Category: Indiana

Think you’ve seen everything at Brown County State Park in Indiana? This multi-use trail is often overlooked by hikers, which is just fine by the mountain bikers who flock to the park.

In the fall, Brown County State Park is inundated with leaf peepers who snarl traffic bumper-to-bumper from Nashville to Gnaw Bone and beyond.

At Trail D on the far southwest corner of the park, you’ll avoid it all and find the hiking escape you’re looking for. In fact, you probably won’t see another soul.

We’ve compiled the ultimate hiking guide for Brown County State Park in Indiana, complete with interactive maps, detailed trail reports and helpful photos. With 21 miles of dedicated hiking trails and 37 miles of multi-use trails, the biggest state park in Indiana is a Midwest hiker’s dream.

This accessible quarter mile loop is the perfect introduction to hiking for the little ones as well as it is a route for hikers of all abilities to enjoy. Many who pass up this trail may not realize that it also contains one of the best views in the park.

Hike through land wooded with oak, hickory, sassafras, beech and maple on this easy .9 mile trail in the Abe Martin Lodge hiking trail network.

This 2.75 mile lollipop hiking trail begins at Taylor Ridge Campground and follows the hilltop for a mile and a half before descending into Wise Hollow and looping back along a small stream. As there is no parking for non-campers at the trail head, this hike is best accessed via Trail 11 (Vollmer Trail) from Ogle Lake.

Formerly known simply as the Trail 9 extension, Trail 11 ascends quickly from the Ogle Lake valley to the Knobstone Escarpment and leads deep into the western section of the lush forest of Brown County State Park in Indiana.

Trail 2 at Brown County State Park is one of the most popular hiking destinations on the grounds, passing beautiful family cabins, the North Lookout Tower and the rustic Lower Shelter. With its quaint stone bridges, retaining walls and stairways, this trail serves as the perfect introduction to Indiana’s largest state park.

Trail 3 is a popular and easy 1.25 mile loop through the northern section of Brown County State Park that holds a couple of interesting surprises. When paired with the 2-mile-long Trail 2, this hiking trail makes for a perfect day hike through the enchanting forest of south central Indiana.

Imagine a hike where the coolest feature was at the very beginning of the trail, and everything after that was of decreasing interest. Welcome to Trail 10, where the fire tower is as good as it gets. That said, the fire tower is super cool and a can’t-miss feature in the park, so it’s definitely worth checking out.