Quarry Provides Setting for
World-Class Nature Park

text and photos by John R. Hill

Nearly 10 miles of crushed-stone and paved trail await hikers at a new nature park near Greencastle, Indiana. The trail winds past three dimensional exposures of the Ste. Genevieve Limestone (a 345 million year old formation renowned for its value as a crushed stone resource), through maturing woodland, onto perpetual and ephemeral wetlands, and along the bank of beautiful Big Walnut Creek.

Park Ranger Brien Holsapple on a trail that borders the abandoned quarry.

The park was developed by DePauw University from nearly 500 acres of prime land that was donated by Hanson Aggregates in 2003. Hanson stopped quarrying at the site in 1968 and the land, including the abandoned quarry, has remained unspoiled since then. DePauw is in the initial stages of creating a world-class nature park coupled with outdoor labs for use by its own faculty and students.

DePauw has graciously opened the facility to the public. The park is open seven days a week from sunrise to sunset and is attended full-time by a park ranger and other staff of DePauw University.

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