Outdoors: Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area

Lake Click to Enlarge Sandhill Cranes Click to Enlarge Introduction Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area has other appealing characteristics, but sandhill cranes are the principal attraction. These large birds stand up to four feet tall and sport seven-foot wingspans. Sandhills have shown up at Jasper-Pulaski during every month of the year, but spectacular congregations occur in late October, when thousands pause during their annual journey south. Most sandhills east of the Mississippi tarry at Jasper-Pulaski, feeding in nearby fields before returning to roost for the night. As the sun sets, hundreds or even thousands of clattering birds return in small groups, wheeling and calling as they spiral earthward into a vast open field. The state has built a large viewing platform to the east, and watching the birds arrive silhouetted against the setting sun is a rare and wonderful sight. Not to be missed, this is one of the truly great natural phenomena in Indiana. Trails Not really, though a path runs from the parking lot, through a small woods, and then to the observation platform. Facilities Pit toilets. Directions View Larger Map Jasper and Pulaski counties. From the intersection of US 421 and IN 143, go west 1.5 miles on IN 143, then north; a large parking area appears almost immediately on the west side of the road. North 41 08.422 (viewing platform) West 86 55.407 DeLorme 25:C10 Nearby Natural Areas Prairie Border Stoutsburg Savanna Nature Preserve Tefft Savanna References Habeck: Wild Indiana; Page 24