TERRE HAUTE — Indiana’s state parks hope Super Bowl fans consider a different kind of campout when seeking out lodging for the big game this year.

Which teams will compete in Super Bowl XLVI remains a mystery, but reservations at Indiana State Park Inns are booking along nonetheless. The big game already has the Fort Harrison State Park Inn in Indianapolis full for the Feb. 5 weekend, and other parks are ready as well, according to Ginger Murphy, a spokeswoman for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

“They’re not that far away, and they’re a great setting to be in,” Murphy said of the accommodations inside state parks such as Turkey Run, Shakamak and Brown County. “Our parks are open all year. A lot of people think they shut down after November.”

Kenna Duguay at Shakamak State Park said cabins there had plenty of occupants this weekend, despite the frigid temperatures.

“They love to see the snow out here. People come out every year,” she said of the winter months.

The state park in Jasonville offers a variety of cabins, many of which have electric heat and kitchens. Daily rates start at $40, with weekly rates ranging between $295 and $920, according to Shakamak’s pricing sheet. Similarly rustic cabins, most of which sleep six, are also available at Whitewater State Park. Both locations are about 90 minutes from downtown Indianapolis.

Brown County State Park’s Abe Martin Lodge is only 50 miles from downtown and still has rooms starting at $99 a night. The Brown County park also has family cabins with kitchens that sleep eight each, and the Abe Martin Lodge features an indoor water park.

Up in Marshall, the Turkey Run Inn, about 70 miles from the downtown, boasts an indoor swimming pool and dining room surrounded by nature.

General manager Terry Brush said rates for the 80-room inn range from $52 to $140 a night, and there’s still reservations open for Feb. 5. Cheaper than the downtown options for that weekend and not so far away, Brush said out-of-towners might not be aware of the possibilities.

“I would think it would be difficult for somebody from out of the state to even know about our Indiana State Park Inns,” he said. “Not that many states have lodges like this.”

Murphy said the DNR and other state agencies involving tourism have been working to change that.

“We’ve been talking it about quite a while,” she said, explaining the agency published its recreation guides in advance this year with the Super Bowl in mind.

Murphy said officials expect a rush of reservations in the coming weeks as fans determine whether their team will, or will not, advance to Super Bowl.

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