We finally got a break in the rain for a few days so I took advantage of it and did some hiking. I decided on hiking at the DePauw Nature Park.
The Nature park use to be the site of an active limestone quarry from 1917 to 1977. Hanson Aggregates, who owned the quarry, donated most of the land for the park to DePauw University in 2003. Additional acreage was purchased by DePauw during the last few years.
The property consists of more than 500 acres. There are 10 1/2 miles of walking trails at the park and some incredible scenery. Most of the trails connect together sooner or later so you can walk as little or as far as you want. It’s not located directly on campus, but you can walk to get there.
The sky was clear and the day was sunny and the temperature was in the seventies when I hiked at this beautiful park.
I drove up to Greencastle and parked at the trailhead. I had decided to hike the trail that looped the quarry, the Quarry Rim trail.
Not only does this trail follow the rim of the quarry along with other connecting trails, it has a trail that takes the hiker across the bottom of the quarry. It’s considered moderate in ease of hiking.
Finding the trail was easy as there’s lots of signage along the trails.
The path I followed was plenty wide enough and had a lot of big rocks lining the trail. On the other side of these rocks was a pretty steep drop off. I took great care to stay on the trail.
There wasn’t much shade to be found so wearing a sun hat was a good idea. I had brought mine along. The trails are very well maintained. There were many wild flowers growing along the path.
After I followed the rim trail for awhile, I came across the lower quarry trail, so I decided to hike down into it. There were lots of beautiful trees and plants as well as wildflowers growing along the trail and down at the bottom of the quarry. I saw some beautiful Cedar trees scattered about. Clumps of beautiful daisies were littered across the landscape with cattails and tall grasses to fill in the background.
As I walked along, I noticed many rock formations.
There is usually a small lake at the bottom of the quarry. The size depends of the amount of rainfall. Today it appeared as a bigger lake with all of the rain we have had as of late.
It was very scenic down inside of this big quarry. I was kept company by the many vultures flying about the cliffs. Quite a few of these birds make their home at this park. They won’t bother you and they are fun to watch though it can be rather disconcerting to see them.
There are both turkey vultures, and black vultures.
The turkey vultures are over 2 feet tall and have a 6 foot wing span. They have bald, featherless heads with reddish colored beaks. They roost in family groups. A group of vultures is called a “committee.”
The black vultures are shorter and more compact than the others, and also have featherless heads. They have whitish gray white tips. They prefer more wooded areas to live in, but can often be found near the turkey vultures.
When I finally made my way back up and out of the quarry, I came to a great overlook. From there I could see a wonderful view of the quarry. Benches were strategically placed at this spot which provided a great place to take a breather. It was soon time to hike back to my car.
I had a good hike at the Nature Park! Well worth the drive.
The summer hours are 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. Admission is free.
If you decide to visit this place, it’s better to go in the cool of the day during the summer or visit in the spring or fall. The quarry rock tends to hold the heat on hotter days and it can be a little uncomfortable. Make sure to wear a sun hat and take lots of water.
To get to this park: From Spencer, take State Highway 231 North to Greencastle. Make a left at the Veterans Memorial Highway. Go one mile and turn left on South Jackson street, then turn right in West Walnut street.
A quote for your week: ”Life is a journey with big rocks to climb, little ones to trip over, and milestones to mark where you’ve been”. – UnknownSusan Anderson is a resident of Owen County who enjoys hiking and backpacking and writes a weekly column about her experiences. Readers can reach her via email at saanders@hotmail.com or on Instagram @farsideoftheedge.
This article originally appeared on Evening World: Beautiful weather at DePauw Nature Park | A Hiker’s Path
Reporting by Susan Anderson, For the Evening World / Evening World
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