The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Why You Should Visit 

The Thousand Acre Woods offers a rich variety of species of bottomland hardwoods amidst the miles of flat farmland that surrounds it. Look for the remarkable representation of silver maple and elm forest, one of the few in Indiana. Though drainage impacted the entire forest system, the current species composition is still very rich and varied.

Location

Davies County

Ecoregion

Interior Low Plateau

Size

943 Acres

Dedicated

State Nature Preserve, 2001

Owned & Managed By

The Nature Conservancy

What The Nature Conservancy is Doing/has Done

The stewardship activities at Thousand Acre Woods include eradication of non-native Johnson grass, boundary marking and the general protection of one of the largest continuous remnants of floodplain forest community.

Things To Do

What to See: Plants and Animals

Green and black ash, sweet gum, sycamore, cottonwood, American elm and silver, red and ash-leafed oak dominate the forest along side smaller populations of black willow, hackberry, red elm, basswood, mulberry and sugarberry. The understory is composed of buttonbush, Virgina and trumpet creeper, sensitive and ostrich fern, spicebush, elderberry and sumhaw, a native deciduous holly found in only a few sites in Indiana. The spring flooding with provide essential habitat for mud turtles, crayfish frogs and various species of fish. 

Plan Your Visit

The relatively flat terrain will make for an easy hike despite the lack of developed trails at the preserve. Be wary of mosquitoes and poison ivy as they thrive here on the hot summer months. For more information, please read the Conservancy's Preserve Visitation Guidelines.

Directions

From Washington, travel north on S.R. 57 approximately 4 miles to C.R. 400 N. Turn right on C.R. 400 N to C.R. 75 E (the first road on the right). Turning right, travel 0.5 mile to C.R. 350 N and turn left. Continue traveling until the "T" intersection with C.R. 250 E and turn left. C.R. 250 E becomes C.R. 450 N. Travel 0.5 mile and turn left on C.R. 300 E. Continue one mile to the preserve on the left side of the road. There is no parking lot at the time; please take care of where you leave your car.

Discussion

Have you been to this preserve? Are you thinking of visiting? See what others are saying about their experiences and add your comments below.

Add Your Comments

Time for you to join the discussion. Tell us about your experience at this preserve. What plants and animals did you see? When did you go? You can help others plan their visit when you share your thoughts. And thank you for visiting one of our nature preserves!

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