These outdoor adventures come with a side of history! At these incredible Southern Indiana locations, you can explore 390 million-year-old fossil beds, ancient Native American mounds, Indiana’s only Civil War battle site, remnants of forgotten settlements, and even an abandoned amusement park!
Spring Mill State Park
Spring Mill State Park in Mitchell offers camping, fishing, boating, hiking, swimming, and cave exploration, but history lovers will also enjoy the restored historic village complete with a 3-story limestone mill! Restored in 1914, the settler village features over 20 historic buildings and an original cemetery to explore. The park is also home to the Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom Memorial Museum that honors hometown astronaut Gus Grissom and his contributions to the US space program.
Angel Mounds State Historic Site
Angel Mounds State Historic Site just outside of Evansville is one of the best preserved pre-contact Native American sites in the United States. This 600-acre nature preserve features hiking trails, a reconstructed village, and 11 original earthen mounds created by the communities that inhabited this area from 1000 to 1450 A.D.
Rose Island at Charlestown State Park
Explore hiking trails, waterfalls, and even an abandoned vintage amusement park at Charlestown State Park on the Ohio River in Charlestown, Indiana. Inside the park, you’ll find the remnants of Rose Island, a once popular destination that flourished in the ’20s and ’30s. Today, visitors can hike through the ruins on their own or with a guided hike.
Hoosier National Forest
Inside the Hoosier National Forest south of Paoli is the Lick Creek Trail that winds through the site of a former settlement where Quakers and freed African Americans lived in the early 1800s. The homes and churches of this unique, integrated settlement have long disappeared, but a cemetery can still be seen by visitors and trailhead signs interpret the settlement along the way.
The Buffalo Traces went through Southern Indiana and was a path carved by thousands on bison on their annual migration. The Springs Valley Trail System follows the route of the Buffalo Trace for part of its length. If you look carefully, you can still see evidence of these ancient paths cut into the ground.
Battle of Corydon Park
Corydon, Indiana, is the site of the state’s only Civil War battle that occurred when General John Hunt Morgan began his famous raid through Southern Indiana on July 9, 1863. The Battle of Corydon is one of just three Civil War battles fought on northern soil, the others being the Battle of Antietam in Maryland and the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. This unique park features walking trails, a restored cabin, a Civil War cannon, and a reenactment event each July.
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in Lincoln City is located on the site where Abraham Lincoln and his family lived as pioneers from 1816 to 1830. Visitors can explore reconstructed cabins and the Living Historical Farm which is open from mid-April through the end of September and offers a glimpse of pioneer life. The 200-acre park also features a Memorial Visitor Center, wooded trails, and a pioneer cemetery where Abraham Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, is buried.
Lincoln State Park
Lincoln State Park is also located in Lincoln City. Explore 10 miles of trails in the same forest Abraham Lincoln once called home. The 1,747-acre park was established in 1932 as a memorial to Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln. Little Pigeon Creek Baptist Church and Cemetery, where Lincoln’s sister Sarah is buried, is located inside the park, and the historic Colonel Jones Home is located nearby. Visitors can also explore the interpretive nature center, camp onsite, or see a show at the nearby Lincoln Ampitheatre.
Falls of the Ohio State Park
Located on the Ohio River in Clarksville, Falls of the Ohio State Park is home to the world’s largest exposed Devonian fossil beds. Explore these unique riverbeds on your own or with a guided hike. The park’s Interpretive Center is 3,000 square feet of immersive exhibits, an auditorium, rotunda, classroom, and wildlife and river viewing rooms.
Silver Hills Historical Nature Trail
For a unique hike, check out the Silver Hills Historical Nature Trail and Wildlife Sanctuary in New Albany. Visitors can trek through lush woods and see remnants of the tracks and bridges of one of the earliest electric railways, the New Albany and Highland Railway.
Wesselman Woods
Wesselman Woods in Evansville is the largest tract of urban old-growth forest in the United States. Unlike most of Southern Indiana, these woods were never logged, making it a unique remnant of southern Indiana’s original forests.
The oldest trees are over 400 years old, and several state champion trees can be found there. Wesselman Woods also contains remnants of the Wabash and Erie Canal, the longest canal ever built in North America.
