Morgan-Monroe State Forest

The forest and grounds are amazing, as is the camping area playground. The outhouses are ... outhouses. A very nice new building with nice, large and handicapped-accessible bathrooms with multiple stalls, set up such that the building could be locked and the bathrooms still be accessible was just built - the bathrooms are off a foyer between man-trap style double doors. Inexplicably, the outermost set of doors is locked at night and well into the morning - well after most campers will have left, cutting off access to these bathrooms. You would think a park with extremely well-appointed office space for as many as fifty park service employees would have better facilities accessible to guests at all hours. There are no shower facilities, water or electrical hookups available for the camp sites.

Absolutely beautiful!! It could use more park benches along the paths so people can sit down..

Scenic forest with miles of hiking trails and a 5 mile paved multi-use (bike) trail. Mason Ridge campground offers about 2 dozen small quiet and maintained sites.

Excellent hiking trails with varied terrain.

Why did I wait fifty years of my life to visit the morgan-monroe state forest it is such a beautiful treasure in our state

Explored a hidden cemetery, did a tree identification trail, checked out the park office, a few other things and really enjoyed ourselves. Used to go here a lot, need to start back up more often.

Love both Three Lakes Loop and Low Gap Trails. Beautiful park, no charge to get in or camp in the backcountry on the Low Gap. Tecumseh trail goes through partly on the Low Gap

Beautiful. Less people than Brown County- not bad to bring a 4 wheel drive though...

Great trails. Love our public lands.

Beautiful scenery, but very badly marked trails. Hard to relax and enjoy if youre always wondering if youre going the right way. Ended up hiking much farther than planned, which wouldnt have been so bad, except my 7 year old was getting really tired.

One of my favorite hiking places, we go at least once a month if not more

Its always awesome...

Great place to camp and enjoying the forest. Many native plants and trees.

Great place to go.to be with nature So so beautiful lots & lots of open spaces.They have trails,park area with swings & stuff.!Has many different sites you can camp at overnight.They put wood in the little pit so you can have a campfire.The have shelter houses and picnic tables and the best outhouses

It was really beautiful! The map they gave was awful! The trails are not marked by trail name only that youre on a trail. So of course we got lost! What was supposed to be a short hike, ended up lasting over 6 hours and over 10miles! We were worried we would still be in the woods after dark! If you go here, get your own trail map a head of time. Allow the whole day, bring extra shoes because we had to walk through streams.

I liked it better before they gentrified it and paved the trails. Now its just a bunch of Patagonia wearing tourists taking up space and littering on the trails. So sad. Used to be a decent place to hunt, fish and get away from the crowds. Now its another strip mall version of a natural space.

We love to hike any part of this place.

Hidden gem! Go there only if you like to be and feel challenged! Otherwise, please, dont.

MMSF is pretty much my go-to park for hiking and general forest-bathing experience of any time. Its by far the best CLOSE park to the Indy / central Indiana area. It offers a wide variety of terrain types, trail lengths, plant / tree / wildlife varieties, its free, and isnt laden with all the state park B.S. Its also never as crowded as any of the state parks & rec areas though recent years have seen significantly increased numbers of hikers.My favorite area is the Back Country Area at the far east side of the park across Low-Gap Rd. (If my memory is correct). The parking area isnt particularly easy to find but worth the search. The trails, terrain, and beauty of this area are among the best in the park and (hopefully I dont screw it up with this review) also among the least populated by hikers & campers ... Shhhhh!Just off the main forest road, the Stepp Family Cemetery is always an attraction for the historically minded as well as ghost hunters. There are some great sighting reports the a quick Google search will turn up.The biggest down-side IMO is the logging that continually is changing the landscape and ruining trail vistas. I completely get (and support) the need for logging both from a forest management standpoint (though thats relatively minor)as well as the need for materials. I just have the opinion that its not being done well at MMSF and, at the very least, creates a LOT of eye-sore spots along some of the major trails. However it doesnt change my opinion of the park or my desire to be there as often as possible.

Best kept secret in Indiana, watch out for Copper Heads and Timber Rattlesnakes. If you are feeling brave visit the haunted Stepp Cemetery. I will say that since they have paved the trail many people with dogs walking them. Some have great manors, some do not.

Super nice trails for walk and bike. Big park, beautiful woods. Sometimes the trail can be muddy. Walking trails are not clearly marked.

Great trails.

Great place to hike. Long trails, deep forests and hills.

