Harmonie State Park: Wabash River Picnic Area and Trail #4 (Blog Hike #1016)

Trails: #2 and #4
Hike Location: Harmonie State Park
Geographic Location: south of New Harmony, IN (38.06166, -87.96688)
Length: 3.7 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: May 2024
Overview: A lollipop loop starting at the Wabash River and exploring ridges and ravines.
Park Information: https://www.in.gov/dnr/state-parks/parks-lakes/harmonie-state-park/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=962146
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming October 4)

Directions to the trailhead: In extreme southwest Indiana, take I-64 to SR 69 (exit 4).  Exit and go south on SR 69.  Drive SR 69 south 9 miles to SR 269 and turn right on SR 269.  SR 269 deadends at the park in 0.9 miles.  Pay the park entrance fee, and drive the main park road to the Wabash River Picnic Area.  Park in the gravel lot near the picnic area entrance.

The hike: Located in extreme southwest Indiana, Harmonie State Park protects 3465 acres along the east bank of the Wabash River.  The park is named for the Harmony Society, a pietistic Lutheran group that emigrated to the United States from Germany between 1803 and 1805.  Led by Johann Georg Rapp, the Harmony Society founded 3 model communities in the United States: Harmony, Pennsylvania; Ambridge, Pennsylvania; and Harmony, Indiana.  The one in Indiana was later renamed New Harmony, a name the town retains today.  Located a few miles north of the park, New Harmony has many historic buildings, and it is worth a quick detour to visit the town while driving to or from this park.

            The park's main attraction is its location right along the Wabash River, but it is not without other amenities.  The park offers a 200-site developed campground, several picnic areas, 2 horse trails totaling 7.5 miles, 2 mountain bike trails totaling 19.8 miles, and 7 hiking trails totaling 8.5 miles.  Many routes through the park's trail system are possible, but this hike features Trail #4, which is this park's longest hiking trail.  A spur trail to the Wabash River picnic area is added to the start and finish of Trail #4's loop to let you take in the riverside area too.

Start of spur trail to Trail #4

            From the gravel picnic area parking lot, walk out to the main park road, turn left, then look to the right for the unmarked spur trail that leads to Trails #2 and #4.  This spur trail seems to be an old two-track dirt road, and you need to walk around a wooden vehicle gate that is painted black to begin heading southeast with a creek on your left.  After only a few hundred feet, you pass an old wooden barn.  This barn testifies to this land's agricultural past, and sites like this one are somewhat common when hiking through old farm fields in this part of the country.

Old barn

            Turn right at the first 2 intersections to remain on the wide old road.  At 0.7 miles, you reach Trail #4, which goes straight and left.  I continued straight to remain on the old road and used the single-track trail going left as my return route, thus hiking Trail #4 counterclockwise.

Climbing on straight trail

            The trail heads due south on a dead straight track while climbing moderately out of a ravine.  I saw a box turtle and some lizards in this ravine, but the wide and straight trail does not make for the most inspiring hiking.  At 1.2 miles, you cross the main park road and reenter the woods on the other side.  For the next mile the trail undulates gently as it stays close to the park road, which can occasionally be heard through the trees on the left.  Some nice tulip poplar and beech trees live on this ridge, and the hiking is pleasant if unremarkable.

Ridgetop hiking

            1.6 miles into the hike, you cross a park road that leads to a picnic shelter.  Ignore a mountain bike trail that crosses Trail #4 a couple of times, and also ignore Trail #1 where it exits right.  Trail #1 is a short loop that leads down to the youth tent camping area, and you could add Trail #1 to this hike if you wanted to make this hike longer.

Intersecting Trail #1

            At 2.2 miles, you reach a marked trail intersection where Trail #1 continues straight.  You need to turn left and re-cross the main park road to remain on Trail #4.  The final segment of Trail #4 heads out a narrow finger ridge that contains more nice forest.  When I hiked here on a warm and humid morning in early May, I shared the trail with plenty of bugs, so you need to wear good bug spray for this hike during the warm seasons.

Wabash River

            A brief steep descent off of the end of the finger ridge closes the loop.  Turn right once and then left twice to retrace your steps to the Wabash River picnic area to complete the hike.  Before you leave, walk through the picnic area to get a view of the Wabash River.  This point is only a few miles before the Wabash River flows into the Ohio River, so the river is wide, muddy, and plenty scenic here.