Take a Scenic Winter Hike at This Beautiful Indiana Trail

Hiding in the majestic Dilcher-Turner Canyon Forest is Canyon Forest Nature Preserve, a 68-acre slice of paradise that will amaze you with its quiet beauty. Here, you'll find the most wondrous hiking trails, including the Canyon Forest Nature Preserve Loop. This trail is nice and easy and not at all lengthy, clocking in at just over a mile and a half long. While most folks enjoy it during the warmer months, I personally love visiting in the winter.

Why? Well, fewer crowds, for one - even in the summer. A good winter hike should do the trick if you're seeking peace and quiet, though, as most folks don't even consider going outdoors to hike at this time. The preserve is wonderful year-round and might quickly become your new favorite winter hike in Indiana. It's positively idyllic and offers a special kind of quietening for the spirit I can't put into words.

Let's clarify, though: winter in Indiana is no joke. It can get incredibly cold quickly, and bundling up is extremely important. I like to start my wintertime hiking with good, warm footwear as the foundation, beginning with my socks. If my feet are warm and cozy, everything else seems to fall into place!

There are some small challenges along this trail, like a couple of steep points and the possibility of mud on warmer days -- especially during snowmelt in the spring. I strongly recommend bringing along trekking poles for extra footing help; ice can be sneaky, and nobody needs to slip and/or fall while enjoying the great outdoors.

It's also worth noting that parking at the preserve is limited: the parking lot only fits six cars. Of course, this may not be an issue, especially if you arrive early in the morning during the week when fewer folks are around than usual.

One of my favorite details about this particular nature preserve in Indiana is that it's fairly "new," so to speak, having only been called an official Indiana State Nature Preserve in 2020. This makes it one of the newest parks in Indiana as of the time of this writing, and that could be another reason why it's so delightfully quiet here: not everyone knows it's here.

For more information about this awesome winter hiking trail in Indiana, visit the official Canyon Forest Nature Preserve Loop listing on AllTrails. And, again, if you want the warmest, coziest socks for your winter hiking adventures, check out all the options from our friends at Bombas.

Do you have a favorite hiking trail in Indiana to do in the winter? Tell me about it by filling out this nomination form. I love hearing about your favorite spots! And if you love hearing about our favorite spots, give our new Travel Planner a try!