Hoosier National Forest
| Hoosier National Forest | |
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IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)
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Sycamore trail in Hoosier National Forest
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| Location | Indiana, United States |
| Nearest city | Bloomington, IN |
| Coordinates | 38°27′40″N 86°29′38″W / 38.461°N 86.494°WCoordinates: 38°27′40″N 86°29′38″W / 38.461°N 86.494°W |
| Area | 202,814 acres (820.76 km2) |
| Established | October 1, 1961 |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
| Website | Hoosier National Forest |
The Hoosier National Forest is a property managed by the United States Forest Service in the hills of southern Indiana. Composed of four separate sections, it has a total area of 202,814 acres (821 km2; 317 sq mi). Hoosier National Forest's headquarters are located in Bedford, with a regional office in Tell City. Prominent places within the Forest include the Lick Creek Settlement, Potts Creek Rockshelter Archeological Site, and Jacob Rickenbaugh House.
Hoosier National Forest was first touched by humanity 12,000 years ago, when Native Americans in the United States hunted in the forest. Europeans reached the forest in the late 17th century, and began building villages in the forest. Actual lumbering began in the 19th century, with the cutting of more difficult terrain occurring after 1865. By 1910 most of the area had been cut. In the early 1930s the governor of Indiana pushed for the federal government to do something with the eroding lands that saw its residents leaving, with the act being accomplished on February 6, 1935.
Within Hoosier National Forest, two miles (3 km) south of Chambersburg, lies the former Lick Creek Settlement Site, a settlement of free blacks led by the Quaker Jonathan Lindley from around 1819 to around 1865. Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest near Paoli contains an excellent example of virgin forest. Hemlock Cliffs Recreation Area in Crawford County contains one of the most scenic hiking trails in Indiana.
Most of Thomas Hines' Hines' Raid was within the present-day Hoosier National Forest.
Hickory Ridge Lookout Tower is the sole remaining fire tower out of eight that once stood within Hoosier National Forest. When built, there was a two-room house for the ranger and his dependents to live within, but it has since been destroyed. Visitors may still climb the tower, but are recommended to be cautious when climbing.
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Wikipedia