Greetings, today I will talk about one of my new book releases, Shakamak State Park. This is one of the lesser-known state parks, however it is a wonderful place to camp and hike. My book provides an excellent way to introduce you to the park, which is southeast of Terra Haute, Indiana.
Established in 1929, the 1766-acre Shakamak State Park features wonderful fishing, camping, hiking and swimming recreational activities. This book includes an extensive history of the park and a wealth of information about the park's facilities as well as tourism guides to the surrounding area.
The land that makes up Shakamak State Park has its origins in abandoned coal mines in Sullivan, Clay and Greene Counties. These three counties donated the land to the state from 1927 - 1929. The name derives from the Kickapoo tribe's word, “shakamak”, which means "river of long fish," a term which applies to the numerous eels that live in the river, which the tribe considered a dietary delicacy.
The Lakes
Anglers have three lakes, Lake Shakamak, Lake Kickapoo and Lake Lenape totaling nearly 400 acres in which to cast their lines. Fish species in the lakes include catfish, northern pike, redear sunfish, bream/bluegill, walleye, perch, rainbow trout and crappie. An Indiana fishing license, available at the camp store, is needed to fish.
Hiking
Hikers will find 7.88 miles of hiking in Shakamak State Park ranging from easy to moderate. The 6 trails pass through a variety of habitat with some hugging the shoreline of the lakes. Hikers can watch waterfowl, beavers and other wild creatures as they trek along the trails.
Camping
The 122-site modern campground is located in the southeast corner of the park with some campsites overlooking Lake Lenape.
Swimming
The public swimming pool is located near the center of the park adjacent to Lake Shakamak and the Nature Center. Trail 1 provides hiking access to the pool. The pool is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Indiana County Guide
An extensive tourism guide for the three counties with land in the park, Greene County, Sullivan County and Clay County is included in this book as well.
Shakamak State Park is the 8th book in my Indiana State Park Travel Guide Series . It joins McCormick's Creek, Turkey Run, Clifty Falls, Brown County, Pokagon, Indiana Dunes and Spring Mill State Parks. The books all detail the history of the park, the county the parks are located in as well as a visitor's guide to the area. The books also include hiking, picnicking, swimming, camping and other recreational opportunities in the parks.
You can find all of them on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple and many other online retailers in softbound, ebook and audio book format.
Shakamak State Park