Outdoor Indiana - July/August 2023

DIVING INTO SUMMER

DNR Director Dan Bortner

If you are looking for a great place to keep cool this summer, consider heading to a DNR property.

In this issue, we dive into the variety of family-friendly swimming holes and pools at our properties that offer some relief from the heat.

From the large aquatic centers at Lieber State Recreation Area, Prophetstown State Park, and O’Bannon Woods State Park, to our many beaches and pools, this summer you’ll find yourself swimming in options to cool down across the state.

When I was growing up, swimming was synonymous with summer. We’d load up the car and head to the beaches at Starve Hollow State Recreation Area or Monroe Lake. That ice-cold water got us through those southern Indiana scorchers.

When I got a bit older, we’d trek to Shakamak State Park, where Olympic swimmers and divers once trained. As you can see in the photo above, those divers had more aquatic talent than me and my buddies. But that didn’t stop us from trying to follow in the wake of Olympic gold medalist Johnny Weissmuller, who at that point we knew better as Tarzan in the movies.

Today, whenever I visit any of these properties, memories of summer instantly come flooding back. Check out this issue’s feature on DNR swimming spots to learn more about Indiana’s unique role in water recreation history.

Looking to make your own splash in Hoosier swimming history? Our 2023 Recreation Guide (on.IN.gov/recguide) will help you find the best place to jump in.

Tomatoes have made their mark on Indiana
By Scott Roberts, OI staff

Roger Miller views an Heirloom Tomato Festival exhibit. (Brent Drinkut photos)

What’s in a name?

“Tomato Jim” Wyant adopted his nickname after he started collecting and distributing the Indiana summer staple’s seeds about 15 years ago. He now grows 80 to 100 varieties on his Walton property in Cass County. Wyant loves the myriad tastes that gush from tomatoes of various varieties.

“They can go from tart to sweet to musky,” Wyant said. “Reds are most tart; blacks have the musky taste; pink, orange, and yellow are a little sweeter. Then there’s your yellow and pink that are almost fruity tasting.

“If you have 85 different tomatoes, you may have 85 different flavors.”

Brian D. Smith of Greenwood calls himself “Mr. Tomato Head” because before he retired, he used to take bushels of tomatoes to his job and give them to coworkers whom he thought deserved homegrown flavor.

“When I had my first bite of a tomato I had grown myself, it was like I had opened a new world,” Smith said. “It was like the Wizard of Oz when the movie goes from black and white to color—I just couldn’t believe how good it was.”

Tomatoes are considered fruits because they are a ripened flower ovary and contain seeds, but most nutritionists consider them vegetables because they are usually served as a main dish or side, and although they can be somewhat sweet, their sugar level is less than that of more traditional fruits. But no matter how they are categorized, tomatoes have made their mark across the Hoosier state, from home growers like Wyant and Smith to large companies like Red Gold, which is based in Elwood, in Madison and Tipton counties.

To read the rest of this article subscribe to Outdoor Indiana or pick up a copy at one of our state park inns. To subscribe, click here or call (317) 233-3046.

C’mon in, the water is fine!
DNR swimming locations offer a variety of ways to cool off
By Scott Roberts, OI staff

Children frolic at Lieber State Recreation Area’s beach. DNR swimming beaches, pools, and aquatic centers are spread across Indiana, from Lake Michigan to the Ohio River hills. (John Maxwell photo)

Kristeen Waddell of Carmel has a big extended family of about 25 people, so when they have summer get-togethers, she needs a place that can serve a variety of interests.

Prophetstown State Park in Tippecanoe County does the trick. She likes biking on its trails and camping there, and she enjoys visiting The Farm at Prophetstown, an 1800s re-creation with livestock.
But it’s the park’s aquatic center that brings her crew back every year.

“My middle child, who is 3, can play in the kids splash area while my oldest, Jack, enjoys the slides, and the baby and I enjoy the covered beach chairs,” Waddell said. “(Last year) was Jack’s first year being big enough to do the slides, and he loved them. He and his cousins did them dozens of times.”

DNR offers 28 outdoor water-related recreation features across the state. They include aquatic centers, pools, and beaches. Each is designed to give visitors experiences similar to Waddell’s.

Outdoor pools are available at Brown County, Clifty Falls, McCormick’s Creek, Turkey Run, Shakamak, Versailles, and Spring Mill state parks. In addition to Prophetstown’s, O’Bannon Woods State Park and Lieber State Recreation Area (SRA) also have outdoor aquatic centers.

To read the rest of this article subscribe to Outdoor Indiana or pick up a copy at one of our state park inns. To subscribe, click here or call (317) 233-3046.

Next Level Trails program brings Hoosiers together
By Marty Benson

DNR Director Dan Bortner (far left), Gov. Holcomb, and Elkhart Mayor Rod Roberson (fourth from left) lead the ceremony marking the opening of the new section of the River Greenway Trail in Elkhart. (Photo by Stefan Welsh)

Governor Eric Holcomb grew up going to Indiana state parks for birthdays, holidays, and special events, and folks at those gatherings always seemed to end up on a trail.

In his early days in office, as he considered various programs for taking Indiana to the next level, those memories stood out. Trails bring people together, he realized, and Hoosiers benefit greatly by using them, becoming more connected as they hike, pedal, or roll.

“Trails are a natural way to erase lines or divisions in our state, and I’m passionate about that,” he said. “We get to pull each other closer together and bridge those divides.”

In the early summer of 2018, that vision led to conversations with the Department of Natural Resources about how to invest and grow Indiana’s trail network.

Since then, the resulting Next Level Trails (NLT) program, the largest infusion of trails funding in state history, has awarded $150 million in grants to 75 projects across the state. An additional $30 million was added to the program in the most recent state budget. At print time, 20 projects totaling 59.38 miles of trail had been completed. More than 140 additional miles of trail are fully funded and will open during the next few years.

To read the rest of this article subscribe to Outdoor Indiana or pick up a copy at one of our state park inns. To subscribe, click here or call (317) 233-3046.