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The Hoosier National Forest is one of Indiana’s grandest natural treasures. Boasting more than 200,000 acres over nine South Central counties, it is the largest recreational and protected area in the state.
Hoosier National Forest
The Hoosier National Forest is found in the hills of beautiful Southern Indiana. However, it was not always as lush and green as it is today. Before the HNF was created, the land was stripped of its great hardwood forests. After lumber production ceased, the lands were converted for agricultural use. Unfortunately for those settlers who farmed the land, it didn't take long for the soil to erode and lose all its nutrients.
The degradation of the land and the increasingly hard times that the Great Depression era brought to all forced many owners to abandon their fields. Indiana's governor at the time, Pat V. McNutt, asked the U.S Forest Service to buy these lands to create a national forest. In 1935, the first parcels of land were purchased and work to restore the forest back to its once-glorious natural state soon began.
The beauty of the Hoosier National Forest would not have been revitalized if not for the the Forest Service and the hard work put in by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC). The CCC was a successful program of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal that employed men in much need of work. On the HNF, the corp crews planted trees, developed fish and wildlife habitat, constructed roads and campgrounds, built bridges and lookout towers that assisted them in battling wildfires. During those early years, the CCC served as the Hoosier National Forest's forestry crew and a good one at that.
Today, the Hoosier National Forest boasts over 200,000 acres across the counties of Perry, Orange, Crawford, Jackson, Monroe, Brown, Lawrence, Martin and Dubois. Much of the land is over karst which is responsible for the incredible cave systems in southern Indiana including those of Wesley Chapel Gulf which provides a window to the underground Lost River. Other unique and special features include the Charles C. Deam Wilderness Area (the only recognized wilderness areas left in Indiana) which is guarded by the the Hickory Ridge Lookout Tower; a historic pathway used by migrating buffalo called Buffalo Trace; and the preserves Hemlock Cliffs and Clover Lick Barrens.
What to do at Hoosier National Forest
Hoosier National Forest is a favorite for both locals and tourists. The forest entertains its visitors with a variety of recreational activities. There are over two hundred miles of trails for hikers, bicyclists and horseback riders, and ten recreational areas for campers to put up their tents. Day-trippers can enjoy a quiet picnic or a drive on one of the scenic driving routes found throughout the forest, while backpackers can enjoy the backcountry trails. Boating, fishing and hunting are also available in certain areas.
Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © E. Blando (Deam's Wilderness of Hoosier National Forest); Photo © Hoosier National Forest.
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