Ive done low gap trail 5 times now as a trail runner. I love it so much I havent done any other trail there. I plan to do three lakes here soon.Low Gap is a 10.2 mile trail. Ive found the best route is to park on the south end low gap trail head. Here you can do back country camping on the east side of low gap road.From that trail head go west. Youll cross the street and immediately begin a climb. It is the perfect warm-up for the legs.You will end up crossing low gap road on the north end more than 6 miles later.Youll start with a lot of single track and mostly hilly. Youll pass a trail head for the Mason ridge trail and parking for the three lakes trail.About 2.5 miles of the trail is rocky service road. The back country part of the trail is my favorite. There is a beautiful flatter part where it feels like youre dodging trees.It will end with a steep uphill and back down.

Most relaxing, inexpensive family getaway by far! Free entry & $13/night at family campground.

Beautiful park! The 10 mile trails are worth the hike

Beautiful park with great trails for any skill level. There are also paved trails suitable for strollers and bicycles.

Love the bike and hiking trails! Great for our little family!

Loved this place! Very peaceful and accessible.

It was so peaceful relaxing .... Visit..

Awesome new park office and loads of hiking opportunities.

Has to be one of my favorite places! So many trails and so many hidden treasures. Stepp cemetery, Draper Cabin, Goethe Link observatory. Glad theyre updating things!

Visited for Run with the Foxes Half Marathon in May. A beautiful area for running or hiking. Well worth the drive for anyone in the area.

Great park alot of trail to hike

Nice and very beautiful place

Beautiful piece of untouched nature!

One of my favorite places to hike.

Wonderful Forrest!! Nice new asphalt trail for handicapped access and/or people who have trouble walking on uneven surfaces. Trails arent always well marked and maps are pretty confusing, but it is a rarely crowded large chunk of very nice forest.

Great bike path

Great trails and lots of good birds and wildflowers.

Its a beautiful park to visit also Stepp cemetery is cool.

Its a great place to hike with some LONG trails that really make you feel accomplished at the end. Even has a paved trail for those who may not be able to handle rough terrain. Also no entry fees whatsoever!

Beautiful forest with hiking trails, lakes, picnic/shelters, etc. And not overly visited by tourists.

Beautiful place.

Love this forestry for hiking. Its so serene and the primitive trails are the best.

If you are looking for a place to hike, camp, fish, or explore. This is the place to do it. Either alone, with family, children, or a group of friends. You can start your trail-head here and end up in Brown County State Park, or just go around a few bends and twist and end up in the same spot. All depends on what you want to do. Come play on the play ground or explore some of the many short trails you can take your children on. Spot a deer, see a fox, hear and owl.

Great hikes and picnic areas. New park office is super nice with exhibits.

Love this place great trails

Gorgeous, quiet, lovely, nature abounds here. In summer, the foliage provides shade from the heat of the day...in autumn, the leaves are every shade of og that season, from crimson to gold. Highly recommended!

The low gap is a challenging trail. In the heat. But enjoyed the trip and backpacking.will go back soon.

Its a creepy haunted forest with lots of hidden bodies. Have had lots of paranormal activity happen here with me. Beautiful scenery and a great experience in the daytime.

Great place love it

The Morgan-Monroe Forest / Park

Free entry, well maintained trails. Great place to get the family outdoors.

Two 10 mile trails that are great for Indiana.

Its so Amazing an peacefull clears your mind, body an soul, so if you havent gone do go it a Break away from the world an its madness lol

Beautiful place. Amazing scenery. Its Indiana at its best. Plenty of other places to explore in this beautiful state/region also. Just enjoy being with the great outdoors.

Great long hiking trails with good elevation. Good Backcountry tent sites.

Forestry seminar was excellent, great lodging/meeting facility for the conference.

Great place to hike

Amazing localition for trail run

Nice new visitors center.

Good for finding gold if you know where to ho

Just send it

I always have such an amazing time at MMSF. With the free year-round camping in the Back Country Area, it’s easy to keep up on my outdoor skills, and pass the knowledge on to less experienced outdoorsman. Such a safe and pristine environment! Wether it’s 17° and snowing in January, or raining and humid in June I will always choose MMSF for my outdoor experiences!!

Its a quiet and beautiful place

Good ten mile 3 Lakes Trail. Confusing in 2 spots but otherwise well marked. Hard to find access points to trails initially. Weird gravel road in the middle of park? Didnt see any critters on the trail.

