knobstone trail

We did the Delaney Park Loop and the Spurgeon Hollow Loop in 2 days. The hike was nice, rugged in places and a few streams to cross. The trail itself was marked with blue and white blazes, but the mile markers in spots were non-existent. It was kind of hard to figure out at times just exactly where you were at. The trail dogs need to go out on the trail and clear the blow downs for in spots there were quite a few of them. All in all, a nice walk. It wouldn't be a bad idea to take your GPS with you, even though it is Indiana. Probably most of the year you will have to carry your water, though this fall there was plenty of water everywhere.

I have hiked the Knobstone Trail many times. It is a beautiful trail. Especially in the Fall. There is so much wildlife to see!

The knobstone trail begins in Clark County, IN near Deam Lake and ends up in Northern Washington County near Delany Park. For the most part it is an excellent hiking trail. After the first 5 miles or so it's rugged. There are a lot of hills but the trail is very will marked with white blazes. There is camping allowed along the trail as long as you are a certain distance away. Maps are usually available at Deam Lake and there is also information on the internet.A couple of years ago there was a big tornado that came through the area and knocked down quite a few trees. Part of the trail has been rerouted due to the clean up. It's best to either check with the DNR in Indiana or check at Deam Lake to see if they can give you the exact route. Overall though it's an excellent trail.

Looking for a place to do some back country hiking but can't get to the mountains, desert, etc.? The Knobstone (located in/around Salem, Indiana, not Salem, Oregon) may be your ticket. The Knobstone wanders through about 45 miles of state forestry land in southern Indiana with about 10,000' of up and 10,000' of down. My son and I hiked it over Thanksgiving 2013. It took us just shy of 3 full days of hiking (I don't think we could have done it any faster and in summer I would have added a full day). Maps are available at most local outfitting shop or the Department of Natural Resources (www.ai.org/dnr). Also, I highly recommend this book, http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Knobstone-Trail-Indianas-Footpath/dp/0253222974. The trail has few water sources and this book provides descriptions of options for water drops.I don't think of this trail as scenic so much as a workout, a very serious workout. Sure, Indiana is pretty flat and even if you find the biggest hill, it would be odd to have to climb more than 1,000 at a time. But, let's say you don't believe in switchbacks. And, you think that between over, under, around, or through, that over is always the way to go. Add a "knob(s)" to that mix, and you have 45+/- miles of serious hiking.