Our next ILADD Hiking Club hike is scheduled for Sunday, November 17th at Prophetstown State Park near West Lafayette, Indiana. We will meet at 1:00 p.m. at the Bluestem Parking area. The hike will take about two hours. Since our ILADD Zionsville Book Club is reading “White Fang” there will also be a visit to nearby Wolf Park prior to the hike. If you would like to join our Book Club members for the visit to Wolf Park, please plan to arrive there by 11:30 a.m.
REGISTRATION & RSVP REQUIRED: Register by emailing us at teasterday@iladdinc.org of your intent to go on the hike or visit to Wolf Park by November 14, 2024. If you have not previously completed the registration forms for the ILADD Hiking Club, you must complete and submit those forms by November 14, 2024.
ENTRY FEE - PROPHETSTOWN STATE PARK: The entry fee for Prophetstown State Park is $8 per vehicle (if you would like to be reimbursed for the fee, please give your receipt to Tom Easterday).
ENTRY FEE - WOLF PARK: The entry fee for Wolf Park is $5 per person (if you would like to be reimbursed for the fee, please give your receipt to Tom Easterday). Directions to both Prophetstown State Park and Wolf Park are set forth below.
Prophetstown State Park, Indiana’s newest state park, is made up of restored native Indiana prairie along the Wabash and Tippecanoe Rivers. In addition to the hiking trails, the park features a Native American Village and a historic farmstead. We will meet at the Bluestem Parking Area and hike about 2.5 miles. Prophetstown is named for the village where Tenskwatawa (also known as “The Prophet”), and his brother, Tecumseh, gathered several tribes, including the Shawnee, Miami, Wea, Ojibwe and others, to fight back against settlers entering the territory. In early November 1811 (five years before Indiana became a state) the Governor of the Indiana Territory (and future President of the United States) William Henry Harrison moved 1,200 troops near Prophetstown to protect the settlers. On November 7, 1811, the tribes, fearing attack by Harrison’s troops, decided to strike first. Their attack started the Battle of Tippecanoe near Battleground, Indiana, just north of Prophetstown. Prophetstown was destroyed by Harrison’s men following the battle. You can view a map of Prophetstown State Park and learn more about its history at https://www. In.gov/dnr/state-parks/.
Wolf Park is a nonprofit education, conservation and research facility dedicated to the study of wolves and teaching about the importance of predators in the ecosystem. You can learn more about Wolf Park at www.wolfpark.org.
ILADD Hiking Club is for adults with developmental/intellectual disabilities who can walk at least 2-3 miles, up and down hills, on uneven ground, on unpaved trails. All hikers should bring their own water bottle. It is recommended that everyone bring a change of shoes and socks for after the hike because it may get muddy if it rains within a day or two prior to the hike. Since the hike is in mid-November, be prepared for cool or cold Fall weather (temperatures are generally in the 40-50 degree range) and dress accordingly. If we need to postpone the hike due to excessive rain, storms, or other factors, we will email or call you two hours or more before the hike is set to commence.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED: The hike and the visit to Wolf Park will be limited to the first 20 registrants for each. You do not need to participate in the visit to Wolf Park prior to the hike, but it should be fun. It is very important that you let us know you will be participating so we can notify you if we need to change our plans due to bad weather or other circumstances.
For questions, registration information and forms, please contact ILADD at teasterday@iladdinc.org or call (765-426-7175).
DIRECTIONS (Zionsville to Wolf Park): Take I-65 north to exit 178 and go north on IN-43/North River Road. Then turn right (east) on County Road East 900 North. Next turn right (south) on Harrison Road until you reach county Road East 800 North where you will find the entrance to Wolf Park (4004 County Road East 800 North). Driving time is approximately 57 minutes from Zionsville.
DIRECTIONS (Wolf Park to Prophetstown State Park): Take County Road East 800 North to Harrison Road, turn left onto Harrison Road and then right on Railroad Street. Railroad Street becomes Ninth Street/County Road East 100 North, continue to Swisher Road. Turn left on Swisher Road to access the entrance to Prophetstown State Park. We will meet at the Bluestem Parking area. Approximate driving time from Wolf Park to Prophetstown State Park is 13 minutes.
DIRECTIONS (Zionsville to Prophetstown State Park): Take I-65 north to exit 178 and go south on IN-43/North River Road. Then turn left (east) onto Burnetts Road. Next turn right (south) onto North Ninth Street and then left (east) onto Swisher Road to access the entrance to Prophetstown State Park. We will meet at the Bluestem Parking area. Approximate driving time from Zionsville to Prophetstown State Park is 54 minutes.
**All participants must have the following forms filled out and submitted: Participant Information & Guidelines, Release and Waiver of Liability, Medical Authorization, and Code of Conduct forms. You may view and submit these forms at https://iladdinc.org/registration