CYBERINDIANA SEARCH Attractions Business Cities Counties Images Index Lists Outdoors People Today Weather Contact Policies ©2000-2007 by Mike Habeck

Outdoors: Brock Sampson Nature Preserve Brock Sampson Nature Preserve Brock-Sampson Nature Preserve is not particularly well-marked nor easy to find. Parking is severely limited, and there are no established trails. Having said all that, it is an interesting place that is worth some careful exploration. The preserve includes parts of at least three high ridges that overlook the Ohio River. From the tiny one-car parking pull-off, I began my visit by climbing along the ridge line (Sampson Ridge) that appeared on my left as I looked into the preserve. At first I was passing through a typical, if steep, southern Indiana woods. Then I noticed a flock of turkeys moving up the ridge ahead of me, always staying just within sight. I followed them up and soon learned that I needed to pay more attention to where I was putting my feet. My path took me through a band of habitat characterized by thin to non-existent soil interspersed with talus. There wasn't much vegetation in this zone, save a few stunted-looking oaks scattered here and there. In scrambling further uphill I very nearly stepped on a fat 2-3 foot long Copperhead. I froze and watched it slither under the lip of a rock, which upon further careful inspection appeared to have a den or burrow underneath it. I left the snake alone, and watching where I was stepping instead of looking for turkeys, I continued upward. Soon the ground leveled somewhat into a bench, and here the undergrowth was much thicker, so much so that I was reluctant, having just encountered a poisonous snake, to walk any further in sneakers. After looking around for a while, I skirted the ravine between Sampson Ridge and Rock House Ridge towards the east, descending along the Rock House Ridge to the road. M. Habeck Getting There: The preserve is in Floyd County, in south-central Indiana. Proceed south from New Albany on IN 111 for several miles, then right on the well-marked Sevenmile Lane. A small, obscure pull-off is on the right about one mile from IN 111, just as Sevenmile Lane makes a sharp left. GPS Coordinates: N 38 11.849 W 85 54.185 References: Indiana's Dedicated Nature Preserves 2004, Indiana Department of Natural Resources.