Turkey Run State Park

Avatar · July 5, 2007

This is my first Trip report in a long time as my business has required me to devote much more of my time to it as of late. But due to the Holiday I have been able to catch up a bit on some posting and thought that I would like to share a nice family trip alternative with friends here.

My family typically likes to go to Kings Islands over the forth of July to watch and partake many special activities that the park has provided over the years, but due to some scheduling conflicts my family would have missed the Star Spangled Celebration this year at Kings Island. So we decided to go to Kings Island a couple weeks earlier (6/24/07) and to find another crowd free family activity that we could do together. I decided that since Miss Rae was close to the age of 7 that maybe it was time to take her on a time honored family trip to Turkey Run State Park in Marshal Indiana. Because of my work schedule we could only go from noon Tuesday the 3rd and all day on the 4th, which was plenty of time for us to fall in love with Turkey Run all over again.

July 3rd 2007

We drove for about 1 hour and 50 minutes from Indianapolis to get to Turkey Run, which included a 15 minute stop by Wilkins Mill Covered Bridge Guest House to show the family the guest house that we would like to stay at for 10 days in October.

Couple of pictures of the guest house and covered bridge below.

Bridge sets about 30 yards away to the left of the guest house.

Once we arrived at Turkey Run State Park we proceeded to go straight to Turkey Run Inn

to check-in and to receive our cabin assignment for that evening, a short walk away from the Inn.

After unpacking it was around 5 pm and we were a bit hungry so we decided to have the dinner Buffet for $9.99 at the Inn, which for the price was surprisingly good and plentiful

Since we were at the Inn Lisa and Miss Rae suggested that they had seen several must need items at the gift shop and a couple of those items where must need items before we hit any trails. So we ventured in and got those items of a flash light that had colored lenses on it with wild animal depictions drawn on the lens and the most need item of a children’s walking stick with a bell attached to the top in case Miss Rae got lost she could just ring the bell till we found her.

Since it was just 6:30 pm I felt that we had plenty of daylight left to hit our first trail to see how we would fare for the next day’s journey. I decided that Trail #6 which ran right past our cabin and was only .5 mile long and was rated to be moderate/rugged and would be the best trail for us this evening.

Miss Rae posses for a picture at the start of the trail to show that all a city girl needs for a hike in the woods is a good hiking stick.

The trail was short and ended with a spectacular view high above sugar creek called Sunset Point. They say during the summer months the sun sets right over the river between the trees.

This short hike gave me confidence that Miss Rae and family would be fine for tomorrow’s hike. We still had time to play at the playground and swim for a couple hours after the hike. I must also include for a special moment that I shared with my daughter this evening. After all the activities from earlier Lisa was tired went to bed, but me and Miss Rae decided to sit outside the cabin in the dark to share some snacks, 1 Pepsi while we watched for various wildlife to wonder/fly by. Miss Rae would shine her new flashlight to get a better look at times and then explained (with visuals) to her father how she would use her hiking stick to protect them from any vicious wild predators. A true father/daughter moment.

July 4th 2007

We went to the second floor overlook at the Inn to share some donuts and juice/coffee and to take in the beauty of the Inn’s grounds.

We checked out around 11 am and headed to the Nature Center where two of the trails that we would be taking today would start. To get to Trail #3 and #9 we would need to cross Sugar Creek and the only way to do that was to cross a very long swinging suspension bridge.

Both Trails were listed to be very rugged with Trail #3 being 1.7 miles long and Trail #9 being 1 mile. I felt that Miss Rae would be fine and would like the challenge as I remembered from visits from many years past to be fun and adventures. Picture and videos really don’t show you how vast, deep, steep and the ruggedness of the trails. But I will try to share the best that I can. We stayed on the trail at all times, so you will know when you see a picture or video just know we are on the trail.

Short Video of Miss Rae at the beginning of the journey.

Some pictures to show the ruggedness.

Videos of walking up a cavern carved by a brook.

About half way through it was necessary for us to climb down three sets of ladders.

Miss Rae surprised me at her hands off abilities.

I could go on and on but I think you all can get good feel now how the trails went for us and will put up my favorite one.

As we finished Trail #9 we where very relieved to get a glimpse of the bridge in the distance.

We finished our time at Turkey Run with a quick snack and enough time for Miss Rae to catch a small frog to take home to complete her introduction to the forests.

After leaving the Park we were able to get back to Indianapolis in time to get a nice seat to watch the annual Fireworks shot off from the Union Planters Bank Tower.

This is the last 6 minutes of the Grand Finale.

As we did miss not being at Kings Island on the forth of July as in the past, I think we have found another great alternative when such future schedules conflict.

A great Forth of July!

Jesse

Braves0511 · July 5, 2007

I was just there last weekend. We went for the day on Saturday. It's definitely a neat place to go, my family tends to enjoy the most rugged of the trails, both 3 and 9. I personally like McKormic's Creek down south a little better, but really they're about the same. I'm glad you guys had fun, I've never had the joy of camping out there, we were going to but it wound up raining really bad and we never got around to it. We live a little farther west out in Danville, IN so it's not so much of a trip as it is from downtown Indy.

standbyme · July 6, 2007

Trail #3 is the best! I have been going to Turkey Run since I was a kid...it really is a nice relaxing place. My only slight complaint over the years is how they keep adding so many stairs & guard-rails...it kind of takes away some of the actual nature values. (I picture in about 20 years it will be nothing but escalators and conveyer-belt paths!)

jzarley · July 6, 2007

Very interesting...I had never even heard of Turkey Run State Park before your TR!

The inn looks really cool...are there hotel rooms in the inn as well, or are all accomodations in the cabins? Have you ever been there in the Fall? It looks like it would be a great place for a Autumn weekend trip!

standbyme · July 6, 2007

Fall is very nice if you catch it when the leaves have turned. The park is open year round...so you can even go when there is snow on the ground. Since hardly anyone does go in the winter it can be a little creepy being out in the woods all alone. (Cue Deliverence music!)

Avatar · July 8, 2007

Since you asked hit play to start Roy Clark’s version of Dueling Banjos while you read my replies.

Jzarley – Yeah the Inn is very cool inside and out. They try to stay close to rustic furnishing while trying to offer modern conveniences too, such as a large TV, free WiFi, community puzzle table and lots of game tables set up ready to be played.

Rooms are available in the Inn for approximately$49.00 - $89.00 a night depending on the time of year and if it’s in the inn or a cabin. In my opinion an outstanding deal and just to prove my point the pop machine sells 20oz bottled Coke products for $1.00.

They do classify all of October as peak rates at the Inn, but still a good deal so I would reserve early as you can. Also if you do go in the fall call ahead to reserve your party a spot on a hayride through the park.

Standbyme – I agree that they have added many nicer stairs and at times railings along the trails. Just be glad and grateful that they are publicly owned so we won’t haft to fear vending or counter services in the middle of the trails. I will also just add that I only seen a couple new places where they have put new stairs in since the very early 70’s. Back then the stairs were still there but just more crud, example they used to put up stairs then fill in the steps with dirt instead of being toped of with lumber. I would agree that this was of course more natural, the problem was that often when it rained the water running down the ravines would wash out some of the steps and in many times leave large puddles within the natural steps. Now with new technology and more revenue resources they are able to protect the ravines from the grueling foot traffic. Now I agree with you that at times they do seem to be going a bit over board as you can see in the photo below.

Now as far as rails along some trails I think that on trail #9 along the 140 steps I think if the rails are not there guests could very easy lose track of the trail as seen in video below.

I think Turkey Run appeals to all ages.

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Turkey Run State Park

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