Pokagon State Park
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Beechwood Nature Preserve - Along the east edge of LOCATION MAP POKAGON STATE PARK the park, Trail 8 crosses the border and enters the 89-acre, Beechwood Nature Preserve, a unit of the POKAGON • 450 Lane 100 Lake James • Angola, IN 46703 • (260) 833-2012 Snow Lake To Michigan and STATE ACRES Land Trust. A 1.5-mile loop continues over PARK 1,260 acres Established 1925 rolling hills of old meadows now sporting thickets of gray dogwoods and remnants of an old apple orchard. From the loop, a short section of the trail continues to the Gate Beechwood parking lot at State Road 127. A boardwalk Entrance Exit 354 traverses a lowland swamp, featuring rare yellow birch, 727 Indianapolis Lake • SNOW LAKE red maple, blue beech and skunk cabbage. James .27 s e il m To 2 6 hwoo 1 To Angola ec d 3 e I B N M Fort a t Trail r, u e Wayne rv te r e 2 Treatment e s a e w r ld Plant P o 7 8 C WETLAND 7 BEECHWOOD HELL’S POINT CHALLENGE NATURE 8 1 County Rd. Bridge 4 Hell’s Point 1 PRESERVE 8 2 Spring Shelter 5 CCC Dams 3 Wetland View 6 Lake Lonidaw 5 ACRES Land Trust 7 (This is not state-owned property.) • The challenge begins & ends at the Nature Center. Group Feather Valley Road Camp • Length is approximately 8 miles. Fremont 5 miles LAKE JAMES Hell's • Difficulty is moderate/rugged. Includes going UPPER BASIN 4 8 4 Point Trine State 3 Recreation Area up 84 stair steps to Hell’s Point. POTAWATOMI 7 Entrance 1 mile 2 • Photograph all six waypoints along the route 2 Spring NATURE 9 PRESERVE and show the Nature Center staff upon 2 Shelter returning to receive a finishers souvenir 9 .27 • Take plenty of water. The last place to fill 4 POTAWATOMI water bottles is at the Spring Shelter! 4 Youth NATURE 5 Tent PRESERVE Beach & Campground 3 5 Camp Beach Gatehouse CCC house Shelter 2 3 3 TRINE STATE Black Cherry 5 9 RECREATION Picnic Area 4 AREA & Shelter Park 2 Office Property Mgr. TRAIL TABLE Residence Entrance TRAIL MILEAGE TRAIL TYPE Private Lane Private Lane 727 1 1 2 Moderate 1 Gate 2 2.2 Moderate Underpass house POTAWATOMI 6 LAKE 3 NATURE 3 2.2 Moderate LONIDAW PRESERVE 4 1.4 Easy Apple 3 5 .7 Easy Orchard Saddle Barn 6 North 6 .7 Moderate 7 1.8 Moderate Warming 3 Assistant Center 8 1 Moderate 6 9 1.7 Rugged Property 6 Manager's Residence Sweetgum Cabins Potawatomi LEGEND Volleyball Inn LAKE Private Lane Shelter 27 Boundary Accessible Courts k CHARLES . e 1 Angola Road Campground e WEST Nature r 5 miles C (Private) Hiking Trail Playground Center Boat Docks Hell’s Point Trail Camp Store LAKE JAMES Bike Trail Shelter MIDDLE BASIN Horse Trail Picnic Shelter Marsh Amphitheater Nature Preserve Beach To Jimmerson Lake Parking Volleyball Pit Gatehouse Basketball Court 1 LAKE JAMES P Comfort Station r y LOWER BASIN i t v r a e t p e r o P 0 ¼ ½ Please carry out all trash you produce in order to keep your park clean and Approximate Scale in Miles beautiful for others to enjoy. 12/2018 AN ICE AGE LEGACY RULES AND REGULATIONS DESCRIPTION OF HIKING TRAILS During an age when the climate was approximately • Do not injure or damage any structure, rock, tree, TRAIL & DESCRIPTION DISTANCE DIFFICULTY 10 degrees cooler, more snow fell in the winter than flower, bird or wild animal. Do NOT gather limbs, brush Trail 1 2 miles Moderate melted in the summer. As an accumulation piled up over or trees (either dead or alive) for firewood because they thousands of years, it formed an ice sheet that flowed rebuild the natural humus. Trail from Inn past Nature Center to Apple Orchard picnic area through hardwood forest. Crosses road at bridge, from Canada over northern Indiana. That glacier began • Any firearm (except lawfully possessed handguns), melting 10,000 to 15,000 years ago. The landscape we continues as the bicycle trail to saddle barn and back to BB gun, air gun, CO2 gun, bow and arrow, paint gun Inn. A good trail for woodland birds and spring flowers. enjoy today resulted. or spear gun in possession in a state park must be That glacier was the last one of four to cover Indiana unloaded or un-nocked and stored in a case or locked Trail 2 2.2 mile Moderate and has been named the “Wisconsin.” The Saginaw lobe within a vehicle, except when owner is participating in Begins on main park road near gatehouse, goes of this massive, one-mile thick, ice flow was the last to an activity authorized by written permit. through rolling land, past Spring Shelter, through hard- leave a lasting impression on the face of the lands of • Dogs and cats must be attended at all times and kept wood forest.Terminates at Campground 1. Pokagon State Park. on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Trail 3 2.2 miles Moderate