Choose From 6 Different Hiking Trails At Indiana's Mississinewa Reservoir
By Tori Jane|Published May 31, 2021
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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.
If you’re on the lookout for more Indiana lake hikes to add to your life, you’ve come to the right place. Mississinewa Lake, otherwise known as Mississinewa Reservoir, is a vastly underappreciated reservoir in Peru, Indiana, with six different surrounding trails to choose from. Each trail is beautiful in its own way and they all offer superb lake views.
Mississinewa Lake is large, spanning 3,180 acres. The surrounding grounds, all a part of the upper Wabash flood-control reservoir system, span an impressive 15,072 acres.
There's plenty to do across that acreage including camping, fishing, hiking, biking, and bird watching.
There are six trails to choose from: the Easy Access trail, Lost Sister Trail, Blue Heron Trail, Moswah Trail, Shepoconnah Trail, and last (but by no means least), there's the Wildlife Hiking Trail.
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The trails vary in length and intensity, ranging from less than one mile to up to 2 1/2 miles long.
The most family-friendly trail is Easy Access, which is a 0.4-mile loop trail that has been paved for ultimate ease of use. It's excellent for small children, elderly folks, or folks with disabilities. One of our favorite aspects of this area is its accessibility.
It's also a loop trail, and during the spring the wildflowers here are second to none. There are few things as impressive or breathtaking as the vivid color and lush greenery that is the Lost Sister Trail when the time is right.
Blue Heron Lake trail is moderately challenging and, like Lost Sister, it's 2 1/2 miles long.
This trail is quite scenic, offering up awesome views of the reservoir and its surrounding area. The entire area is gorgeous year-round. However, it takes on a special beauty during the winter. We highly recommend this trail for hikers all year. Interestingly, Mississinewa Lake was the very first place in Indiana to introduce Hoosiers to seasonal camping, a.k.a. setting up camp and then staying for the entire season.
The Moswa and Shepoconnah trails are both short, at under two miles each. Take your pick or hike them all - it's up to you!
Shorter camping trips are, of course, also very welcome. You can choose from more than 400 campsites. Some are primitive and others have all the hookups. No matter what you're in the mood for, you'll find it here.
Once you've had your fill of the six Mississinewa Lake trails, feel free to kick back and relax as the sun sets over the water.
Currently, Mississinewa Lake is open year-round. It’s located in north-central Indiana, and it’s well worth at least one day trip in your lifetime. It’s a quieter, less-crowded place to relax and unwind; while everyone else is flocking to Lake Michigan, you might want to break from tradition and hit this spot instead.
Do you have any other favorite Indiana lake hikes? Tell us about them in the comments!
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