All counties should have parks like this.

As we’re camping this Labor Day weekend, I’ve been reflecting on how fortunate Terre Haute is.

When I was a kid, I thought every area had big county parks. I’m not sure when I realized they don’t. It seems unique that Terre Haute and Vigo County  have three parks each with campgrounds.  I truly wish more cities had parks as good as these.

Hawthorne Park is on the city’s east side located north of Rose Hulman Institute of Technology. During the school year, you may even hear fans cheering during football games.

The park features two lakes. The smaller Burns Lake has numerous spots for fishing plus a kayak launch. The campground borders this lake.  A larger lake lies to the east in the JI Case Wildlife Refuge, wetlands for migratory waterfowl that attaches to Hawthorne.

Campground

Camping during a holiday weekend means crowds. Campers respect quiet hours and locusts overtake the sound of rambunctious children at night. Despite the proximity to a top notch engineering school and the city of Terre Haute, Hawthorne often feels farther away than it is.

The campground itself features many electric sites, some with water as well. The rear section is reserved for the sturdier tent camping primitive crowd. In my younger years, that was me. Now I prefer a mattress and electric coffee maker. 

Last year brought about a cabin by the lake. Most of the sites are level and several are pull through. I always find those awkward since it feels like the camper faces the wrong direction.

The entrance of the campground includes a small playground. By small, I mean two swings and a couple spinning things. A full featured playground is found elsewhere in the park.

Cell service is great in the park, including the campground. I have no problems with AT&T and friends on other networks report no problems. H and K are on T-Mobile and always have good service. The tree cover may interfere with satellite Internet though.

Hiking

Hawthorne Park has long been one of my favorite hiking spots. While it doesn’t have the majestic views of a western park or the challenging climbs of even Turkey Run, it does have variety and interesting lakes.

The loop around the JI Case Wildlife Refuge is home to many native species. Geese are almost always present and great blue herons can often be spotted.

The park also connects to the Heritage Trail, a paved trail that extends east to west for 9 miles. The trail connects to three city parks, Rose Hulman campus, Indiana State University campus, and West Terre Haute.

Kayaking

We often enjoy kayaking both lakes though the larger lake in JI Case has more flora than we’d prefer (read: a bunch of gunk on the water).

After nearly breaking my foot on a slippery boat ramp, I will take a kayak launch any day. The smaller lake has one. The only problem is that it’s also a popular fishing spot. Sorry, folks, that is for kayaks first and fishing second.

It’s not a big lake so there’s not much to kayak. When we explored it though, we found a lot of turtles and a few otters. M even managed to catch a fish in the middle. She still proudly announces that.

Other Notes

Not sure where to throw these in. Hawthorne Park just has a lot going for it. A large field by the playground usually has soccer goals out. An outdoor gym is next to the playground as well.

An archery range is also available. Just raise the flag when you use it.

A shelter provides great viewing of the wetlands for watching migratory waterfowl.