Indiana is one of those states that doesn’t get a lot of attention or adventure-oriented visitation. Along with many of the states in the Midwest USA, Indiana is underrated.
Inside Indiana’s state lines are plunging waterfalls, deep ravines, damp caves, old fire towers, picturesque sandstone cliffs, impressive canyons, and vast gorges.
I lived in Indiana for 24 years (circa 1998-2022), and it wasn’t until the last four or five of those years that I really started to appreciate the beautiful state I lived in.
In this Indiana road trip guide, I’m sharing the ten best stops for outdoor adventure in the Hoosier State. These ten Indiana parks are loaded with features like waterfalls, ravines, lakes, quarries, cliffs, remnants of historic amusement parks, and rickety fire towers. Inside these parks, you can camp, swim, fish, hike, paddle, bike, and so much more!
You won’t want to miss these ten amazing Indiana parks on your Indiana road trip!
Indiana Road Trip: 10 Stops for Outdoor Adventure
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Indiana Road Trip: Mapped
1. France Park
France Park boasts picturesque cliffs, a bright blue quarry, and an exquisite waterfall.
I first discovered France Park when Erica and I embarked on a waterfall road trip in Indiana. We spent a few days road-tripping through the state, chasing waterfalls and gawking at the amazingly underrated state that we lived in. And the falls at France Park was one of the waterfalls that we chased!
Little did we know, the rest of France Park would blow us away!
While you’re in the park, you can scuba dive or swim in the quarry, hike the rocky cliffs and forested trails, go fishing for panfish in Lake Elzbeck, play a round of Disc Golf, or camp at one of the 200 modern or primitive sites.
⚠️ VISITOR INFO
- Hours: 8 AM – 10 PM
- Entrance Fee: $5 per person
- Pets: Yes
- Accommodations Nearby: Holiday Inn Express Logansport or France Park Campground
2. Cataract Falls State Recreation Area
Come experience the beauty of Cataract Falls, the largest waterfall in Indiana!
The falls are impressive. Between the roaring falls and the dramatic sandstone cliffs framing Mill Creek, you’ll be surprised that you’re still in Indiana.
The Upper Falls plummets about 45 feet while the Lower Falls downstream drops about 30 feet.
There are two parking lots – one at the Upper Falls and another at Lower Falls. While you can certainly drive to both and walk to each overlook individually, I’d encourage you to take the roughly 1-mile hiking trail that connects the two falls.
⚠️ VISITOR INFO
- Hours: 6 AM – 9 PM
- Entrance Fee: $7 for residents and $9 for out-of-state visitors
- Pets: Yes
- Accommodations Nearby: Lieber State Recreation Area Campground
NOTE: Swimming is prohibited anywhere along the creek and the waterfalls.
3. Shades State Park
Shades State Park is often overshadowed by its neighbor, Turkey Run. While I have been to Turkey Run a couple of times, I never had the best experiences there so I thought it would be dishonest of me to add it to this list.
Shades State Park is one of the best state parks in Indiana! And it’s much less crowded than Turkey Run. But if you’re in the area, you might as well hit up both. You might have a better experience than I did!
At Shades, you can hike through impressive ravines, canoe through Sugar Creek backdropped by eye-catching sandstone cliffs, and explore the deep gorges of Pine Hills.
⚠️ VISITOR INFO
- Hours: 7 AM – 11 PM
- Entrance Fee: $7 for residents and $9 for out-of-state visitors
- Pets: Yes
- Accommodations Nearby: Turkey Run Inn & Cabins and Shades State Park Campground
4. Chain O Lakes State Park
Chain O Lakes is a small boater’s paradise. Electric motor boats, canoes, kayaks, row boats, paddle boats, and SUPs are welcome on the kettle lakes. You can swim, fish, or paddle!
This park protects thirteen kettle lakes, nine of which are connected by narrow channels. The most popular thing to do in the park is complete the state park’s 9 Lake Challenge by paddling to all nine chained lakes. This is a 5-mile journey, one-way!
If water activities aren’t your thing, don’t worry! There’s plenty more to do at Chain O Lakes. You can hike the 23 miles of trails, which are all connected. I’ve hiked all 23 miles, and trails 2, 4 & 6 were my favorite.
If you want to get away from the crowds, hike trails 4, 6, and 11.
You can also camp at the colossal campground or enjoy a picnic at the sandy beach.
⚠️ VISITOR INFO
- Hours: 7 AM – 11 PM
- Entrance Fee: $7 for residents and $9 for out-of-state visitors
- Pets: Yes
- Accommodations Nearby: Holiday Inn Express & Suites and Chain O Lakes State Park Campground
NOTE: Kayak, canoe, row boat, and paddle boat rentals are available at Sand Beach. If you’re bringing your personal non-motorized boat, you’ll need to purchase a non-motorized boat launch permit, available at the entrance station or visitor center.
5. Clifty Falls State Park
Southern Indiana is gorgeous, y’all! When you start driving south in the Hoosier State, the terrain starts to get a little more hilly and a little more scenic.
Clifty Falls is not an exception! It’s a beautiful park with fantastic hiking trails, stunning waterfalls, a nice campground, and plentiful outdoor recreation.
My favorite thing to do in the park is hike the Four Falls Trail. In just four miles, you’ll pass four waterfalls and see rugged cliffs and canyons.