Lots of great trails, well maintained and rarely crowded

A nice place to go hiking. We wanted to start on the Tecumseh trail but it was closed so we walked across the road and went for a walk down some trail (I forgot its name) that was only 1.5 miles one way but it was easy. Id really like to come back and try the other longer trails.

Super Turtle vs Hawk and saying Mother Turtle

Absolutely beautiful Kentucky of Indiana

Pretty scenery but enter knowing that the roads are in very poor shape.

Beautiful park!

I love Morgan- Monroe. It has several trails but my favorites are 3 lakes loop ( although there is only 2 lakes ) and Low Gap. Both are about 10 miles. This place is beautiful year round and never too many people. If you love to go to Brown County in the Fall to see the leaves, consider coming here instead. I think its more beautiful AND less people!

Amazing place we dudnt see any staff at all. Dropped off money for camping into a pipe that was locked at bottom. So bring cash!

Variety of paths for all types of hiking!

Great place to camp

Great place for some quiet time.

Great place, beautiful forest. Not many people and a nice quiet place. Also the place I had a Bigfoot sighting.

Went camping with the kids here, it was awesome. They have large camp sites and lots of trails. There were only 2 other people camping which was pretty neat.

Hiked the Low Gap trail in late Oct (for the 6th time this year) and was pleasantly surprised that the brush had been cleaned out near the Rock Shelter and a downed tree was removed that was blocking the trail. Kudos to the Hoosier Hiking Council for a job well done! The fall colors were spectacular.

Nothing there. 1 shelter house.

Beautiful forest with very few people! Phone service is pretty spotty, so have your GPS set before you drive in because its very easy to get lost.

Its a FOREST. FEW PEOPLE.Peace and quiet.Its a place to get out of yourself.Stop wasting your PRECIOUS time and slow down for a day. 30 minutes? 5?Perhaps youll find you no longer need that psychiatrist, that anti-anxiety pill or antidepressant.Just dont go out while I am thereUnless youd like to meet an attack chihuahua and rottweiler......*IM NOT A MEDICAL DOCTOR SO DO NOT STOP YOUR MEDS BY YOURSELF JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE ON GOOGLE TOLD YOU YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO!! BESIDES, I STILL NEED MINE...

Large park. Had a nice hike. Beautiful forest!

Best place to find shrooms

Hiking and lots of sight seeing. Had a great day

This is the closest place to Indianapolis I know where you can backcountry camp. Trails are legit. Campgrounds are legit. A great place if you live in Indianapolis and you want a close overnight park experience.

Its a great place to get away and enjoy nature, peace and quiet. The bathrooms are descent, shelter houses provide water, power, grills. Its very well kept up on!

I grew up running the forrest the roads are a little rough but its a great place to go fish hike camp take photos of wildlife. I love renting the cabin its a great place for qetting away. Would have given 5 stars but went fishing recently at Cherry Lake my fav. to fish at. While leaving on of the rangers informed me the geese and ducks that were down there were dumped i said maybe i can find them a home since theyre domestic not wild. He said i dont know id have to approve it for he said now they dont want you to feed them. They can stay threre until they becom racoon food his words. That was upsetting to hear from someone who is supposed to take care of wildlife very disturbing to me should be to others as well.... wont be going there as much any more think Ill start going to YELLOW WOOD STATE FORREST boat rental hiking camping fishin beautiful scenery and very nice ataff... No Ranger telling you theyre going to let poor defenseless domestic ducks and geese just get killed or worse starve or freeze this winter dont want to see that. What a shame i used to have the highest reguard for this place and the staff... After that meeting with the Ranger not so much any more.........

The trails arent very maintained and not clearly marked.

Beautiful and so much to keep you and your youngsters busy.

In spite of traffic screwed up by the state for 4 years on I69, it is,worth the effort to go. As a state forest, there arent a ton of amentities but the ones they have are terrific...hiking, picnic area, small fishing lake

Roads when first entering the park are rough, other than that great trails, not many people out there and very quiet.

There could definitely be better signage on the trails, but the forest is nice. There are two 10 mile hikes if you want something longer.

Its a state forest...go, visit, respect it ..have fun

Beautiful and serene

Great place to spend the day, family reunions, camping, hiking, fishing, nature, hunting our just chilling. So much to do and not enough time....

I love coming to lake Monroe. The fishing is awesome

Staff was extreamly polite & we have never had a complaint. Well other the the rocky road we came up. Seemed to be destroyed. Not a safe route for motorcycles or scooters.