Name
Image
Date
Location
County
Ownership
Description
Big Walnut Creek
1985 [ 2]
Bainbridge 39°47′48″N 86°46′39″W / 39.796749°N 86.777474°W / 39.796749; -86.777474 (Big Walnut Creek )
Putnam
State & private
Contains one of the few stands in Indiana where beech, sugar maple, and tulip poplar grow on alluvial Genesee soil.
Cabin Creek Raised Bog
1974
Farmland 40°08′13″N 85°07′33″W / 40.1368101°N 85.1257457°W / 40.1368101; -85.1257457 (Cabin Creek Raised Bog )
Randolph
Private
One of the few known inland raised bogs in the United States. It has a very rich flora including many species at or near their range limits.
Calvert and Porter Woods
1974
New Ross 40°01′22″N 86°43′19″W / 40.0228369°N 86.7218275°W / 40.0228369; -86.7218275 (Calvert and Porter Woods )
Montgomery
State
One of the finest near-virgin remnant forests in the Tipton Till Plain of central Indiana.
Cowles Bog
1965
Chesterton 41°38′15″N 87°05′32″W / 41.6375°N 87.092222°W / 41.6375; -87.092222 (Cowles Bog )
Porter
Federal
Part of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore , this is the sole remaining remnant of the Central Dunes where Henry Chandler Cowles performed his pioneering field studies of plant succession and species diversity.
Davis-Purdue Agriculture Center Forest
1974
Farmland 40°15′12″N 85°08′53″W / 40.2533425°N 85.1480344°W / 40.2533425; -85.1480344 (Davis-Purdue Agriculture Center Forest )
Randolph
State
The best old growth oak-hickory forest on the Tipton Till Plain.
Donaldson Cave System and Woods
1972
Mitchell 38°43′49″N 86°24′55″W / 38.73022°N 86.4153307°W / 38.73022; -86.4153307 (Donaldson Cave System and Woods )
Lawrence
State
Located in Spring Mill State Park . A stream flows from a cave through the bottom of a gorge.
Dunes Nature Preserve
1974
Porter 41°39′36″N 87°02′24″W / 41.660°N 87.040°W / 41.660; -87.040 (Dunes Nature Preserve )
Porter
State
A part of Indiana Dunes State Park . Inter-dunal wetlands and blowouts along Lake Michigan
Fern Cliff Nature Preserve
1980
Greencastle 39°36′40″N 86°57′49″W / 39.610985°N 86.96366°W / 39.610985; -86.96366 (Fern Cliff Nature Preserve )
Putnam
Private
Contains exceptional occurrences of mosses and liverworts, including a noteworthy number of rare species.
Hanging Rock and Wabash Reef
1986
Lagro 40°49′48″N 85°42′26″W / 40.83°N 85.70722°W / 40.83; -85.70722 (Hanging Rock and Wabash Reef )
Wabash
Private
Contains an impressive natural exposure of fossilized coral reef dating from the Silurian Period some 400 million years ago. The limestone reef deposit rises 75 feet (23 m) above the river and is being undercut by it, giving the site its "hanging" appearance.
Harrison Spring
1980
Depauw 38°14′41″N 86°13′31″W / 38.244755°N 86.225143°W / 38.244755; -86.225143 (Harrison Spring )
Harrison
Private
A portion of the water that feeds the spring originates from Indian Creek, and then goes underground until it reaches the spring area. It produces at least three million US gallons (11,000,000 L; 2,500,000 imp gal) of water a day at an average of 18,000 US gallons per minute (1,100 L/s), enough to supply water to an average town of 12,000
Hemmer Woods
1973
Oakland City 38°13′51″N 87°22′15″W / 38.230768°N 87.370935°W / 38.230768; -87.370935 (Hemmer Woods )
Gibson
State & private
Original southwestern Indiana oak-hickory forest.
Hoosier Prairie
1974
Griffith 41°31′22″N 87°27′27″W / 41.522683°N 87.457572°W / 41.522683; -87.457572 (Hoosier Prairie )
Lake
Federal
Part of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore . Wetland prairie remnant of sand plains, sedge meadows, and marshes .
Hoot Woods
1973
Freedom 39°15′00″N 86°53′22″W / 39.249897°N 86.889462°W / 39.249897; -86.889462 (Hoot Woods )
Owen
Private
A relatively undisturbed, isolated beech-maple forest in which near climax conditions prevails.
Kramer Woods
1973
Reo 37°50′38″N 87°08′17″W / 37.843932°N 87.137981°W / 37.843932; -87.137981 (Kramer Woods )
Spencer
State
The only example of a Shumard's red oak -pin oak-hickory dominated stand of lowland mixed forest of any size in Indiana.
Marengo Cave
1984
Marengo 38°22′32″N 86°20′24″W / 38.37555°N 86.33993°W / 38.37555; -86.33993 (Marengo Cave )
Crawford
Private
One of only four show caves in Indiana, public tours of the cave have been given since 1883. Tours commenced just days after the cave's discovery by two school children.
