10 Places that offer FREE hiking in Indiana

Now that spring and warm temperatures are finally here, people can spend more time outdoors. Hiking is one of my favorite pastimes and is a great way to get exercise. Indiana has quite a few state parks in it that provide all kinds of great trails and beautiful scenery. However, Indiana charges $7 per car to get into state parks, so if you’re looking for some free hiking, I have 10 (11 if you count the two I combined) great options for you.

1. Kokiwanee Nature Preserve 5825 E 50 S, Lagro, IN 46941

This preserve is one of the largest in the area, with 140 acres and 4.5 miles of trails. The parking lot is small, so parking can be iffy at times. However, once you get onto the trails, you’ll forget all about that. The trails wind throughout the preserve, with some elevation changes depending on what trails you take. There are a couple of trickling waterfalls and one nice sized waterfall that you can climb behind if you’re careful. One of the trails also skirts around a small pond, passing through a pine plantation as well. Great views of the Salamonie River on a couple of trails.

 

2. Tel-Hy Nature Preserve 1429 N 300 W, Huntington, IN 46750

Tel-Hy features just over a mile of trails, which offer great views of the Wabash river. There are a few elevation changes, but nothing for the average person to be concerned about. One unique thing about this preserve is that it also features a personal collection of outhouses that are displayed right by the parking lot.

 

3. Asherwood Nature Preserve 7550-7598 County Rd 600 S, Wabash, IN 46992

Asherwood is unique because it is actually owned by a school corporation. Marion Community Schools holds a management lease for it, though Acres Landtrust will gain ownership of it in 2024. It boasts just over 2.5 miles of trails that wind through some small hills covered with trees. Some trails are paved, some wide, and some just wide enough to fit a person. There are several bridges that help cross water or tougher areas to traverse. 

 

4. Bicentennial Woods Nature Preserve 340 W Shoaff Rd, Huntertown, IN 46748

Like Asherwood, Bicentennial Woods offers a little over 2.5 miles of trails. As the name states, there are quite a few trees in this preserve that boast an age of over 200 years, which makes for excellent scenery. An impressive creek cuts its way through the preserve, which offers a great photo opportunity as you cross on the bridge. As it is located in Northern Indiana (just above Ft. Wayne), there isn’t a whole lot of elevation change. However, the beauty of the forest is more than enough to enjoy this hike.

 

5. Hathaway Preserve at Ross Run 1866 E Baumbauer Rd, Wabash, IN 46992

This nature preserve contains 2 miles of trails and has multiple scenic views within its trails. The first section of the trails goes along Ross Run, a creek whose aesthetics increase as you travel down the path. You end up gaining some elevation until you’re looking 75 feet down a bluff as the water in the creek cascades down over a small waterfall. It is possible to go down to this waterfall and explore the creekbed as well, which I highly recommend. If you stay on the trail, it continues to wind through a forest until you come to a young pine tree plantation. You skirt along the side of the pine trees for awhile before the trail leads you into them. Further down the trail, you come out into a meadow that is beautiful in the summer.

 

6. Seven Pillars Nature Preserve 5000 Mississinewa Rd, Peru, IN 46970

This preserve is located down the road from the Seven Pillars of the Mississinewa, a collection of 25 foot limestone pillars along the river that make for a great photo opportunity. The trails are just shy of totaling 2 miles, while providing a slightly more strenuous hike due to the elevation changes. The trail starts by following a creek through the woods, then takes you up a hill and through an evergreen plantation. It circles back down and goes up and down a few smaller hills before bringing you back to where you started. The trail signs are helpful here because there are a few times where it’s hard to figure out if you’re still on a trail or not, especially in the fall. Across from the pillars themselves is a small open area that has a trail that leads a short way into the woods and goes by a dome-like structure made of sticks.

7. DePauw Nature Park  1400 W County Road 125 S, Greencastle, IN

The DePauw Nature Park is one of my favorite hikes in Indiana. DePauw University bought an old quarry and put a whole bunch of trails going into and around the quarry, making for some truly breathtaking views. Water takes up a good portion of the bottom of the quarry, but there is still room for a trail to snake through it. Apart from the quarry, there are some great trails that pass through the woods and follow a nearby creek, as well as a trail that leads all the way back to campus. The park’s trails add up to 10 total miles, which aren’t all necessary to do on a trip there if you don’t want to (maps are available and a big help for deciding what trails to do). It may be a bit of a journey from the other ones on this list, but it’s well worth the visit.

 

8. Salamonie State Forest 5124 County Rd 100 S, Lagro, IN 46941

Salamonie State Forest is situated right by the Salamonie Dam and has quite a bit going on in the 850 acres of land that it sits on. It has over 15 miles of horse trails, which are also accessible for hikers. It has 21 primitive camping spots and 15 horse camping sites, as well as plenty of fishing opportunities. There are a few shelters in the area as well, including ones with stone ovens. The best part for hikers is the 3 Falls trail, which is only listed as .33 miles and takes you to, go figure, 3 waterfalls. This trail easily connects to others around it and makes it fun to wander the area by the water. It’s also fun to make your way along the river to the dam itself, which is very imposing. There are quite a few ups and downs on the trails if you venture off the 3 Falls trail.

 

9. Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve 2401 Village Point, Chesterton, IN 46304

Containing wetlands, woods, and prairie, this 157-acre preserve covers several different views while hiking. To go along with the different environments, Coffee Creek contains boardwalks, brick trails, woodchips and granite paths. In total, the trails here add up to over 5 miles, which includes a 3-mile perimeter loop trail. What sets this area apart from other preserves is that it has an amphitheater and pavilion, both of which can be reserved for events. Those who have been here talk about how peaceful of a place it is and are thrilled with different events that happen here, such as a 5K run.

 

10. Fall Creek Gorge (potholes)/ Portland Arch 1598 N 025 E, Williamsport, IN 47993/1599 W Scout Camp Rd, Covington, IN 47932

These two preserves were added together because 1. They’re not far from each other (11.5 miles apart) and 2. I wanted to include both and didn’t want to have 11 items on the list.  The Fall Creek gorge is a narrow canyon made of sandstone that contains quite a sight: potholes created by the water over time. These holes range in size but can be several feet across and several feet deep. I couldn’t find any details about how long this trail actually is, but that’s because the focal point of this area is the potholes.

Portland Arch is another sandstone gorge, this one having the arch itself as a focal point. Fun fact: the  7.5 foot arch is the only natural bridge in Indiana that has water flowing through it.  It offers a mile or two of trails with a north and south trail available for hiking, though the north trail is the one that leads to the arch.

Depending on where in Indiana you live, I’d recommend checking out acreslandtrust.org to find some preserves near you. Their website provides maps and trail descriptions as well.