Hiking at Turkey Run

For my son’s 20th birthday this week he wanted to go hiking at Turkey Run State Park in Indiana. He’s been before so knew all the hikes, but as his 70 year old Gran and I were going with him I expected him to choose the ‘easy’ routes…. Nope. He chose all the most difficult ones – ‘rugged’ is how the trail map described them. In consideration of our advanced years he made us do the harder ones first, which meant that by the end of the day (4 hours of hiking btw!) we only had to consider stairs as the ‘obstacles’. He’s all heart that boy! According to MyFitnessPal I climbed 44 flights of stairs that day!

Anyway I was glad I’d taken my compact camera because it meant when I was climbing up gorges and down canyons, plus walking along streams and very narrow cliff edges I could balance myself better without a big DSLR hanging round my neck. Next time I go back I will definitely take the big camera with me though. The scenery was luscious and the rocks were majestic. I was fighting the bright sunlight though with my compact, which I have to say did quite a decent job in the circumstances with only a few blown highlights and flares. It was a fabulous day and I’m already planning when I can go back.

The start of the hike was looking good and pretty easy so far.

Son climbing up Wedge Rock.

There are many legends about how Turkey Run got its name. One story says that wild turkeys, finding it warmer in the canyon bottoms, or “runs”, would often huddle in these runs to avoid the cold. Pioneer hunters would herd the turkeys through these natural funnels into a central location for an easy harvest. Since historic accounts suggest that large numbers of turkeys lived here, it follows that turkeys in the runs prompted the area’s name, Turkey Run.

Eventually we gave up trying to use stepping stones and logs to get over the water and just walked up the streams. We then had the joy of wet feet for the rest of the day.

Caves and overhangs were everywhere. There was so much to explore and see; it really was photography heaven.

The colours on the rocks were phenomenal.

The Devil’s Punchbowl was amazing and one of the places I’m definitely coming back to with my DSLR and a tripod!

Some of the five million stairs we climbed. I have to say my wee mum was a champ. She has more energy than me and even though some of the stairs were higher up than her knee she managed everything!

Falls Canyon waterfall

The Ice Box

A Five-Lined Skink

Canoeing (or kayaking) down Sugar Creek river

How I would do it if I was canoeing!

What a great way to spend the day with my son and my mum, plus added bonus. I was only very slightly sore the next day. Result!