CALLING ALL NATURE LOVERS〰️
CALLING ALL NATURE LOVERS〰️
Making a Difference
Starts With You
Friends members bring together a love of nature and environment to enhance experiences, educate visitors and help maintain our beloved state parks.
We love nothing more than seeing a park full of nature-loving visitors at Turkey Run and Shades State Parks! They’re consistently ranked as some of the best state parks in the country and Turkey Run’s Trail 3 was recently named the best hiking trail in the midwest by Midwest Living magazine!
HIKING, CAMPING, INN and CABINS, SWIMMING, PICNICING, CANOEING, PROGRAMS, DINING, NATURE CENTER, SHOPPING
Memberships and renewals…just
UPCOMING EVENTS…
We’ve adopted a highway!
The Friends of Turkey Run and Shades are now the proud stewards of a stretch of highway 47 in front of the Turkey Run State Park and campgrounds. As part of the Adopt A Highway program, we will be conducting roadside cleanups twice a year.
The first one is scheduled for Saturday, March 21 at 10 a.m. Contact Greg Oskay at goskay25@att.net for more info and to sign up to help.
West Central Indiana Master Naturalist Workshop starts April 9 (schedule/registration form is attached)
The West Central Indiana Master Naturalist Workshop starts on Thursday, April 9th and will continue for a total of ten afternoon classes, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, on Thursdays through June 11th. The Indiana Master Naturalist program is sponsored by Indiana Soil & Water Conservation Districts, Purdue Extension, and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources with the mission to bring together natural resources specialists with adult learners to foster an understanding of Indiana’s plants, water, soils and wildlife, and promote volunteer service within the State of Indiana. For more information about the Indiana Master Naturalist program see www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/6321.htm .
The West Central IMN Workshop will rotate between Parke (Turkey Run State Park Nature Center), Vigo (Dobbs Park) and Vermillion (Clinton Public Library) Counties. Classes include the following general topics: botany, zoology, people and natural resources, water resources, geology, and an elective class. See the attached “Announcing 2026 West Central IMN Workshop” pdf for details and the registration form.
This course is open to all adults that have an interest and would like to learn more about Indiana’s natural resources and no previous naturalist experience is required. There is a registration fee of $60 per person and a discount for couples ($90 per couple sharing materials), which covers the costs of all books, materials, and other fees. However, the Turkey Run State Park entry fee (or a 2026 State Park Pass) is required for the classes held there. The number of participants is limited and will be taken on a first-come first-served basis. The deadline for registration is April 1st
Phillip W Cox
Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator
Purdue Extension - Vermillion County
703 West Park St., Suite #1
Cayuga, IN 47928
765-492-5335
Love spring wildflowers? Join a local group for the FLORATHON!
Friends member Jean Turnmire will once again be hosting spring wildflower hikes during the month of April. Check out https://www.in.gov/dnr/ for dates and times.
ALSO…
Jean hopes to put together a group (or groups) to join in the yearly FLORATHON hosted by the Indiana Native Plant Society. The object of the event is for teams of two to six people, traveling together, to visit natural areas in Indiana during a 24-hour period of their choosing. This year’s dates are from Wednesday, April 1, through Sunday, May 31, 2026. The challenge is to identify as many native wildflower species in flower as they can and report their findings back to the INPS.
Click on the link below for more information:
https://indiananativeplants.org/inps-sponsored-events/florathon/
Our Organization
FRIENDS OF TURKEY RUN AND SHADES STATE PARKS (FTRSSP)
Find out about our mission, methods, and the results of our years of advocacy.
“Working with the Friends group makes me feel a bit of ownership of these remarkable parks... like I get to see ‘behind the scenes’ of Mother Nature’s greatness.”
OUR GROUP’S GROWING!
As you can see we’re bigger and better than ever. There’s no better time to join our Friends group and choose where (or how much) you’d like to get involved. We’d love to see more families join. It’s a great way to teach your kids how to take care of and respect this incredible planet we share.
Take Action
Ready to take the next step? You can become a contributor to our cause, or participate yourself by becoming an active member.
Our parks,
Our Friends group is lucky enough that we get to help with not one, but two of the best, most beautiful state parks in Indiana. We like to say “Same creek, same Friends.”
Sugar Creek and its tributaries flow through both of our parks and are credited with the awe-inspiring canyons, cliffs and waterfalls along their rocky shores. As temperatures soar, floating on tubes, canoes or kayaks are popular attractions.
Hiking is another activity that brings visitors to our parks. In fact, both parks are ranked high for having some of the best trails in the midwest.
Shades is often referred to as the more laid-back of the two parks. It boasts spectacular views, natural springs, and rock formations along its miles of trails. It offers primitive campsites and picnic shelters for those looking for a quieter setting. Shades also has some of the darkest skies in Indiana making it attractive to astronomy enthusiasts.
Turkey Run is the second state park formed in Indiana in 1916 to preserve its glacial formations and heavy forestation. The park boasts a number of historic structures and examples of construction done by the CCC in the mid 1930s. Accommodations offered are the Turkey Run Inn and cabins, campgrounds both primitive and electric, and shelter houses for day use.
Contact Us
Park Hours
Daily 7am–11pm
Hiking trails open dawn to dusk
Phone
765-597-2654
turkeyrunandshadesfriends@gmail.com
Facebook
Friends of Turkey Run & Shades State Parks
Locations
Turkey Run State Park 8121 E. Park Road
Marshall, IN 47859
Shades State Park 7751 S. 890 W.
Waveland, IN 47989