We had the best weekend getaway here and are so happy to have found this spot through a friend of a friend. This forest has many camping sites, but they don't let yo reserve any before arriving. Our friend recommended arriving before 2pm to hopefully get a spot. We arrived then on one of the busiest most beautiful fall weekends and scored the LAST spot. Woohoo! We were allowed two tents on our camping spot, which came with a bonfire set up and cooking rack. There was a wooden bathroom only a few steps away and a lake within walking distance as well. The bathrooms didn't have sinks, but there was a water spigot down the road if needed. Most people camping here came for four or five days at a time and had awesome RV or airstreams set up on their camping sites. Therefore, most people went to bed quite early and we weren't bothered by anyone being too loud. Everyone had great fires going and we liked not being the only ones out here. The building where you pay for your campsite also had $5 log bundles you could buy, so we got a couple of those. There were tons of sticks and leaves around that we used to build up our fire as well. This spot is only a fifteen minute drive from Nashville, IN, so is such a great spot. Go check it out! read more

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This review is specifically for the Jackson Creek trail. Overall rating: DNR - Do Not Recommend! Sure, there are some scenic views but the trail is pretty poorly marked. It is an "interpretive" trail but the interpretative markers don't have any description. Let's hope you took a picture of the map at the trail head! This could be a lot nicer with some TLC. read more

Yellowwood State Forest - Some badass shot up this "No Guns" sign. - Parks Near Me - Nashville, Indiana

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I love Yellowwood for a variety of reasons: - less crowds compared to nearby Brown County State Park - actual inclines and declines = better workout and not as flat as northern/central Indiana - great hikes and off-roading opportunities - can camp in the area as well, I believe. I come down here occasionally to escape the busy life of city living and to get away from people lol. This place serves that purpose. PS - Use AllTrails app for great trail guidance. read more

Despite all the controversy over logging in the forest, there are still over 24,000 acres of mostly wooded property. So, I decided to try hiking one of the trails (Jackson Creek) on the north end of the park. The road into the park is newly paved and makes it easy to drive through from Jackson Creek Road off Highway 46. The road splits off to Yellowwood Lake Road and heads north. There you will find the Forest Office with maps and personnel to help you with any questions you have. Continuing north along Yellowwood Lake Road, there is a pull off/parking lot near where the blacktop paving ends. This is the access point for the Jackson Creek Trailhead. You can see a great view of the lake from the lot and also use the trail for access to the Tecumseh Trail that goes over 40 miles, or the Lake Trail, which has a 4.5 mile loop around Yellowwood Lake. But since it was hot and humid, I limited my journey to the 1.5 mile extended loop that has a list of 23 points of interest along the way (You can print this off from the website for the park.) The trail starts off wide and smooth, supposedly accessible by wheelchair for the first 1500 feet. However, a tree had fallen across the pathway about 100 yards in, so unless someone had a chainsaw on the back of his/her chair, they would not be able to go over it. Fortunately, I was able to step over it and continue on. The trail goes from mulch to pine needles, to dirt and a few boardwalks as it starts out. Every so often, you notice metal markers with numbers on them to indicate the points of interest. It may be something like the marsh, or a type of tree in the area, or information about the creek. Note that most of the old growth was removed by settlers about 200 years ago and the trees have been planted or grown back over the last 80 years. The trail merges with the Tecumseh Trail and the Lake Trail, so it gets a little confusing, but I went left and crossed the bridge over the creek to reach the loop portion of the Jackson Creek Trail. If you are following the numbers on the points of interest, choose the left path. This path becomes narrow as the trail takes on elevation to overlook the creek from a ridge. Note that the dropoff is rather sudden and the trail has lots of ferns and low growing plants that make the trail look even narrower. If you don't like feeling claustrophobic, then this isn't the trail for you. The trail becomes even narrower on the other side of the creek as the low growth plants become replaced by some waist high plants, some with thorns. Fortunately, the low rainfall made the footing secure and when crossing through the northern end of the creek bed, the trail was dry. The trail twists and turns and when in the areas of nearby trees, can become a bit tricky with all the exposed tree roots. Before long, I found myself nearing the end of the loop. Someone has made a split off to go down to the creek which confused me, but from that point, I could see the bridge I had crossed earlier, so retraced back to the right path and found my way back. This is a trail that requires you pay attention on the way in so that you can find your way back. It would be easy to miss the junction with the route back to the parking lot if you were talking. You might just be on that 40+ mile trail. Fortunately, if you remember the large sign that told you to go left at the end of the first part of the trail, you will remember to make a right turn to get back to the parking lot. Traveling through the woods and along the marsh fills the air with all types of sounds from birds and frogs. The trails do get a bit muggy as the trees block the wind and the bugs can be annoying. Be sure to check for creepy crawlies as you emerge from the denser parts...nobody likes ticks on them! I think with a little more attention, the trail could be a 5 star, but some of the markers were difficult to find and some of the signs could be a little more specific (like telling you to go left to keep ascending on the points of interest). And removing the falling tree and some of the dense undergrowth to make it less likely to come into contact with thorns and bugs would be nice. Review #951 read more

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Super beautiful state forest! We've come to picnic using the plentiful tables near the lake a few times over the years. Always feels special. It's great for spotting the changing colors of the leaves in the fall, but also nice on a beautiful spring or summer day. Parking is easy and we've seen lots of camping opportunities (although we haven't tried them out ourselves). We have a state park pass but haven't ever seen a place to pay or show the ID for the entrance we use... so maybe it's free? Can't say for sure though. Considering it's a state park I'd suspect it's $7 or so like all the other ones depending on where you enter. In regards to COVID, we saw people but not a ton. People weren't wearing masks but stayed far apart from each other. read more

