Jackson-Washington State Forest

Hiking Trails

There are a variety of trails to choose from, ranging from easy to rugged. Hikers should wear hunter orange or other bright clothing, especially during hunting season. Check with forest office for status of trails before hiking. Map .

Horse Trails

Approximately 13.9 total miles of marked trails are available in two separate areas. Horseback riding is permitted only on designated bridle trails. Map .

Camping

Primitive (class C) camping is available for $13 a night (includes tax). Campers can choose from any of the sites (sites 1 and 48 are wheelchair accessible) available sprawling across the landscape surrounded by hills and “knobs”. Some are waterfront sites on Knob Lake while others provide camping among hardwoods or towering eastern white pines. Firewood is located at the forest office for campers at Jackson-Washington for a small fee during business hours only. Firewood is available from Memorial Day weekend through Fort Vallonia Day weekend in late October.

A Youth Tent Campground is available for scouts and other groups. The Youth Camping area is located near the forest office in Jackson County at the trailhead for Trail 3. Backcountry camping is available along the backcountry hiking trail in Washington County, including along the Knobstone Trail also located in Washington County.

Lakes

Five forest lakes are open to fishing; a valid Indiana fishing license is required.

• Washington County Lakes
  Spurgeon Hollow Lake (12 acres)
  Potter Lake (10 acres)
  Plattsburg Pond (8 acres)
• Jackson County Lakes
  Knob Lake (7 acres)
  Cypress Pond (1 acre)

Boat ramps are located on Knob Lake and Spurgeon Hollow Lake; boat motors are limited to electric trolling motors only. Plattsburg Pond and Potter Lake are walk-in lakes. Knob Lake has wheelchair-accessible docks. Swimming is not permitted in any of the lakes. All lakes have been stocked with largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, and channel catfish. All boats require annual lake use permits.

Hunting

Jackson-Washington provides hunting for white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse, eastern wild turkey, rabbit, quail, dove, squirrel, fox, coyote, and raccoon. A valid hunting license is required. Trapping is allowed only by written permit by the property manager.

Archery Range

The archery range provides four targets for shooters to practice from known distances of 15, 20, 30, and 40 yards and seven different target stations of unknown distance to the shooter. The entire range is wooded with each of the seven stations providing a different shooting opportunity, including one (target #7) with an elevated platform to simulate a tree stand shot.

Picnicking

Jackson-Washington offers four shelters that can be reserved through the office for a small fee (Skyline Drive, White Oak, Museum, and Pinnacle). There are several picnic areas located throughout the main forest area including, Knob Lake Dam, Cypress Pond, Skyline Drive, and the CCC playground. A small oven shelter is also available at the CCC playground. All are available on a first-come, first-served basis. All playgrounds are located adjacent to all shelters except the Pinnacle Shelter.

• Area Tourism and Other Links

Hiking Trails

There are a variety of trails to choose from ranging from easy to rugged. Hikers are advised to wear hunter orange or other bright clothing while utilizing the trails, especially during hunting season. Check with forest office for status of trails. Map .

