Turkey Run State Park Hike

Turkey Run State Park has what you’ve been needing. Explore it and see how Indiana was shaped by ancient forces. You’ll discover ancient Indiana’s remains. Many old growth trees exist in the park. A walk into one of the ravines takes you on a trip through time, for the sandstone gorges represent 600 to 300 million years of nature’s handiwork. Deep canyons nestled in the shadows of sandstone cliffs and peaceful hemlock groves are some of the most ruggedly beautiful hiking trails in the state. In the last few hundred years, the wind and water erosion of the sandstone has continued at a slower pace. The gorges are very similar to what was seen by Native Americans and pioneers.

PARK HISTORY

The first parcel of Turkey Run State Park’s 2,382 acres was purchased during Indiana’s centennial in 1916 when the State Park system was first established. Turkey Run is Indiana’s second state park.

There are many legends about how Turkey Run got its name. One story says that wild turkeys, finding it warmer in the canyon bottoms, or “runs”, would often huddle in these runs to avoid the cold. Pioneer hunters would herd the turkeys through these natural funnels into a central location for an easy harvest. Since historic accounts suggest that large numbers of turkeys lived here, it follows that turkeys in the runs prompted the area’s name, Turkey Run.