Meltzer Woods
1973
Shelbyville 39°30′10″N 85°40′04″W / 39.5028°N 85.6678°W / 39.5028; -85.6678 (Meltzer Woods )
Shelby
Private
Contains two contrasting forest types and exceptionally large individuals of several tree species.
Officer's Woods
1974
Seven miles northwest of Madison [ 3]
Jefferson
Private
One of the finest remnants of beech-maple forest south of the Wisconsin-age glacial boundary in Indiana. Contains two stands which differ slightly in composition, one of which contains an exceptionally high density of black gum.
Ohio Coral Reef
1966
Clarksville 38°16′36″N 85°45′56″W / 38.27665°N 85.76544°W / 38.27665; -85.76544 (Ohio Coral Reef National Natural Landmark )
Floyd
Federal
A classic example of a Silurian and Devonian coral community. Extends into Kentucky. Part of Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area .
Pine Hills Natural Area
1968
Waveland 39°56′34″N 87°02′58″W / 39.94276°N 87.049348°W / 39.94276; -87.049348 (Pine Hills Natural Area )
Montgomery
State
A unit of Shades State Park . Deep gorges , the result of the last glacial meltwaters.
Pinhook Bog
1965
Michigan City 41°36′54″N 86°50′54″W / 41.615°N 86.848333°W / 41.615; -86.848333 (Pinhook Bog )
LaPorte
Federal
Part of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore . A bog formed from a postglacial kettle moraine left behind about 14,000 years before the present by the melting of the ice sheet during the end of the Wisconsin glaciation. The acidic bog is noted for pitcher plants and other wetland species.
Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest
1974
Paoli 38°32′10″N 86°27′32″W / 38.536°N 86.459°W / 38.536; -86.459 (Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest )
Orange
Federal
One of the best examples of an original, undisturbed presettlement forest in Indiana. Part of Hoosier National Forest .
Portland Arch Nature Preserve
1973
Covington 40°13′07″N 87°20′09″W / 40.218611°N 87.335833°W / 40.218611; -87.335833 (Portland Arch )
Fountain
State
The preserve encompasses the wooded valleys, ravines, and rocky cliffs around the lowest section of Bear Creek. The name comes from a natural sandstone bridge carved by a small tributary of Bear Creek.
Rise at Orangeville
1972
West Baden Springs 38°37′52″N 86°33′26″W / 38.63115°N 86.55711°W / 38.63115; -86.55711 (Orangeville Rise )
Orange
Private
Orangeville Rise of Lost River Nature Preserve is the second largest spring in the state of Indiana.
Rocky Hollow Falls Canyon Nature Preserve
1974
Marshall 39°53′37″N 87°12′17″W / 39.893739°N 87.204589°W / 39.893739; -87.204589 (Rocky Hollow Falls Canyon Nature Preserve )
Parke
State
Rocky Hollow and Falls Canyon are two of a series of canyons cut into the sandstone of Turkey Run. Located in Turkey Run State Park .
Shrader-Weaver Woods
1974
Bentonville 39°43′13″N 85°13′20″W / 39.720309°N 85.222321°W / 39.720309; -85.222321 (Shrader-Weaver Nature Preserve )
Fayette
State
Old growth beech-maple forest with a pioneer homestead. Includes tulip , wild black cherry , and black walnut trees.
Tamarack Bog
1973
Mongo 41°40′35″N 85°15′44″W / 41.676361°N 85.262314°W / 41.676361; -85.262314 (Tamarack Bog Nature Preserve )
LaGrange
State
A large tamarack tree swamp located within the Pigeon River Fish and Wildlife Area .
Tolliver Swallowhole
1972
Orleans 38°36′58″N 86°29′41″W / 38.616197°N 86.494599°W / 38.616197; -86.494599 (Tolliver Swallow Hole )
Orange
Private
An extraordinary example of the disappearing stream aspect of karst topography.
Wesley Chapel Gulf (Elrod Gulf) [ 4]
1972
Orleans 38°37′21″N 86°31′19″W / 38.622452°N 86.521906°W / 38.622452; -86.521906 (Wesley Chapel Gulf (Elrod Gulf) )
Orange
Federal
Probably the largest sinkhole in Indiana. Located in Hoosier State Forest.
Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve
1973
Evansville 37°59′05″N 87°30′22″W / 37.984722°N 87.506111°W / 37.984722; -87.506111 (Wesselman Park Nature Center )
Vanderburgh
Municipal
A southern old growth forest
Wyandotte Caves
1972
Leavenworth 38°13′41″N 86°17′46″W / 38.228056°N 86.296111°W / 38.228056; -86.296111 (Wyandotte Caves )
Crawford
State
Straddles O'Bannon Woods State Park and Harrison-Crawford State Forest . Caves began to form in the Pliocene Era, about 2 million years ago. Like most of Southern Indiana's caves, the caves were formed when water dissolved limestone, causing hollow caves to form.