Hoosier National Forest Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest Road

This 12-mile forest road follows the route early settlers used to cross the hills of southern Indiana, winding through the 88-acre Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest — one of Indiana’s few remaining stands of old-growth timber. The gravel and dirt track passes towering tulip poplars and white oaks that were already giants when Daniel Boone was blazing trails. Lick Creek Ford presents the main challenge, especially during spring snowmelt when the water runs knee-deep and the limestone bottom gets slick as hell.

Any stock 4WD with decent ground clearance can handle this route in dry conditions, but wet weather turns the clay sections into axle-deep gumbo that’ll stop a tank. Best tackled April through October when the creek runs lower and the hardwood canopy provides shade from summer heat. No permits needed, and there’s decent camping at nearby Hardin Ridge Recreation Area. This isn’t a technical challenge — it’s a peaceful cruise through what Indiana looked like before the plows came.