Pioneer Days Parking

Pioneer Days is approaching this weekend, parking will be in the field across from the Pioneer Village as it has been in the past. Due to the high level of pedestrian traffic crossing Bono Rd into the village, the @Vigo County Commissioners have once again allowed us to close Bono Rd from Oregon Church Rd to Harlan Dr to make it a one-way entrance into our parking area for everyone’s safety. Please enter from Oregon Church Rd (south) and exit North towards Harlan Dr.
Please make sure you follow the signs to park in the right field so that you are parking in the correct area. Pioneer Days will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday, the parking lot WILL NOT open until 9:30! Parking is still $5 per car, but admission is free! We can’t wait to see you all this weekend.

Tour of the Vigo County Parks- Markle Mill Park

Today is the last day of July and the last day of National Parks and Recreation Month. We’ve hoped you’ve enjoyed your tour with us as we take our tour to our newest acquired park and make our final stop. Today’s stop on our Tour of Vigo County Parks is… Markle Mill Park! This site is rich in history, one that you can read on our new signs that went up this spring. In 1816 Colonel Abraham Markle constructed a dam over Otter Creek in order to build a gristmill. While the mill burnt down in 1938, though you can still see remains of the foundation today. Due to safety the dam was removed and parts of the cement from the dam line the parking lot. The timbers from the original dam to be preserved in hopes of being used in the future. We will continue to preserve the old mill foundation and continue to make the park a beautiful space for people to visit.
While we have been caretakers of the park for many years, we took ownership in the fall of 2023. Now the park features a gazebo, picnic areas, a playground and sculptures. For those who love fishing, the creek now offers a little beach area and has wonderful aquatic life. Be sure to check out our final stop on your next adventure!

Tour of the Vigo County Parks- Hawthorn Park

Today’s stop on our Tour of the Vigo County Park is… Hawthorn Park! It was named because of its abundance of Hawthorn trees throughout the property. This park is a favorite for runners and hosts several different runs throughout the year. It features access to the Heritage Trail which is great for students at nearby Rose Hulman to visit the park or for visitors to hop onto the trail to go towards town. Inside the park there are several different trails perfect for hiking.
For those who enjoy other activities you can visit the playgrounds, play soccer at the soccer goals, picnic in one of the shelters, visit the archery range, relax in the labyrinth or even enjoy the views at the amphitheater. The lake is stocked and has great fishing with several places to fish off the bank or at the fish dock. You also can use the boat launch or kayak launch to get out onto the water!
For those who love to camp it has 10 primitive sites and 51 electric sites, 11 of which also have direct water hook up.
Hawthorn is also home to our J.I. Case Wetland Wildlife Refuge, which we featured last week. Next time you’re out be sure to visit this peaceful park!
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Tour of the Vigo County Parks- J.I. Case Wetlands

We are almost done with our tour of the Vigo County Parks and today’s stop is going to look a little different again. Today, we’re going to look at a piece of a larger park and that is our very own J.I. Case Wetlands in Hawthorn Park because we want to highlight the importance of wetlands! The levee for J.I. Case was built in 1984 and the lake was filled in 1985 and while its purpose of serving as a wetland is important it also serves an important role in waterfowl management. The 50.3 acre lake attracts migratory birds in the fall and the 23.5 acres across from the J.I. Case remains in its natural state to serve as a wildlife nesting area.
J.I. Case Wetlands, and our Wabashiki Wetlands, are just a fraction of Indiana’s 800,000 remaining acres of wetlands, which is less than 20% of it’s original wetland acreage. You might be thinking what are wetlands? When you think of them you might imagine a swamp like the Everglades and while that is a type of wetland, there are actually several different types! Wetlands are areas in the landscape that contain standing water at or near the soil surface for part or all of the year and are defined by their vegetation, hydrology and soil. An area is considered a wetland if more than 50% of its vegetation occurs in a wetland, there is water present at or above the soil level at some point during the year and that water causes the soil to be limited in oxygen. The four types of wetlands are marshes, swamps, bogs and fens. Some wetlands, like at Dewey Point, are not wet year-round!
Wetlands are important because they can help absorb floodwaters and rainwater along with absorb excess nutrients, sediment and other pollutants before they reach rivers, lakes and other bodies of water. Wetlands can be constructed to be water treatment to remove chemicals and other harmful pollutants from water. They also help lessen climate change by protecting coastal regions from storms, provide water during droughts, store carbon and create a cooling effect by absorbing heat. Healthy wetlands even reduce mosquito populations.
Next time you’re out on an adventure be sure to participate in the Indiana Wetlands Challenge by visiting J.I. Case!

