IN the Parks

It's another special Holidays IN the Parks episode! Your shopping list, wish list, and holiday events are all taken care of! Listen now and you'll be in the know for the best gifts, activities, and family traditions.Holiday Gifts1. Purchase a 2026 state parks pass2. Subscribe to Outdoor Indiana magazineHOT TIP: Purchase the state parks Holiday Gift Pack (while supplies last)3. Buy all the state parks merch and gear you need for next yearState Park Holiday EventsPokagon – Ride the toboggan all winterChain O’ Lakes – Christmas Carol Clue Hunt Ouabache – Wonderland of Lights and Santa SaturdaysProphetstown – Head to The Farm for Breakfast with Santa or Christmas on the FarmMounds – Drive through Nights of LightsLieber SRA – Drive through Winter Lights display Raccoon SRA - Visiting the Lost Canyon First Day HikeMonroe Lake - Geminids Meteor Shower and First Day Trail Run & Walk Spring Mill State Park – Join the Bedford Hiking Club for a volkswalk First Day Hike Clifty Falls – Call Clifty Inn for Breakfast With the Grinch and Winter Weekend Getaway O’Bannon Woods Events pageAny mistakes are my own.

Get ready for an early Giving Tuesday and amazing examples of generosity and gratitude! You'll hear from Indiana Parks Alliance about how they support all the state parks and nature preserves. They also share practical ways you can support parks. To support Indiana Parks Alliance, visit their website. They're also on Facebook and Instagram.You'll learn from the Friends of Charlestown State Park how IPA has funded grants for them and about a major grant they received from Indiana American Water! Finally, a really easy way to support parks is to attend their events, like going to Spring Mill's Holiday in the Village Dec 5-6 or the new Christmas tradition December 6 at Versailles State Park. Buy tickets ahead of time for Santa’s Lighted Forest at Versailles State Park and see more event details and updates on Facebook.To see Carson Hughes’ incredible photography or to support the Carson Hughes Foundation, please visit this website.Any mistakes are my own.

Whitewater Memorial State Park was created to honor WWII veterans and be a place of solace for them and their families. Decades later, the park still offers peace for veterans, their families, and the entire state of Indiana. You’ll find options for camping, water activities, hiking, bridle trails, and events that specially honor veterans.Look for information about Shine a Light On Our Veterans next September so you can be part of the special luminary event.And don’t forget, all veterans have free entry to Indiana’s state parks on Veteran’s Day.Any mistakes are my own.

Brown County State Park is the first episode to come in at over an hour, although just barely! Once you listen, you'll see why these stories had to be told together. You'll hear about the trees and peak leaf peeping time, and you'll also learn about the volunteers who have spent thousands of hours helping the park staff clean up from multiple storms and a tornado this spring. There are so many ways to support and appreciate this park. Here are just a few!Want to see different oak leaves (including the white oak) and learn about them? Check this out! Take on the 7 Vista Challenge by driving to the most popular scenic spots in the park.To join the Friends of Brown County or support their work, visit their website. You can also donate to the Weed Patch Fire Tower restoration project.Check out the Brown County Mountain Biking website. Be sure to mark your calendar for Epic next year and their mountain biking trail maintenance days. You can become a member or donate to help keep the trails clear.The Indiana Trail Riders Association is who we have to thank for clearing and maintaining the horse trails. You can join their private Facebook page or check out their website to learn about group rides, how to donate to their ongoing work, or how to become a member. They gave a special shout out to Story Inn.Oh and check out the Hilly Half Marathon, 5k, and 10k that happens in November.Any mistakes are my own. 

Get ready to face your greatest fears at O'Bannon Woods State Park! Whether you're scared of heights, snakes, the dark, small spaces, or water, this park will help you find some inner courage to overcome those fears. You can climb the fire tower, see Indiana's venomous snakes from a safe distance in the nature center, take a hike down in Wyandotte Caves, or splash around at the aquatic center. You'll also hear about their tough mountain biking and hiking trails, camping options, and the historic haypress, pioneer village, oxen, and donkeys.You can learn more about Indiana’s snakes on the DNR website.If you're curious, I found a helpful explanation of steers and oxen here.Want to attend OWAR and mountain bike with an awesome group? Sign up here! Follow the O’Bannon Woods Mountain Biking group on Facebook and learn more about the Hoosier Mountain Bike Association on their site.Any mistakes are my own. 

Patoka Lake is a massive property with over 26,000 acres! In this episode, we'll explore all the great water activities you'll find there like boating and their commitment to excellent fishing. We'll also spend time out of the water in the campgrounds and on the amazing trails. I biked on the hilly, paved multi-use trail and hiked several beautiful spots in the woods. You'll be transported through time when you hike The Narrows, a historic trail people have been using for over 200 years! We'll also meet the park's turtles and red tailed hawk. Patoka Lake's water recreation will absolutely draw you in, but stay for the adventures you'll find on the trails too!Any mistakes are my own.

Join me at beautiful Hardy Lake where you'll find all the water recreation, hiking, or hunting you crave along with the state's largest raptor program! The Dwight Chamberlain Raptor Center was once a place to rehabilitate animals and birds of all kinds. Now, their educational birds can be seen at parks and events across the state. Much of the funding for the center comes from the Friends of Hardy Lake and their fun events. Hear all about the park, volunteers, and the incredible birds who call it home!Follow the Friends of Hardy Lake and be on the lookout for their next Breakfast with the Birds! If you find an orphaned or injured animal, check out the DNR Fish and Wildlife resources for who to contact.Check out this link if you want to see the Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife barn owl camera, provided by their Friends group.Any mistakes are my own.

It’s my birthday AND the podcast’s one year anniversary! So today’s episode is a little different. My friends Halle and Kelcy are hosts of the travel podcast Love It There, and today they are interviewing ME about myself, the podcast, and the parks. Hope you enjoy this conversational episode and get to know me a little better!Plus, I'm excited that you'll now be able to find IN the Parks content on the website Get Indiana. From Small Town Breakdowns to Hidden Gems to podcast interviews with local business leaders and thinkers, I know you'll appreciate our state even more! You can check out my IN the Parks posts too!Here are some of the Love It There episodes we reference in this episode:me talking about my trip to Berlin, GermanyBackpacking Africa from Capetown to CairoOssian, IndianaIf you’ve traveled somewhere fun that you want to share about, reach out to Kelcy and Halle on Instagram.Any mistakes are my own.

It's Brookville Lake's 50th anniversary! So grab some cake and ice cream, put on your party hat, and learn how this reservoir has been thriving for half a century. We'll cover the past (fossils and mounds), the present (bluebirds, sandhill cranes, camping, hunting, boating, walleye, hiking, and mountain biking), and discuss the future plans to keep the park a wonderful place!If you want to learn more about bluebirds or make your own bluebird box, the North American Bluebird Society has a TON of resources. You can also find a bluebird box blueprint through Cornell’s website which also has recommendations for the pole’s height, spacing, sizing, and more.To learn more about the mountain bike trails, join group rides, or help with trail maintenance, check out the Brookville Lake Trail Group on Facebook. If you want to hear what sandhill cranes sound like, listen here so you can spot them when they migrate. To learn more about the Glidewell Mound, look at Ball State University's report. You will need to request access to view it, or reach out to me via social media and I'll make sure you get a copy.Any mistakes are my own.