Shades State Park: Trails #1, #6, and Trail to Lover's Leap (Blog Hike #1034)

Trails: Trails #1, #6, and Trail to Lover's Leap
Hike Location: Shades State Park
Geographic Location: southwest of Crawfordsville, IN (39.93691, -87.07575)
Length: 1.9 miles
Difficulty: 8/10 (Moderate/Difficult)
Date Hiked: October 2024
Overview: A lollipop loop through and along deep rock-walled ravines.
Park Information: https://www.in.gov/dnr/state-parks/parks-lakes/shades-state-park/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=974371
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming date TBD)

Directions to the trailhead: From Crawfordsville, take SR 47 south 9.5 miles to SR 234 and turn right on SR 234.  Drive SR 234 west 4.9 miles to the signed park entrance on the left.  Turn left on the park access road, then turn right at the next Shades State Park sign to enter the park.  Pay the entrance fee and drive the main park road to its end at the large parking lot for the Hickory Picnic Shelter.  Park near the rear of this lot.

The hike: The steep rock-walled ravines that make Shades State Park famous among hikers today have been attracting people's attention for centuries.  Ancient peoples used the ravines as strongholds when attacked, and a government survey in 1815 used the series of natural springs in these ravines as landmarks.  In 1886, the Garland Dells Mineral Springs Association purchased the land and opened a health resort called The Shades.  The resort's name was short for "Shades of Death," a nickname this land earned probably because it was so unsuitable for food production.  In 1916, Joseph W. Fritz gained control of the Association, and in 1947 his heirs sold the land, which was bought later that year by the State of Indiana to form the state park.

            The steep ravines also ensured that settlers were deterred from trying to farm the land, thus guaranteeing the land's virgin timber was not clear-cut.  The big old trees still welcome visitors today, and the forest makes for great hiking.  On a personal note, with this hike I completed my goal of visiting and hiking in every Indiana state park.  While Indiana does not have many state parks, most of the parks it does have are fantastic, and I wished I had not waited so long to come here.

            In terms of amenities, Shades State Park offers a quiet 105-site campground and several picnic shelters, but the ravines remain this park's main attraction.  Hiking trails lead into all 6 ravines, and proving that you completed a difficult 4.5 mile hike known as the 6-Ravine Challenge earns you the right to buy a special sticker for $1.  The hike described here explores 2 of the park's ravines, and it lets you experience the scenery of the ravines without the difficulty of the 6-Ravine Challenge.

Trail at rear of parking lot

            From the rear/east side of the parking lot, head down the gravel road that leads to the Hickory Picnic Shelter, then angle right to walk between the picnic shelter and the playground to begin Trail #1.  The trail becomes single-track dirt as it continues east through ridgetop forest that features large beech and maple trees.  The terrain is flat and the hiking pleasant.

Sugar Creek, as seen from Prospect Point

            At 0.3 miles, you reach Prospect Point, which offers the best ridgetop view on this hike.  This point sits at the very end of the ridge, and Sugar Creek can be seen 140 feet almost directly below you.  No signs of civilization can be seen from this overlook, so take some time to enjoy this spot.

Steep stairs beside Silver Cascade

Top of Silver Cascade

            Trail #1 now turns south to tread along the edge of Sugar Creek's ravine.  At 0.4 miles, you reach a trail intersection.  All 3 trails at this intersection are called Trail #1, which is somewhat confusing.  You want to turn left and descend a long, steep wooden staircase to reach Silver Cascade.  Silver Cascade is a long cascading low-volume waterfall at the mouth of Red Fox Ravine.  A spur trail takes you to the middle of the waterfall, so the water cascades both above you and below you.  This is a very scenic spot, and I was amazed by the cool temperature of the ravine compared to the ridge.

Hiking up the ravine

            Trail #1 continues by heading up the creekbed in Red Fox Ravine.  The trail crosses back and forth over the creek, so you will likely get your feet wet and muddy here.  Some hemlock trees live in this ravine, and vertical rock walls rise on either side of the creek.  Though the going is challenging, this ravine is the most scenic section of this hike.

Devil's Punch Bowl

            At 0.7 miles, you reach a tight rocky spot in the ravine called the Devil's Punch Bowl.  Climb some wooden stairs to exit the bowl and reach a trail intersection.  Trail #1 continues across the wooden bridge to the right, and you could go that way if you wanted a shorter hike.  To also visit the Lover's Leap overlook, turn left and climb gradually to reach the parking lot for the Dell Picnic Shelter.  Turn left to walk around the cul de sac near this parking lot, then angle north to begin the Trail to Lover's Leap.

Lover's Leap Overlook

            The Trail to Lover's Leap heads out the northern edge of another ridge, and at 1.1 miles it reaches its namesake overlook.  Honestly, this overlook is underwhelming because trees obstruct any broad views, but I still enjoyed looking down into the ravine I had hiked up just a few minutes ago.  Retrace your steps to the Dell Picnic Shelter parking lot, then angle right to begin the combined Trails #6 and #9 as they head across a sunny earthen dam that forms a small pond.

Trail #6 in Red Fox Ravine

            At 1.55 miles, Trails #6 and #9 part ways.  Turn right to stay on Trail #6 as it makes a gentle entrance into Red Fox Ravine near the ravine's head.  The trail heads down the ravine, and while the going is not as wet and muddy as Trail #1 you hiked earlier, a few rugged areas still need to be negotiated.  At 1.8 miles, you climb slightly to intersect Trail #1.  Turn left to cross Red Fox Ravine on a wooden bridge, then climb slightly to close Trail #1's loop near the Hickory Picnic Shelter.  A left turn and short walk out the gravel road returns you to the parking lot to complete the hike.