What are the best hikes in Indiana?

Standouts include Shades (Trail 2), Turkey Run (Trail 3), Clifty Falls, Charles Deam (Hickory Ridge) — 5 trails in all, mapped with difficulty, distance, and elevation on Roamward.

Roamward

Hikes · Indiana

Best hikes in Indiana.

Q: When is the best time to hike in Indiana?

Spring & fall. Indiana hiking is sandstone gorges at Turkey Run, dune climbs over Lake Michigan, and the Hoosier National Forest.

Indiana hiking is sandstone gorges at Turkey Run, dune climbs over Lake Michigan, and the Hoosier National Forest.

Curated trails5

Distance range1.5–6 mi

Biggest climb550 ft

Difficulty4 moderate · 1 hard

TerrainSandstone gorges & dunes

Best seasonSpring & fall

Don’t missTurkey Run (Trail 3)

Boots on

5 hikes worth the detour.

Sorted easy to expert. Every one mapped with distance, route type, and elevation gain — built for everyone from the RV & camping crew to the bucket-list crowd.

Shades (Trail 2)

Moderate · 2.5 mi · Loop · 300 ft

quiet ravines along Sugar Creek

Turkey Run (Trail 3)

Moderate · 3 mi · Loop · 350 ft

ladders through sandstone gorges

Clifty Falls

Moderate · 4 mi · Loop · 400 ft

a canyon of waterfalls above the Ohio River

Charles Deam (Hickory Ridge)

Moderate · 6 mi · Loop · 500 ft

forested ridges and a fire tower

Indiana Dunes (3 Dune Challenge)

Hard · 1.5 mi · Loop · 550 ft

three steep dunes over Lake Michigan

Plan the Indiana trip

Hikes, gems, scenic drives — all in one Indiana guide.

See everything worth the detour in Indiana, then let Roamward build the trip around it. Know a Indiana trail we’re missing? Add it — we’re building this with the people who actually hike it.

Full Indiana guide →All states