Close to both Brown County State Park and Yellowwood, this historic site includes the home, gardens and studio of Hoosier impressionist artist T.C. Steele, who helped establish Nashville as an artists' colony. The somewhat remote setting is beautiful in the fall, but in the spring, the rolling terrain blooms with hundreds of daffodils. Not far from Brown County State Park, Yellowwood offers fewer amenities than the popular park, but you can get a little closer to nature. The forest offers camping and hiking, but it also allows hunting, so hikers must remain alert and stay within the appropriate areas. This is the place to go for a little peace and quiet.
Fewer amenities means fewer crowds, and sometimes that can be a big plus.
Still, there's camping, hiking, shelters and, oddly enough, an airstrip, where you can lean against a tree and watch a few small planes land or take off. Hence, the name. Nearby Pine Hills Nature Preserve offers more scenery and even fewer crowds, but fairly strenuous hiking. Situated west of Indianapolis, Turkey Run offers lots of recreation possibilities. It's also fun to rent a canoe from one of the roadside liveries and paddle through the park and beneath covered bridges on Sugar Creek.