Harrison–Crawford State Forest is a large tract of protected forests in the far southern portion of the U.S. state of

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, straddling the border between Harrison and

Crawford Crawford may refer to: Places Canada * Crawford Bay Airport, British Columbia * Crawford Lake Conservation Area, Ontario United Kingdom * Crawford, Lancashire, a small village near Rainford, Merseyside, England * Crawford, South Lanarkshire, a ...

counties.

History

Harrison–Crawford State Forest was established in 1932 when the state purchased a few hundred acres of badly eroded farmland from cash-strapped landowners during the depression. The total acreage has been expanded over the years to now include in western Harrison County as well as parts of Crawford County and a little in

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

. The state forest surrounds

O'Bannon Woods State Park O'Bannon Woods State Park is a state park in the state of Indiana, 32 miles (51 km) west of Louisville, Kentucky. O'Bannon Woods was originally known as the Wyandotte Woods State Recreation Area, which was part of the Harrison-Craw ...

(created in 2005) and the

Wyandotte Caves The Wyandotte Caves is a pair of limestone caves located on the Ohio River in Harrison-Crawford State Forest in Crawford County, north-east of Leavenworth and from Corydon in southern Indiana which are a popular tourist attraction. Wyandotte ...

Geography

The forest has large public-access areas including C-class camping sites. There are of hiking trails ranging from beginner to advanced trails. In the state forest and

combined, there are about of looped horse trails that run through two properties. There is fishing in the scenic Blue River, and limited picnicking at Stage Stop campground. The state forest also permits hunting to anyone with a hunting license. The forest is rich in wild game including white tail deer,

wild turkey The wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') is an Upland game bird, upland ground bird native to North America, one of two extant species of Turkey (bird), turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic ...

, and

squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...

. Protected and threatened species such as the Eastern hellbender, cerulean warbler, woodrat, spadefoot toad, bobcat, bald eagle and Short's goldenrod are found here as well. The

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...

runs along the southern edge of the forest and there are many scenic views of the river. The Blue River bisects the forest running from the north into the Ohio River on the south side of the forest. Blue River is recognized as a state natural, scenic, and recreational river. The river takes on a beautiful aqua coloration during dry periods, owing to large amount of dissolved limestone in the water. Aquatic species that require relatively pollution free water such as mussels and hellbenders are found here. A high fire tower overlooks the forest and was used in the early days to watch for wild fires. Indiana State Road 62 runs through the center of the state forest with state road 462 branching off to connect to

was created in 2005 from land that was once part of the state forest and is surrounded by the state forest and sees many visitors each year.

is also within the boundaries of the forest.

External links

*
Backpack Camp website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison-Crawford State Forest Indiana state forests Protected areas established in 1932 Protected areas of Crawford County, Indiana Protected areas of Harrison County, Indiana 1932 establishments in Indiana