Take a First Day Hike on New Year’s Day

Take a First Day Hike on New Year’s Day

Welcome the new year with an Indiana DNR tradition — a First Day Hike on Jan. 1.

First Day Hikes are a healthy way to start 2024 and a chance to get outside, exercise, enjoy nature, and connect with friends. Nearly all state parks and lakes, as well as some state forests, will offer hikes.

2024 state park passes and permits now available

The 2024 Indiana state park passes, lake permits, off-road cycling permits, and horse tags are now available at property offices and front gates, and online. A resident annual entrance pass costs $50. A nonresident annual entrance pass costs $70. Golden Hoosier Passports cost $25 and are available to Indiana residents 65 and older.

Enjoy a Christmas Eve buffet at a state park inn

Make your reservations now for a Christmas Eve buffet at a state park inn on Sunday, Dec. 24, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The feast includes a variety of foods including fried chicken, roasted pork loin, carved roast beef and ham, mashed potatoes, cornbread dressing, mac n’ cheese, assorted salads and desserts, and more. Call now to make your reservations.

Watch for boxwood blight on you holiday greenery

Boxwood blight is a fatal plant pathogen on boxwoods in the landscape and commercial industry. DNR nursery inspectors have recently made multiple discoveries of infected holiday greenery at garden centers around the state.

Symptoms of infected boxwood leaves include dark-brown leaf spots with a tan center. Eventually, leaves turn brown from the tip down and drop from the stem, causing multiple bare branches. Long, thin black streaks can also be seen on infected stems.

Help stop the spread. If you notice symptoms on boxwoods used in holiday decorations or in your home plantings, contact the DNR Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology at 1-866-NO-EXOTIC or email a photo to DEPP@dnr.IN.gov.

Time is running out – get your 2024 Holiday Gift Pack

The $99 State Park Holiday Gift Pack includes: A 2024 Indiana resident State Park annual entrance pass. A $65 gift card (you choose either an Inns card for hotel lodging or a Camp card for site reservations). A 1-year (6 issue) subscription to Outdoor Indiana magazine. All for just $99. You save $31. Offer ends Dec. 31, 2023, or when sold out. Limited quantity available. Holiday Gift Packs are also available for seniors and nonresidents.

Shop the official store of Indiana State Parks

It’s not too late to consider getting the outdoor lover on your shopping list a gift from Mother Nature’s Mercantile, Indiana State Parks’ online store. There you will find gifts, clothing, permits, gift cards, and, of course, the Holiday Gift Pack.

See Cikana State Fish Hatchery in action

Visit Cikana State Fish Hatchery, one of DNR’s seven state fish hatcheries across the state. Cikana is open to guests from dawn to dusk and offers property tours. You can visit the ponds, walk hiking areas, or view wildflower plots. Watch the video above to get a sneak peek.

Celebrate MLK Day of Service by volunteering for DNR

Honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by becoming a volunteer at one of Indiana’s DNR properties in 2024.

DNR provides a variety of ways for citizens to make a difference in maintaining, improving, and restoring Indiana’s natural and cultural heritage. Several opportunities are available, including maintaining trails, helping in nature centers, and sharing photography or artwork.

Deer hunters, there’s still time

Hunters, you still have time to harvest a deer. Archery season ends Jan. 7, and reduction zone season runs until Jan. 31. Want to check out our deer data? Find current harvest numbers on our website.

Hunting and trapping seasons ending soon

Deer Archery Season: Ends Jan. 7
Deer Reduction Zone: Ends Jan. 31
Turkey Fall Archery: Ends Jan. 7
Raccoon & Opossum (hunting, trapping): Ends Jan. 31
Gray & Fox Squirrel: Ends Jan. 31
Red & Gray Fox (trapping): Ends Jan. 31
Quail (South of I-74): Ends Jan. 10
Mink, Muskrat, & Weasel (hunting, trapping): Ends Jan. 31
Dove: Ends Jan. 3
Duck North Zone: Ends Jan. 3
Duck Central Zone: Ends Jan. 13
Duck South Zone: Ends Jan. 28

Winter 2 for 1 savings at State Park Inns

Now through Feb. 29, 2024
Stay two nights, Sunday – Thursday, and your second night is free. Must stay two consecutive nights. Blackout dates Dec. 24 – Jan. 4, 2024. Certain restrictions may apply.

Explore McCormick’s Creek State Park

Most of McCormick’s Creek State Park is open even though the campground is closed. Trails 1, 3, 4, 8, and 9 offer opportunities to explore what makes the park special during winter. With the woods “sleeping,” you can spot features hard to see the rest of the year.

Trails 3 and 9 offer a clearer view of geological and historical features while the leaves are off the trees. Trails 1 and 8 offer opportunities to see how the woods change during winter, and if you visit for the upcoming naturalist-led hike on Trail 4 on Dec. 22, you’ll have a chance to see how the view from the fire tower changes in the winter months.

The nature center offers regular naturalist programming and an exhibit hall featuring the park’s history, geology, ecology, and more.

2023 annual licenses are valid through March 31

Heads up, hunters—2023 annual licenses are valid through March 31, 2024. The 2024 licenses will go on sale in January.

To ask about your online license system account, license-purchasing errors, or deer control permits, email inhuntfish@dnr.IN.gov or call 317-232-4082.

Indiana Natural Resources Foundation’s Year in Review

As the official nonprofit for the DNR, the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation’s mission is to celebrate and preserve Indiana’s natural legacy through support of Indiana DNR and its programs. 2023 was a year of fulfilling that mission and we’re grateful for our generous donors, partners, and Indiana DNR for joining us on the journey. This year we grew Indiana’s public lands by hundreds of acres, gave thousands of students the chance to explore the outdoors, continued to expand Indiana’s forests, and so much more. We invite you to join us in wrapping up the year by exploring some of the exciting projects made possible by supporters of conservation like you. Become a donor.

Apply for a LARE program grant now

If your organization has an aquatic habitat enhancement project in mind, DNR’s Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) grant program is waiting for you. The deadline for submitting LARE grant applications for 2024 is Jan. 15.

The new issue of Outdoor Indiana features an upcoming solar eclipse

The January/February issue of Outdoor Indiana magazine features a cover story on the best and safest ways to enjoy the total solar eclipse that will darken much of the Hoosier State during daylight hours on April 8.

The issue also features articles on maple syrup and the hunting of deer antlers. Become part of Outdoor Indiana. Subscribe for yourself, a friend or relative.

The Foundation celebrates and preserves Indiana’s natural legacy by raising funds to support the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and its programs.