Turkey Run State Park – Page 2

Hoping for Cooler Weather

Visiting Turkey Run State Park in winter after snow fall is an expedition I often think of in the hot summer days of Indiana. The snow covered slopes of Sugar Creek look pleasant enough.

But the temperatures drop significantly after entering the Rocky Hollow canyon. This vertiginous view of Wedge Rock is due to the fisheye lens I used here.

Proceeding further, the walls become covered with icicles.

Ascending into the narrower parts of the canyon and navigating the ice covered walls is impossible without proper gear.

But the way back offers sun shine and hope for warmer days, which is what we came for, isn’t it?

Sugar Creek

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Sugar Creek is a tributary of Wabash River (which continues into the Ohio River and the Mississippi).
It connects Shades State Park with Turkey Run State Park, and is a highlight of both parks.

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At Shades State Park, most trails touch the creek at some point, or at least provide an unobstructed view across onto a vast wooded slope.

There are sights that stun instantly, and others that require some time.

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In Turkey Run State Park, (almost) every visitor will cross the suspension bridge and enjoy a view like this:

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Wood and Stone

Even more than the near Shades State Park, Turkey Run State Park offers a maze of narrow canyons filled with remnants from the retreating glaciers of some 20,000 years ago.

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A common theme is the presence of wood and stone. Most of us are surrounded by their shaped presence more or less permanently, but here we can watch them grow and decay in their raw and untamed state.

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This place has something special at any season. In early spring, the abundant vegetation is still dormant, and the damage done by the melting ice and snow has not been cleaned up yet.

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This will just look like devastation to most, reminding us that building with wood or rock is, in the long run, nothing but building on sand.

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Occasionally, there is a view that seems to contradict the chaos. While such views are nothing but rare byproducts of the greater erosive randomness, they still remind us that there is purpose, as long as we pursue it.

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