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Family Hiking at Shades State Park in Indiana

by Lindsay

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Shades State Park in Indiana. Perfect for family hiking from Let Me Give You Some Advice

Shades State Park: Family Hiking in Indiana from Let Me Give You Some AdviceShades State Park in Indiana is about an hour and twenty minutes from Indianapolis and offers year round hiking for families. Nestled on the banks of Sugar Creek, it’s often overlooked by its more popular cousin Turkey Run State Park, located just a few miles west, and remains less crowded especially during the fall. Our family recently decided to squeeze in one more hike before it gets too cold and headed out to explore this quiet park.
Fall trees at Shades State Park | Let Me Give You Some AdviceFor starters, admission was free since the park does not allow camping past Oct 31st. Not all parks have this same pricing structure so it’s important to double check with Indiana DNR before heading out.  Shades does not have some of the amenities of the larger state parks so don’t expect a pool, nature center or even flush toilets. There are some picnic shelters and one modern restroom but it was already closed for the winter when we arrived. If you’re looking for creature comforts, this might not be the park for you.
Trails signs at Shades State Park | Let Me Give You Some AdviceThere are lots of trails to choose from.  Most either head down towards the creek or into large ravines.  Expect to do lot of stairs!   You’ll need kiddos who can handle them on their own or a good carrier for littler legs.  We hit up trails 4 and 5 which overlap each other and provide some options on how to get back up the riverbank. There are some pretty rugged trails as well that utilize ladders but we opted to skip those because the leaves made it difficult to see the trail.
Stairs on Trail 5 at Shades State Park | Let Me Give You Some AdviceOne of the coolest areas of the park is a formation known as Devil’s Punch Bowl. It is a deep cutout formed by a riverbed that my kids loved climbing down into and I loved the sturdy and safe staircases provided to get in and out of the bowl. Be prepared to get muddy as there is still a small creek running through the area. We went when it was fairly dry and there hadn’t been much rainfall so I can image it would be much worse during a wet season.
Devil's Punch Bowl at Shades State Park | Let Me Give You Some AdviceIf for some reasons you haven’t tired out your young hikers enough, there’s a great wooden playground just across from one of the picnic shelters and near the modern restrooms. During the summer, this would make a great place to eat lunch.
Wooden Playground at Shades State Park | Let Me Give You Some AdviceWe spent about two hours at the park and could easily go back and see a completely different park of the park. I think Shades is the perfect escape for a family looking to visit a quiet park that’s off the beaten path and experience some of the beauty of western Indiana.

So, have you been to Shades State Park?  What’s your go to getaway when you need some peace and quiet from the city?

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Shades State Park in Indiana. Perfect for family hiking from Let Me Give You Some Advice

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Filed Under: Family Travel, Midwest

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  1. Clifty Falls State Park and Clifty Inn in Madison, IN | Let Me Give You Some Advice says:
    January 12, 2017 at 8:35 am

    […] an effort to check out some of Indiana’s State Parks this year. You can see my other reviews, here and here. We managed to squeeze in one last trip of the season back in November and this time added […]

    Reply
  2. 3 Ways To Make Family Travel Affordable | Let Me Give You Some Advice says:
    June 11, 2017 at 10:14 am

    […] some of the parks nearby. So far we’ve visited four parks (you can see my reviews here and here) and even stayed overnight at one of the state park inns. Because the attraction is the park, we […]

    Reply

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Meet Lindsay

Headshot of Lindsay

Welcome! I'm Lindsay and I live for a good adventure. I'm convinced you can always find one, even if it's in your own backyard. As a mom of two, I don't believe in giving up on exploring just because of my Midwest zip code. With a little curiosity, you can find adventures for your family, no matter where you live. Read More...

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