A Hiker's Path: Trekking around Raccoon State Recreation Area
Raccoon State Recreation Area, located in Parke and Putnam counties, is surrounded by Cecil M Harden Lake (Raccoon Lake), a 2,060 acre federal flood control reservoir. The property itself contains 2,005 acres of land.
Construction of the lake began in 1956 by the Army Corp of Engineers and it was finished in 1960. The name of the lake was Mansfield Lake, but later it was changed to the current name. Mrs. Cecil M Hardin had long been recognized as one of the most active members of the community. She was a U.S. representative for the area for five terms, beginning in 1949.
The area is managed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
Native forest and large rock outcrops line the upper part of Big Raccoon Creek. Cecil M. Harden Lake resulted from the damming of the creek.
The lake also provides recreation, wildlife management and economic benefits to the area. A variety of fish, flora and fauna can be viewed at the property.
The area has 8 miles of hiking trails with views of rocky cliffs, the lake, second-growth forests and prairie restorations.
It had been awhile since I had visited this place, so I felt a visit was in order!
It was a very warm Saturday in June when I decided to head up north to hike. It took me about a hour to drive there. But it was an easy drive.
When I arrived, I stopped at the gatehouse to pick up a map. After reading the brochure and studying the map, I decided on trail one as my chosen hike of the day.
Trail one is 1.5 miles in length and is considered moderate in ease of hiking. It takes the hiker around the south shore of the peninsula of the lake.
I parked near the trailhead and decided to walk to the lake first.
It was beautiful. The lake water reflected the blue sky overhead. It was a perfect day for a hike along the lake shore. Groups of Canada geese scattered about upon the surface of the lake. A very peaceful and quiet scene lay in front of me.
With a deep sense of adventure, I took off on the trail. There were beautiful views of the lake as I hiked along. The trail traversed across small hills and ravines. The scenery around me had greened up into its summer clothes.
There were scenic overlooks along the trail that added to my hike. It did not take me long to hike this trail. I soon found myself back in the parking lot. I found a picnic table and ate the lunch I had packed, along with one of my books by Henry Thoreau, one of my favorite writers. Nothing like a lunch of cheese and bread and a little Thoreau for company.
The lake is located at 1588 S. Raccoon Parkway, Rockville, Indiana.
The recreational area charges a small seasonal gate fee. A state park pass will also get you in.
I found a good Thoreau quote for your week: "We need the tonic of wildness ... At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature." — Henry David Thoreau, American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher, 1817-1862
Until the next trail,
Susan
This article originally appeared on Evening World: A Hiker's Path: Trekking around Raccoon State Recreation Area
