Hiking has become one of my favorite activities and when I realized my boyfriend lived close to Turkey Run National Park, I really wanted to go hiking there with my pup and him! Hearing about the beauty and nature it held, we both agreed to go on the adventure.
Digging out my Osprey hiking backpack was exciting since I haven’t been on any major hikes since I tackled 45 miles on the Appalachian Trail. I loaded up my Toyota with my pup and Cliff bars ready to travel down the hand into my neighboring state. My boyfriend, Kameron, lives in Terre Haute, Indiana so I was able to stay there to get a early start on the trail.
When we pulled in, we found our way to the parking lot near a bathroom and the first trailhead we wanted to conquer. We started with the shortest trail but the one with a great view overlooking the gentle flowing river. Since it was about lunch time, we decided to sit on the huge, sturdy rock with the scenic view and dug into some food. At first, Huntlie, my pup, was scared to come on the steep rock but when she seen me up there, she ventured onward. She was rewarded with kisses and treats!
Kayakers, canoers, and swimmers sprinkled the water below as we enjoyed our sandwiches and trail mix. We didn’t want to waste too much of the daylight sitting, so we continued on leaving the view behind but discovering bridges, waterfalls, other hikers, streams, ladders, and mud. Huntlie was pulling at her harness wanting to discover what was behind every tree and under every rock. She was loving her first official hiking trip.
While on the trail, we met a determined, brave woman with her kids. She had a prosthetic leg and was travelling along the trail slowly. When we passed her, we said our salutations, but as we rounded the corner, I heard her wanting something to drink. It was a really hot, humid day and I noticed her face was flushed. Studying for my personal training certification, I wanted to start helping people have a healthy exercising experience so I turned back to offer her our extra water bottle I was going to use for Huntlie after her other bottle was gone. She couldn’t stop thanking us for the water and when we ran into her a second time, she looked so much better. Meeting fellow hikers is so much fun.
Some areas were muddy and slippery but it added a challenge we were ready for. Encountering a piece of the trail with ladders leading up the cliff, we had to come up with a plan to help Huntlie get up with us. Other hikers were helping and planning with us to complete the challenge. Our plan was to have me, her trusted owner, to climb up the ladder first. Then, Kameron would release her when I called her so she would climb up the slippery clay next to the ladder. She made it up as her paws gripped the ground and nails dug into the soft, slimy earth. After she was safely up, it was Kameron’s turn to climb the ladder. Looking down the cliff, we waved and thanked our fellow hikers for their help.
We hiked till we dropped! For once, we wore Huntlie out! She lay flat in the shade of the parking lot on the hot day. The next couple days she was drained and her energy level was like that of a “normal” dog.
I would go back to Turkey Run State Park in a heartbeat. It was the more original trail I’ve seen with the obstacles, bridges, views, and ladders. The trails on the map they give you let you know the difficulty of each one. The only trail we didn’t have time to complete was the one that went through the river. My friend went on that trail and told me the water was up to her waist. She didn’t know if it was the actual trail until she seen a trail marker in the water! Sometime, I want to go back to complete that trail.
If you want to check out the park that is extremely fun to hike and earned Krystal’s Mind Blog approval, then click Here. Also, I would love to hear from my followers! What state park is your favorite? What do you like about it? As I travel, I would love to check as many as I can!
