Park Features
Shades is known for its epic, rugged hiking, and if you look up the listed park activities, there really isn't much more than that. You can camp in non-electric sites as well as stay at a few canoe or backpack sites. While there’s no nature center, inn, pool, or basketball court, their nature programs are unique. The astronomy events are especially noteworthy. Truly, the hiking is the reason most people love Shades, and it’s what I loved about the park too.
The Dark Side of Shades
Shades State Park is sometimes called The Shades or the Shades of Death. Most Indiana parks are named after a nearby town, geographic feature, a piece of Native American history, or even a person. But Shades has the most mystery and lore connected to its name. The park’s interpretive naturalist Jenny Matthews gave me the backstory. She said, “The Shades of Death was also another nickname that it had, and that was because of multiple murders, actual confirmed murders, that happened here, and then also a lot of lore.”
She told me several stories on the podcast, but the most prominent story goes back to 1836. Middle-aged Moses Rush and his 17-year-old wife, whose name is unknown, lived in the area where the park is now. Jenny said, “Apparently he was a very well-known abusive alcoholic. His threats to his wife…were very well-known… He would threaten her with his axe, like sharpening his axe.” One day, “Moses was very upset that she did not spend her time that day getting the chores done, and so he was muttering under his breath, ‘This is the day, this is the day,’ sharpening his axe.” His young bride was so sure he was going to kill her, “so when he passed out drunk that night, she murdered him with the axe that he had threatened her with many times.” A swift chop to the head, and it was over. Young Mrs. Rush turned herself in to the authorities right away.
But on the day of the trial, Jenny continued, “She was immediately acquitted because the jury knew this man very well. And the judge literally said, ‘a case of self-defense done with commendable promptness.’” Sounds like the community wasn't too upset about the death of Moses Rush! Hopefully, young Mrs. Rush was able to find a happy ending somewhere. True stories like these still haunt the dark hollows of Shades today.
Shades State Park, Once an Influencer
With that kind of history, I was surprised to learn the property was also once home to Garland Dells, a private park owned by Benjamin Garland. In the late 1800s, the discovery of 11 natural mineral springs on the property made it a desirable place for rejuvenation and health. While the mineral springs really did have different levels of sulfur and magnesium in them, even then, medical professionals were skeptical of the claims that mineral-rich water would do anything for your health. But Garland was an early influencer, knew marketing, and built an inn on the property to grow its popularity. Jenny said after that, “Everything took off here… They actually bottled the mineral water in the basement to sell to people. It really attracted people from everywhere.”
The mineral springs’ next president, Joseph Fritz, also looked for other ways to build the brand. The Garland Dell Mineral Springs Association hosted a social event that was a popular movement across America in the early 1900s, a Chautauqua. Chautauquas started in New York but quickly spread across the country. They offered weeks-long lectures from famous speakers, like William Jennings Bryan or Carrie Nation, who would provide motivation, inspiration, humor, and hope. Chautauquas were held in rural areas and drew massive crowds, bringing many visitors to what is now Shades. At the time, the park became a resource for natural benefits and intellectual pursuits.
Save the Shades
Both Garland and Fritz believed in the restorative powers of nature, so after their deaths, thankfully, their families and the community wanted to keep Shades from being sold to a lumber company. In 1947, after a comprehensive Save the Shades fundraising campaign, the state purchased the land, and it became Shades State Park. In the next decades, other parks in the area developed new features, and the inn and springs at Shades fell out of popularity.
Jenny said, “What we see then, today, is definitely the rugged beauty that is out here. The draw to this place is the running water and the ravines, and it always has been.” In the 1950s and 60s, the state expanded the park, adding Pine Hills Nature Preserve to the property. It was the first nature preserve in the state and is home to several unique features including hemlocks, ferns, orchids, and mosses. The preserve is also where you’ll find Devil’s Ridge, where hikers can see rock engravings several hundred years old!
I hiked the beautiful Pine Hills Nature Preserve in early April. The spring ephemeral flowers were starting to pop up, trees were budding, the creek water was flowing fast and clear after a ton of rain, and it was magical. Hands down, it's the prettiest hike I've done in Indiana. The view from the top of the Devil’s Backbone is incredible. The ridge is about four feet wide and maybe twenty feet long. It's a steep 100 foot-drop down both sides to the creek below, but there are plenty of trees, so I didn't feel like I was going to blow away. Being up on the ridge alone felt like time stood still. I can’t recommend it enough!
Dark Skies & Stargazing
In addition to the amazing hiking, there are some programs you’ll only find at Shades. The park is the perfect place for astronomy events. Jenny said Shades is “going to become the first Dark Sky in Indiana, which is really cool. To be a Dark Sky, you just have to have extremely minimal light pollution already.” Not only is Shades more remote, but any lights they do have for safety are down-casting which continues to minimize light at the park.
Save the date for the Perseid meteor shower event every August. Jenny said the pollinator field, which used to be the old airstrip, is the ideal spot for telescopes and stargazing.
One of the astronomy groups that often uses Shades is the Wabash Valley Astronomical Society. The group’s secretary George Wincott leads many astronomical events in the area, including at Shades. He said the astronomy clubs and events are a real help for people getting interested in the stars and planets. He shared, “You'll be able to meet a lot of people who know about what's going on and…they'll let you look through telescopes so you don't have to rush out and buy something first and then find that it's not the right thing.” Being able to learn from the experts is always helpful.
Planning Your Visit
The immersive natural experiences at Shades are something that's been consistent since its Garland Dell days. For decades, this park has been whatever people have needed it to be. It’s a place for health and wellness, a social gathering to better the mind, a rugged trail to get lost in the woods, or a dark night to let the stars provide perspective. The common thread is the land – the deep ravines, the incredible geology, the flowing creeks, and the high ridges and vistas.
Anita Gerrish is a board member with the Friends of Turkey Run and Shades State Parks. She also loves the way the park is all-absorbing. She said, “It's easier at Shades, I think, to find that quiet spot where maybe for just a few minutes, everything else disappears and just leaves you alone with the wonders of nature. I think that's one of my passions, to try to make people understand that we do have such beauty right here in our own state, if they just take the time to kind of go look around.” It’s your turn to get lost in nature.
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Want to join my IN the Parks journey? Check out the podcast, follow along on Instagram and Facebook, and be sure to share with a friend. Now, go make some of your own memories, and I hope to see you in the parks!
