I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.
~Henry David Thoreau
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HIKES
Want to get out into nature? Start here to discover some great hiking parks. Northeast Indiana is home to several county and state parks to visit as well as nature preserves that are open daily. Listed below are some of the parks of Allen County that are great places to visit, featuring well-maintained trails with a variety of terrains. These parks include many miles through forests, meadows, and wetlands. Features include ponds, rivers, lakes, and accessible boardwalks. County Parks have nature centers and indoor restrooms. Many sites also offer classes and guided hikes on a regular basis. Be sure to also visit Pokegon State Park, Chain-O-Lakes State Park, and Oubache State Park within a short drive. Each of these sites is a great place to discover wildlife, take photographs, journal, or just sit in serene and peaceful surroundings.
Fox Island County Park
Fox Island is a 605-acre park located in southwest Allen County, Indiana with 7 miles of trails. A portion of the park is dedicated as nature preserve because of it's unique geologic and wildlife characteristics. Fox island features wooded sand dunes, marsh, seasonal ponds, wetland forest, prairies, and a lake. Hundreds of animal species are found here.
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Hours- Varies, see website
Many trails still closed due to Derecho.
Fee- $3 Cash only, Yearly Passes available
Nature Center with gift shop and observation site
Swimming beach, picnic facilities
Indoor restrooms
*Visit their website for specific recommendations, restrictions, and regulations
Vera Dulin Observatory
Metea County Park South
Metea is a 250-acre park in north central Allen County, Indiana with 5 miles of trails. A portion is dedicated as Meno-aki State Nature Preserve. North and South Park areas are separated by Cedar Creek, a state designated scenic river. There are mature forests, wetlands, and prairies with many scenic river overlooks. Take a listening walk.
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Hours- Varies, see website
Fee- $3 Cash Only, Yearly Passes available
Nature Center and gift shop
Indoor restrooms
Swimming beach and picnic areas
*Visit their website for specific recommendations, restrictions and regulations
Lindenwood Nature Preserve
Lindenwood is a 110-acre nature preserve with 4 hiking trails ( .25 miles to 1.0 miles) and is located in southwest Allen County. It features wooded areas, wildflowers, boardwalks for accessibility, and a trail that leads to a pond.
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Hours- daily dawn to dusk
Fee- Free
Outdoor restrooms, nearby water pump
Accessible boardwalks
*Visit their website for specific recommendations, restrictions and regulations
Eagle Marsh Nature Preserve
Eagle Marsh is an 831-acre wetland nature preserve with 14+ miles of trails in southwest Allen County, Indiana. Habitats include wetland, sedge meadow, prairies, mature forest, and young trees. More than 250 animal species have been found here, including Bald Eagles.
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Hours- dawn to dusk, gate open M-Th 11a-3p
Fee- Free
Barn open during events
Outdoor restrooms
*Visit their website for specific recommendations, restrictions and regulations
Homestead Environmental Center
Homestead Environmental Center is a fairly unknown park and is located behind Homestead High School in southwest Allen County. There are a few miles of trails that feature two ponds, a locked cabin, an outdoor classroom, a wooded pavilion, and boardwalks in a serene forested setting with some surrounding prairie. Ponds are active with turtles and frogs.
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Hours- dawn to dusk
Fee- Free
Portable Restrooms
No park map, but trails shown on wooden art piece on cabin. Take a picture of it and use it as your guide (see photos).
Trail Map
(see above)
ACRES Bicentennial Woods
Bicentennial Woods is a 79.8-acre nature preserve with 2 miles of trails and is located just outside Allen County in the Cedar Creek Corridor of Huntertown, Indiana. It is the largest forested corridor in the region with mature forests and hosts a large diversity of wildlife.
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Hours- dawn to dusk
Fee- Free
No Restrooms
Difficulty level 4 out of 5
*Visit their website for specific recommendations, restrictions and regulations
