TERRE HAUTE —
Stringing up fishing poles in the shade of American flags, households full of Hoosiers are packing into parks across the state this weekend.
Inside the primitive camping zone of Fowler Park, Robert Cox had tents full of boys out on Friday afternoon for the Memorial Day holiday. With a camp stove and cookware set on a picnic table, he broke out the ice for coolers while kids fished nearby.
“I come out four or five times a year when I can,” he said, explaining he’d brought his son and four nephews out with some friends and their sons. The crew arrived to secure their spot about 8 a.m., only to find out the line to the county park had begun forming two hours prior.
Kara Kish, assistant superintendent of the Vigo County Parks and Recreation Department, said later that afternoon that all the facilities were teeming with people.
“Our parks are packed right now for the campgrounds,” she said, remarking the great weather forecast is always helpful.
The county’s parks are full of picnic tables and other amenities for those who didn’t reserve a spot in advance, she said.
“People can always walk about the trails and fish on the lake,” she said, adding the county’s beaches open June 1, the first Friday after schools let out.
But next weekend David Mundell, 18, will be graduating from West Vigo High School. This weekend, he’ll be fishing. Stringing his pole under a pop-up canopy attached to his uncle’s camper, he got ready to hit the water again after catching catfish earlier. Music played on a nearby stereo, and the sounds of another kind of country club echoed from tents and campers down the trail.
“The fishing is good out here,” Mundell said, noting his family has been going to Fowler Park for years and was glad for the return.
All reservable campgrounds and cabins at Indiana’s state parks have already been booked to capacity for Memorial Day weekend, according to a news release issued by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
Christie Wilmoth, reservation system program manager, said unreserved shelters are available for free on a first-come, first-served basis.
“We end up filling them up by the end of the weekend,” she stated in the release. “It’s mostly because people show up and snag them for their family picnics.”
Parked along the trails of Shakamak State Park, F-250s and Chevy 2500s sat attached to campers full of supplies. Christmas lights hung about tents, surrounded by American flags. State trucks pulled up dispensing firewood by the bundle.
Tiffani Vash handed out logs to campers along the trails. The Sullivan County resident said Friday was her first full day on the job after a few months of working weekends while a student at Ivy Tech Community College of the Wabash Valley. Meanwhile, the Shakamak State Park’s beaches open for business today.
“We’re expecting a good crowd,” she said, hopping back into her truck and bound for another campsite.
Brian Boyce can be reached at 812-231-4253 or brian.boyce@tribstar.com.
Local & Bistate
Related Photos
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Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Gonna be a hot one: Robert Cox prepares a cooler of drinks for family and friends who will be spending the Memorial Day weekend with him at Vigo County's Fowler Park.
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Tribune-Star/ Jim Avelis Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Down time: David Mundell rigs up a rod and reel for fishing at Fowler Park Friday afternoon. He’ll spend the weekend there with family members.
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Get away: Tonya Thompson and her son, Shane, ride their bikes through the campground at Shakamak State Park Friday afternoon. They came up from Princeton to spend the Memorial Day holiday.
Discussion
For many, camping outdoors is the way to beat the heat, enjoy nature
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