⚠️ VISITOR INFO
- Hours: 7 AM – 11 PM
- Entrance Fee: $7 for residents and $9 for out-of-state visitors
- Pets: Yes
- Accommodations Nearby: Comfort Inn Madison and Clifty Falls State Park Campground
PRO TIP: If you hike to all four waterfalls, make sure to photograph your journey and show the photos to a ranger at the visitor center. Completing the park’s Four Falls Challenge will earn you a free sticker!
6. Seven Pillars Nature Preserve
The Seven Pillars Nature Preserve, locally known as “The Cliffs,” sits on the south side of the Mississinewa River. It is named after the 25-foot limestone pillars. Centuries of erosion formed the pillars, carving out alcove-like chambers.
To enjoy a nice hike, take the Frances Slocum Trail, which runs along the north side of the river and passes along the top of the formation. You’ll be 50 feet up and see great views of the river.
But the best way to see the pillars is from the south side of the river. Just simply cross the road from the parking area and head down to the river!
🎣 You can also fish in the river if you’re interested!
PRO TIP: Watch out for bald eagles that frequent the area in late winter and early spring! 🦅
⚠️ VISITOR INFO
- Hours: 6 AM – 9 PM
- Entrance Fee: FREE
- Pets: Yes
- Accommodations Nearby: Best Western
→ READ NEXT: 9 Best Spring Hikes in the Midwest
7. Charlestown State Park
In the early 1920s, Charlestown State Park was a booming amusement park named Rose Island.
The theme park boasted thrilling rides, a dining hall, a swimming pool, and a zoo. Sadly, a flood in 1937 wiped out the park, shuttering the amusement park for good.
Today, it is a state park! Visitors now get to enjoy walking around what used to be a popular theme park.
To get to the ruins, follow the signs for Trail 7. As you wander Trail 7, you will discover remnants of the amusement park. You’ll feel a little like you’re in a ghost town as you imagine what it used to be like to walk the very same grounds a century ago.
Aside from hiking through the amusement park ruins, I’d recommend delving even further into the park and discovering its deep ravines, rugged hills, and seasonal waterfalls. You can also fish in the river and set up camp at the state park’s campground!
⚠️ VISITOR INFO
- Hours: 7 AM – 11 PM
- Entrance Fee: $7 for residents and $9 for out-of-state visitors
- Pets: Yes
- Accommodations Nearby: Cobblestone Hotel & Suites and Charlestown State Park Campground
❗️Another underrated state in the Midwest is OHIO! Click here to read the top ten places for outdoor recreation in Ohio!
8. Indiana Dunes State and National Parks
Indiana Dunes National and State Parks are must-sees in Indiana!
The State Park and National Park have neighboring boundaries, and while I think they’re both worth the visit, I’ll share what each park has to offer so that you can decide for yourself.
Indiana Dunes State Park has the famous Three Dune Challenge! You’ll also find a swimming beach, a nature center, and over 16 miles of hiking trails.
Indiana Dunes National Park has a popular swimming Beach (West Beach) and exciting hiking trails like the Dune Succession and Cowels Bog.
🇺🇸 Make sure to bring your America the Beautiful pass to enter the National Park for free. But just know that the pass won’t work for the state park portion.
⚠️ VISITOR INFO
- Hours: 7 AM – 11 PM
- Entrance Fee: $25/vehicle for the National Park and $7/$9 for the State Park.
- Pets: Yes but they aren’t allowed at West Beach in the summer or the Pinhook Bog Trail year-round.
- Accommodations Nearby: Quality Inn – Michigan City and Dunewood Campground
→ READ NEXT: Complete Guide to Exploring Indiana Dunes National Park
9. Pokagon State Park
Steuben County contains the most lakes of any other county in Indiana. Two of them are Lake James and Snow Lake, which sit inside Pokagon State Park.
Inside Pokagon State Park, you can enjoy boating, swimming, fishing, and hiking in the summer and tobogganing, sledding, snowshoeing, ice fishing, and cross-country skiing in the winter.
Aside from boating, the toboggan run is the most popular thing to do in the park. It operates weekends from the Friday after Thanksgiving through February, with extended hours during the Christmas holidays.
⚠️ VISITOR INFO
- Hours: 7 AM – 11 PM
- Entrance Fee: $7 for residents and $9 for out-of-state visitors
- Pets: Yes
- Accommodations Nearby: Potawatomi Inn & Cabins and Pokagon State Park Campground
→ READ NEXT: 10 Best Summer Hikes in the Midwest
10. Brown County State Park
As I mentioned earlier, Southern Indiana is scenic! Brown County contains rugged hills, ridges, ravines, slopes, and gullies.
While it can be visited year-round, Brown County is a must-see in the fall. It is a popular park to chase fall colors. There are 20 miles of tree-lined roads and many scenic vistas overlooking miles and miles of forestland.
The best things to do in the park are climb the fire tower, check off all 7 vistas in the 7 Vista Challenge, and hike Trail 5 where you can see the rare and state-endangered Yellowwood tree.
DID YOU KNOW? Brown County State Park is nicknamed “Little Smokies” because of its small-scale resemblance to the Great Smoky Mountains.
⚠️ VISITOR INFO
- Hours: 7 AM – 11 PM
- Entrance Fee: $7 for residents and $9 for out-of-state visitors
- Pets: Yes
- Accommodations Nearby: Brown County Inn and Brown County State Park Campground
Discover Your Next Adventure
Where to next? I’ve got some suggestions!
I LOVE this post thank you! We haven’t explored Indiana much, but this definitely inspires me and gives me a great road trip idea for when we’re ready.
Thank you for reading, Liz! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Happy travels! 🤗