Family Fun at Turkey Run State Park in Indiana
Where to Stay
For families that camp, the Turkey Run campground is the best option. All 213 sites are Class A electric, and the campground has modern restrooms with flush toilets and showers. During the summer season, single sites are $17 Sunday through Wednesday, $25 Thursday through Saturday, and $28 on holiday weekends. The camp store, located near the entrance, sells food, insect repellant, fire wood, and other camping necessities.
If you enjoy the great outdoors when the sun shines, but prefer a roof and four walls when you sleep, then the Turkey Run Inn is where you will want to rest your head. Built in 1919, the historic Inn offers 61 hotel-type rooms in the main lodge and 21 family cabins. In addition, there is an on-site restaurant, and indoor pool, a game room, a gift shop, and video rentals are available. During the peak season, room rates range from $59 to $94 nightly, and cabins rent for $69 to $159 nightly.
Other campgrounds, hotels, and motels can be found in nearby Marshall and Rockville, IN, but none offer the beauty of Turkey Run or the convenience of being located inside the park.
What to Do
The question shouldn’t be “What is there to do at Turkey Run?” but “What isn’t there to do?” Turkey Run State Park is one of the most popular natural areas in Indiana precisely because it offers something for everyone.
Swimming offers one option for cooling off during hot summer days. The indoor pool located at the Inn is open year round from 10am-11pm, but is reserved for the exclusive use of Inn guests. The outdoor pool, however, can be used by anyone with $3 and a swimming suit. The pool is open 11am to 6pm from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Children that are not yet potty-trained must wear a swim diaper, and children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a person over the age of 16. Swimming is prohibited in nearby Sugar Creek for safety reasons.
Canoeing, kayaking, or tubing Sugar Creek are popular options for summer visitors to Turkey Run. The park doesn’t offer rentals, but you won’t have any trouble finding a livery, as they line the road that leads to the park. Turkey Run Canoe Trips and Clements Canoe Outdoor Center are both reputable outfitters that offer a variety of trips at a good value. In addition, if you own your own canoe, kayak, or inner tube, there are two public access points to Sugar Creek outside Turkey Run: one at a canoe ramp by Cox Ford Covered Bridge, and another at the Narrows Covered Bridge.
Hiking is another popular activity at Turkey Run State Park. Trails range from easy half-mile Trail 11, to the very rugged 1.7 mile Trail 3 that meanders between two canyons and leads to the Devil’s Punch Bowl, to the moderate 3 mile long Trail 1, leading to the Narrows Covered Bridge. If you hike at Turkey Run, make sure you bring plenty of water! During the summer months the temperatures reach well into the 90’s with a heat index of over 100 degrees.
Other activities at Turkey Run State Park include guided horse back rides available at the Saddle Barn, and interpretive naturalist programs at the Nature Center.
Enjoy Yourself!
Turkey Run State Park offers something for everyone. Spend your weekend swimming, hiking, canoeing, tubing, or camping, and you will never want to go back to the real world!
