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Outdoors: Morgan-Monroe State Forest Morgan-Monroe State Forest Morgan-Monroe State Forest contains 23,680 acres of rolling hills which straddle the border between Morgan and Monroe counties. The Forest was created in 1929. The property contains three fishing lakes (Beanblossom Lake drained following a levee failure in late 1993), primitive camping for individuals and groups, as well as picnic areas and shelter houses. The Forest is home to many species of plants and animals, including Pileated Woodpecker, Ruffed Grouse, Worm-eating Warbler, and Screech Owl. It can be a less-crowded alternative to Brown County State Park during the Autumn leaf-viewing season. One of the highlights of Morgan-Monroe is its extensive network of hiking trails. All of the trails loop back to their starting points and all are marked with white, diamond-shaped blazes. Two trails, the Three Lakes Trail and the Low Gap Trail, are each over 10 miles long. The Low Gap Trail passes through Morgan-Monroe's large backcountry area, where backpack camping is permitted. Other trails include the Mason Ridge Trail (nearly 3 miles long), the Rock Shelter Trail (the first 3 miles of the Low Gap Trail), and three trails of less than a mile - Tree Identification, Pathfinder, and Scout Ridge. This last trail passes through the Scout Ridge Nature Preserve. Brochures are available for the Tree Identification and Scout Ridge trails, as is a general brochure with map describing the forest and its trails and other facilities. The forest entrance can be reached from IN 37, between Indianapolis and Bloomington, several miles south of Martinsville. Watch for a sign directing you to the east towards the forest entrance. Most of the park's facilities lie along the Main Forest Road, but side roads and old logging trails provide opportunities for exploration. Contact: Morgan-Monroe State Forest 6220 Forest Road Martinsville, IN 46151 (765) 342-4026