Pike State Forest Patoka River Bottoms Coal Mine Heritage Trail

Pike State Forest preserves the scars and beauty of southwestern Indiana’s coal mining era, where strip mines from the 1940s-60s have become deep lakes surrounded by recovering prairie and oak savannas. This 18-mile trail system follows abandoned railroad grades and haul roads that once carried coal from the massive Patoka River mining operations. The route threads between flooded pits now home to waterfowl and connects remnant timber stands via old logging roads that cross seasonally flooded bottomlands. Several crossings of Patoka River tributaries require careful scouting, especially during spring floods.

Easy to moderate terrain accessible to any high-clearance vehicle with decent tires. Wet seasons from March through May can make the bottomland sections impassable, while late summer exposes the best creek crossing spots. No permits needed, and dispersed camping is allowed throughout the forest. Cell coverage is hit-or-miss in the hollows. The old mining equipment scattered along the route and the stark beauty of the reclaimed landscape make this a unique window into Indiana’s industrial heritage slowly returning to wilderness.