List of National Natural Landmarks in Indiana facts for kids

Indiana is home to many amazing natural places! These special spots are called National Natural Landmarks. They are recognized by the United States government because they have unique natural features, like rare plants, ancient forests, cool caves, or special rock formations.

These landmarks help us learn about Earth's history and protect important natural areas for everyone to enjoy. Indiana has 30 of these incredible places, each with its own story and special features.

Name	Image	Date Designated	Location	County	Ownership	What Makes it Special
Big Walnut Creek		1985	Bainbridge 39°47′48″N 86°46′39″W / 39.796749°N 86.777474°W / 39.796749; -86.777474	Putnam	State & Private	This area has rare trees like beech, sugar maple, and tulip poplar growing on special 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	Randolph	Private	It's one of the few inland raised bogs in the U.S. It has many different kinds of plants, including some that are rare.
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	Montgomery	State	This is one of the best old, untouched forests in central Indiana.
Cowles Bog	Cowles Bog	1965	Chesterton 41°38′15″N 87°05′32″W / 41.6375°N 87.092222°W / 41.6375; -87.092222	Porter	Federal	Part of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, this bog is where a famous scientist, Henry Chandler Cowles, studied how plants grow and change over time.
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	Randolph	State	This forest is the best old-growth oak-hickory forest in the Tipton Till Plain area.
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	Lawrence	State	Found in Spring Mill State Park, this site features a stream that flows out of a cave and through a deep gorge.
Dunes Nature Preserve		1974	Porter 41°39′36″N 87°02′24″W / 41.660°N 87.040°W / 41.660; -87.040	Porter	State	This part of Indiana Dunes State Park has wetlands between sand dunes and large "blowouts" (bowl-shaped hollows in the sand) 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	Putnam	Private	It's known for its amazing collection of mosses and liverworts, including many rare kinds.
Hanging Rock and Wabash Reef	Hanging Rock	1986	Lagro 40°49′48″N 85°42′26″W / 40.83°N 85.70722°W / 40.83; -85.70722	Wabash	Private	This site shows an impressive natural rock formation of a fossilized coral reef. It's about 400 million years old and rises 75 feet above the river.
Harrison Spring	Harrison Spring	1980	Depauw 38°14′41″N 86°13′31″W / 38.244755°N 86.225143°W / 38.244755; -86.225143	Harrison	Private	This spring is fed by an underground stream and produces a huge amount of water daily, enough for a town of 12,000 people!
Hemmer Woods		1973	Oakland City 38°13′51″N 87°22′15″W / 38.230768°N 87.370935°W / 38.230768; -87.370935	Gibson	State & Private	This is an original oak-hickory forest from southwestern Indiana.
Hoosier Prairie	Hoosier Prairie	1974	Griffith 41°31′22″N 87°27′27″W / 41.522683°N 87.457572°W / 41.522683; -87.457572	Lake	Federal	Part of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, this prairie has 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	Owen	Private	This is a quiet, undisturbed beech-maple forest that is almost in its natural, balanced state.
Kramer Woods		1973	Reo 37°50′38″N 87°08′17″W / 37.843932°N 87.137981°W / 37.843932; -87.137981	Spencer	State	This forest is the only example in Indiana of a large lowland forest dominated by Shumard's red oak, pin oak, and hickory trees.
Marengo Cave		1984	Marengo 38°22′32″N 86°20′24″W / 38.37555°N 86.33993°W / 38.37555; -86.33993	Crawford	Private	This is one of Indiana's four "show caves" where people can take tours. Tours have been given here since 1883, just days after two school children discovered the cave!
Meltzer Woods		1973	Shelbyville 39°30′10″N 85°40′04″W / 39.5028°N 85.6678°W / 39.5028; -85.6678	Shelby	Private	This area has two different types of forests and some incredibly large trees.
Officer's Woods		1974	Seven miles northwest of Madison	Jefferson	Private	This is one of the best remaining beech-maple forests south of the old glacial boundary in Indiana. It has areas with a lot of black gum trees.
Ohio Coral Reef	Fossil beds, Ohio Coral Reef	1966	Clarksville 38°16′36″N 85°45′56″W / 38.27665°N 85.76544°W / 38.27665; -85.76544	Floyd	Federal	This is a classic example of a coral community from the Silurian and Devonian periods, about 400 million years ago. It extends into Kentucky and is part of the Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area.
Pine Hills Natural Area	Honeycomb Rock, Pine Hills Nature Preserve	1968	Waveland 39°56′34″N 87°02′58″W / 39.94276°N 87.049348°W / 39.94276; -87.049348	Montgomery	State	This area, part of Shades State Park, features deep gorges carved by melting glaciers long ago.
Pinhook Bog	Pinhook Bog	1965	Michigan City 41°36′54″N 86°50′54″W / 41.615°N 86.848333°W / 41.615; -86.848333	LaPorte	Federal	Part of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, this bog formed from a "kettle" left by melting ice about 14,000 years ago. It's known for its acidic water and plants like pitcher plants.
Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest		1974	Paoli 38°32′10″N 86°27′32″W / 38.536°N 86.459°W / 38.536; -86.459	Orange	Federal	This is one of the best examples of an original, untouched forest in Indiana from before settlers arrived. It's 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	Fountain	State	This preserve includes wooded valleys, ravines, and rocky cliffs. Its name comes from a natural sandstone bridge carved by a small stream.
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	Orange	Private	The Orangeville Rise of Lost River Nature Preserve is the second largest spring in Indiana.
Rocky Hollow Falls Canyon Nature Preserve	Rocky Hollow Falls Canyon	1974	Marshall 39°53′37″N 87°12′17″W / 39.893739°N 87.204589°W / 39.893739; -87.204589	Parke	State	Rocky Hollow and Falls Canyon are two of many canyons carved into the sandstone at Turkey Run State Park.
Shrader-Weaver Woods	Shrader-Weaver Woods	1974	Bentonville 39°43′13″N 85°13′20″W / 39.720309°N 85.222321°W / 39.720309; -85.222321	Fayette	State	This is an old-growth beech-maple forest with a historic homestead. It includes large 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	LaGrange	State	This is a large swamp with tamarack trees, 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	Orange	Private	This is a great example of a "disappearing stream" in a karst landscape, where a stream flows into a hole in the ground.
Wesley Chapel Gulf (Elrod Gulf)	Wesley Chapel Gulf	1972	Orleans 38°37′21″N 86°31′19″W / 38.622452°N 86.521906°W / 38.622452; -86.521906	Orange	Federal	This is likely the largest sinkhole in Indiana. It's located in the Hoosier State Forest.
Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve	Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve	1973	Evansville 37°59′05″N 87°30′22″W / 37.984722°N 87.506111°W / 37.984722; -87.506111	Vanderburgh	Municipal	This is an old-growth forest in southern Indiana.
Wyandotte Caves	Entrance to Wyandotte Cave	1972	Leavenworth 38°13′41″N 86°17′46″W / 38.228056°N 86.296111°W / 38.228056; -86.296111	Crawford	State	These caves, part of O'Bannon Woods State Park and Harrison-Crawford State Forest, started forming about 2 million years ago. They were created when water dissolved limestone, making hollow spaces underground.