story by GLENDA WINDERS
It’s difficult to overstate how magical a visit to a state park in the winter can be. As enjoyable as the parks are in the summer, they grow quieter, more intimate and beautiful in a different way when seasons change. And nowhere is this transition more evident than at Turkey Run State Park.
For starters, the park is located in scenic Parke County, home of some 31 covered bridges, so even the drive to the destination provides a step back in time and a gradual disengaging from the hustle and stress that might be going on back home.
Upon arrival, check in at the Turkey Run Inn. The rustic hotel was built in 1919 but upgraded over the years. It retains its original charm but with modern amenities.
If you’re just now planning your visit, be sure to make reservations to this popular destination; Turkey Run is consistently voted one of the best state parks in the United States.
Perhaps the best news of all is that prices in the winter are more budget friendly. Between December 1, 2024, and February 27, 2025, there’s a two-for-one special. Stay any night, Sunday through Wednesday, and get a second consecutive night free, except for the week between Christmas and New Year’s, December 22 to January 2. Book online or call 877-LODGES-1 to book today.
Once you’re snuggled in, you don’t have to leave the building for anything if that’s your wish, and you’ll certainly want to eat here. The Narrows Restaurant invites you to dress casually and enjoy comfort food and Indiana favorites all day long. Start your morning with a hearty breakfast. The Happy Camper comes with eggs; bacon, sausage or ham; potatoes, oatmeal or grits; and a biscuit or toast. Or maybe you’ll choose pancakes, French toast, or the Ranger Hearty Omelet.
Lunch might be a Hoosier pork tenderloin or a fish sandwich or ultimate BLT. Then finish off the day back here with a whitefish dinner, fried chicken, or one of the daily specials — chicken and noodles on Monday, meatloaf on Thursday, and the like.
You might be tempted to spend the day inside, and that would be easy to do at the indoor pool, playing table tennis and video games in the Gobbler’s Arcade, or visiting the interpretive Nature Center, which is open year-round. You could also browse in the gift shop or maybe stay curled up by the fireplace in the lobby with a good book.
But being outdoors here can be the most fun. When the leaves are off the trees, you’ll enjoy an entirely different experience from the one you had if you’ve been here in the summer. It’s the perfect season for hiking, and it’s even better if you happen to come just after a snow. To get to most of the trails, you’ll need to cross the park’s iconic suspension bridge, a unique experience in and of itself.
While you’re out here, take a minute to consider the rich history of this second in the state park system, named for the wild turkeys that once lived in the area. Its trails were carved when meltwater from the last glacier some 12,000 years ago ran through the porous sandstone. Then Salmon Lusk, a scout for William Henry Harrison who had discovered the land enroute to the Battle of Tippecanoe, used the land grant he was given at the end of his military service to buy the first 288 acres of what would become the park in 1823. An early conservationist, he fought all attempts to use the land for cutting down its trees, but after his death the timber buyers tried again to get the wood.
A commission headed by Richard Lieber was looking into establishing a system of state parks, and when he saw the area where the park is today, he knew its exceptional natural features belonged not just to one person but to the people of Indiana. He initiated the campaign to raise the money to buy the rest of the land, and the park became a reality. During your hike, take a minute to give thanks to these people who saved the old-growth trees and preserved the land that made the park — and your visit — possible.
For more information visit: IndanaInns.com.
