Narrow-leaved purple coneflower

Purple coneflowers growing along a rural road in southeastern Indiana. Legend has it that native American discovered medicinal purposes for the flower. It’s said to prevent the flu and respiratory diseases. Native Americans learned of the properties of the plant by observing elk seeking out the flower and consuming them when sick or wounded.  Native Americans identified the plants as "elk root"

Moscow, Indiana's rebuilt covered bridge.

On June 3, 2008 an F3 tornado ripped through Moscow, Indiana and the town's historic covered bridge was torn from its piers and thrown into to creek bed of the Big Flatrock River. Volunteers came together to rebuild the bridge at Moscow. This is how the bridge looked in October of 2011.

Central Indiana's Swampy Woodlands

Central Indiana was settled much later than southern Indiana. One of the biggest reasons was the swampy woodlands that dominated the area. For much of the spring and early summer in pre-settlement days this is the way central Indiana looked. In addition to making travel difficult, the stagnant swamps promoted mosquito-born diseases. Today few areas of the swamp woodlands remain. Most areas have been drained over the years by a large network of ditches.

Swampy woodlands dominated central Indiana in pre-settlement days.

The Headwaters of the Wabash

The headwaters of the Wabash River.

The mighty Wabash is just a tiny stream at

its source south of Fort Recovery, Ohio.

The Wabash River is the largest river in Indiana. Many songs and poems have been written about the lazy river that meanders its way from northeast to southwest across the state. Numerous towns sprang up on its banks; the river providing both a reliable water supply and an early mode of transportation for crops, produce and livestock produced in its fertile valley.

The Wabash is without doubt Indiana’s river, even though its mighty waters start modestly in the state of Ohio. This is a photo of the headwaters of the Wabash taken at its source just south of Fort Recovery, Ohio.

While Hoosiers will always claim the Wabash their own, we should offer thanks to our eastern neighbors for giving us such a great gift.

Indiana’s High Point: Hoosier Hill

Perhaps one of the more humorous places to visit in Indiana is Hoosier Hill, the highest point in Indiana. Before you break out your climbing gear you should know that you can drive your car right up to a little parking spot just a few feet away from the highest point in the state of Indiana. There’s a short path that leads to a picnic table where you can take in the glorious views.

The truth is there are no views because Indiana’s high point is in a small patch of woods and it only rises a few feet above the surrounding countryside. If you’re a high pointer you can easily visit Ohio’s highest point just east of Bellefontaine, only about 80 miles east of here.

To get to Indiana’s high point take Highway 227 north out of Richmond, Indiana, about 13 miles to County Road 1100S. Turn left (west), go to the first road Elliott Rd.and turn left (south) again. The little patch of woods you see on the right-hand side of the road is where Hoosier Hill is located. There’s a small parking lane just on the southern part of the woods patch.

Be sure to sign the visitors register. There are humorous quotes in the book, things like – “We made it. What a climb!” or “Can’t stay long- forgot oxygen mask.”

This is what you’ll see at the summit of Hoosier Hill.

The “spectacular” view from the parking lane of Hoosier Hill.

Wilbur Wright’s Birthplace

The Wilbur Wright birthplace home near Millville, Indiana.

In a sparsely populated area of East Central Indiana, in the midst of vast stretches of corn and soybean fields, you’ll find the birthplace of Wilbur Wright near Millville, Indiana. The house pictured here is a replica. The original farm house burned long ago. Alongside Wright’s birthplace you’ll find an excellent museum documenting Wright’s youth and the life of him and his brother Orville, culminating in the first controlled, sustained powered flights on December 17, 1903 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. I love this area of Indiana. The rural county roads are narrow and look very old. You’ll see many old farms and houses from the turn of the century. It also happens to be the highest part of Indiana with elevations running 1100 to over 1200 feet.

Hidden Gem: Pine Hills Nature Preserve

I consider myself well traveled in the state of Indiana. From the Indiana Dunes to the Falls of the Ohio, from Hoosier Hill’s “dizzying” 1,257 feet to the lowlands of Posey County, I thought I’d covered the bases in the Hoosier State. Five minutes into my first hike into Pine Hills Nature Preserve I knew I had missed one of the most remarkable scenic wonders Indiana has to offer.

I’ve been to the popular Shades State Park dozens of times. How could I have missed the equally interesting geographic features of Pine Hills right next door?

For one thing Pine Hills has only been a nature preserve since 1969. While 41 years sounds like a long time, it takes generations of visitation for a park to really become part of people’s collective consciousness. Another factor is the tucked away Pine Hills is overshadowed by the sheer popularity of the nearby Shades and Turkey Run State Parks.

Pine Hills is a quick hike (maybe an hour, possibly two if you really take in the scenery) with breathtaking views around every corner. The big feature of the nature preserve is the Devil’s Backbone. This is the one trail that is somewhat challenging and if you’re scared of heights it could be intimidating.

Overall I rate Pine Hills as one of Indiana’s best-kept secrets and definitely worth a visit. As a bonus there’s also no entry fee, a good thing in these challenging economic times.



The Slide is a steeply banked wall of rock carved out over many thousands of years by the creek below. Check out the pine tree growing on just a thin crust of dirt covering the rock. That’s one thing that constantly amazed me about Pine Hills, trees growing on seemingly next to no topsoil at all.



The Devil’s Backbone seen from below. The unique ridge was formed by two creeks on either side that formed an extremely narrow and steep plateau.

It almost looks man made, but it’s not. Looking out to the Devil’s Backbone. Walking the narrow ledge with 75-100 feet on either side is not for the faint of heart, but the view from the top is worth the effort.

Honeycomb Rock’s scenic overhang with pine trees clinging to the edge. One of the many wonders of Pine Hills Nature Preserve.

One side of the Devil’s Backbone. Note the small pine tree growing on just the smallest of overhangs. You wonder how large that tree will actually get on such a small footing.