After a busy week of not getting out in the woods, we started this week with an adventure to Lagro, IN and the Hanging Rock National Natural Landmark. It was great to be back on the trails and we enjoyed exploring this amazing landmark.
Hanging Rock is situated on the bank of the Wabash River. It contains a portion of Silurian coral reef and was formed when Indiana was covered by a shallow sea. When the river undercut the rock, the top of the rock was left overhanging its base giving the preserve its name.
Our Adventure
After parking the car we saw a path to the right and a deck with benches in front of us. We walked to the deck and once Sunny saw the Wabash River in front of us she wanted to get down to it. We took a path from the deck that ran along the river and found a spot to get down to the water, which Sunny enjoyed.
After that we continued following the path to the rock. The total distance wasn’t even a quarter mile. The path is narrow with sharp descents so it is not recommended for those who are unstable on their feet or who have a rambunctious dog that might pull them down. Luckily I was able to convince Sunny to go “slow slow”.
We found our way up to the rock and then walked down to the river bank again. This gave us a nice view of the rock which is pretty impressive. After exploring for a bit we took a different path back to the car. We found out this was the path we had noticed that was on the right after parking the car.
Although this is a short hike it is worth seeing. Sunny wasn’t so sure since we spent over an hour driving and only hiked a short distance. She was not thrilled about getting back in the car, but we drove to Kokiwanee Nature Preserve which is barely 2 miles away and well worth the visit. Check out our review from our visit to Kokiwanee in 2023.
Sunny’s Perspective
This place was pretty cool because we could get down to the water. I wanted to go fast on the trail, but Andie made me slow down because she didn’t want to fall. I guess that made sense, but I hate to go slow. Putting my feet in the river was fun, but I couldn’t believe it was such a short hike and I was not ready to get back in the car when we were done. Thankfully Andie took me to Kokiwanee Natural Preserve where we hiked for 3M and had a picnic lunch. That more than made up for the short hike at the Hanging Rock National Natural Landmark.
Our Rating
Sunny and I give Hanging Rock National Natural Landmark 3 out of 4 paws up. It’s a beautiful spot, but it’s a short hike and can be a bit of a challenge to get to the rock. Despite that we recommend this preserve especially if you visit other locations in the area like we did.
How Do I Get There?
The address for the landmark is 4552 E. Hanging Rock Road in Lagro, Indiana. From I-69 take exit #296B-Lafayette Center Road and follow for 2 miles where it turns into E 900 N. After nearly 2 more miles turn left onto US 24W. After 20 miles turn left onto N 500 E and continue for .6M. Then turn right onto E. Blue Star Highway. After 1.6M turn left onto Davis Street and follow for nearly a mile then turn left onto Hanging Rock Road. After nearly a mile look for the Acres Land Trust sign on the left.
For more information about Hanging Rock National Natural Landmark check out the Acres Land Trust website.