Ouabache State Park
Managed by Indiana Department of Natural Resources
1,099 acres8.6 mi of trail
Trail 5Trail 4Trail 4, 5Trail 2, 5+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Nyttend · Public domainB+Outdoors
Outdoors in Harrison Township
Harrison Township has 1,448 acres of parks, 163 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Ouabache State Park (8.6 mi), Wells County 4H Park (0.8 mi). 82% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 4% of Harrison Township’s land is conserved, about 1,350 acres.
Ahead of 74% of U.S. towns · #59 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
Conserved land
4%
1,350 acres · of 47.8 sq mi of land
Trails
12 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,448 ac
163 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
82%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.0 mi
5.0 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
5 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is Harrison Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Harrison Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Harrison Township is ahead of 74% of U.S. towns, #59 of 593 in Indiana. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Harrison Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land4% of the land · typical IN town 2% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (12 mi) · IN 0.1 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land163 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,448 acres) · IN 10 · U.S. 13AParks close to home82% of residents within a half mile of a park · IN 51% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 74%
LessMore
Indiana towns of 2,500+ (593)Ahead of 90%
Few Indiana towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Harrison Township’s 4% is ahead of 77% of Indiana towns, while its trails per square mile lead 66% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A−. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Ouabache State Park, with 8.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
River Greenway
Park
34 acres0.2 mi of trail
Mountain Bike Trail North
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Whicker Park
Park
4 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 13 parks & preserves
Ouabache State Park1,099 acres · 8.6 mi of trail · Indiana Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsWells County 4H Park51 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsRiver Greenway34 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPickett's Run Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWashington Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBluffton Splashpad and Fitness Park.2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsKehoe Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Parlor City Plaza1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Bluffton Now
Angel Of Hope Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Whicker Park4 acres
Jefferson Park3 acres
Bluffton Rotary Park1 acres
Greenway Poop Station and Covered Bridge1 acres
Who protects it
1,350 conserved acres
4% of Harrison Township’s land. Who manages Harrison Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks1,093 ac
Joint149 ac
Town or city113 ac
Private owners4 ac
State Park · 1,055 acConservation Easement · 149 acLocal Park · 109 acState Conservation Area · 38 acPrivate Conservation · 4 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 149 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ouabache State Park State Park | State parks | 1,055 | Open |
| Bluffton Park Local Park | Town or city | 70 | Open |
| Quabache Flatwoods Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | State parks | 38 | Open |
| Roush Park Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Lions Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Renollet Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Deam Arboretum Private Conservation | Private owners | 4 | Closed |
| Wells Community Pool Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Washington Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Jefferson Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
21 places to go in Harrison Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Harrison Township
Fishing BeachIn Greenway Poop Station and Covered Bridge
DirectionsKayak Launch & Beach AreaIn River Greenway
DirectionsUbauche Swimming BeachIn Ouabache State Park
DirectionsPlus 2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Harrison Township
9 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Harrison Township
Bluffton Canine Commons
DirectionsFishing spots in Harrison Township
3 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Harrison Township
Electric AIn Ouabache State Park
DirectionsElectric BIn Ouabache State Park
DirectionsYouth Tent CampgroundIn Ouabache State Park
DirectionsTrails & water
15 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 5.0 mi
Trail 53.5 mi
Trail 41.3 mi
Mountain Bike Trail North0.9 mi
Trail 4, 50.8 mi
Trail 2, 50.7 mi
Trail 3, 50.6 mi
Trail 1, 40.6 mi
Trail 20.4 mi
Mountain Bike Trail South Loop0.3 mi
Trail 30.3 mi
5 more trails
Mountain Bike Trail North West Loop
0.3 miTrail 1, 5
0.2 miEast 400 South
0.1 miTrail 2, 3
0.1 miAngel's Walk
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
5.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.0 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
14Tennis
11Baseball
6Basketball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Bethel Methodist Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1984
About itWhen to get out
September is the best month for walking in Harrison Township
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 37 | 48 | 62 | 73 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 77 | 64 | 50 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 2.7 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 2.5 |
February is the driest month (2.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Harrison Township →
Next door
Harrison Township and its neighbors
Harrison Township has the most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrison Township | 4% | 0.3 | 163 | 82% | B+ |
| Lancaster Township | 1% | 0.1 | 18 | 35% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Harrison Township
Where can I hike in Harrison Township?
The longest trail networks: Ouabache State Park, 8.6 miles; Wells County 4H Park, 0.8 miles; River Greenway, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Harrison Township is conserved land?
4% of its land, against a typical 2% for an Indiana town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Harrison Township’s trails?
Ouabache State Park and Wells County 4H Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Harrison Township?
5.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.0 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Harrison Township?
2,186 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Harrison Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,448 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Harrison Township have?
Ahead of 74% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #59 of 593 in Indiana. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Harrison Township neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →