Hoosier National Forest

Spanning nine counties across southern Indiana's rolling hills, Hoosier National Forest encompasses over 204,000 acres of rugged limestone karst terrain characterized by caves, sinkholes, natural springs, and deeply forested ravines that stand in stark contrast to the flat farmland of central Indiana. The Charles C. Deam Wilderness, Indiana's only federally designated wilderness area at 13,000 acres, protects old-growth hardwood forest, seasonal waterfalls, and rocky ridgelines along the shores of Monroe Lake, the state's largest reservoir. Over 260 miles of trails wind through the forest, offering hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding through a diverse deciduous canopy of oaks, hickories, tulip poplars, and beeches that produce spectacular autumn foliage.\n\nThe forest's karst geology has created an extensive underground network of caves and springs, including some of the most significant cave systems in the Midwest that provide critical hibernation habitat for the endangered Indiana bat. Pioneer-era history is preserved at Hemlock Cliffs, where a sandstone box canyon with overhanging cliffs shelters a rare stand of eastern hemlock -- a northern species surviving as a glacial relict far south of its typical range. Hoosier serves as a vital outdoor recreation resource for southern Indiana, supporting hunting for white-tailed deer and wild turkey, fishing in numerous lakes and streams, and providing a forested retreat for the communities of Bloomington, Bedford, and Tell City.