Brown County State Park: Falling for Leaf Peeping

Brown County State Park is the first IN the Parks episode to come in at over an hour, although just barely! Once you listen, you'll see why these stories had to be told together. You'll hear about the trees and peak leaf peeping time, and you'll also learn about the volunteers who have spent thousands of hours helping the park staff clean up from multiple storms and a tornado in spring 2025.

Want to see different oak leaves (including the white oak) and learn about them? Check this out!

Take on the 7 Vista Challenge by driving to the most popular scenic spots in the park.

To join the Friends of Brown County or support their work, visit their website. You can also donate to the Weed Patch Fire Tower restoration project.

Check out the Brown County Mountain Biking website. Be sure to mark your calendar for the mountain bike festival Epic from Sept. 25–27, 2026, and their mountain biking trail maintenance days. You can become a member or donate to help keep the trails clear.

The Indiana Trail Riders Association is who we have to thank for clearing and maintaining the horse trails. You can join their private Facebook page or check out their website to learn about group rides, how to donate to their ongoing work, or how to become a member. They gave a special shout out to Story Inn.

Oh and check out the Hilly Half Marathon, 5k, and 10k that happens in November.

If you asked Hoosiers to name a state park, I suspect most people would say Brown County, nicknamed “The Little Smokies.” It's a park synonymous with fall and leaf peeping, but for many, Brown County offers excitement year-round. It's a park full of mountain biking adventures. It's a place to explore on horseback. It's full of memories camping in the family cabins or the place your daughter got married. For many Hoosiers, it's a park that feels like home. If you're not familiar with the rolling hills and stunning vistas at Indiana's largest state park, then get ready to hop in the car and head there right away. If it’s fall, you’ll be able to catch the leaves changing in all their glory!

IN the Podcast Episode

I interviewed park staff members to learn about Brown County’s history and why it’s such a perfect spot for fall leaf peeping. I also spent a long time learning about the park’s recovery from a tornado in 2025. The Indiana Trail Riders Association and Brown County Mountain Biking groups were both major players in the restoration work, so I interviewed members from those organizations to hear how they contributed. I also spoke with the Friends of Brown County to learn about the Weed Patch fire tower restoration project. Finally, I stopped at the inn to discover who the Abe Martin Lodge was named after.

Listen to “Brown County State Park: Falling for Leaf Peeping” on Apple or Spotify.

Park Features

Brown County State Park opened in 1929 and was home to the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. They created many of the stone shelters and the iconic North and West lookout towers. The park also has a horse stable, a pool, a fire tower, a sizable nature center, and miles of hiking trails. Any time of the year, you can take the 7 Vista Challenge by driving through the park to the most popular photo spots. The park is known for its incredible mountain biking trails, which draw people from around the region. There are 70 miles of horseback riding trails with a dedicated horseman’s campground.

There are so many options when it comes to where to stay at the park. The campground offers electric, non-electric, and rally sites. If camping isn’t your thing, stay at the beautiful Abe Martin Lodge, which also features an indoor aquatic center. There are 20 family cabins and cabin suites too, so your entire group can experience the park together.

The Trees that Create a Stunning Vista

Since Brown County is a top destination in the fall, I was eager to learn about the trees that capture our attention every autumn. One hundred years ago, the land was being cleared for farms. When it became a state park, the first thing the Civilian Conservation Corps did was start planting trees. They planted black locusts, black walnuts, pine, and spruce. Other kinds of trees have been planted and grown since then. These varieties of trees are what make the fall light up with all sorts of vibrant colors.

Eli Major, the park’s interpretive naturalist, helped me understand which trees create the colors we see every fall. He said in early autumn, “If you are starting to see patches of yellow, a lot of those are going to be the state tree, the tulip poplar. You're also going to see quite a bit of reds of sassafras and sumac already. Those are some of our early fall color trees… Other early fall color trees are persimmons. And then there's patches where maples and beaches are beginning to yellow.” Then, later in the season, new colors emerge. He said, “Once we start getting the really deep oranges and reds, we need to be a little later in the month when our maples are under full swing, and our oaks are beginning to change.” Eli also reassured me that the leaf-peeping craze isn't some new social media-driven hype. The views here have been loved for a long time!

While all of Indiana’s state parks have dynamic, colorful leaves, Brown County is set apart for a couple of reasons: the vistas and the accessibility. Eli said, “What we do have is this massive topographical relief. So there's very, very few places in the state where you can be on top of a hill and then lose 350 or 400 vertical feet.” The big drops and wide overlooks make for the perfect photo spot. That's why the 7 Vista Challenge is so fun. The other reason Brown County is popular for leaf peeping is because of the accessibility. The vistas are all accessible via car, and most of them have easy pull-off areas to pause for a picnic or a photo opportunity.

If you want to catch leaves changing at the peak of the season, Eli recommends coming at the end of October through the first week of November. I’d also recommend the vistas in the spring as leaves start to fill in, or in the summer if you want to see the trees spread out over the hills like a lush, green blanket. I’d imagine the trees covered with snow would be a stunning view as well.

The Abe Martin Lodge

No matter when you visit Brown County, you should consider staying for a couple days. While camping and cabins are certainly fun, have you tried a state park inn? The inn manager, Cyrus Andrews, took me on a tour of the Abe Martin Lodge. Not only were the rooms nice, the amenities were also impressive. The lodge has so many little reading nooks and quiet places to sit by a fire. There are beautiful views from any side, and the food in the restaurant looked and smelled amazing! Your kids will be delighted to see the indoor aquatic center. There's a waterslide, water volleyball, a lazy river, and plenty of space to swim and play.

There is also some background for the lodge’s name, which Cyrus said is often “lost in history now.” I was surprised to learn Abe Martin was not a real person! Instead, he was a cartoon character created by Ken Hubbard, a comic writer in Indianapolis. Cyrus explained, “He made it up, and originally he made it making fun of people from Brown County…some of the things he says in the books, you can tell it's kind of just backwoodsy, you know?”

Ken Hubbard created his Abe Martin character and had him move to Brown County. He based Abe on rural stereotypes – some funny, some a little mean. However, instead of being insulted, people in Brown County embraced Abe Martin and laughed along with the jokes. Now, Cyrus said, “You go downtown Nashville, there's statues of Abe Martin… It’s become a staple of the community, and we like that.” I appreciate that the community was able to take what was meant as an insult and turn it into a part of their story. They were mature enough to laugh at the joke, accept the character, and make him into their own. Now, Abe Martin is simply another part of the community.

Planning Your Visit

While people may associate Brown County State Park with the fall (and yes, the leaves changing there are stunning!), this is a true four-season park. The lodge provides a cozy winter retreat, and your kids will love the aquatic center. I hiked in the spring as everything was waking up and loved the mosses and spring ephemeral flowers. During the summer, there are plenty of great activities as well. The hiking is wonderful any time of the year, and downtown Nashville waits to be explored. Brown County reminds us that we find a sense of belonging and home in our favorite parks.

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