Shades State Park
Managed by Indiana Department of Natural Resources
394 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail signWebsite ↗
Abijah II O'Neall House · Photo: Nyttend · Public domain–Not graded
Outdoors in Ripley Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Ripley Township
4% of Ripley Township’s land is conserved, about 838 acres. 783 acres are parks and preserves, 1,477 per 1,000 residents. 0.8 miles of mapped trail cross Ripley Township.
Conserved land
4%
838 acres · of 31.6 sq mi of land
Trails
0.8 mi
0.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
783 ac
1,477 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
5%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
801 ft
Truax Hill
Lakes & rivers
1
1 boat launch
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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
838 conserved acres
4% of Ripley Township’s land. Who manages Ripley Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks779 ac
State natural resources59 ac
State Conservation Area · 813 acState Park · 26 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestal Rock Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | State parks | 732 | Open |
| Spring Creek Seeps Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 59 | Restricted |
| Shades State Park State Park | State parks | 26 | Open |
| Pine Hills Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | State parks | 21 | Open |
Things to do
3 places to go in Ripley Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Ripley Township
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Ripley Township
Canoe Launch
DirectionsPeaks in Ripley Township
Truax Hill801 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
1 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
August is the best month for walking in Ripley 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 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 34 | 39 | 50 | 63 | 74 | 82 | 84 | 83 | 78 | 66 | 51 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 2.7 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 2.8 |
February is the driest month (2.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 5.0 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Ripley Township →
Next door
Ripley Township and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ripley Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Union Township | 1% | under 0.1 | 11 | 51% | C− |
| Brown Township | 5% | 0.3 | 936 | 8% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Ripley Township
Are dogs allowed on Ripley Township’s trails?
Shades State Park doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Ripley Township?
6,446 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Ripley Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 783 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Ripley Township neighbors.
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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 →