Indiana state parks turn 100

Last year, there were more than 16 million visitors to the state’s 32 properties.

Think people are too stuck with their noses in smartphones, tablets or computer screens?

“Somebody’s coming out and enjoying nature,” Chain O' Lakes State Park manager Sam Boggs said.

That definitely holds true at Chain O’ Lakes.

In 2010, the park on the southern end of Albion had 244,000 visitors. By 2015, that number had risen 23.4 percent, to just more than 301,000.

The last fiscal year saw Chain O’ Lakes exceed $1 million in revenue for the first time.

“We are one of the parks that makes money,” Boggs said.

The local state park benefits from having an Indiana Department of Correction facility on the grounds, which provides inexpensive labor.

All of the signs at the state parks in Indiana? They are manufactured at Chain O’ Lakes.

There are 413 camp sites at Chain O’ Lakes, along with 18 cabins.

“When we’re full, it’s like a little city out here,” Boggs said. The park population can exceed 3,000 visitors on busy weekends.

According to information from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the state park system was born from the recommendation of Col. Richard Lieber, an Indianapolis businessman and German immigrant. Lieber later became the first director of the Indiana Department of Conservation, a post he held for more than a decade.

The state’s first park was at McCormick's Creek. That park, and one at Turkey Run, were both established in 1916.

One of Lieber’s operational tenants was to charge admission. That philosophy has led to almost unrivaled financial stability.

The DNR says its parks rank third behind New Hampshire and Vermont as far as self-sufficiency.

Boggs said there isn’t one particular draw to his state park.

“They’re coming for a lot of different reasons,” he said. “They come to enjoy nature. Our canoeing and kayaking are excellent.”

Ice fishing and fishing are also big draws throughout their respective seasons.