So glad I found this place! Less crowded than Brown County and great hiking trails, we hiked for two hours and didn't a single person! One part of the road was flooded so I had to off-road my Prius a bit to get to the hiking trail but it was so worth it! read more

Yellowwood State Forest - Cute trail next to the entrance, we saw so many different butterflies in the flowers! - Parks Near Me - Nashville, Indiana

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What a great little park! Camping spots looked awesome but we were just stopping in for the day. There want a paid entrance fee, just to visit, which was nice. We did a little hiking along the trails and the relaxed by the water. It was very quiet and really beautiful. There were several people out in paddle boats (which they had available to rent) and fishing off the bridges. We let the dogs cool off at the edge of the water so of course that was the highlight of their day! Great park and I'd love to come back for the weekend sometime. read more

Yellowwood State Forest - Calvin & Sophie cooling off- great view! - Parks Near Me - Nashville, Indiana

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This has become one of our very favorite hiking spots for the whole family. It's beautiful. We love hiking around the lake, watching fishermen, seeing trees beavers have gnawed, looking at the variety of plant life and animals. We love picnicking by the lake and watching the geese. The Lake Trail is our favorite. Very easy but enjoyable hike for children. Plenty of spots to get in the water, throw rocks, look for crawfish, build mini-dams. read more

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This place is beautiful. It's in Nashville..... Indiana. A few minutes before you reach the state forest you are driving along a winding path covered by layers of forest. It is just a few minutes drive from a boutique shopping area, this is a peaceful place to visit. There are multiple look out points that you can stop at whether you are driving or walking through the area. There is a small fee attached to enter the state forest - but reasonable and well worth it. The park is impeccable with gorgeous scenic views. It would be the perfect place to bring a picnic and spend the day hiking. The park is well maintained and the gentleman you meet at the entrance seems genuinely happy you are visiting. He'll offer you a map and guidance if you need it. read more

I liked this place better than lake Monroe park, except for the size of the lake. Things I liked about this place: 1. Has an extensive hiking trails around the lake. 2. The place is freed like other parks that ask for money to get inside. 3. The lake is quite pretty. 4. This place gives a feel of early years of camping and hiking. As roads are made up of sand and gravel around the lake. read more

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We took the 4+ mile lake trail, and it was great. Occasional views of the lake, hilly enough to be interesting, wet and muddy in spots, and remarkably well-marked. Plus the occasional informative signs (this area will be harvested in 2015; etc.) were a nice touch. We barely encountered anybody else on the trail, and it was all pretty dog-friendly too. At the end of the hike, my wife declared that this was the most interesting hike she'd ever done in the midwest. Not an extremely competitive category, I grant you, but an important one for my current circumstances. We'll be back to do the lake trail in the winter, and to explore others. read more

Awesome. They stock rainbow trout in early spring. No one knows this gem exists. It's in the backyard of Brown County close to Monroe, IN Not a Federal Forest, not a State Park; it exists in an existential no-man's-land. It's underdeveloped on purpose and small by design. Forget that you're playing in a glorified, yet very natural, tree farm for the State then let yourself fall in love. Fishing, boating, horseback riding trails, camping, hiking, bird watching; all a stones' throw away. Never packed. Always splendid. read more

We love taking the family to YW! Not far from Bloomington and feels like a hundred mikes away. Had family visit, and stopped by after visiting Nashville. Great little Cemetary, lake and plenty of fossils in the lake bed. Easy hike, good for a range of ages and abilities. read more

The state forest is top notch! It is off the beaten path, but not overrun by people. There is no electric camping here, but the primitive grounds are very nice with modern toilets. There is 130 acre lake here. In my experience the fishing is not great, but the hiking around the lake is wonderful. read more

Yellowwood State Forest - Parks Near Me - Nashville, Indiana

Yellowwood is my favorite camping and hiking spot around Bloomington! Even on the Fourth of July and memorial day weekend campsites are plentiful and quiet. The lake at Yellowwood isn't one for swimming, but it is easy to snatch a picnic table near enough to the water to enjoy a picnic or some casual fishing. I haven't yet had the chance to kayak on Yellowwood lake, but I've heard from others it is a great spot and hope to give it a whirl myself soon! read more

Have been camping at several other camps grounds close to Bloomington and only recently discovered Yellowwood. It is a great campground. All first come, first serve, but there is a variety of sites to choose from in three separate campgrounds. We have little kids so we like the Redbud campground close to the playground as they have plenty of grass to play in. Great camping, cheaper than the state parks, and fun place close to Bloomington. Will definitely be going back soon. read more

I reduced my evaluation from five stars to three stars because logging has commenced there. Stopping the logging promptly will stabilize my review at three stars. read more

Not exciting hiking, and primitive camping, but we found it to be worth checking out while in the area. It's definitely not crowded. The lake is pretty. There are several trails, although they're not so well signed from the road. The road is gravel, which is annoying. Don't follow the front sign to the left for trails--there was basically a river across the road there. Go right, that's where the office is, anyway, and its all a big loop it seemed, so you can still getvti everything. The woman working there was helpful with hiking recs. They have a sweet water fountain with a faucet for filling eater bottles that's motion-sensored. The Jackson Creek trail was 1.5 Mike's and a really quick way to see the terrain. It's parking lot is on the lake, so you can get a view of that. There's no bat rental that we saw, but maybe before the office. People seemed to be bringing their own boats, and it was a great lake for kayaking, big and calm, with some interesting vegetation around the edges. read more