern and western parts of the state offer better potential for park sites. Turkey Run is an example of this. Its 2,400 acres are almost entirely wooded with a largely hilly terrain.
Sugar Creek, although called a creek, is more like a small river and cuts across the park through a deep gorge. The creek is popular for canoeing. A pedestrian suspension bridge, not for the faint-hearted, is an attraction.
Hiking, horseback riding and swimming are also offered. And, history is not overlooked. There is an original covered bridge within the park as well as the early 19th century Salmon Lusk homestead with a two-story, federal style brick house that looks a lot like the William Conner home.
The Turkey Run Inn is an attractive but not lavish hotel. Its dining room offers reasonably priced meals. It’s popular with our Illinois neighbors whose state parks, I am guessing, are more expensive and more crowded.
Turkey Run is not crowded. In fact, you wonder why more folks are not there at the height of the summer season. Might be because no liquor is served, but more likely because state park inns aren’t particularly well promoted.
Anyway, as you can guess, I think it’s a great place for a mini-vacation and highly recommend it.