TheU.S. state ofIndiana has 24state parks maintained and operated byIndiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR).[1] In addition, a separate state agency operatesWhite River State Park in downtownIndianapolis.[2]Marion andClark are the only counties to have two parks.Brown County, the largest state park, has the greatest number of visitors, followed byIndiana Dunes State Park.[1]
Richard Lieber was instrumental in the foundation of the Indiana State Park system. The first state park in Indiana wasMcCormick's Creek State Park, inOwen County in 1916, followed in the same year byTurkey Run State Park inParke County. The number of state parks rose steadily in the 1920s, mostly by donations of land from local authorities to the state government. Of the initial twelve parks, onlyMuscatatuck State Park is no longer a state park, having been given back toJennings County in 1968.[3] It was during theGreat Depression of the 1930s that much infrastructure was built within the parks, constructed byNew Deal agencies such as theCivilian Conservation Corps and theWorks Progress Administration, with the majority of this Depression-era construction still in use in the 21st century. This delay in infrastructure was due in part to Richard Lieber's belief that the parks should be kept as natural as possible.[4]
Initially, the state parks were intended to feature natural environments in Indiana. The establishment ofMounds State Park for its historical nature andShakamak State Park (an abandoned strip mine) purely for recreational purposes represented changes from the initial purposes of the Indiana state park system.[5]
While Indiana does not have as many state parks as some other states, it has avoided obtaining too many smaller properties that would be hard to manage. A goal of having at least one state park within an hour's drive for every Hoosier was met whenProphetstown State Park was established in 2004.[6]
It is possible to view the Milky Way at 3 of the 24 Indiana State Parks,[7] which are Shades State Park, Tippecanoe River State Park, and Turkey Run State Park.
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