Fort Harrison State Park
4.7(5.5K)google
4.4(149)yelp
OutdoorHikingForest
Overview
Fort Harrison, sometimes called Fort Ben, is an Indiana state park located in Lawrence, Indiana, United States, and occupies part of the former site of Fort Benjamin Harrison. The park features a former Citizen's Military Training Camp, Civilian Conservation Corps camp, and World War II prisoner of war camp. There are also picnicking and walking/jogging trails including a connection to the Fall Creek Greenway.
Practical Info
Every day7:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Suggested Duration3-5 hours
Best TimeMid-October for unparalleled autumn leaf-peeping along the Fall Creek Trail, or winter for cross-country skiing. Entering the park on a crisp morning between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM is spectacular; heavy morning mist drifts off the creeks, providing a pristine wilderness vibe and ideal conditions to capture deer roaming the historic military-base-turned-park.
Getting TherePositioned in the northeast Lawrence neighborhood at 6000 Post Rd. Access the park by driving via the I-465 loop to Exit 42 for 56th St East, turn left onto Post Road, and proceed north for 1.5 miles to the main gatehouse. A standard DNR vehicle entrance fee is enforced. The interior features spacious paved parking lots at all trailheads.
Travel Tips
- Select loop roads and technical mountain bike trails face unannounced physical shutdowns during late autumn deer reduction hunting seasons and heavy winter blizzards. Check active trail status reports online.
- Sections of Fall Creek Trail experience severe bank erosion. Clay paths become dangerously slick post-rain along unfenced drops; families should strictly stick to the paved, flat Harrison Trace trail loop.
- The onsite Fort Golf Resort and Saddle Barn operate under independent private concessions. Their operational hours and fees are excluded from state park passes; horseback riding requires separate phone bookings.
Reviews
Positive
- This state park converted from an old military base boasts diverse scenery! Towering mature trees, shimmering creeks, and pretty ponds offer high visual value.
- Interior infrastructure is meticulously kept, featuring a top-tier modern golf course (The Fort), clear signs, and spotlessly clean accessible restrooms at camps.
- Superb for driving visits and hiking! It holds multiple perfectly paved bike and hike trails, and its close proximity to downtown Indy yields great convenience.
- Visitor density is distributed sensibly; despite weekend picnic crowds driving in, the vast lawns and thick woods preserve a rare, peaceful, raw nature vibe.
Heads up
- During humid, rainy summer seasons, dense tree canopies and creeks turn lower trails into breeding grounds for mosquitoes and ticks; treading without heavy spray is impossible.
- The entrance fee per vehicle charges slightly higher rates for out-of-state license plates, making cross-country road-trippers feel the pricing policy lacks equal value.
- On busy weekend and holiday lunch hours, parking slots closest to the scenic creek shelters and playground fill instantly, leaving late arrivals circling for a while.
- Except for a few vending machines, the park lacks hot food, coffee, or bottled water concessions; day-trippers must drive in packed with all their own food.