Turkey Run is located off IN 47 near Rockville. We took the long way to get there. We now recommend going 47 out of Crawfordsville. Don't go on 74.
Turkey Run seems to be among the busiest of the state parks, so it might be best to go on a weekday if possible or early in the day on a weekend. When we got there, it was packed, so instead of heading across the awesome suspension bridge, we stayed on the same side of the creek and hit trail 1 all the way to the covered bridge where we did cross. We then went on trails 8 and 4 and checked out the Lusk Home. We also saw the coal mine. The dogs did great on these trails and could be off the leash because there weren't many people. We also got to go down to the creek and see it.
We crossed back over on the suspension bridge and dropped the dogs off at the trailer. (Thanks Noah and Holly!) Then, we went back across to do the awesome trails 3, 5, and 9. Highlights included the always-fun ladders on 3 and Boulder Canyon on 9. Dogs should not be taken on 3 due to the ladders, but it is among the best in the park.
We also visited the Turkey Run Inn, but did not get to stay the night. If you go, be sure to ask for the manager, Donald Vita, and tell him we said hi. We ate dinner at the Narrows Restaurant at the inn and it was delicious after a long day of hiking! We got the buffet, which is $12.95 on the weekends, and it was worth it. The bests for us were BBQ porkchops, fried biscuits and warm apple butter, sweet tea, and fried chicken. Yum.
So, we were tired and stuffed, and there was no room at the inn. We made a quick stop in the giftshop and picked up some patches and a Weird Indiana book. Then, we asked the friendly gal at the inn desk for some recommendations of where else we could stay. She offered two names and phone numbers of places in nearby Rockville. On the way out of the park, once we regained cell signal, we placed a call to the Covered Bridge Motel and talked to the owner, Phil Kurtz. He didn't have a room available but did offer us a furnished apartment for the price of $50. So, we headed on over to the Covered Bridge and picked up the key. Phil even gave us a free six-pack of Miller Lite he had in the fridge. What a guy! The apartment was a couple miles out of town and we found it to be clean, nicely appointed, and equipped with satellite TV on which we watched the Purdue - Notre Dame game. Tough loss for the Boilers, though the last-minute timeout was a ridiculous call. If you stay at these apartments, perhaps bring your own towels, as they were a bit small, especially for a 6'4" kinda kid.
Turkey Run State Park
8121 E. Park Rd.
Marshall, IN 47859
765.597.2635
Covered Bridge Motel
346 S. US Hwy 41
Rockville, IN 47872
765.569.2833
I visited Turkey Run with Abby and her sister when they were just 3 and 2 years old, respectively. Trail 3 is my favorite and as it was a weekeday, we decided to give it a try. I carried her sister in a backpack as she had no interest in hiking. Abby hiked the entire length of the trail, including the ladders, and loved it. She has always enjoyed the outdoors, even as a toddler.
ReplyDelete