We love this park. There is so much to do. We enjoy camping, swimming, hiking, biking, and going up the fire tower.
We just drove through, but spoke with the attendant who was very friendly. We are considering coming back and spending time here in the future
We visited with family while they were camping! Atmosphere excellent! Loved pool! Lots of things to do! Remember if allergic to poison ivy, etc. Bring meds...hahaha!!! Trails. Great for hiking! Camping area bathrooms above average! Bike trails. Small store on site. It was being renovated while we were there.Pool has excellent slides. One is super fast and other very curvy. I went down even at 50 years old. Hahaha!!!!
We had a great time at this park today. I don't think the web-site describes how nice this place really is. It was our first visit and had a wonderful day. Nice well kept state park. The pioneer farmstead and nature center were great for both young and old. Wonderful place to ride your own horse. Nice views and picnicking along Ohio river. People working at the farmstead were very nice, well informed and took the time to talk to all the children and interact with them. To chilly to swim yet but aquatic center look nice
The campgrounds at the park are nice. There are the typical ones but they also have one for people with horses. At Halloween they have all kinds of activities for children. You have to make reservations way ahead for a camp site at that time. In the summer, there is a great pool with slides and splash areas. There are many hiking trails and a fire tower to climb. The park borders the Ohio River and Blue River so it is quite scenic. There are caves for experienced spelunkers. The nature center has programs on holidays, and the park rangers often will show you local snakes. There is a historic barn at the center too.
The opportunities for outdoor recreation abound in the O'Bannon Woods State park. At just under 2,300 acres, the state park itself isn't huge, but the fact that it's a part of the 24,000 acre Harrison Crawford State Forest adds nicely to the space to roam. There is an extensive trail system within the park, a fire tower that is open for climbing. The pool is well kept and kid-friendly, but there is no diving area. The deepest area is only 5 feet, but the water slides are fun. $3/person admission is a fair price and a family pass of 25 punches for $50 is available and doesn't expire. The nature center is open year-round and always has something for the visitors to learn and experience. The staff has always been friendly and informative there. My only complaint with the park is the lack of knowledge about the DNR programs that are offered in all parks. The roving naturalist wasn't aware of the Hoosier Quest program for the kids that we'd started in other parks and the front gate staff and office didn't know where the SPRGO! game is that is a state wide bingo type challenge. The campground is nice and has become one of our favorites, though we've found few in Indiana that we wouldn't like to return to. I appreciate the hot showers and automatic light fixtures to save electricity. Some sites are severely sloped, but they're described in the site descriptions. There is no camp store, however, and the nearest shop is 10 miles or so away in either direction, so go prepared. Reserve your campsite online ahead of time to ensure you have a spot when you get there and don't forget to fill up with water before parking - the spigots are only at every several sites. The state website is fairly informative about fees and reservation policies.There is an opportunity to canoe/kayak by either putting in at a public ramp along the Blue River, or by going north to Milltown, IN to Cave Country Canoes to rent a craft or to have them haul yours for a small fee. They'll bus you up river and you canoe back to your vehicle. This is a great park and area for your family to explore!
I love this park! I noticed someone posted that it is a small park. Well, I don't know what they consider large as this park is 26,000 acres. There are many different areas to explore within this park. The only part that is small is the kids playground. Admittedly it could be larger or perhaps another play area added for the little ones. The nature center at the park is a treat for adults as well as kids. There are programs throughout the year for all. The restrooms are kept clean...the trails are in great shape for horses and humans. The sites are mostly shady and many are quite large compared to other parks. You can have privacy if you wish. The staff is friendly and the people who camp here are mostly repeat campers to this park. There is a wonderful picnic area with a stunning view of the Ohio river. The pool is great fun for the little kiddos as well as older teens and adults. It has a spray area and 2 water slides and a concession stand. The fire tower is a nice climb with a good view. There are short hiking trails and long trails, whichever suits you best. Fall is lovely here! There is a farmstead to visit complete with friendly oxen who loved to be scratched and 2 mini donkeys who come to the fence to meet you. Several times a year they give a hay press demonstration showcasing there hay press which is one of the only few working presses in the country. I think it's the only public one. During these special weekends demos are given on blacksmithing, candle making, weaving, and pioneer cooking as well as other activities. You can check on their websites for dates and schedules. This park gets an A+!
We love to take friends there on special weekends when the historic haypress is being operated (oxen and all) and re-enactors are doing demonstrations. Even without that, it is a pretty park with a fine little nature museum and with local volunteers/staff (sometimes in pioneer costume) who seem to thoroughly enjoy educating people. (We and kids like the exhibits of spiders and snakes!)
This is a great place to camp. There is so much to do in this area. We love the new pool, the hiking trails, the farmstead, nature center and the close proximity of caves and canoeing.
the best park in area good parking clean grounds plenty of shelter and picnic area in summer the have paddle boats on a little lake plenty of sings and stuff for kids have nature talks and hiking good place to go for a afternoon