State Parks and Inns Make Indiana Best-of Lists
If you enjoy spectacular foliage and eating pie—and who doesn’t? —put Indiana State Parks and State Park Inns on your must-go menu this fall.
As part of its VisitIndianaFall.com promotion, the Indiana Office of Tourism Development gathered more than 100 nominations of fall foliage and best-pie locations, then had Hoosiers vote on them.
When tally was taken, state parks had swept the top four places for leaf-peepers as well as the seventh spot, and three state park inns had cracked the top 10 for one of their pies.
For fall foliage, Brown County (Nashville), Indiana Dunes (Chesterton), Clifty Falls (Madison) and Turkey Run (Marshall) state parks were the top four locations; Spring Mill State Park (Mitchell) came in seventh.
Dan Bortner, director of the DNR Division of State Parks & Reservoirs, said the ranking confirms what he and others already knew, and he hopes more will discover.
“Hoosiers are blessed to live in an area where the natural beauty of our land is second to none,” he said. “There is just something about the experience of changing seasons that is special, and nowhere is this more evident than the areas mentioned here.
“Take the time to get outside and enjoy what your Indiana State Parks have to offer.”
As you do, make room for dessert, particularly at Clifty Falls and Brown County state parks, which also appear on the pie list.
Clifty Inn’s sugar cream pie ranked fourth on the pie list. Fort Harrison State Park Inn in Indianapolis came in sixth for its pecan pie. Abe Martin Lodge, which is in Brown County State Park, ranked 10th for its mini peanut butter pie.
“It is an honor to be included with so many wonderful locations that all represent great pies,” said Gary Miller, DNR assistant director for Indiana State Park Inns. “It’s especially noteworthy to make the list for sugar cream because it’s the state pie.
“All of our inns offer great accommodations at an affordable price in spectacular settings.”
For more information see StateParks.IN.gov.
For the complete list, see VisitIndianaFall.com.
