Face The Frost At These 3 Indiana Parks For Some Epic Winter Adventures
Holing up for the winter may be tempting in the Hoosier States, but you’ll miss a lot of the natural beauty and family fun Indiana has in store for you. Indiana keeps its famous state parks open for the winter, but only a few of them are famed for the winter festivities and have amenities better suited for the cold. If you’re looking to face the frost and have some fun this season, you’re bound to be pleased if you pick from one of these three parks.
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For city slickers, there's no better place to have frosty family fun than Fort Harrison Park in Indianapolis. Famed for its sledding, Fort Harrison offers nostalgic winter playtimes without leaving the Indy city limits.
Turkey Run State Park is the next stop for those who love the snowy great outdoors. The park's gorgeous canyons become adorned with frozen waterfalls and stalactites formed from ice.
Turkey Run is right next to neighboring Shades park, which also offers plenty of winter excitement for your seasonal expeditions. Turkey Run State Park has the added advantage of heated facilities that are open all winter. This makes it a great home base for exploring the surrounding scenic spots. Turkey Run State Park is located at 8121 Park Rd, Marshall, IN 47859.
Enjoy frozen vistas, cross-country skiing, and hiking before retiring to the thrill of cold weather camping. This might look more like your idea of frostbite than fun, but Summit Lake is the perfect destination for those who want to feel alive in the winter climate. Summit Lake also has heated family restrooms all winter, so you can get some respite from the chill when you need it.
Plus, nothing beats the beauty of an austere, frozen lake sleeping in the snow. Enjoy frozen vistas, cross-country skiing, and hiking before retiring to the thrill of cold weather camping. This might look more like your idea of frostbite than fun, but Summit Lake is the perfect destination for those who want to feel alive in the winter climate. Summit Lake is located at 5993 N Messick Rd, New Castle, IN 47362.
If these photos gave you the shivers, you’re not alone. Some people define adventure in ways that others define insanity. But, in Indiana, no family adventure this frosty will be soon forgotten. So, soak in the scenic beauty of these parks. When the spring comes, you’ll feel like you’ve really earned it.
What are your favorite places for Indiana ice-capades? Is there a perfect park you love in the winter that’s not on this list? We love seeing your photos and hearing your stories. Get in touch!
Address: 5993 N Messick Rd, New Castle, IN 47362, USA
Address: 6000 N Post Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46216, USA
Benjamin Clancy is the Illinois and Indiana writer at Only In Your State, a doctoral candidate at UNC Chapel Hill in Communication, and an artistic type who has attended the Vermont Studio Center residency in poetry writing and makes something like music as "little other." They grew up in Austin, Texas and currently live in Chicago, IL with their partner, two dogs, and a cat. Get in touch by emailing bclancy@onlyinyourstate.com.
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