The Hoosier State is well known for its deep roots in Basketball. It even produced the great Larry Bird!
Okay, I got sidetracked and like sports too but did you know that there are three amazing National Parks in Indiana?
National Parks in Indiana
The National Parks of Indiana provides an abundance of recreational opportunities.
This includes enjoying the natural beauty of dense forests and 15 miles of Lake Michigan Shoreline at Indiana Dunes National Park.
You can also attend one of the educational programs at George Rogers Clark Memorial and learn the historical significance of the fight between the British Army and George Rogers Clark American Army during the American Revolution.
Perhaps you have an interest in presidential history? Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial is a great place for you to learn how young Abraham Lincoln grew up in Indiana where he was taught the many character and moral traits that led him to becoming one of the most respected men in America and a seat in the Oval Office.
George Rogers Clark National Historical Park
Top Things to do -Visit the Clark Memorial, Park Film - Long Knives, See the Visitor Center, Become a Junior Ranger, Fishing
Lodging - While there are no lodging facilities within the park itself, you can find various lodging options in and around Vincennes. The city offers a range of accommodations, including hotels, motels, bed-and-breakfasts, and vacation rentals. Some popular areas to consider for lodging include downtown Vincennes and the surrounding neighborhoods.
Camping - There are no camping options within the park
Park Address - 401 S. 2nd Street, Vincennes 47591
George Rogers Clark NHP is located in southwestern Indiana in the town of Vincennes approximately 50 miles north of Evansville. The park is open year-round and offers the opportunity to visit the memorial and watch a park film.
In February 1779 George Rogers Clark led an 18-day trek in frigid weather to Vincennes. He led 170 American and French militiamen through rough conditions until they were able to surround Fort Sackville.
The capture of Fort Sackville by George Rogers Clark on Feb. 25, 1779, assured the United States' claims to the frontier. The frontier was an area as large as the original 13 states. The battle was hard-fought but the American soldiers aided by French residents in Illinois country prevailed over the British troops.
Visitors can see the George Roger Clark Memorial monument built to commemorate George Rogers Clark along with seeing where Fort Sackville was located.
Indiana Dunes National Park
Top Things to do -Indiana Dunes is a very popular place for Beach going activities with its breathtaking sandy beaches, swimming, fishing, boating, hiking on one of its over 50 miles of trails, Biking, Bird Watching, and Camping. Geocaching. Historical Sites, Horseback Riding, Interpretive Programs (Calendar of Events), Picnic, Stargazing, Winter Activities, Guided Tours
Lodging - While there are no lodging facilities within the park itself, you can find several lodging options in nearby towns and communities.
Camping - Indiana Dunes National Park offers camping at Dunewood, Dunbar Group Site, and Central Avenue Walk-in Sites campgrounds within the park.
Park Address - 1215 IN-49, Porter, IN 46304
Indiana Dunes National Park is located in Northern Indiana approximately 15 miles from Gary. The park is open year-round and offers swimming, camping, hiking, and bird-watching along with winter activities.
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore became Indiana Dunes NP as of 2/15/19. Becoming the 61st National Park site managed by the National Park Service. This is a great site to explore 15 miles of the southern shore of Lake Michigan.
Now that the park is designated as a national park we can expect to see new signage and hopefully additional programming.
The park includes 15,000 acres of sand dunes, biodiversity, and places to enjoy the beach. The park has over 1,100 flowering plant and fern species. Along with 352 species of birds, 46 mammals, 18 amphibians and 23 reptiles.
One thing to know is Indiana Dunes National Park is right next to Indiana Dunes State Park which protects 2,100 acres adjacent to the national park.
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
Top Things to do - Stop by the Memorial Visitor Center, Hike the Trail of Twelve Stones, Hike the Boyhood Trail, Visit Lincoln Living Historical Farm, Watch the Park Film, Visit the Lincoln In Indiana Museum, Junior Ranger Program
Lodging - While there are no lodging facilities within the memorial itself, you can find lodging options in and around Lincoln City and nearby towns.
Camping - There are no camping options within the National Memorial
Park Address - 3027 East South Street, Lincoln City, IN 47552
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial is located in Lincoln City, Indiana. The park is open year-round and offers the opportunity to explore a living historical farm, hiking, and see where Nancy Lincoln is buried.
At this site, you can learn more about Lincoln's life from boyhood to manhood. You can visit the visitor center to see the park film about President Lincoln's early life. Visit the pioneer cemetery to see Nancy Hanks Lincoln Gravesite who passed away in 1818. Nancy Hanks Lincoln was Abraham Lincoln's mom.
The front of the visitor center has five sculptured panels depicting Lincoln's life created by artist E.H. Daniels. These panels were carved from Indiana limestone.
You can also visit the Lincoln Living Historical Farm which is a working farm including livestock, field crops and more. Rangers dress in period costumes from the 1820s and perform farm duties. The living Historical Farm is normally open from Mid-April until September depending on the weather.
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List of Indiana National Parks
- George Rogers Clark National Historical Park
- Indiana Dunes National Park (as of 2/15/19 the park has been reclassified)
- Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
There are 3 National Parks in Indiana that receive over 2 Million Visitors. These parks produce over $115 million in economic benefit from park tourism.
Indiana park sites include 42 National Historic Landmarks, 30 National Natural Landmarks, 486 places recorded by the Heritage Documentation Program, and 199,999 objects in the Indiana National Park Museum Collections.
There are 230 Archaeological Sites in the National Parks you can visit in Indiana.
Affiliated Sites
- Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail (ID, IL, IA, KS, MO, MT, NE, ND, OR, SD, WA
Additional National Park Travel Resources
Planning a National Park vacation? America the Beautiful/National Park Pass covers entrance fees for an entire year to all US National Park Sites and over 2,000 Federal Recreation Fee Sites.
The park pass covers everyone in the car for per vehicle sites and for up to 4 adults for per-person sites.
Buy on REI.com and REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.
Free Entrance Days -Mark your calendars with the five free entrance days the National Park Service offers annually.
For a fun adventure, check out Escape Campervans. These campervans have built-in beds, kitchen area with refrigerators, and more. You can have them fully set up with kitchen supplies, bedding, and other fun extras. They are painted with epic designs you can't miss!
Escape Campervans has offices in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver, Chicago, New York, and Orlando
National Parks in neighboring states
Do you know how many National Parks you have visited? Check out this printable list of US National Parks in Alphabetical Order to count how many you have visited.
If you want to go in for all 419 national park sites check out this printable checklist of all 419 US National Parks, Historic Sites, and more!
