Tippecanoe River is a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

Pulaski County, Indiana Pulaski County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. According to the 2010 U.S. census, the population was 13,402. The county seat is Winamac. History Pulaski County was organized in 1835. Geography According to the 201 ...

, United States. It is located south-southwest of

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 United S ...

. It was formed in 1943 when the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

gifted the land to Indiana's Department of Conservation land to form a state park; other land along the river becoming the

Winamac Fish and Wildlife Area Winamac Fish and Wildlife Area is a protected area dedicated to providing hunting and fishing opportunities while maintaining of oak forest and upland fields. It is located on U.S. Route 35, north of Winamac, Indiana. In the 1930s, The U.S. Depa ...

.http://www.in.gov/dnr/3245.htm Official (Indiana) DNR Historical Timeline Noted for a grove of old-growth

white pine ''Pinus'', the pines, is a genus of approximately 111 extant tree and shrub species. The genus is currently split into two subgenera: subgenus ''Pinus'' (hard pines), and subgenus ''Strobus'' (soft pines). Each of the subgenera have been further ...

trees, the park also preserves more than 2 miles (3 km) of undisturbed wetland shoreline on the

Tippecanoe River The Tippecanoe River ( ) is a gentle, U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 19, 2011 river in the Central Corn Belt Plains ecoregion in northern Indiana. It flows from Croo ...

, attracting some 127,495 visitors in 2018–2019.

History

During the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

of the 1930s, the national government established the

Recreational Demonstration Area The Recreational Demonstration Area program (also known as the Recreation Demonstration Area program) was a National Park Service program during the 1930s and early 1940s that built forty-six public parks in twenty-four states on , chiefly near urba ...

in the

Department of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the mana ...

, National Park Service. The Park Service located low-quality farmlands with high-quality park potential. Along the Tippecanoe River, the Federal Government purchased .Tippecanoe River State Park, Indiana Department of Natural Resources; Indianapolis, Indiana 2008 The high sand content of the soil made these poor-quality farmlands. The riverway and forest made it quality parklands. Development of the Demonstration Area was undertaken by the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

. In 1943, the property was transferred to the State of Indiana's Department of Conservation as a state park. On January 1, 1959, were transferred to the Division of Fish and Wildlife as the Winamac Fish and Wildlife Area. The state park retains of the original development.

River

Canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...

is very popular in the park, as the Tippecanoe River stretches seven miles (11 km) along the park's borders. A canoe-exclusive campsite has ten sites. It is also a river otter release area.

Bluegill The bluegill (''Lepomis macrochirus''), sometimes referred to as "bream", "brim", "sunny", or "copper nose" as is common in Texas, is a species of North American freshwater fish, native to and commonly found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and ...

and bass are commonly fished from the river The river is too dangerous for swimming, so those camping in the park can go to the Bass Lake State Beach five miles (8 km) away.

Enjoying the park

There are ten miles (16 km) of hiking trails and thirteen miles (20 km) of horseback trails. Cultural arts programs and a seasonal naturalist are also available. Most visitors drive to the park, although pilots can land at the nearby Arens Airport and have a courtesy car take them to the park. Things to do * Boating – the park has a small boat launch on the river * Camping – There are five camping experiences to choose from. # Family camping # Potawatomi Group Camp # Youth Tenting # Rent-a-camp cabin # Canoe camping from the river * Fishing * Horseback riding – trails and a primitive campground are available to horsemen and -women. There are of shared hiking and horse trails in the park. * Hiking – a total of of trails are located throughout the park.

Protected areas

* Sand Hill Nature Preserve is located at the end of the park and is accessible on Trail #8, the ''Bluestem Trail''. * Tippecanoe River Nature Preserve is along the river near the center of the park. It is accessible on Trail #4, the ''Oxbow Trail''.

References

External links

* * {{authority control Protected areas established in 1943 State parks of Indiana Protected areas of Pulaski County, Indiana Works Progress Administration in Indiana