It was a warm August day and the sun was shining brightly in the sky as I traveled to the north of the country to visit one of my favorite places.
My hiking destination for today: McCloud Nature Park in Hendricks County.
Located in the middle of the country in central Indiana, McCloud Nature Park encompasses 570 acres. The park features over 6 miles of hiking trails and access to Big Walnut Creek, year-round programs at a nature center, and a wide variety of wildlife viewing opportunities.
The park is owned and operated by the Hendricks County Parks Department. The property was purchased in 2000, but the park was not officially opened to the public until 2003.
However, the country’s history goes back much further.
The first inhabitants of the area apparently belonged to the Wea Indian tribe. The Wea people were one of six tribes of the Miami Nation in the Northwest Territory.
Later, the first settlers in the area belonged to the McCloud family, hence the name of the park.
When I arrived at the park, I got out of my car and headed to my first chosen trail of the day: the Big Walnut Crossing trail. This trail is only 0.4 miles long, but crosses Big Walnut Creek via a wonderful bridge that is over 100 years old.
The eight-span “Warren Truss Bridge” in this park is an unusually early example of a bolted truss bridge. It is pretty much the centerpiece of the park. It was built in 1913 by the FM Williams Construction Company of Winamac, Indiana.
Originally located on County Road 700 South over the Big Monon Ditch in Pulaski County, Indiana, the bridge was saved from demolition when McCloud Nature Park purchased it. It was moved to its current location in 2010 and beautifully restored.
The bridge is 120 feet long and 14 feet wide and offers a wonderful view of Big Walnut Creek flowing beneath. There is a steep drop under the bridge, but I assure you, the bridge is sturdy and safe! The bridge deck was rebuilt in 2019.
I followed the short trail along Big Walnut Creek and soon found myself at the bridge.
The scenery around me was breathtaking. The forest was every shade of green and dotted with wild summer flowers.
I walked slowly across the wooden planks of the bridge to get the best view of the creek. It was definitely the “dog days” of summer. Crickets were chirping and the lazy waters of the creek were meandering downstream – a perfect day for a hike.
Soon I crossed the bridge to the viewpoint on the other side, called “Cardinal’s Perch”.
There were no cardinals there, but it was a beautiful, quiet place to meditate and the view of the stream below was breathtaking.
I decided to hike the Barred Owl Roost Trail next since it was right across from the bridge. It’s a loop trail, easy to hike, and only about a half mile long.
Next, I crossed the bridge again to explore some of the other trails. The nice thing about this park is that most of the trails intersect.
I headed to the Paw Paw Pathway. Yes, there are Paw Paw trees growing along the path. This loop trail is just under half a mile long and lives up to its name.
Pawpaw trees used to be called “Hoosier banana trees.” Some call the pawpaw “America’s forgotten fruit.” The fruit tastes a bit like a mix of bananas, mangoes, and pineapples. It has a pudding-like consistency inside with large seeds in the middle. There were no ripe pawpaws that day, but it was a fun hike.
The trail intersects the Acorn Pass trail. This is a short loop trail of only half a mile. This little trail also lived up to its name, with oak trees lining the trail. It didn’t take long to hike it, and soon I was on my way back to my car.
This park is home to several different types of ecological communities, including a hardwood forest, prairie, restored wetland, and stream. In addition, there is a nature center, corn maze, bird watching area, fishing, weekly family activities, and of course, the wonderful old, historic bridge.
I had a wonderful time hiking these great trails. It’s well worth a visit and most of the trails are fairly easy to hike.
To find this location, drive north on Ind. 231 past Cloverdale and through Greencastle. Continue to Ind. 36 and turn right. Drive through Bainbridge and continue to Ind. 75. Drive north to Hughes Road. Turn left. Drive approximately 5 miles. The park is on the right. The address is 8518 Hughes Road. It is open from sunrise to sunset.
A quote for your week: “Every path in life has a bridge… the journey leads over this bridge.” – Unknown
Until the next trail, Susan
