- The Hoosier Hikers Council recently built a new trail at Lieber State Recreation Area called the Trout Lily Trail.
- The trail is named after the trout lily, a wildflower with mottled leaves and a yellow, bell-shaped flower.
- Lieber SRA includes the 1,400-acre Cagles Mill Lake and a total of 8,075 acres of land.
This past week, I made a trip up to Lieber State Recreation Area to hike the new Trout Lily trail.
Built by the Hoosier Hikers Council, the trail is named for the colonies of a beautiful spring wildflower, the trout lily. The trail is close to a mile in length in one direction. It begins at the camp gatehouse and ends by the pool. The trout lily is known for its mottled brown and green leaves, which are similar to the markings on a trout. The flower is bell shaped and yellow.
The Lieber SRA includes the 1,400-acre Cagles Mill Lake. In total, the whole recreation area contains 8,075 acres. This includes the Cataract State Recreation Area, the Cunot boat ramp, and other areas.
The lake lies in Putnam and Owen counties. The lake was designed and built by the Louisville District of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers primarily for flood control. Construction began in 1948 and was completed in June of 1953. The lake is also known locally as Cataract Lake.
The Lieber SRA was founded in 1953. It was named after Col. Richard Lieber, Indiana’s first director of conservation.
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It was a cold winter day in February when I drove to this beautiful place. The sun shone brightly overhead and the air was crisp. The breeze was chilly. I was dressed in my layers, of course.
I pulled into Lieber and drove past the gatehouse. There was no gate fee at this time. I drove straight to the campground gatehouse. There didn’t seem to be many people around. I could see where the trail was, but since it was in the campground, I had to go on up the road and park at the nature center, which wasn’t far.
After parking, I walked down just a little distance and found the trailhead. This new trail is dirt, but when I arrived it was frozen mud and easy to walk on. That changed later on my hike as the sun warmed up the ground.
When I first started walking on the trail, I noticed some pine trees on the right. It was very scenic already. The sun was shining through the trees, and made tall, dark shadows on the ground. I rounded a corner and saw a big ravine on the left with a small creek at the bottom.
I continued on and was happy to see all the hardwood trees along the trail. I was imagining what it would look like in the spring when the trout lilies and other wildflowers were in bloom. I can hardly wait for spring!
I heard a few woodpeckers in the distance, but other than that, I didn’t see any birds. I did however, see signs of one or more pileated woodpeckers as evidenced by the big holes I saw on an old, rotten tree. These birds are known making holes like that.
This trail is an out and back trail which means you go to one end and walk back to the other. I had decided to just walk half of it today and then turn around and go back to the beginning. I knew I would be back in spring.
When I got back to my car, I drove down to the swimming pool. I couldn’t access the nearby trailhead because the gate was closed since the pool was closed for the season.
So, I suggest you start at the campground and walk up to the pool and back on this trail to get the full effect until they open the gate.
It’s exciting to see all the trails that are opening up in Indiana. Our state really is a work in progress as far as trails go. I say keep up the good work!
The Hoosier Hikers Council did an excellent job of building this trail. The council builds trails all over the state. You can find out more about the current trails the council is working on and find a list of trails at hikers council.org/
Overall, I had a good hike on this trail. It had been a good day.
To find this place: from Spencer, drive up Ind. 231 north to Cloverdale. Turn left on Interstate 70 West. In 3.7 miles, take exit 37 onto Ind. 243. Turn left on 243. Travel about 3 miles and then turn right into Lieber State Recreation Area. Seasonal gate fees apply. An Indiana State Park Pass will get you in.
The area is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and has camping.
A quote for your week: “Despite the forecast, live like it’s spring.” — Lilly Pulitzer, American entrepreneur, fashion designer, 1913-1931
Until the next trail,Susan
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