Brown County State Park

Infobox_protected_area | name = Brown County State Park, Indiana, USA
iucn_category = V


caption = Map of the U.S. state of Indiana showing the location of Brown County State Park
locator_x = 135
locator_y = 185
location = Brown County, Indiana, USA
nearest_city = Bloomington, Indiana
lat_degrees = 39
lat_minutes = 06
lat_seconds = 49
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 86
long_minutes = 15
long_seconds = 53
long_direction = W
area = 15,696 acres (63.52 km²)
established = 1929
visitation_num = 1,489,740
visitation_year = 2003-2004
governing_body = Indiana Department of Natural Resources

and features dramatic views from its highest elevations.

It was formed originally from the 1924-established Brown County State Game Preserve, which gave the state park its initial convert|1000|acre|km2. Eventually, the game preserve would dissolve into the park. [http://www.in.gov/dnr/history/ Official (Indiana) DNR Historical Timeline]

Included within the park boundaries are two lakes: Ogle Lake at 17 acres (0.07 km²) in size, and Strahl Lake covering 7 acres (0.03 km²). In 1934, the Civilian Conservation Corps constructed many of the buildings, roads, shelters, ovens and trails in existence today. The park and trails are maintained by longtime Department of Natural Resources naturalist Jim Eagleman who lives at the top of the fire tower near the park's Nature Center. There are 70 miles (113 km) of bridle trails and 12 miles (19 km) of hiking trails. The third highest point in Indiana, Weed Patch Hill, is located within the confines of the park, which is sometimes referred to as the "Little Smokies" because of frequent low lying fogs in the forested valleys of the park.

The peak visitation is in the fall during the leaf changing season. A significant portion of the park's annual visitors come during this time. The park affords a number of vistas that overlook wide swaths of deciduous forest that display a large array of colors in the fall.

Fauna

Animals common in the park include white-tailed deer, raccoon, gray squirrel and chipmunk. Birds in the park include robin, white-breasted nuthatch, blue jay, cardinal, junco, crow and wild turkey.

Facilities

* Abe Martin Lodge
* Bridle trails and saddle barn
* Cabins
* Camping
* Dumping station
* Hiking trails
* Mountain bike trail
* Nature Center
* Playground
* Rental and recreation building
* Shelter
* Olympic size swimming pool
* Tennis courts

References

*cite web
url = http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/properties/park_browncounty.html
title = Brown County State Park
accessdate = 2007-04-02
publisher = Indiana Department of Natural Resources "(Official Site)"

*cite web
url = http://www.topoquest.com/map.asp?lat=39.11361&lon=-86.26472&datum=nad27&u=4&layer=DRG&size=l&s=50
title = Brown County State Park, USGS Elkinsville (IN) Topo Map
accessdate = 2008-07-05
author = United States Geological Survey
publisher = TopoQuest

*cite web
url = http://www.browncountystatepark.com/
title = Brown County State Park in Brown County Indiana
accessdate = 2007-04-02 "(Unofficial site)"

*cite web
url = http://www.ourbrowncounty.com/1203s1.htm
title = Interview with Park Naturalist Jim Eagleman
accessdate = 2007-04-02
publisher = Our Brown County
author = Bill Weaver

External links

* [http://www.townofnashville.org/ Town of Nashville]
* [http://www.browncounty.com/ Brown County Convention & Visitors Bureau]
* [http://www.nashvilleindiana.com/ Brown County Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.getoutzine.com/node/459 Online magazine article on mountain biking in Brown County State Park]