Introducing IN the Parks
IN the Parks is a new podcast about Indiana's state parks that takes you on an adventure through Indiana's favorites and hidden gems. Each episode will share the story of a different park – its history, features, the people who make it special, plus some side trails to learn about park-related activities like birding and fire towers.
Get IN the Parks
If you’ve lived in Indiana for any length of time, you’ve probably been to one of our amazing state parks. And if you haven’t, put that on the top of your list! No matter how many you’ve been to or how many memories you’ve made at our state parks, there’s always more to learn and discover about them.
Welcome to a new feature on Get Indiana called IN the Parks which is based on my Indiana state parks podcast of the same name. Who am I? I'm Allison Martin, an Indy native, and I'm excited to tell the stories of these amazing places in the Hoosier State. I think our parks show off the best of Indiana: bald eagles and bison, fire towers and caves, ancient fossils and Native American mounds, waterfalls and sand dunes.
But there's so much more to these parks, and it's time to go in-depth to really know the stories and discover what makes each destination unique and valuable as part of Indiana. With IN the Parks, you'll learn about the people, legends, and places that formed Indiana's parks in the past and who is writing the story today.
Memories IN the Parks
As I’ve talked with people about the state parks, their memories and stories have come pouring out. One of my favorites was hearing my 94-year-old grandmother talk about her memories at McCormick’s Creek State Park. When she was a college student at Butler in 1952, she and my grandpa went on a date there! They even have an adorable picture of the two of them together on one of the stone ledges. He’s crouched down, smiling; his short sleeves and pants cuffed. She’s also smiling, standing next to him in a short sleeved plaid shirt with a white scarf tied at her neck. Hearing her memories of the date and seeing the picture had me excited to find the spot and take my own picture there!
My grandparents aren't the only ones with an Indiana state park story. Turkey Run is a special place for my friends Kyle and Rebecca because it’s the park where he proposed to her.
Kyle shared with me, “I first discovered Turkey Run early on when I was dating…Rebecca. We drove out there and explored Turkey Run State Park for the first time. One of the trails stuck with me as we climbed. There's a spot called Sunset Point, and I remember walking it with Rebecca and just seeing the majesty and the beauty of looking back down the river from that point there and kind of tucked that away.”
He thought to himself it was “a place that maybe one day I would ask her to marry me, and that's what I did.” Kyle and Rebecca shared the entire proposal story with me on the podcast, including how it almost didn’t work out!
My Own Memories
Turkey Run is also part of my family's state park story. Every July, it's where we held the Martin family reunion. We'd rent a shelter, or more likely, someone who lived in nearby Terre Haute would show up early and snag as many picnic tables as possible.
Family members would trickle in all morning from Kokomo, Indianapolis, and Lafayette, bringing coolers, folding chairs, plaid tablecloths, and armfuls of Tupperware. There was usually a baby cousin in a pack and play, and an uncle with a toddler and a carrier on every hike. My little brother would find a massive walking stick to carry on every trail, and we kids would beg an adult to take us on Trail 3 so we could do the ladders.
As I've grown up, it's fun to watch the next generation of kids in my family get just as excited to explore Turkey Run. Some adventures never change!
Growing up has also helped me appreciate the incredible beauty that's found all around me in this state, especially if I'm willing to slow down or explore somewhere new. Indiana State Parks are full of opportunities to do all that – to experience beauty, to let myself become curious about the world, and to discover new places.
Find a New Park, Revisit the Favorites
Through the IN the Parks podcast, my goal is to tell the story of Indiana State Parks by interviewing the staff and volunteers who spend so much time making them great. Then when we visit, we can celebrate the parks even more! I hope you'll be ready to hop in the car and drive a little farther to check out a park you've never been to, or that as you revisit a favorite, you'll spot details you overlooked before and love the place a little more.
Hopefully hearing the interviews and stories will whet your appetite so you want to visit a state park and find your own story there. Because there are lots of memories to be made in the parks!
Follow and Share
Want to follow my IN the Parks journey? Follow along on Instagram and Facebook, and be sure to share with a friend. See you IN the Parks!