Fishing takes center stage for many people, but there are plenty of other water sports to pursue, too. Swimming is always popular here, and the park includes a swimming beach complete with a bathhouse. Pleasure boaters and skiers spend a lot of time out on Lake James, but keep in mind that there are no launch ramps on park property.

Campers have plenty of choices at Pokagon. There are 200 electric sites and 73 non-electric sites, and each site has a fire ring and a picnic table. The campground is equipped with flush toilets, hot water and showers. There is also a group camp and youth tent camping available. For the less adventuresome, the Potawatomi Inn has all the comforts of home, including an indoor swimming pool and sauna.

There are so many things to do here that it is unlikely that most families will have a chance to experience everything that the park has to offer during a single week's vacation. The Nature Center has many exhibits on the park's natural history and inhabitants. The saddle barn features horses for hayrides and even ponies for a pony ride.

Hiking enthusiasts will love the nature trails that wind through the park, including some that meander through different areas of the Potawatomi Nature Preserve. There are more than 12 miles of trails in Pokagon SP, offering views of dense woodlands, wet marshes, gently rolling hills and green meadows filled with wildflowers.

For more information, call the park office at (260) 833-2012.

Turkey Run State Park
Hoosiers who like to fish and hike will really love Parke County's Turkey Run State Park north of Rockville. The property covers a total of 2,382 acres, including deep sandstone canyons and rocky ravines that can be explored by use of several hiking trails. The cool water of Sugar Creek also beckons to anglers as it flows gently by through the stony streambed, hiding schools of fish in the shadowy depths.

Hiking is probably the most popular activity for visitors to Turkey Run SP, mainly because of the majestic sandstone formations and rocky cliffs that greet hikers here. Trails span all difficulty levels, from easy to very rugged, and many require climbing wooden stairs and even wooden ladders at certain points. The longest trail is three miles, and during the heat of the summer, the deep stony canyons are especially cool.

Some people might think that fishing opportunities are limited at Turkey Run, and they are correct. Fishing is basically limited to Sugar Creek. However, Sugar Creek is well known for good fishing for bass, rock bass, bluegills, sunfish and other species. The fishing for rock bass is especially good, as proved by the fact that the Indiana state-record rock bass was caught from Sugar Creek. It weighed a whopping 3 pounds!

Luckily, fishing the creek is easy since it is neither wide nor swift. Many fishermen like to stand on the edge of the creek banks and simply drop a baited line into the current. Rocky ledges along the shoreline provide shady hiding places for bass and rock bass, and each crevice might hold multiple fish.

The campground at Turkey Run features a camp store, 213 electric sites and a youth tent camp. Most campsites can accommodate trailers, and the campground is equipped with flush toilets, hot water and showers. However, there are no individual water or sewer hookups. The famous Turkey Run Inn can provide lodging for those who don't want to rough it. Cabins are also available.

Besides hiking and fishing, Turkey Run SP offers visitors several historic buildings and structures to explore and learn about. The Salmon Lusk home and mill, the Lieber cabin (circa 1840s), the Log Church (1871), the saddle barn and the well-known covered bridges spanning Sugar Creek should definitely be seen by the park's guests.

There is also a swimming pool, tennis courts and picnic areas for families to use. For more information about Turkey Run SP, call the park office at (765) 597-2635.