My sister came across this Forest by reading through a book about hikes in Indiana. Our first visit…read morehere was in April and we hiked along trail 7 which was a rugged 1.7 miles and took us up along a number of overlooks. We then hiked along Knob Lake- trail 5- only .25 miles but beautiful views of the lake. Plenty of people were fishing here. There are 10 trails overall and most range from 1-3 miles. We noticed that there were primitive camp sites and someone told us that it is very rarely full. We decided to come camping here in September after Labor Day. It is only $13 a night and self registration. The camp sites have plenty of room for car and tents. The sites each have a fire pit and picnic table. There are only pit toilets but they all had plenty of toilet paper. There were a handful of people camping so it was a very quiet evening. This time we hiked trail 2 which was 1.75 miles moderately rugged. This takes you up 985 feet above sea level. There are horse trails, hunting, archery range and plenty of picnicking spots. If you enjoy the outdoors- this is only about an hour and 30 minutes from Indianapolis.

Found this park by way of AllTrails app, and I'm so happy I did! My sweet spots are national and…read morestate parks, but I'm so happy I stumbled upon this state forest. Being a state forest, it's free entrance, for one. It's about 1.25 hours from downtown Indy, so not too far of a trek and about the same distance to Brown County area. I came for the purpose of a day hike on the Knoblake and Pinnacle Loop Trail. It's labeled "hard" on AllTrails. As with most Indiana "hard" trails, if you're an experienced hiker, it means they're "easy-to-medium" challenge. However, I will happily say that this trail kicked my booty. It was a challenge. The elevation gains/descents are no joke. Bring hiking poles if you can! The final views were incredible and a great place to feel the spring sunshine and breeze to reward our hard work. It meanders through some creek area as well. I can't wait to come back and take advantage of their buddy camping system. $13 a campsite - an absolute win compared to other nearby campsite prices. Would highly recommend for camping, fishing, hiking and general nature time!

Gaiser Park on the southwest side of Seymour is a really nice park with amenities like playgrounds,…read moreballfields, basketball and tennis courts, and a Veterans Memorial. There are shade trees and a shelter, but there could be more picnic tables & benches so that more families could enjoy the park at one time. Street parking around the perimeter of the park is free. Review #2165

Beautiful park! Great lake for fishing and kayaking! We camped at their cabins, small and very…read morebasic but exactly what we love! We're usually tent campers. We love basic. It was nice to have AC in August heat though! We didn't put our air mattress on the bed platform because ours is a queen, not a full. It was also nice to have our air mattress closer to the AC unit! Picnic table outside, works great for our family. We were basically in the cabin to sleep. Bring bikes, kayaks, air mattress, coolers, bedding..... Shower houses and restrooms are decent but can be a walk from your cabin, depending on where you're located. This cabin is the "Persimmon" cabin. We like seclusion, so it worked perfectly for us!

Offers up lake front lots, kayak launchable and very relaxing. Nothing but trolling motors and…read morelots of bank fishing. Large beach area, shower is a must after that swim. Friendly frequently driving by DNR staff. Clean hot shower. Clean restrooms. Plenty of trails, beautiful water lilies in bloom this visit near North boat launch. Very enjoyable spot.

This narrow park on the south side of Seymour consists of ballfields on the east end, a playground…read moreon the west end, and a small shelter in the middle. There are a few benches by the playground and a couple picnic tables inside the shelter, but I didn't see any grills. Parking is plentiful along the north side of the park. Review #2166

This small plaza in Downtown Seymour is dedicated to Sarah Steinker Stephens who was a part of the…read moreSeymour community. The park features a grass lawn with a sidewalk that borders all sides and plantings to add color and interest. There are also benches for visitors to relax upon and enjoy the space. The park was opened in 2014, five years after a fire had claimed the two buildings previously located there. Review #2170

One of the longest covered bridges in the state is nearly finished on its restoration. Located…read moreabout four miles west of Seymour, this bridge is somewhere between 355 and 366 feet depending upon your source material. It was built in 1876 to span the East Fork of the White River on East County Road 200 N. The red sided, white roof and approach bridge relies upon a center support to span the river. The bridge was closed to traffic in 1980 when a bypass bridge was built. So, with the nearly complete bridge being saved, why only three stars? First, the area around the bridge has a lot of trash and the Private Property signs make you question if it is safe to pull off the road to look at the bridge. Also, the bridge blocks anyone from walking through (note that there aren't any window cutouts to look out anyway.) The bridge also lacks any identifying plaques or signage that identifies it. Locals should look at that bridges of Parke County or Decatur County for how to make the bridge informational. Procuring a safe pull off spot that is clearly marked would also benefit the visitors. After spending over $1 million dollars in restoration, it seems like a lost opportunity for tourism for the community. At least the restoration so far has bought the county time to make the project complete. Review #2648

The Shieldstown Covered Bridge is old! It carried traffic for over 100 years, until it was bypassed…read morein the late 1970's. Although it is quite literally falling apart, I have great hope the help is on the way. BRIDGE FACTS Year Opened: 1876 Builder: Joseph J. Daniels Length: 331 feet (355 feet including the 12-foot approaches at each end) Width: 12.5 feet Truss type: Burr Arch Truss (double span) Crosses: East Fork of White River Notes: The road was rerouted to bypassed this structure in 1977. 'Save Our Jackson County Covered Bridges' is an organization established by the Jackson County Parks & Recreation Dept and the J/C Visitors & Convention Bureau. It is largely responsible for raising funds to restore and protect county bridges. Shieldstown and Medora are the last two covered bridge remaining in this Indiana county. Medora has already been beautifully restored (see review): http://www.yelp.com/biz/medora-covered-bridge-jackson?hrid=LtsCXxFSW6HF3ARaGZ_lNw However, as of October 2014 there were no visible renovations detectable to the eyes of this covered bridge fan. If anything, the renovations made in the 1980's were long deteriorated and the bridge itself looks as though it needs to be condemned... like yesterday! Near the entrance on the east side of the bridge is a monument to James Aldred Cash (June 1934 - November '08). The inscription on the bench interestingly reads: "Dad always said if your gonna be stupid you better be tough." It looks like it is part of the bridge property but in fact it's on land directly adjacent to the bridge, so finding out what it means has been difficult. But I promise I'll update this review as soon as I discover it's meaning. For now, the best I can figure is it references this song by Roger Allan Wade - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aczrDOa5Asc FINAL THOUGHTS A gorgeous piece of history that I am certain the county and state will soon bring back to its former glory. Indiana seems to be very proud of its collection of covered bridges, mostly scattered throughout the central and southern parts of the state. I look forward to a return visit when renovations are complete. Be sure to check out the Covered Bridge Loop, a route that highlights 9 historic bridges around the state: http://www.visitgreensburg.com/docs/CoveredBridgeLoopMap.pdf