Brown County hiking series highlights little-known places

<p>These hills hold secrets.</p><p>The established trails at Brown County State Park are well known to tourists, hikers and outdoorsy types who come to see the rugged hills, deep ravines and breathtaking vistas.</p><p>But off the beaten paths, mysteries await. Discover the remains of a quaint settlement slowly reclaimed by the forest. See a dam built to create a lake that never was. Awe at massive stones that have been inexplicably launched into the forest canopy, perched high above hikers in the notches of trees.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]<p>Weird sights and sites are the focus of Brown County State Park’s increasingly popular winter hiking excursions. The Mysterious Hills Winter Hiking Series leads participants to historic and otherwise forgotten corners of the wilderness, enjoying the invigorating landscape while learning a little bit more about forces that shaped it.</p><p>New hikes planned this year include fresh discoveries at the Civilian Conservation Corps camp and exploration of some of the park’s early buildings and structures.</p><p>Organizers hope to provide people with a way to get exercise and enjoy the outdoors, while teaching a little bit at the same time.</p><p>“There are a lot of people who want to go on these hikes; it’s more popular than it’s ever been, because it’s been going on so long and word of mouth has gotten out,” said Patrick Haulter, interpretive naturalist at Brown County State Park. “I think there’s not a lot of other things going on, so people are looking for things to do this year.”</p><p>The series has been ongoing for the past few years, after Haulter came up with the idea while out hiking with friends in 2017. They came across a dam in an area of the park called Taylor Hollow. The structure had been constructed in the 1930s with the idea that it would create a third lake in the park. But that plan was never completed.</p><p>The story behind the lost lake intrigued Haulter.</p><p>“I thought it was pretty cool. It was in a spot where people wouldn’t normally go. You couldn’t get to it; it was hard to find unless you were with someone who had been there,” he said. “I decided to do a hike to it.”</p><p>Haulter scheduled a trek to “the lake that never was” in 2017 as a standalone event, and it proved to be immensely popular. So he decided to expand it, drawing to all kinds of hidden places within the park.</p><p>The series was created two years ago, and each winter people flock to the different hikes hoping to see a part of the park they’d never encountered before.</p><p>“I enjoy winter hiking more than any other time to hike,” Haulter said. “It’s nice for me, because when the season is in full throttle, I become more of a coordinator. We have so many special events, people coming in, that I don’t get to lead as many programs. So this is my time to go programs and go out with people.”</p><p>With entertainment options scarce this January due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the response to the current slate of hikes has been overwhelming, Haulter said. Even though the hikes are outdoor events, the pandemic has forced them to limit the number of participants. Instead of snaking lines of dozens of hikers that the hikes featured in past years, this year’s events have a hard registration.</p><p>For example, the first hike of the year was the “Boulder in the Tree” hike, which quickly filled up. Haulter had to schedule a second hike in the afternoon, and that too filled to capacity.</p><p>“I’ve been trying my best to get a second hike up for these events, and trying to do more to accommodate more folks,” he said.</p><p>A total of seven events have been planned in January, February and March for the series. Two new features are included in this year’s schedule. Though past hikes have gone to Civilian Conservation Corps camp, where thousands of young men lived while creating much of the camp infrastructure, research over the past year has uncovered new ruins and interesting features.</p><p>Another hike will look at the buildings and structures that were created when the state park was founded in 1929.</p><p>“It’s a unique look at the park when it first began, when it was restricted to the northern part of the park — early trails, early structures,” Haulter said.</p><p>But other scheduled hikes bring visitors to the quirky locales that have proved popular in the past.</p><p>For example, on March 27, they’ll get to explore Kelp Village, a settlement in the Brown County hills that at one time had a church, school, store, sorghum mill, sawmill and post office. Upon the creation of the state park, the village had to be relocated.</p><p>Another event on March 20 will take people to what is known as Deserter’s Cave, located off trail in the park. A winter dog hike on Feb. 6 will double as a scavenger hunt-type activity, where people and their pets will search for coded signs along the park’s trail system.</p><p>For Haulter, the hikes are a way to open people’s eyes to the tradition and legacy of the park, particularly important because Brown County State Park was designed a historic district by the National Register of Historic Places.</p><p>“The entire boundary of our park is now a nationally endorsed historic site, so it’s pretty special this year,” Haulter said.</p><p>The hikes are open to everyone, though some of the planned excursions cover some pretty rugged ground, he said. He advised people to dress for the weather; he’ll typically lead the hikes regardless of rain, snow or cold, so be prepared.</p><p>Because demand has been so high, Haulter has started opening registration two weeks before each hike. He recommends people interested sign up online as soon as event registration opens, as slots will be filled within a day or two, he said.</p><p>“If they want to get on, get on the site that day,” Haulter said.</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="If you go" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p><strong>Mysterious Hills Winter Hike Series</strong></p><p>What: A group of hikes at Brown County State Park focused on little-known places within the park.</p><p><strong>Schedule</strong></p><p>Jan. 30: CCC Rediscovered, 1:30 p.m. This 1.5 mile round trip hike will take people to the site of our Civilian Conservation Corps camp area. Learn more about the CCC, what they did here at Brown County, and see some pictures of the camp area from when it was up and running.</p><p>Feb. 6: Winter Dog Hike, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Winter Dog Hike is a scavenger hunt style event. Once you register for this event, you will be sent a hiking scorecard and trail map for your use throughout the day.</p><p>Feb. 20: The State Park Begins. Explore the hills of Brown County State Park in search of some early state park structures. Some of these structures are still intact, but off the beaten path, while others have been reclaimed by the forest.</p><p>March 6: Hike to the Lake That Never Was. Trek into Hidden Valley as you make your way to the Taylor Hollow dam site. The two-mile course is rugged and includes a few creek crossings.</p><p>March 20: Deserter’s Cave Hike. Learn all about the legend that surrounds this Brown County landmark. This hike is approximately 1.5 miles round trip. Most of this hike will be along the road but once it goes off road it gets very steep and very rugged. A sturdy pair of boots are a must-have for this hike.</p><p>March 27: Hike to Kelp Village. Before Brown County State Park became a park, the land was part of the county. Many homesteads existed here and even a small village known as Kelp Village could be found within what is now the park boundary. Explore the foundations and ruins of the former village.</p><p>Park admission: $7 per Indiana licensed vehicle, $9 per out-of-state vehicle. The hikes are free, but people must register in advance. A limited number of spots are available. Registration opens two weeks before each event.</p><p>Information: <a href="http://in.gov/dnr">in.gov/dnr</a> or <a href="http://Facebook.com/BrownCountyStatePark">Facebook.com/BrownCountyStatePark</a></p>[sc:pullout-text-end]