Right at the Indiana-Kentucky border, there’s a quiet, forested park that offers temporary refuge from the bustle of city life. With views overlooking the Ohio River, this remote Indiana destination is about 60 miles west of Louisville, Kentucky, and a 90-mile drive from Evansville, Indiana. For travelers wanting to spend a quiet night in the woods, hike an isolated trail, or follow waterfalls to reach a tranquil shoreline, Buzzard Roost Recreation Area delivers on all three counts — and for free, at that.
While the trail at Buzzard Roost is less than a mile long, its steep descent down to the river makes it more challenging than its length would suggest. Near the start of the trail is a wooden platform that presents a vista of the Ohio River and the Kentucky fields beyond it. There are also benches nearby where visitors can rest and potentially catch boats on the water. Intrepid hikers willing to brave the remainder of the quiet trail can follow it down rocky bluffs to reach the river’s edge, enjoying serenity disrupted only by the sounds of the forest and the occasional river barge.
Visitors who venture down the trail at Buzzard Roost are rewarded with small, picturesque waterfalls as the path winds down to the river. The creek next to the trail is dotted with several tiny falls as the water flows into dips and breaks in the rocky creek bed. Higher elevations of the hiking trail provide a scenic view from above of the largest waterfall in the area, a gentle, tiered cascade. Hikers can follow the trail down to the bottom of the falls and splash in the creek as the water trickles around them.
Camp in the forest at Buzzard Roost Recreation Area
Buzzard Roost Recreation Area is part of Indiana’s Hoosier National Forest, a haven of rolling hills and scenic trails that covers over 200,000 acres of land. While the five campsites at Buzzard Roost don’t come with running water and are therefore considered primitive, they’re easily accessible by car and feature paved pads for tents or small trailers. The camping area does not offer direct views of the river, but both the trailhead and the observation deck are just a short walk away from it. The campsites here are free and do not require reservations. However, because they’re claimed on a first-come, first-served basis, travelers may arrive to find them already occupied — consider hatching a plan for alternative lodgings just in case that happens…