Hiking in the Hoosier National Forest on the Pate Hollow Trail.
This trail is located in the Paynetown recreation area near Monroe Lake in Bloomington Indiana.
I grew up in Bloomington but was not aware of this trail so on a very nice warm September day I decided to try it out. It is a 7.7 mile loop that winds through the Hoosier National Forest and has access to Monroe Lake about half way through the trail. The trail head is located directly behind the Paynetown recreational area department of natural resources office and there is plenty of parking. The address is 4850 S State Road 446 Bloomington, Indiana 47401. The phone number is (812) 837-9546. There is a water source and restroom at the office.
One of the things I loved about this trail was that it was well maintained and had gentle elevation gain (probably less than 75 feet). I also enjoyed being able to have my lunch right on the shore of the lake. The trees were absolutely gorgeous on this day and there was a slight breeze. On this hike I was testing out a brand new pair of Merrill Ventilator Mid hiking boots and could not believe how comfortable they were. I filmed the video and took the pictures with a Nikon 1 J1 camera with the kit lens.
I would recommend this trail to anyone who may be a beginner or to someone who just wants a simple relaxing walk in the woods without too much effort or strain. I did run across an older gentleman on the trail and he seemed to be in his 60 to 70s. The funny thing is I also ran into him on a later trail at the Charles C. Deam Wilderness and he recognized me and we chatted briefly. I would say this was one of the best hiking trails in the Hoosier National Forest in my opinion. If you enjoy outdoor recreation, you will definitely enjoy this.
For more information about the trail click here:
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Pate Hollow Trail | Hoosier National Forest
Our #optoutside hike on Black Friday, Catfish and Cliffdweller go on a 6 mile hike in the northern most reaches of the Hoosier National Forest, going up and down the rolling hills while avoiding deer hunters!
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Return to the Pate Hollow Trail in the Hoosier National Forest
This past weekend, I took my kids on a day hike on one of my favorite trails in the Hoosier National Forest. The Pate Hollow Trail. This trail is located near Bloomington Indiana. The weather was very sunny and about 63 degrees but very windy. It was a great day to be out in the woods with family. I highly recommend this trail
Still photography by: Caleb Colbert
Pate Hollow.mp4
Geocaching in the snow on the Pate Hollow Trail south of Bloomington Indiana with the IU Geocaching Club.
Pate Hollow Trail May 3, 2015
Pate Hollow Trail...the forgotten trail. This 7.7 mile hike-only trail is a nice hike through mixed hardwoods with views of Lake Monroe. An old road serves as an inner connector for those desiring a shorter hike. There are maps at the trailhead in a box at the sign located at the Paynetown State Recreation Area managed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resource (DNR). This trail is a joint effort between the Hoosier National Forest and the Indiana DNR.
The beginning of the trail (going south) is an up/down hike and there are other locations where there are elevation changes but they are not too bad. There are about three different places where there are switchbacks.
In fall, expect to see turkey! FYI: there are snakes in this area too.
Springtime 2013 on The Pate Hollow Trail
Latest trip in Indiana, Stacey and I hit Pate Hollow on Lake Monroe for a quick overnight. Turtles, Snakes and Catfish for dinner. (we only ate the Catfish, LOL) Mature Hardwoods and some really nice lake shore shots. Fishing at Sunset and Frogs in the dark. New Music too. Check it out.
See ya later,
Randall
Hiking the Tipsaw Lake Trail in the Hoosier National Forest
This is a day hike I did on the Tipsaw Lake Trail in the Hoosier National Forest. This was an awesome day to be out for a hike as the weather was sunny and reached right up around 50 degrees. The trail winds around the 131 acre Lake Tipsaw and is part of the Tipsaw Recreation Area. This area boasts activities such as camping, hiking, fishing, mountain biking, canoeing, swimming, boat launching, horse riding etc.
As I said before this was an awesome day to do a hike and the trail did not disappoint.There are three trail heads for this trail and only one of them requires a fee. It is the one located within the recreation area. I chose the very farthest north trail head which is located off county road 503. It is the very first trail head you come to and is very well marked. For a map of the trail go to this location:
The interesting thing about this trail is that eventually it opens up to a spill way and it gives you an amazing view of the lake and surrounding woods. As I said in the video, this trail is probably my third favorite one so far. The other two favorite trails are the Pate Hollow trail ( and the Hitz-Rhodehamel trail ( .
I would recommend this trail for beginners to intermediate. The hills are rolling but the elevation is gentle and there are plenty water sources on the trail with various creeks as well as around the camping areas and even a dedicated water source at the trail head. Restroom facilities are also located near the camping area. Go see this beautiful area. It is a wonderful experience.
