The Underrated Indiana State Park That Just Might Be Your New Favorite Destination
By Tori Jane|Published May 17, 2023
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Tori Jane
Author
Tori Jane is a storm chaser, writer, photographer, and the village idiot - in that order. When she's not out and about dancing with the meanest storms on planet Earth for funsies she can be found wandering, shooting landscapes, writing, editing photos, and otherwise up to no good. Legend has it that she can also be occasionally spotted typing up short bios in the third person, but those rumors are unsubstantiated.
Indiana is an awesome state if you’re a person who values their time in the great outdoors; with 24 stunning state and National Parks to choose from, it might even feel a little overwhelming for some to try and pick which to explore first. Allow me to make a recommendation: head to Lawrence, Indiana, and visit Fort Harrison State Park (which the locals sometimes lovingly call “Fort Ben”). It’s 1,700 amazing acres of the best the Hoosier State has to offer, and the greatest part is probably that it’s not even all that far from downtown Indianapolis.
Open year-round, Fort Harrison State Park proudly bills itself as "the state park for many seasons for many reasons"; this descriptor is pretty accurate, I think, because it is indeed a year-round playground for lovers of the outdoors.
After all, in the winter, it's home to one of the best snow sledding hills in the entire state, and as for the rest of the year, it's an experience everyone in the Midwest should have at least once.
It's vastly underrated despite its proximity to Indiana's capitol city, and it's teeming with life and beauty you'd be amazed to find so close to the city.
There are enough things jam-packed into this 1,700 acres that you could easily camp here for at least a night or two in an effort to enjoy it all; unfortunately, there are no formal campgrounds within the park, but you can get a comfy room at the Fort Harrison State Park Inn if you'd like.
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If you're a fan of hiking and all the best hiking trails in Indiana, you'll be thrilled to learn that there are six wonderful trails at Fort Harrison State Park ready for adventure.
They range in difficulty from easy to challenging, and hikers of every skill and experience level are sure to find new favorites here. Lawrence Creek Trail is probably the most popular hike in the park, and for good reason.
It's 3.3 miles long and filled from start to finish with some truly beautiful, almost fairytale-esque features, like a footbridge, gorgeous woods, and so much more.
Of course, hiking is far from the only thing there is to do within Fort Harrison State Park. Sure, hiking is my personal favorite thing to do - but it's not for everyone, and that's okay! There are plenty of other delights just waiting to be discovered.
You'll find a couple of idyllic bodies of water within the park, like Delaware Lake and Duck Pond.
These lakes are open for fishing, and few things are more relaxing than a picnic beside the water. Honestly, you could spend the whole weekend here and never do anything twice. The options are only as limited as your imagination!
There is a $7 per vehicle fee for in-state license plates, and $9 for out-of-state plates.
For more information about this awesome Indiana state park, you’ll want to check out the official Indiana Department of Natural Resources website. If you can’t get enough of the Hoosier State’s great outdoors, you might want to check out some of the other amazing underrated state parks in Indiana!
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