Paddle Report: Sugar Creek, Parke County, IN

I put in at the Cox Covered Bridge in Sugar Creek, down from Turkey Run State Park in Indiana, just West of Indianapolis. It was rough right from the start paddling upstream. the Creek was low and the current was strong. I kept at it until I reached a calmer park of the creek and after several portages to the more scenic parts of the creek, I think it was well worth the battle upstream. It is a beautiful scenic trip and the trip back was fun and full of exciting fast current and obstacles. It took me about two hours total. I made it upstream to the heart of the park and decided that walking my kayak through the long stretch of shallow water would not be worth it. I would like to come back again when the creek is a bit higher. It was still a great trip. You have to go to the park office to get a parking pass--it is free but otherwise you can only park at the launch for 30 minutes. You can get a 24 hour or a 48 hour pass through the park office.