Tour of the Vigo County Parks- Lee Fields Park

Today’s stop on our tour of Vigo County Parks is… Lee Fields Park! This park had once been the playground of the old Concannon High School and was deeded to the Park Board in April, 1975 by the Vigo County School Corporation. The park was named Lee Fields in honor of a West Terre Haute businessman and Rotarian who had spent many years developing recreational facilities and programs for young people in the area.
The park has a small playground, a multipurpose court with basketball goals, a softball field with a back stop, an open field, a picnic shelter, and a wooded area. As no rest rooms are available in this park, a stone water fountain was installed especially for those individuals participating in sports. This spring it featured our end of the school year Movie in the Park! Be sure to visit this quiet park next time you’re out exploring!

Tour of the Vigo County Parks- Bicentennial Park!

Today’s stop on our Tour of Vigo County Parks is… Bicentennial Park which includes Dewey Point and the Wabashiki Trail! In 2009 we partnered with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to purchase over 800 acres of Wabash River bottomland to create part of the 3600-acre Wabashiki Fish and Wildlife Area. The purchase of this land was to provide recreational opportunities for the citizens of Vigo County and to preserve natural wetland habitat for native and migratory wildlife. In the spring visitors can kayak at Dewey Point from the kayak launch, especially at events like our Earth Day celebration. Year-round you can hike or bike on the Wabashiki trial as the property offers beautiful scenery and wildlife viewing opportunities. The Wabashiki Trail is a favorite for our Black Friday ride after Thanksgiving and Christmas lights ride! We are continuing to develop this beautiful park and look forward to sharing future projects with you all.

Park and Recreation Professionals Day!

Today doesn’t get a stop in our tour of Vigo County Parks because it’s a very special day. Today is Park and Recreation Professionals Day and we want to celebrate all of the dedicated people who make our parks possible and build a strong community through the power of parks and recreation. We are grateful to have a staff who strive to create high-quality experiences and opportunities for the residents and visitors of Vigo County while also making our parks clean, safe and welcoming. If you’re out today and see any of our amazing VCPRD employees be sure to thank them today!

Tour of the Vigo County Parks- Ruble Park

Today’s stop on our tour of Vigo County Parks is… Ruble Park! This park is a hidden gem in our system and our newest opened park! While we acquired the land in 2014, it opened to the public in 2022. It features 11 miles of natural hiking trails through grasslands and forest and offers hikers ample chances for wildlife viewing and bird watching! What most people might not know is it has 4 entrances! That’s right, there is an entrance at Ruble West on S Cullen Rd, two entrances to Ruble Central on W Dallas Dr and an entrance to Ruble East on Eaton Dr at Ivy Tech! That entrance features the largest parking area and a restroom for visitors to use. This park is perfect for those who are wanting to get out in the quiet to enjoy nature. Be sure to check this park out soon, especially as the leaves start to change this fall.

Tour of the Vigo County Parks… Griffin Bike Park

Happy Monday! Our next stop on our tour of Vigo County Parks for National Parks and Recreation Month is… Griffin Bike Park! We featured it recently for National Bike Month, but we had to feature it again. This park has over 32 miles of trail for you to enjoy with trails ranging from Green all the way up to Double Black Diamond. It has something for every skill level of rider including kids tracks, a pump track, dirt jumps, dual slalom course, skills features and so much more.
Throughout the year we host a wide variety of races and rides including a Gravel race, Pump Track races, Dual Slalom races, Short Track races and more. This goes along with our Youth Mountain Biking Team, kids camps and kids trips. We have lots of exciting things coming to the park including a new community center for you all to enjoy.
On your next visit, look out for a flying Santa. You can often find him jumping off of things, or over kids, when he is taking a break from the Christmas season.

Tour of the Vigo County Parks- Fowler Park

Next stop on our tour of Vigo County Parks for National Parks and Recreation Month… Fowler Park! This park might be one of the most well-known because of our beautiful Pioneer Village which features 20 pioneer cabins and structures, most of which were relocated to Fowler Park to create our village. Thanks to our volunteer group our village comes to life for events like our Summer in the Village series, Pioneer Days, Mini Pioneer Days and Christmas Walk. We love to showcase the village and our pioneer history to visitors during these events and field trips that can be scheduled throughout the year.
The pioneer village isn’t all Fowler Park has to offer though. In fact, it just is one of many activities in the park. During your visit you can fish in our stocked lake, use our boat or kayak launches for some time on the water, swim at the beach, hike on one of our several trails, bird or wildlife watch, play basketball in the goals the Beach Parking Lot or get plenty of playtime in on one of our playgrounds! We even have jon boat and kayak rentals available at our Beach House daily Memorial Day through Labor Day. You can rent your jon boat, kayak or a shelter right on our website.
For those who want to stay longer can do so in our campground. It has 10 primitive sites, 33 electric sites, 15 electric and direct water hook up sites, a pioneer cabin and starting next year a covered wagon! Be sure to come visit Fowler Park for your next family adventure.
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