Wildflowers Have Already Started Blooming In Indiana And These Are The 10 Best Places To See Them
By Nikki Rhoades|Published April 18, 2020
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Nikki Rhoades
Author
Nikki is a lifelong Ohioan with a love for literature. She holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Akron and has enjoyed publishing her written work since 2007. She has a love of travel and does so frequently, though she believes that home is where the heart is — she continues to work in and around Cleveland as a digital content specialist to this day, working on everything from commercial scripts and social media posts to grassroots marketing initiatives.
There’s so much to love about springtime. This season is full of magic, from the earliest rays of spring sunlight to the tiniest sprouts that push through a still-frozen ground to feel the warmth of our star. Here in The Hoosier State, nature abounds… and the best places to see wildflowers in Indiana can be found even near some of our most populated regions. Check out the majesty of springtime splendor at these incredible places:
Tucked off of Rosedale Road is a quaint little park with an iconic dam built in 1817. It was part of an old mill site, though the gristmill is now long gone. Though this landscape has long been a hub of human activity, nature manages to prevail year after year. In spring, the wildflowers in this area are a breath of fresh air.
If you're looking for a good dose of flora and fauna, you'll want to explore some local parks. The Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area Visitor Center is managed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and has been since 2005, and the local prairie has absolutely flourished under their care. No wonder this park attracts several thousand visitors each year!
Of all the state parks in our magnificent state, Brown County State Park is the largest. This stretch of 15,776 acres delights over a million visitors each year, both human and animal. As
Indiana's most visited park, one would naturally expect to find a bit of splendor here. The natural landscape, visitors report, does not disappoint... especially in the spring and summer!
If you've never visited Goethe Link Observatory, then you really are in for a surprise during your next springtime trip. This magnificent historic site began operating in 1939, but light pollution eventually made it all but obsolete. However, something magnificent has prevailed in this landscape. Helen Link, the wife of the doctor for whom this site is named, was a botanist and planted hundreds of daffodils. To this day, spring brings a sea of yellow bursts to an otherwise dormant landscape.
Spring flowers aren't just limited to shoots of color bursting from the ground... trees and bushes like shadbush also produce magnificent spring blooms! A visit to Cool Creek Park & Nature Center will put you face-to-face with these magnificent blooms and more. Though only 90 acres in size, this park is overflowing with natural beauty!
You'll find blooms on the ground and on trees and shrubs at Spring Mill State Park. The landscape here is rich, filling up 1,358 acres with majesty. While the wildflowers are an incredible draw in the spring and summer, the park's most famous attraction is actually man-made: its settlers' village!
Since 1977, visitors have flocked to Potato Creek State Park to bask in its natural landscape. This pretty 3,840-acre delights visitors with miles of trails, swimming, fishing, boating, and more... and it also bursts to life each spring as wildflowers poke through the dormant earth to greet the sunlight.
It almost seems that flowers bloom all year long at Chain O’ Lakes State Park. As one of the northernmost parks in the state, this 2,793-acre refuge has a vast and varied landscape. There's nothing more magnificent to an early morning visit to this park to watch the sunrise over the water and to smell the early morning aroma of eager wildflowers.
Prophetstown State Park is another magnificent landscape with a few man-made gems. It rests on ground that was integral to Tecumseh's War, and it boasts fascinating living history exhibits. However, one of the most magnificent teachers in this landscape is its flowers, which bloom year after year as a testament to the longevity of something seemingly so fragile.
Indiana Dunes State Park, which is surrounded by Indiana Dunes National Park, is arguably one of the most unique landscapes in the entire state. Here, huge sand dunes were formed by winds on Lake Michigan, but beyond the dunes you'll find magnificent blooms hidden along the park's plentiful trails.
So there you have it! The best places to see wildflowers in Indiana are also some of the finest places to spend an afternoon, so grab your camera and let’s hit the trails. Don’t forget a pair of sunglasses, because the brilliance of this adventure is almost too much to handle.
Craving more? Visit our local rock garden to take in the splendor of man-made design amidst a natural landscape. You’ll absolutely fall in love!
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