I'd long wanted to visit O'Bannon Woods State Park, though the truth is I seldom get down to the…read moreCorydon area. However, since my position at work changed over the past year this has resulted in my spending time in different areas of the state. A meeting in Corydon finally gave me the opportunity to check out this state park. O'Bannon Woods State Park was formerly known as Wyandotte Woods State Recreation Area. It borders the Ohio River. It is actually inside the 2400-acre Harrison Crawford State Forest, though it is considered entirely separate in terms of management. This is also true of the nearby Wyandotte Caves State Recreation Area. O'Bannon Woods was the location of one of the few African-American Civilian Conservation Corps units. The property also has a uniquely restored, working haypress barn, complete with oxen for power and a pioneer farmstead. Indiana's first natural and scenic river, Blue River, flows through the state park and forest. Stagestop Campground is here, though it's currently closed. The Corydon Capitol State Historic Site is also located not far away - for those who don't know, Corydon was Indiana's first state capitol. The state park includes a variety of activities, though I would probably consider it one of Indiana's more rustic parks. Activities include a nature center/interpretive Naturalist services, horse trails, picnic tables, fishing/boating, hiking trails, mountain bike trails, a family aquatic center, and camping (281 electric sites, 47 horseman non-electric sites). There's also a group camp option with 50 bunks and 50 single beds. O'Bannon Woods has 12 hiking trails with all of them ranging from moderate to rugged in difficulty. I doubt I would call any of them wheelchair friendly unless you have an all-terrain chair. The distances range from .8 to 8 miles. You can do some combining and actually get a serious trail - AllTrails lists a 23.5 mile trail called Adventure Hiking Trail. Wyandotte Caves is open to the public. They have both a relatively easy tour and a rugged tour available. While the shorter tour is labeled as easy, I'd say that's on the "I can walk" scale because it basically means there are no long staircases. If you wonder, I'd contact the park. This park is awesome for its beauty and awesome for the likelihood of seeing wildlife. If you have small children, you'll likely want to keep an eye on them as you can find black bears here along with wild turkeys, foxes, wild cats, white-tailed deer and others. The park was established in 1981, though this area is rich in history. It's named after the late Indiana Governor Frank O'Bannon. The area was once inhabited by Native Americans including the Shawnee and Miami. A couple landmarks to check out - The Pioneer Homestead is a cool experience, there's a Fire Tower here that is pretty amazing (I obviously didn't climb it), and Haypress Falls is one of the park's most beautiful natural spots. A visit to Corydon is an amazing day trip filled with lots of Indiana history. In fact, I'd say this would even be a great weekend getaway. It took me way too long to get here, but I'm hoping I have another meeting here soon.

I absolutely love this state park! There is so much to do here, with several large towns/cities…read morenearby. Located 15 min from the heart of Corydon (Indiana's original state capital), this state park was established in 1980 as Wyandotte Woods State Recreational Area. Then in 2004, it was renamed, to honor the late Indiana Governor, Frank O'Bannon. This 2,294 acre property is unique, in that it is surrounded by 24,000 acres of protected forest, called Harrison-Crawford State Forest. This park is rich in history, because it lies along the Ohio River, where 1800s settlers established towns, businesses and early trading with the Native Americans. There are still many foundations, cemeteries and historical structures within the park. Located at the nature center is the replicated 1830s farmstead, with a the 1850s haypress. There are live animals and occasional demonstrations/re-enactments and activities here. Within the park, there is electrical camping, group camping, primitive camping and horseman's camping. There is an aquatic center, nature center, wyandotte caves, Blue River, Ohio River, and lots of trails for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking. The Blue River offers activities such as canoeing, kayaking, fishing, rafting, and swimming. Entrance into the river is located outside the park at Iron Bridge, Stage Stop primitive campground, or Blue River Chapel (all on or just off of 62). There are several hiking trails within the park, most rated moderate or rugged. For a nice easy hike, one that is even handicap accessible, I would suggest taking the bridge to the W (left side) of nature center property and hiking the one mile loop trail. It is all gravel, mostly level, had a couple wide bridges, and informative plagues along the way. This trail is called the Tulip Valley trial (B), and can be accessed from the campground, but the moderate part of the trail is from the campground to the nature center. If you start at the nature center, it's easy. The bridge is located between the parking lot and the nature center entrance, on the left side. The Adventure Hiking Trail (AHT) also runs through this park. It is a 25.5 mile rugged backpacking trail. It's IN's longest and most scenic backpacking trail. It takes about 3 days to complete with 5 overnight shelters available. Note, there is no camp store located in this park, they only sell ice and firewood at the gate. Walmart, gas, food, etc is 15 min into Corydon.