This past weekend I spent several glorious days at Spring Mill State Park, my most favorite place in Indiana. It’s about 2 hours away, which is a convenient enough drive for a Friday afternoon. And with very little effort one finds oneself whisked away into an idyllic getaway. Comfortable rooms in the historic inn, fabulous food (including the delicious oatmeal pie!) and miles of trails make for a wonderful weekend.
One of the reasons I love Spring Mill so much is because the whole park is heavily forested and the trails meander through some of the most breath-taking scenery. Up and down hills, along river beds, around lakes, through fallen trees… the trails bring you up close to all the wonders of the woodlands.
We were blessed with a brief reprieve in the harsh coldness of recent days, and Sat and Sun had highs near 50 and it was sunny! It was perfect hiking weather (with a coat, a scarf, bootwarmers, and a hat). This is the park’s slow season, so we had the trails primarily to ourselves and it was very soothing to experience the forest in all its quiet grandeur.
Spring Mill has the oldest trees in the state, with a large tract of land preserved virgin forest which has never been cut. It’s a thrilling experience to be in the company of these magnificent ancient trees. In the winter, the bare branches make striking displays against the sky and withered leaves cling to some of the trees like tattered garments. As always, moss was abundant and quite a few hardy ferns were still lush and green. It was a great weekend to rest, be quiet, and enjoy the company of trees.
Blessings to you,
Sarah
anordinarymiracleday 
Sounds like a great weekend getaway. 50 is idyllic! I would love to see virgin forest – a place where the trees were never cut is a dream to me. Around here, they use the term to mean any trees over 100 years old, which really isn’t the same thing at all!