• Trail 1 - Rugged 1.0 mile
  Starts at the CCC picnic/playground area and runs northeast to the old observation tower. From there, it turns north, joins Trail 10 for a short distance, and then angles off again. The last 1/4 mile traverses a steep slope to a scenic vista. Hiking legs and water are recommended. Take your time and enjoy the view! Allow 1 hour of hiking time
• Trail 2 - Moderately Rugged 1.75 miles
  Leaves from the southeast corner of the CCC picnic/playground area. The first climb of the trail rises 360 feet to the top of the highest point in the area: 985 feet above sea level. The trail then heads southeast and winds up and down the ridge. There are some very scenic views of the valley from this trail. Stop at the overlook for a view of the valley east of the state forest. The remainder of the hike runs through some stands of white oak in the valley bottom and ends at the CCC barn. Sturdy hiking boots and water are recommended for this hike; during certain times of the year, wet creek crossings are possible. Allow 2+ hours of hiking time.
• Trail 3 - Moderate 1.0 mile
  Begins behind the CCC barn next to the youth camp. The trail runs along a ridge overlooking the campground, and has a beautiful view of the lake, especially during the fall. The trail ends at the same place as Trail 2 starts. Tennis shoes are adequate for this trail. Allow one hour of hiking time.
• Trail 4 - Easy 3/4 mile
  It begins next to the gatehouse at the forest office and contains a wheelchair-accessible loop that begins and ends at the gatehouse. Follow the signs and look for the posts with the black tops and yellow numbers. Brochures are available at the gatehouse and the information board by Knob Lake dam. Tennis shoes are adequate for this trail. Allow 1/2 hour hiking time.
• Trail 5 - Easy .25 mile
  Lake access fishing trail which runs along the east side of the lake. Access is from the dam on the east side or the northeast corner of the lake. Look for a footbridge as the access point. Numerous fishing places are located along the trail. Bait and fishing tackle are recommended!
• Trail 6 - Moderate 1.75 miles
  Hiking boots are recommended, as some of the creeks may be wet during parts of the year.
• Trail 7 - Rugged 1.7 miles
  Located between the shelterhouse and the fire tower on Skyline Drive. The trail winds up and down through dry sites and wet sites, from flat bottom soils and steep hillsides. Notice the different types of trees that grow in these wide varieties of soils. Sturdy hiking boots and water are recommended; allow two hours to make a round trip on this trail. Hikers may also walk along the paved road of Skyline Drive.
• Trail 8 - Moderately Rugged 5.6 miles
  Trail 8, Turkey Roost Trail, starts across from Vallonia State Tree Nursery next to the green storage building. It is a long trail that will take hikers up and down the knobs and through the valley bottoms. Wildlife habitats have been added along this trail; do not be surprised to see a wild turkey hen or grouse and their chicks, or a deer in a forest opening. Because this trail crosses several creeks, sturdy hiking boots are recommended. Allow four or more hours to hike Trail 8. Orange decals are also used to identify the trail
• Trail 10 - Moderate 3.0 miles
  Trail begins at Knob Lake dam, traverses the ridgeline west of the campground, and includes a few steep hills. The trail turns west into the valley bottom where large trees may be found growing in the fertile soil. Wildlife habitat areas have been added along this trail as well. Hikers are encouraged to take some drinking water on this hike; allow 3 hours to hike this trail.
• Backcountry Trail - Rugged 8 miles
  Located in Washington County. Runs a loop starting at Spurgeon Hollow Lake. The trail is marked with blue blazes on the trees and passes vistas, valleys, and ridgetops. Sturdy hiking boots and drinking water are recommended. Creeks are usually high in the spring. This trail requires about 5+ hours to hike. For a complete topographic map of the Backcountry Trail and backcountry area, purchase the Little York and Kossuth quads from the DNR's publication sales.
• Knobstone Trail - 58 miles
  The Knobstone Trail (KT) is Indiana's longest footpath and a backcountry hiking trail passing through Clark State Forest, Elk Creek Public Fishing Area, and Jackson-Washington State Forest. Learn more.

Mountain Bike Trails

Jackson-Washington S.F./Starve Hollow S.R.A. offers 12.2 miles of mountain bike trails in two different locations. Mountain bikes are only permitted on those designated trails. Map.

Horse Trails

Approximately 13.9 total miles of marked trails in two separate areas. Horseback riding is permitted only on designated bridle trails. All horses brought or ridden to Jackson-Washington State Forest must have a valid annual horse tag which can be purchased at the forest office or at Starve Hollow SRA. Horseback riders are advised to wear hunter orange or other bright clothing while on trails during hunting season. Map .

Trail #1

• Boot Loop (yellow trail marker) 1.8 miles
  Easy. Area has wide trails that run through old field sites, pine plantations, and wildlife ponds. Most of this area of the forest has been harvested to improve the health of the forest.
• Gobblers Loop (red trail marker) 1.9 miles
  Moderate. Trail winds through old field areas, semi-permanent wildlife openings, and bottom land areas that were planted with red oak and sweet gum. Many wild turkeys can be heard or seen during different parts of the day. Most of the trail is wide but does narrow on the northern part of the loop. There are also some short slopes and stream crossings to negotiate.
• White Pine Loop (white trail marker) 1.2 miles
  Moderate. The large area of pine was planted by the CCCs to reforest this old field that had started to erode. The trail is wide except for some areas where it crosses creeks. A couple of slopes must be negotiated along the trail.

Trail #2

• Cedar Tree Loop (blue trail marker) 3.4 miles
  Moderately Rugged. The trail runs through areas of old fields that have large Cedar Trees in them. Sections of the trail run along the ridge top where wildlife openings are located. These openings provide habitat for many game and non-game animals. Morel mushrooms can be found on the ridgetops during the spring months.
• Orchard Ridge Loop (green trail marker) three miles.
  Moderately Rugged. The old field sites were once locations of peach tree orchards. During the fall or early spring, you will notice the old peach tree rows when the leaves are off of the trees. Wildlife openings dot the ridgeline to enhance habitat. Chestnut Oak is the common tree species on the ridge tops while yellow poplar will be seen on the better sites in the old field sites and valley bottoms.
• Turkey Hollow Loop (orange trail marker) 2.4 miles
  Moderately Rugged. This loop provides a scenic vista of Starve Hollow Lake at one of the picnic sites located on trail #2. Wild turkeys were first seen in this area as they migrated north from the spot where they were reintroduced.

• Trail Map
• Trail Map – Starve Hollow Area
• Bike Trails
• Hunting map