While walking on many of the park trails, you will notice piles of rocks, and individual rocks, that seemingly came • Vending or advertising without permission of the Interesting trail leading through Potawatomi Nature from nowhere. These are known as glacial erratics. They Department of Natural Resources is prohibited. Preserve, with varied habitats of marsh land, deep are part of the total mass of earth brought down from • Camping is permitted only in the campground. Youth hardwood forests, pines and sand hills; panoramic the north, which is known as glacial debris or glacial till. groups must be under adult supervision. Each campsite view of area from trail overlook at Hell’s Point. Returns There are more lakes in Steuben County than in any must have one responsible member at least 18 years to Potawatomi Inn. other county in the state. All are natural and all were of age. Trail 4 1.4 miles Easy formed from the massive earth moving and gouging • Fires shall be built only in designated places. Begins near gatehouse (with Trail 2) and extends to Trail glaciers. Where sunken blocks of ice broke away as • Please comply with the Carry In/Carry Out trash policy 5 through campgrounds near amphitheatre. A variety the glaciers melted, sit today’s kettle-hole lakes. Lake in all day-use areas. Overnight guests must put waste of habitats is offered in pine trees, hardwood forest and Lonidaw on Trail 3 is a perfect example. in receptacles provided for that purpose. rolling land. The variations of plant and animal species, and the • Motorists shall observe posted speed limits and park Trail 5 .7 miles Easy topography that they cover, is typical of glaciated regions. only in designated areas. Begins near Campground 1 and goes past Group Camp For this reason, Pokagon, in many ways, resembles parks to beach; passes through deep woods; a good trail to you may expect to find farther north. Although relatively • Swimming is limited to places and times designated by observe birds and spring flowers. small, Pokagon has a tremendous variety of ecotypes, the Department of Natural Resources. including lakes, marshes, fens, swamps, deciduous • Drinking water should be taken only from pumps, Trail 6 .7 miles Moderate woodlands, pine groves, old fields, and meadowlands. hydrants or fountains provided for that purpose. This Trail through primitive area, including swamp. Begins Take time to explore and enjoy this ice age legacy. water is tested regularly for purity. and ends on Trail 3. A good trail for observing marshland • Report lost or found articles to the park office. plants and animals. THIS IS YOUR PARK • All motorized vehicles shall remain on paved roadway. Trail 7-Bluebird Hills 1.8 miles Moderate Snowmobiles are prohibited. Visitors shall observe the rules, which are designed to The trail starts just below Hell’s Point on Trail 3 and makes a large loop before returning to the starting point. fulfill the purpose for which state parks were established, • Metal detectors allowed on main beach between Labor Day and Memorial Day with written permit from This is mostly open, rolling hills. Grasslands support na- namely, to preserve a primitive landscape in its natural property manager. tive prairie plants typical of the land before it was farmed. condition for the public’s use and enjoyment. Restored wetlands among the hills provide homes for many species that prefer this habitat. DNR PROPERTIES NEARBY For a complete list of rules and regulations, inquire at park office. Trail 8 1 mile Moderate Our newest trail leaves Trail 3 just west of Hell’s Point Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site-Author, and heads north, crosses a county road, and traverses photographer, naturalist and entrepreneur Gene For a list of park events, visit open, rolling hills, which are being managed to return Stratton-Porter was a woman ahead of her time. Her Cabin at Wildflower Woods is nestled on the shores of interpretiveservices.IN.gov to meadowlands. Future plans will connect trail to the Sylvan Lake amongst 148 acres of fields, woods, and nearby ACRES Land Trust Beechwood Nature Preserve. beautiful formal gardens. Trail 9 1.7 miles Rugged Leaves Trail 3 and goes east through wooded swamps Pigeon River Fish and Wildlife Area-archery Please let wild animals remain wild. and young forests. Touches the former site of the “Po- range, boating, boat ramps, camping, dog training Feeding deer is prohibited. Feeding of wild animals can kagon Motel” on State Road 127, near I-69, passes by areas, fishing, hunting, target ranges, trapping, wildlife Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)-built stone dams, watching result in harm to both animals and people.