Since I live next to Brown County state park I get a park pass, so I plan on maybe hitting a few more state parks. What is your favorite one for photography and why?

Not a state park but a recreation area, Cataract Falls is a good place to go. Depending if we have had any rain or not will give you plenty of different angles to choose from.


Turkey Run state park is also a good place to go. Not the type of area for wide scenic views but if you take trail 3 (not an easy hike, I think it is described as rugged), depending on which way you go, you will either start out in slot canyons or end up in them. Another thing about trail 3. It has ladders on the trail. Keep that in mind if you end up carrying a heavy bag with you.

Indeed turkey run trails are amazing, especially the one that runs up a small waterfall. Clifty falls park is also interesting. For fall colors, nothing beats Brown county

I'll have to put my vote in for Turkey Run as well. Several covered bridges in that area too. Plus, no Timber Rattlers

Clifty Falls was OK, but I was there in the summer, and it was more of a Clifty Trickle at that point.

I like Turkey Run (feels a bit careworn to me though), but I think my favorite (for wildlife) is Brown County and then Clifty Falls

I think I need to check out Turkey Run. Also, looks like we had our last day of no one at the gate in BCSP, so I bought my state park pass for this year.

We enjoy Dunes State Park. Good trails, woodlands and small prairies/grasslands along with a long beach that in the late fall and spring is not busy. Through in some bad weather and you can almost have the park to yourself. Also, not a state park (I think) but Goose Pond is a fun location to visit.

The only one I've visited more than once is potato creek, and it's nothing fascinating for photography. I usually head into Michigan for nature stuff -- northern Indiana isn't exactly a plethora of dramatic landscapes

I have some non pentaxian photographer friends who are wonderful landscape folks who've been to every Indiana state park (and most of the big national ones - they've checked off 47 states), and their favorite is turkey run.

We also go to Turkey Run sometimes, but this year we've been staying closer to home. St. Patrick County Park has managed to attract both a nesting pair of eagles and a nesting pair of osprey. I guess one can photograph them only so many times, but with an annual pass for this year, that is where we're going.

First one is Tukey run, the second, Brown county:









Both shot with the K1/ 15-30 combo

Way out west in Fountain an Warren counties north of Crawfordsville are two cool places one is called “the Potholes” and the other is called “Portland Arch”

Potholes:
Potholes - daviddwight

Portland Arch:
October - daviddwight

Both are 5 minute hikes.

What focal length did you use for each?

I usually shoot at 15mm. Same for these two

I never knew about those places. Lived in Linden, IN (only 30 miles away) from 2nd grade to 7th grade. We always ended up hiking Turkey Run and canoeing Sugar Creek.

I may have to plan a trip this fall.

Thanks for sharing!

Different SP parks have different appeals to me. I really like Brown county, but have recently spent some quality time in Summit Lake SP. It is a good place for wildlife in general and easy for me to access from the metro area.