The U.S. state of Indiana has 25 state parks maintained and operated by Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The DNR divides its parks into three regions. Six belong to the northern lakes region, seven to the central river plains region and nine in the southern hills region of the state.
History
Richard Lieber was instrumental in the foundation of the Indiana State Park system. The first state park in Indiana was McCormick's Creek State Park, in Owen County, Indiana in 1916, followed in the same year by Turkey Run State Park in Parke County, Indiana. A steady climb in the number of state parks rose in the 1920s, mostly by donation from local authorities to the state government for the purpose of a state park; Indiana Dunes being the major exception. Of the initial twelve, only Muscatatuck State Park is no longer a state park, having been given back to Jennings County in 1968. It was during the Great Depression of the 1930s that much infrastructure was built within the park, constructed by New Deal agencies as the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration, with the majority of this Depression-era construction still in use in the 21st Century. This delay in infrastructure was due in part to Richard Lieber believing that the parks should be kept as natural as possible.
Initially, the state parks were meant to feature natural environments in Indiana; establishing Mounds State Park for its historical nature and establishing Shakamak State Park purely for recreational purposes (it was an abandoned strip mine) strayed from the initial purposes of the Indiana state park system.
While Indiana does not have as many state parks as some other states, it has avoided obtaining too many smaller properties that would be hard to manage. A goal of having at least one state park within an hour's drive for every Hoosier was met when Prophetstown State Park was established.
List
See also
- List of Indiana state forests
- List of U.S. national parks
- Richard Lieber, founder of the Indiana state parks system
References
- ^ History
- ^ Ralston, Patrick. New Deal Resources in Indiana State Parks MPS
- ^ Ralston
- ^ DNR - Division of State Parks & Reservoirs: History &
DNR: Versailles
Indiana DNR's official Web page for Versailles State Park
Information page containing trip reports, weather, and a complete set ...
Information page for Versailles State Park. The page contains trip reports, weather, overview map to the area, detailed county road level map to the area and a state park brochure
Versailles State Park
Location: From I-65, about 37 miles east on US 50; from I-74, about 27 miles south on US 421, then a couple of miles east on US 50. Description: A pretty State Park sitting pretty ...
Versailles State Park
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DNR: YHCC at Versailles State Park
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Versailles State Park
Hoosier Mountain Bike Association ... Written by dean-arammalamma Tuesday, 27 May 2008 18:00 Versailles State Park, Indiana, is located in the southeastern corner of the state.
Map of Versailles State Park, 1387 E US Highway 50 Versailles, IN by ...
Versailles State Park Edit
Amazon.com: "Versailles State Park": Key Phrase page
Key Phrase page for Versailles State Park: Books containing the phrase Versailles State Park
Versailles State Park | Versailles Indiana Hikes | Trails.com
General Hiking information, features, and statistics for Versailles State Park in Versailles, Indiana
Versailles State Park - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Versailles (pronounced locally as ver-SAYLES) is an Indiana state park, near the town of Versailles, Indiana. The land was given by the National Park Service for use as a state ...