How to Plan Your Escape to Brown County, Indiana (2024)

Brown County covers 316 square miles just 60 miles south ofIndianapolisand 18 miles east of the university town ofBloomington. But it feels separate from the rest of the state. Nestled here areBrown County State Park,Yellowwood State Forestand parts of theHoosier National Forest. The topography prevents looking too far ahead on roads or trails, making the payoff all the sweeter when you round a corner to spot one of the famed covered bridges or top out at a mountain vista.

Things to Do

Brown County Music Center

Just a mile from Brown County State Park, the 2,000-seat center offers a lineup of local, regional and national performers.

Brown County Playhouse and Performing Arts Center

See plays, musicals, concerts and movies in this 426-seat theater founded in 1949.

Brown County State Park

Climb a lookout tower for a bird's-eye view of the 16,000 acres of forests, lakes and wooded campgrounds at Brown County State Park, Indiana's largest state park. More than 50 miles of marked trails beckon hikers; 27 miles of mountain biking trails rank among the state's best. Popular hikes include Strahl Lake and the longer HHC Trail.

Covered Bridges

A winding road leads to one of two covered Brown County bridges. The 1880 bridge across Bean Blossom Creek once served as a major passage into Nashville. It's closed to vehicles but a popular spot for photographers.

Explore Brown County

Fifteen ziplines among the treetops include the state's fastest, longest and tallest twin-racing zips. Also available at Explore Brown County: paintball, arrow tag, ATV tours and camping.

The Goat Conspiracy

At The Goat Conspiracy, a sustainable farm in Brown County, you can do tree pose with the four-legged residents. The owners of the creamery-turned-goat-sanctuary also operate an on-site vacation rental.

Hard Truth Distillery

While Brown County may be best known for its state park, there's another huge draw in town now—a distillery making sweet mash whiskey on a 325-acre wooded campus. Take a distillery tour, mixology class, moonshiner's experience or ATV adventure on a 325-acre Nashville property that is also home to a restaurant and a cabin.

Hoosier National Forest

Picnic at one of the tables overlooking the 203,000 acres and explore some of the 266 miles of trails.

IndiGo Birding Nature Tours

Book a paddling tour with David Rupp, founder of IndiGo Birding Nature Tours, to peep migrating and resident birds in southern Indiana. On a float along an arm of Lake Monroe, Indiana’s largest lake, you might see prothonotary warblers, green herons and bald eagles.

Shopping

You'll find antiques stores and crafts studios throughout Brown County, but if you'd rather walk, spend an afternoon in Nashville. Shops both quaint and quirky pack downtown. At Naughty Dog Books, you can purchase a “blind date with a book” and receive a surprise read to unwrap at home. Next door, the husband-wife team behind Rivers and Roads, sells handmade beeswax candles (his) and pottery (hers). Or pop into Moonshine Leather Company, where you can watch a leatherworker craft your custom belt.

T.C. Steele State Historic Site

Turn-of-the-century painter T.C. Steele and his wife, Selma, lived in Brown County, and helped turn the area into a thriving artists' colony. You can visit his studio and house on a guided tour or wander the grounds on your own. Selma’s gardens are especially abundant in spring, when lavender irises and magenta peonies bloom under snowy crab apples.

Yellowwood State Forest

You'll have to hunt for the specimen yellowwoods, but plenty of pines, walnuts, locusts and oaks shade horseback and hiking trails at Yellowwood.

Where to Eat and Drink

Bear Wallow Distillery

Indiana-grown grains distill into whiskey, moonshine and other craft liquors in at Bear Wallow in Gnaw Bone. Taste the fifths in a room meant to look like a backwoods shack. Farm-to-Fifth tours offered on Saturdays.

Bird's Nest Cafe

Owned by the same family who runs Robinwood Inn, Bird's Nest is a sweet little spot nestled among vining flowers. Try brunch specials like The Bird's Nest Benedict or a Strawberry Basil Waffle Stack, made with locally sourced eggs and meats.

Big Woods Pizza Company

Artisan pizzas, such as The Smokehouse (pulled pork, smoked chicken, mozzarella, barbecue sauce), pair with beers like Busted Knuckle from the local microbrewery, Quaff ON! Big Woods has multiple locations including one in Nashville. (Both Quaff ON! and Big Woods are part of the Hard Truth Distilling family.)

Daily Grind

Fuel up with a blackberry cardamom latte and a seasonal pastry—like the Golden Scone with cinnamon, turmeric and white chocolate chips— and sit near the stone fireplace. The Daily Grind also bakes fresh muffins on weekends.

The Farmhouse Cafe and Tea Room

Fresh herbs and produce star in salads, sandwiches and dinner fare in an 1800s brick farmhouse at The Flower and Herb barn nursery near Bean Blossom.

Hobnob Corner Restaurant

Original oak fixtures from 1873 set a casual tone at Hobnob, but the menu reflects foods both homey (liver and onions) and upscale (duck breast with red wine reduction on a butternut squash fritter).

Our Sandwich Place

Yes, you can order sandwiches, but the real draw at Our Sandwich Place is the cream-and-crimson interior crammed with memorabilia honoring Indiana University basketball and legendary coach Bob Knight.

Where to Stay

Cabins and cottages scatter throughout Brown County; a quick search on Airbnb will land you gems like Nashville Treasure. Here are a few more of our favorite woodsy lodgings.

Abe Martin Lodge

In the heart of Brown County State Park, rooms in the stone-and-timber 1932 main lodge have patchwork quilts and furniture trim resembling branches. Families might want to opt for a two-story cabin.

Artists Colony Inn

Shaker-style furnishings, plank floors and four-posters decorate rooms at Nashville's downtown inn. Munch on sweet potato Sun Fries with brown sugar sauce in the Colonial-style restaurant.

Robinwood Inn

Robinwood Inn, a few minutes outside Nashville, has a fascinating architectural history, energetic owners and unique perks like a hot tub inside a greenhouse. Choose from among four cozy and colorful accommodations, with charming names like Folktale Cabin. Breakfast is at the owners' downtown Bird's Nest Cafe.

Story Inn

This inn and restaurant boasts that it’s been in “one inconvenient location since 1851.” They’re not wrong—but the detour is worth it. For starters, the drive there along country roads lined with farms is stunning, especially at sunset. And upon arrival, a prix fixe chef’s dinner awaits; look for foraged produce, like ramps and fiddlehead ferns, in imaginative plates. Stay in one of 18 rooms in the renovated buildings—mill, general store, cottages—that made up the village of Story in the 1800s.