The next ILADD Hiking Club hike is scheduled for Sunday, August 16th on the Tall Timbers Trail in Big Walnut Creek Nature Preserve (just north of Bainbridge, Indiana). We will begin hiking at 1:00 p.m. We will hike for approximately two hours. This is a new venue for the ILADD Hiking Club. The Tall Timbers Trail goes through some old growth forest, has views of Big Walnut Creek, and traverses a few small streams in ravines. The Tall Timbers Trail is 2.8 miles in length and rated moderate. The Big Walnut Creek Nature Preserve is in Putnam County, a few miles southeast of Shades State Park. Since it is a nature preserve, there are no restroom facilities on-site, so plan accordingly.

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 and we will be going across a few small streams. Since the hike is in mid-August, be prepared for warm weather (average August high temperature in nearby Lizton is 82 degrees with an average low of 62 degrees) and dress accordingly (sunscreen and bug spray are recommended). If we need to postpone the hike due to excessive rain or storms, we will email or call you two hours or more before the hike is set to commence.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED: The hike will be limited to the first 20 registrants. 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. Register on the ILADD website under “programs” or by emailing ethomison@iladdinc.org or teasterday@iladdinc.org of your intent to go on the hike by August 13th. If you have not previously completed the registration forms for the ILADD Hiking Club, you must complete and submit those forms by August 13th. For registration information and forms, please contact ILADD at ethomison@iladdinc.org. If you register and cannot attend, please notify Tom Easterday at teasterday@iladdinc.org or 765-426-7175. There is no ILADD fee for this hike.

DIRECTIONS: The easiest route from Zionsville is to take I-465 south to US 36 west. Go west on US 36 (just past SR 75- if you get to Bainbridge, Indiana, you’ve gone a little too far). Then turn right (north) on CR 900 East. Next, turn left (west) on CR 900 North. The parking lot for the Tall Timbers Trail Trailhead will be on your left (if it is full, the Doyle Trail Trailhead parking lot is only a short distance away). We will meet in the Tall Timbers Trail Trailhead parking lot. This route takes about one hour.

A slightly quicker, but more confusing route from Zionsville would be to go west on Whitestown Parkway, right (north) on SR 267, left (west) on CR 550 South, left (south) on CR 200 East, right (west) on CR 600 South, left (south) on SR 39 (it’s State Street in Lizton or CR 100 West), right (west) on CR 500 North, left (south) on SR 75, right (west) on CR 400 North, left (south) on CR 900 East, and right (west) on CR 900 North. The parking lot for the Tall Timbers Trail Trailhead will be on your left (if it is full, the Doyle Trail Trailhead parking lot is only a short distance away). We will meet in the Tall Timbers Trail Trailhead parking lot. This route takes about 55 minutes.