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The Peninsula Trail Overnighter
This past weekend, a few awesome folks from my Outdoor Adventure Life Facebook Group got together for an overnighter on the shores of Lake Monroe near Bloomington Indiana. We took the Peninsula trail five miles from the Grubb Ridge Trailhead in the rain. The Peninsula Trail is one of the best Indiana Hiking Trails, and is very popular. When we arrived, the rain had stopped, the sun came out, and we enjoyed some pretty fantastic weather and fun. There were other YouTubers in attendance such as
Bryan Riddle:
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BrianWest58:
John Anderson:
It was a really good time with some of the nicest people I have ever met. My Facebook Group will be doing more events and if you would like to join the group (as it is a closed group) Please send me a message on here and I will try to add you. Here is the link to the group:
Please have some indication on your facebook profile that you like the outdoors (even a cover picture of a mountain will do). We ask this because I only want outdoor enthusiasts to join. I want people who are passionate about getting out and exploring.
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BACKPACKING the Hoosier National Forest!
Overnight trip in the Hoosier National Forest. Please like, comment, subscribe. Thanks!
HNF Camping
Hoosier National Forest Camping Trip
The Road to Bloomington IN
It's mid-October and we're taking Highway 46 to Bloomington Indiana. Nice and scenic, no? (That's Noah's Ark Was A Spaceship in the background, btw.)
Hemlock Cliffs Special Area and Trail in the Hoosier National Forest
This is video of the Hemlock Cliffs Special Area and Trail in the Hoosier National Forest. This is a 1.2 mile trail that leads around and into a box canyon. Recently, I spent a night in the canyon and I went a little insane lol. You can look for that video right here:
The canyon is an interesting mix of honey combed sandstone and the rocks can be very slippery when wet so use caution. There is a small trickle waterfall as you can see in the video. The beauty of this area is just phenomenal and I recommend you visit. It is located south of Patoka Lake. Here are directions and coordinates: From SR 237, take Union Chapel Road west 2.6 miles to the intersection with Eckert-Hatfield Roads. Continue on Hatfield Road 2.1 miles to parking area. GPS Coordinates: Lat- 38o 16' 38.777N Long- 86o 32' 20.317W
Lush vegetation is found along the cliffs, waterfalls and canyon floor. Hemlock, a tall evergreen with short needles and small cones, thrives in the canyon’s cool climate. Wintergreen, a rare plant, is also found here. Wild geranium, French’s shooting star, mountain laurel, and liverwort are some of the other plants of interest found here.
The trail can get steep but overall it is a nice hike with a really great landscape to view.
#thathikingguy
Hitz Rhodehamel Woods Nature Preserve Hiking
This was a three mile hike my daughter and I did in the Hitz-Rhodehamel Woods Nature Preserve near Bean Blossom Indiana. The Trail Head is located off of Freeman Ridge Road. The trail head has a screened in area for I guess staying away from bugs lol.
This trail was created by a partnership between The Nature Conservancy and The Hoosier Hikers Council. It is a three mile loop with a half mile starter trail. The first part of the trail follows along the top of a ridge and has spectacular views even when the leaves are not on the trees. It is very well marked with fresh white diamond blazes and initially the elevation is minimal. At around mile two, the elevation increases some as you have descended into a valley are working your way back up the other side. At approximately mile 2.75, the elevation becomes a little steeper but would still be in the moderate area.
My daughter and I enjoyed this hike very much. It was a beautiful day and perfect for a pleasant walk in the woods. The trail reminded me of another surprisingly beautiful hike I did in the Hoosier National Forest on the Pate Hollow Trail. You can find the video of that hike right here:
For more information about the Hoosier Hikers Council go to this link:
For more information about The Nature Conservancy go to this link:
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Fall Hike On Bloodroot Trail
An awesome fall hike and camping with some other cool backpackers on Bloodroot Trail at Salamonie Resevoir in Indiana.
Hoosier National Forest
Exploring the Hoosier National Forest.
Prange Pond June 2013
New Video of one of my latest trips with Stacey. We go from Yellowwood Lake in Brown County, Indiana to Prange pond on the Tecumseh Trail. Rain, thunder and the deep, dark green of the Hoosier Hardwoods in full summer bloom. Just a quick overnighter, but we meet up with some of our old friends along the way and Stacey does a very bad thing. Check it out.
Green's Bluff Nature Preserve near Bloomington Indiana
Just a quick video (not sure why I recorded sideways) of the Green's Bluff trail.
Directions and more information can be found in the link below:
Official Website:
Hoosier National Forest 10-26-14 Sycamore Loop
This is a beautiful hike it's 6.3 miles long. We went in the fall and the foliage was superb. About a third of the trail has towering white pine trees and tall sycamore trees hence the name of the loop. Before you get to the trail head you can climb up The Hickory Ridge fore tower to take in the beautiful view from up there, it's worth it. Great trail we plan on taking other trails in the Hoosier National Forest up to Lake Monroe.
Hoosier National Forest: Charles C. Deam Wilderness
This two-night backpacking adventure took us along the Sycamore Loop trail, with a day hike north toward Monroe Lake, which is really a reservoir.