Ouabache State Park

We visited Ouabache State Park in northeastern Indiana.

Ouabache is the Indian word for the Wabash River, which forms the parks southern boundery.

The park is smaller than most state parks but packs a lot into a small package.

The park is known for its small herd of bison.

They are in a 20 acre enclosure which was quite different from seeing them roaming in Custer, SD,

but its still a treat to see them.

 There is small Kunkel Lake, where kayaks, paddleboats & rowboats can be rented.

 There are several easy trails, so don't forget your hiking boots.

And bring your bikes.

Its an excellent park for biking.

There is a three mile paved bike path that stretches from one side of the park to the other.

And the bike path continues on along the Wabash River Greenway.

Leading into the nearby town of Blufton, about 10 miles round trip.

And keep an eye out for the unusual black squirrels scampering around.

Wonderful Custer State Park

 Custer State Park rivals the national parks.
The park is 71,000 acres of rolling prairie,

towering peaks & mountain lakes.

One popular area is the Needles highway an area of tall towering spires.

Along the Needles highway are several tight tunnels carved into the mountains,

barely big enough to fit a car through.

 There are lots of beautiful mountain lakes, such as Sylvan Lake.

The hike around Sylvan Lake is easy, but filled with fun.

 There are lots of activities to do too.

We rode the chuckwagon and had a steak dinner in a valley.

Cowboy hats were included!

Just don't order your steak well done!

The Wildlife of Custer State Park

Custer State Park is a lovely park teaming with wildlife.

The park has a herd of  1300 free roaming buffalo.

 If you want to see buffalo, this is the place.

 Springtime means buffalo calves.

 There are lots of other wildlife in Custer,

like this marmot.

 And this heavily pregnant pronghorn

And whitetail deer.

 And you can't miss all the prairie dogs!

(Unfortunately we never saw the famous begging burros)

Davis Mountains State Park

We camped at nearby Davis Mountains State Park.

We took a short hike up to the Indian Lodge.

It was too hot to do a long hike up the mountains.

The park is great for bird watching.

We spotted this White-winged Dove & Montezuma Quail at the bird blind.

That night we watched the full moon rise over the Davis Mountains.

Yellowwood State Forest

Less than 10 miles from Brown County State Park is 

Yellowwood State Forest, a lovely park in its own right.

We decided to visit this lesser known park and weren't disappointed.

We decided to hike around Yellowwood Lake

 and compare it to the lakes we'd hiked around at Brown Co. Park.

It was our longest hike yet - 4.5 miles, but pretty easy.

 We had occasional views of the lake

Our lunch spot was made possible by the area beavers.

We weren't bothered by bugs at all.

Maybe because of this massive bat house!

Don't miss Yellowwood  if you get the chance to visit!

Brown County State Park

We had a cool front move through and temps were in the low 70's.

That's the perfect time to go camping, so we headed to Brown County.

Our campsite at Brown Co. State Park

 It was perfect weather for hiking too.  Over the course of 3 days, we hiked around 3 lakes.

 This is Ogle Lake, a 17 acre lake in Brown County State Park.

We hiked around the 7 acre Strahl Lake on the morning of the second day. 

Brown County is known for its scenic beauty, seen from many lookouts through out the park.

This is Hesitation Point

We had some visitors to our campsite too. 

 A small snake crossing the road.

Rattlesnakes are found in the park, so we left this guy alone although he doesn't look venomous.

Cool evenings made for beautiful sunsets and great endings to fun days.

Day Trip

Wednesday dawned unseasonably cool and we decided to take a day trip.

We headed to north central Indiana.

First stop was Bass Lake, where we found donuts at the Fingerhut Bakery

and we drove around the lake, checking out the quaint cottages.

Next stop was Culver, Indiana.

Culver s right on the banks of Lake Maxinkuckee, a natural lake.

We drove around the lake, spotting the famed Culver Military Academy

 and looking at the lavish lake homes.

We also found a root beer stand and had lunch.

After lunch, we also stopped at nearby Tippecanoe River State Park.

The park is along 7 miles of the Tippecanoe River.

We took two hikes, hiking trails 3,4 & 6.

The soil is sandy and there are boggy areas and we came home with a few mosquito bites.

 We saw herons, geese & this turtle in this unusual pose, sunning himself.

Otters have been released in the area, but we didn't spot any.

Last stop before heading home was the park's fire tower.

 A lovely summer day with beautiful blue skies.