Brown County State Park in Indiana, USA - map and visitor information

Research checked: 2026-10-30. Check linked official notices before travel.

Brown County State Park near Nashville, Indiana, offers wooded hills, historic park structures and routes for several walking abilities. Choose the entrance before driving: every RV and vehicle towing a trailer must use the west gate. Scheduled deer-management hunts also close the park to general visitors in late 2026.

Match the trail to the group

Friends Trail is a short paved route with benches and a viewpoint on flat ground. The two-mile CCC Trail adds stone bridges, stairways and retaining walls behind the lodge. Around Strahl Lake, distinguish the easier shoreline walk from the challenging half-mile spur to the Nature Center.

Know before you go

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

Use the correct gate and avoid damaged areas

All RVs and vehicles with trailers must enter at the west gate on SR 46. The north entrance has a covered bridge with a nine-foot clearance and three-ton limit. Follow the park’s entrance alerts rather than an unsuitable GPS route.

The 2025 tornado left debris and damaged trees in part of the park. Respect closures and avoid damaged areas. Check the 2026 hunt notice before choosing a November or early-December visit.

Keep to marked routes

Stay on marked trails through the forest and ravines. The CCC structures and planted slopes form part of the park’s historic landscape. Enjoy them from the established routes rather than cutting across slopes.

Select the campground and winter service level

Use the authorized Brown County booking page for actual site availability and the total charge. Electric sites can be booked up to six months ahead. A year-round camping listing does not override the public hunt closures.

Find the west or north entrance near Nashville

West gate: 1405 State Road 46 West, Nashville, IN 47448. North gate: 1801 State Road 46 East. Use the property map for the selected trailhead and return route. RVs and all vehicles towing trailers must use the west gate.

Two other protected areas within driving reach

Yellowwood State Forest is at 772 Yellowwood Lake Road near Nashville. Monroe Lake has several recreation areas around Bloomington, including Paynetown and Fairfax. Choose the intended lake access area before setting navigation.

Build a day around a walk and interpretation

• Start with Friends Trail for an easier paved outing.
• Walk CCC Trail to see surviving park engineering.
• Visit the Nature Center during its opening hours, or check its program calendar for a guided activity.

Choose services for the season

The Nature Center provides a daytime interpretation stop. For winter campers, Buffalo Ridge has a heated bathhouse and a water-fill station. Raccoon Ridge also lists winter camping, with fewer specified services. Confirm your campground rather than assuming every loop has the same facilities.

About Indiana’s large woodland state park

The park opened in 1929 and protects a landscape of wooded hills and ravines. Indiana DNR manages both its recreation facilities and historic park infrastructure.

A park shaped by Civilian Conservation Corps work

Veterans CCC Company 1557 began work here in June 1934. Workers planted trees on eroded slopes and built shelters, roads, trails and the west lookout tower. Their construction still shapes the visitor experience.

Watch forest and edge habitats

White-tailed deer, gray squirrels and wild turkeys are among the animals recorded in the park brochure. White-breasted nuthatches and other woodland birds provide quieter subjects for a pause along the trail.

Contact

Park office: 812-988-6406. Nature Center: 812-988-5240. Call about entrance conditions, hunt closures or winter campground services before traveling.