Whitewater Memorial State Park: Red Springs Loop (Blog Hike #57)

Trail: Red Springs Loop (Trail #14)

Hike Location: Whitewater Memorial State Park

Geographic Location: south of Liberty, IN (39.60295, -84.97097)

Length: 1.2 miles

Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)

Dates Hiked: November 1999, June 2013

Overview: A loop hike through mature forest passing an iron-laden water spring.

Park Information: https://www.in.gov/dnr/state-parks/parks-lakes/whitewater-memorial-state-park/

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=797257
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From Liberty, take SR 101 south about 2 miles to the state park entrance.  Turn right to enter the park.  Follow the main park road past the turnoffs to the beach and launch ramp.  Cross the dam and park in the small gravel parking area on the right of the road just beyond the dam.

The hike: Whitewater Memorial State Park surrounds Whitewater Lake, a small lake created by damming Silver Creek 1.5 miles south of this trailhead.  The park also borders on Brookville Reservoir, a very large lake created by a dam 20 miles south of the park.  The big lake is featured on the Veterans Vista Trail, which is described elsewhere in this blog.  The park derives its name from its founding in 1949 as a memorial to the soldiers of World War II. 

            Six trails covering 10.5 miles interlink within the state park.  Until just recently, the trails were simply designated by a number, ranging from one to six.  In late 1998, new signs were erected giving each trail a name.  Older park maps do not reflect this change, thereby creating some confusion.  Hopefully, this will soon be cleared up to make the trail system easier to navigate.

The Red Springs Loop Trail (noted as Trail #14 on the park map) is the most beautiful stretch of hiking in the state park.  The trail probably derives its name from the natural springs that flow near part of the trail.  It is a fairly rugged trek over hills and through valleys, but the spectacular scenery viewed any time of the year throughout the hike is well worth the effort.           

Trailhead: Red Springs Loop

            Two signs saying "Red Springs Loop" can be found near the trailhead.  I will describe this trail going counterclockwise, so begin heading west following the trail on the same side of the road.  We will return using the trail on the opposite side of the road. 

            The trail begins paralleling the road, climbing gently, with the lake visible downhill several hundred feet to the right.  The trail next takes a right turn away from the road to navigate around a small ridge.  To the left of the trail is a twenty foot square fenced-in area.  The fencing protects the plants inside from being eaten by deer.  By comparing the size and quantity of plants inside the fence to those outside, park rangers can estimate the area’s deer population.           

Hiking through Hornbeam Nature Preserve

            On the north side of the ridge, the forest is dominated by maple and beech trees, but as you round the ridge the composition changes to oak-hickory.  This entire area is part of the Hornbeam Nature Preserve, so mature forest can be seen throughout the route.  After rounding the ridge, the trail comes out at a blacktop parking area where the Lakeshore Trail (Trail #15 on the map) goes off to the right.  Our trail turns left to cross the road and reenter the forest on the other side.  Be careful of some small tree stumps that stick up out of the ground in the middle of the trail, as they can easily trip you.

            After several hundred feet of winding through the ridgetop forest, the trail descends, very steeply at times, into a deep ravine using a double switchback to ease the descent.  At the bottom of the hill, a side trail goes right to connect with the horse trail and the Veterans Vista Trail on top of the opposing hill.  Continuing straight, the trail soon climbs out of the ravine for the only major climb of the hike, only to descend half way back into the ravine a short time later. 

Iron-laden spring

            The natural springs soon come into view downhill about 20 yards to the right.  The springs do appear dark orange in color.  Possibilities for the color include dyes from the leaves falling into the water and (more likely) iron in the ground.  The spring is the special spot on this trail, not only due to the springs themselves, but because the area around the springs teems with wildlife.  Grey squirrels scurry through the leaves, white-tailed deer scamper through the forest, a downy woodpecker chisels out a meal, and all types of songbirds play a beautiful symphony for all to hear.

            Leaving the springs, the trail turns left and climbs steeply around a landslide to arrive at the park road.  The gravel turnoff where we started is located directly across the road, thus completing the hike.