Most People Don't Even Know This Little-Known Destination In Indiana Even Exists
By Tori Jane|Published July 21, 2023
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Tori Jane
Author
Tori Jane is a storm chaser, writer, photographer, and the village idiot - in that order. When she's not out and about dancing with the meanest storms on planet Earth for funsies she can be found wandering, shooting landscapes, writing, editing photos, and otherwise up to no good. Legend has it that she can also be occasionally spotted typing up short bios in the third person, but those rumors are unsubstantiated.
Did you know that, casually hiding in northern Indiana, there lies the ancient remains of what was once an ancient reef? Right here in the Midwest – crazy, right? Not so much – as it turns out, there really is the remains of an ancient reef in the northern part of the state, in a little spot known as the Hanging Rock National Natural Landmark. Come check it out and hike for a little while – it’s the perfect way to spend an afternoon outdoors!
Hanging Rock National Natural Landmark is a fascinating piece of elderly earth that tells hundreds of years worth of stories simply with its continued existence.
It doubles as a beautiful escape, featuring some wonderful hiking, excellent views, and, of course, plenty of geological significance.
What is now known as Hanging Rock is not 100% "rock" - amazingly, part of it is a portion of fossilized Silurian coral reef dating back approximately 420 million years.
You might be curious as to how on Earth there's a coral reef up here in Indiana, and the reason for this is truly fascinating. You might be muttering that there are NO oceans anywhere around here, so what's the deal, then?
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You are 100% correct, there are no oceans here or anywhere near here now - but did you know that 420 million years ago, this planet - including what we now know and love as Indiana - was quite different geographically than what we now have.
It's truly amazing; a remarkably long time ago (for humans - in geologic time it's next to nothing) there was a sea here, which is why to this day you can occasionally find shells and, of course, ancient reefs. And this ancient reef just so happens to be one of the best-known fossil reefs in the world!
Plus, while you're up there, you can get a close look at part of the reef. Of course, you can get close and check it out at ground-level, too, and I recommend you do both!
During prehistoric and even semi-modern times, Hanging Rock was used as a navigational tool, astronomical observation point, and so much more. Now, it's protected by the ACRES Land Trust and remains one of the most interesting, little-known natural wonders in Indiana.
Feeling up to hiking it? The short-and-sweet trail here loops around the base of the rock and is just 0.2 miles long. Unless you plan to climb to the top of the reef, it's pretty easy - it's the climbing part that makes it challenging at all.
When folks think of natural landmarks in Indiana, typically they think of Lake Michigan or the Indiana Dunes (or both). They might think about Williamsport Falls, too...
...but they don't often even consider this little hidden gem, and that's unfortunate. I think it deserves a lot more love than it gets - how about you?
For more information about this amazing hiking trail in Indiana, be sure to check out the official listing on AllTrails!
