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–Not graded
Outdoors in Howard Township

Few parks or trails are on the map in Howard Township

The biggest trail networks: Turkey Run State Park (6.3 mi), Shades State Park (2.3 mi). 15% of Howard Township’s land is conserved, about 2,350 acres. 1,822 acres are parks and preserves, 11,757 per 1,000 residents.

Conserved land
15%
2,350 acres · of 23.8 sq mi of land
Trails
9.1 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,822 ac
11,757 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
10%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
1
The map

Conserved land, trails & bike routes

Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.

12
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 Turkey Run State Park, with 6.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.

Turkey Run State Park

Managed by Indiana Department of Natural Resources
557 acres6.3 mi of trail
Trail 2Trail 1Trail 4Trail 3
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot

Shades State Park

Managed by Indiana Department of Natural Resources
1,243 acres2.3 mi of trail
Backpack Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Who protects it

2,350 conserved acres

15% of Howard Township’s land. Who manages Howard Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.

State parks1,724 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits381 ac
Private owners157 ac
State fish & wildlife88 ac
State Park · 1,377 acState Conservation Area · 435 acPrivate Conservation · 258 acPrivate Park · 157 acConservation Easement · 123 ac
Good to know

Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 123 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 9 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.

The biggest protected parcels
Parcel (PAD-US)Managed byAcresPublic access
Shades State Park
State Park
State parks855Open
Turkey Run State Park
State Park
State parks522Open
Pedestal Rock Nature Preserve
State Conservation Area
State parks312Open
Sugar Creek
Private Conservation
Land trusts & nonprofits258Unknown
Turkey Run Golf Club
Private Park
Private owners157Open
Sugar Creek West
State Conservation Area
State fish & wildlife88Open
Rocky Hollow-Falls Canyon Nature Preserve
State Conservation Area
State parks35Open
Things to do

5 places to go in Howard Township

Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.

Campgrounds in Howard Township
Backpack CampFee · In Shades State Park
Directions
Canoe CampFee · In Shades State Park
Directions

Plus 1 campground without a name on the map.

Trails & water

5 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers

Named trails
Unpaved · 1.3 mi
Trail 21.9 mi
Backpack Trail1.4 mi
Trail 10.8 mi
Trail 40.4 mi
Trail 30.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Terre Haute Boys Club Lakereservoir
Biking & sports

0.0 miles of bike routes

Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.

Courts & fields
2Tennis
1Volleyball
1Basketball

Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.

When to get out

August is the best month for walking in Howard 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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight (h)9.610.611.813.214.415.014.713.712.411.19.99.3
High (°F)354051647483858478665140
Rain (in)2.82.33.04.54.65.24.23.33.13.53.42.8

February is the driest month (2.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 5.2 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Howard Township →

Next door

Howard Township and its neighbors

Howard Township has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.

Brown Township14 miHoward Township9.1 miSugar Creek Township8.4 miPenn Township4.3 miWashington Township0.0 mi
TownConserved
of land		Trail mi
per sq mi		Park acres
per 1,000		Near a park
½ mile		Outdoors
Howard Township— not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town
Sugar Creek Township— not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town
Washington Townshipunder 1%under 0.1283%D
Brown Township5%0.39368%B
Penn Township— not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.

Questions about parks and trails in Howard Township

Where can I hike in Howard Township?

The longest trail networks: Turkey Run State Park, 6.3 miles; Shades State Park, 2.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.

Are dogs allowed on Howard Township’s trails?

Turkey Run State Park and Shades State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.

Is there public land near Howard Township?

8,096 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Howard Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,822 of them inside the town line.

Trail talk

Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Howard Township neighbors.

Town Square →
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 →