Outdoor Adventure

Experience Indiana’s largest state park! Nicknamed the “Little Smokies” because of the area’s resemblance to the Great Smoky Mountains, Brown County State Park encompasses nearly 16,000-acres of rugged hills, ridges, and fog-shrouded ravines. The Brown County State Park is a traditional fall color hot spot, with nearly 20-miles of tree-lined roads and many scenic vistas […]

Browning Mountain, or “Indiana’s Stonehenge,” is a one of Brown County’s best kept secrets! Hike through the deep woods to find a circle of sandstone slabs, a pond, a well, and an old building foundation. Keep your eyes peeled and see if you can uncover more! This short hike is a 928-foot climb to the […]

DNK Presents organizes and guides empowering adventure retreats for individuals, groups and businesses. They focus on getting people to step outside of their comfort zones, try something for the first time and in turn gain confidence through experiential learning. They host a wide range of Brown County trips and events, including hiking, camping, backpacking, mountain […]

A true adventure center, head to eXplore Brown County for some thrilling outdoor fun! Located in historic, scenic southern Brown County, eXplore BC offers over 1,000-acres of year-round adventure. Home of the tallest, longest, and fastest zip lines in Brown County, these 15 world class lines are sure to leave you feeling exhilarated! eXplore Brown […]

In 2012 the Hoosier Hikers Council collaborated with The Nature Conservancy to build a three-mile trail that loops around the 484-acre Hitz-Rhodehamel Nature Preserve. This property is a mature oak forest in Brown County with high ridges and steep ravines, blanketed in spring with wildflowers and full of color in the fall. While only three […]

The Hoosier National Forest, in the hills of south central Indiana, provides a wide mix of opportunities and resources for people to enjoy. Rolling hills, back-country trails, and rural crossroad communities make this 202,000-acre forest a favorite! Spreading across 9 counties, Hoosier National Forest has 27 different trail systems (over 260 miles of trails) varying […]

The Knobstone Hiking Trail is a 160-mile trail along the landmark Knobstone escarpment in one of the most rugged and scenic areas of the South Central Midwest, on the high bluffs of the forested corridor between Indianapolis, Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky. The KHT consists of four sections,  Knobstone (south, 45 miles), Pioneer (South middle, 37.9), Hoosier National […]

Lake Lemon, a 1,650-acre lake, is located in Northwest Brown County near Unionville. Riddle Point Park at Lake Lemon has a swimming area, shelter house, and bathhouse. Better check it out!

The Laura Hare Nature Preserve at Downey Hill is a rugged preserve that helps form a huge block of continuous forest habitat, protected forever for the benefit of songbirds, raptors, and box turtles. This trail, built by the Hoosier Hikers Council, will take you on a beautiful journey from the ridgeline to the valley and […]

With multiple recreation areas, a vast area for boating, sport fishing, beautifully groomed beaches, over 300 campsites, hunting, and over 4.5 miles of hiking trails makes Monroe Lake an ideal family vacation destination. See the website for their event calendar and interactive maps.

Although no permanently established recreation areas are present, there are still several recreational opportunities. Hunting is permitted on State Forest property, and this area also offers opportunities for off-trail hiking, mushrooming, and wildlife viewing. Mountain Tea State Forest currently encompasses more than 1,153 acres, 705 acres of which was deeded to the State of Indiana […]

Located in Hoosier National Forest, this 8.6 mile point to point trail (17 miles out-and-back) is designated for hiking, horse riding and mountain biking. The trail offers scenic views from the ridge-top trail and is a bit of a rollercoaster of ups and downs. If you’re looking for the classic Indiana backcountry singletrack trail, look […]

The Salt Creek Trail is a paved .75 mile trail beginning at the Brown County YMCA and ending near the CVS parking lot. It is open daily from dawn until dusk. The path takes you over the creek and under a bridge so you can experience the outdoorsy side of Brown County while being close […]

Stone Head Nature Preserve boasts 5.4 miles of trails through wetlands, meadows, and forested ridges interspersed with deep ravines. The Preserve is open to the public 365 days a year from dawn to dusk. It is the hope that you will, along these spirited trails, find release from the demands and tensions of today’s world. […]

Discover this hidden gem of Brown County! Attracted by its natural beauty, famed Hoosier Group impressionist artist Theodore C. Steele (1847-1926) was the first major artist to settle in Brown County, now the “Art Colony of the Midwest”. The TC Steele State Historic Site offers regularly scheduled tours year round of Steele’s painting-filled studio and […]

If the Hoosier Hikers Council (HHC) has a signature trail, the 42-mile Tecumseh Trail in Indiana is it! Built by the HHC in 1998-2002, the Tecumseh Trail begins at Morgan-Monroe State Forest headquarters, which is about 5 miles south of Martinsville and ends in a remote area of Brown County forest near Monroe Reservoir, just […]

Trevlac Bluffs Nature Preserve is named for its towering 200-foot bluff over Beanblossom Creek that features a rare stand of native eastern hemlock trees, found naturally in only about two dozen places in Indiana. The preserve also protects over 100 acres of forested wetlands in the floodplain of Beanblossom Creek and over a mile of […]

Yellowwood State Forest is located 7 miles west of Nashville and 10 miles east of Bloomington, just north of State Road 46. The forest’s 23,326 acres offer many recreation opportunities for people of all ages and skill levels. With three pristine lakes, hiking, horse trails, rowboat & kayak rentals, abundant wildlife, and primitive overnight campsites, […]