ABOUT INDIANA STATE PARKS

• There is an Indiana State Park within an hour of every Hoosier.
• Division of State Parks has 36 properties, 7 state park inns and 170,000 acres of land and water.
• The number of properties the Division manages has increased from 27 to 36 since 1988, while the number of full-time staff has increased from 385 to 407 positions.
• State Parks staff oversee and care for more than 2,273 buildings and structures, 807 miles of trails, 631 inn rooms and 8,098 campsites, plus the supporting infrastructure.
• The Division supplements operations with 18 part-time positions and approximately 1,100 temporary positions during the spring, summer and fall.
• More than 180 state and federally listed threatened and endangered species are found in Indiana State Parks.
• Approximately 91% of Indiana State Parks’ operating costs are generated by user fees. Only 9% comes from the State’s General Fund through taxes.
• Indiana’s state parks host approximately 15-16 million visits annually by Hoosiers and guests from other states and countries.
• State Park revenue for entrance and camping fees in 2018 included $5.4 million from out-of-state visitors.
• Indiana Parks Alliance estimates that the deferred maintenance needs in state parks exceeds $100 million.

ABOUT INDIANA STATE-OWNED NATURE PRESERVES

• Nature Preserves are the most widely distributed system of protected lands in Indiana, with preserves in 70 of Indiana’s 92 counties.
• Of the 213 state endangered plants, 182 are found on these nature preserves.
• Of Indiana’s 288 nature preserves, 38 of them are located within state parks, and 71 are directly managed by the Division of Nature Preserves ecologists.
• Division of Nature Preserves owned and managed properties have increased from 17 in 1988 to 71 today.
• Trails and parking lots afford visitors a chance to experience prairies, old-growth forests, cypress swamps, cedar glades and various types of wetlands.
• Forty-four of the 71 properties directly managed by the Division have no parking lots or trails, and are thus inaccessible by the public.
• There are 8 regional ecologists who care for this widely spread system of nature preserves.
• In 2018, the Regional Ecologists conducted invasive species control and prescribed burns on 5,000 acres.

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HERE ARE 12 WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT INDIANA STATE PARKS AND NATURE PRESERVES:

#1. Buy an annual entrance pass, lake permit, horse or bicycle tag or camp, swim and picnic at Indiana State Parks. Over 90% of parks’ operating budget is funded through income from fees and permits/passes. The operating budget pays for staffing, utilities and supplies. The rest (less than 10%) comes from appropriations through the State’s General Assembly. In other words, less than 10% of state parks operating budget is funded by your tax dollars! Your pass purchases matter – buy them at park offices or online at Mother Nature’s Mercantile. (Holiday Gift Packs with annual passes, gift cards and an Outdoor Indiana subscription are available through 12/31/25 or until all are sold, too!)

#2. Buy a hunting and/or fishing license. License revenue is used for managing fish and wildlife resources in Indiana. License sales are a key factor in determining a state’s federal wildlife and sportfish restoration grant apportionments. Those grants also help fund habitat restoration projects at nature preserves and fund a portion of the salaries of assistant managers focused on wildlife management at state parks’ big reservoirs. Learn more and purchase licenses online. 

#3. Join a friends group. Or two!  Friends groups assist properties by volunteering and by funding projects and supplies that support services designed to benefit YOU and enhance your experiences! Connect with a friends group at your favorite park.

#4. Stay at an Indiana State Park Inn. Indiana State Park Inns operational expenses (staffing, supplies, etc.) are 100% covered by your lodging stays, restaurant spending, and gift shop purchases. You can purchase fun gifts, inn gift cards online or at inn gift shops. 

#5. Let your state legislators know that funding for Indiana State Parks and Indiana’s Nature Preserves is important to you. This includes providing operating dollars for staffing and supplies, funding for preventative and deferred maintenance, dollars for invasive species management and natural resources restoration, and funding for construction through capital projects. Find your legislators (Senator and State Representative) to email or call.

#6. Join/support Indiana Parks Alliance. Make an end-of-the-year donation to support our advocacy work or contribute to our Trails for Tomorrow initiative. Visit indianaparksalliance.org. Checks are welcome too! 

#7. Donate to the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation. You can contribute specifically for Indiana State Parks or Indiana’s Division of Nature Preserves or for specific initiatives. 

#8. Send a note or an email to the staff at your favorite state property and tell them you appreciate them. Find property addresses online or in the Indiana Recreation Guide. 

#9. Make a donation directly to your favorite property or program. Donate to a park’s bluebird box in the nature center or see more ways online. Some properties have Amazon wish lists; ask when you visit. 

#10. Introduce someone to a state park or nature preserve. If you know someone who has never visited a park invite them to take a hike, enjoy an inn meal, plan a camping trip, take someone fishing, or take a drive through a park with you. Make sure you pick up an Indiana Recreation Guide for them at a property office or online.  

#11. Send a note or email to Governor Braun. Let him know how much you enjoy and value state parks and nature preserves. 

#12. Sign up for the 2026 Run for the Trees. This 5K, inspired by Bob Ross’ “happy little trees,” supports invasives removal, pollinator habitat, tree planting, and other natural resources management projects at Indiana State Parks.