Chain O’ Lakes State Park: A Small Boater’s Paradise & A Hiker’s Haven

The sky was cloudy, the air calm, and the water smooth and still, reflecting the trees that towered over me as I sat in my kayak. On a June morning, my friend Jenna and I pushed off from the shore of Sand Lake and began paddling toward the channel across the water. We ducked our heads as we floated under a low walking bridge and wound our way towards Bowen Lake. It was peaceful and serene, with only the sounds of birds chirping and our paddles splashing into the water. 

Sometimes the channels took us sliding under oak, hickory, maple, or beech trees. Other times, we had to slow down for technical turns through expansive water lilies. In one truly stunning section, we paddled under a beautiful bridge near the canoe campsite and slipped past absolutely stunning cypress trees out to Rivir Lake. It didn't take much time for Chain O’ Lakes and its 9 Lake Challenge to permanently etch itself into my memories!

IN the Podcast Episode

You’ll discover why Chain O’ Lakes is a small boater’s paradise and a hiker’s haven. I also learned about their campground and charming family cabins. The park’s staff gave me a history of the property, explained what kettle lakes are, and introduced me to some new geological terms: eskers and kames. I also learned about the historic one-room Stanley Schoolhouse and the preschool programs they offer here. 

Park Features

In addition to 212 acres of water, there are also 29 miles of hiking trails. There are 400-plus campsites (a mix of electric, non-electric, primitive, and canoe sites) and three-season family cabins. The park has a seasonal nature center, offers boat rentals, and has a swimming beach. Plus, there’s the historic one-room schoolhouse. The Ignite Trail Series offers multiple trail races of various distances, and the 9 Lake Challenge provides an endurance event on the water. 

A Small Boater’s Paradise

Chain O’ Lakes’ name is the first clue that this park is a small boater’s paradise. The thirteen kettle lakes are for paddling or electric motors only, no gas motors. There are boat launches at five of the lakes and plenty of little nooks, crannies, and coves for fishing. Nine of the lakes are connected by meandering channels, spanning five miles from end to end. These nine are what make up the 9 Lake Challenge which was co-created by Heather Steele, the park’s assistant property manager.

In the podcast, interpretive naturalist Carly Cornhill explains how kettle lakes were created. In short, it has to do with glaciers and very large blocks of ice. She said her favorite of all the lakes is “probably Bowen Lake and that channel between Sand and Weber is a really pretty one to kayak, especially in the spring and fall.” The other staff members also highlighted Sucker Lake in the spring when trees and flowers are blooming. 

My favorite was the channel going from Mud Lake to Rivir Lake. There’s a tall bridge you paddle under that takes hikers to the canoe campground. The cypress trees in this section were striking and graceful. I felt like I was in another world! Completing the entire challenge is one of my top state park memories. I also saw turtles, some type of darting bird with blue feathers, various colors of water lilies, and parts of Indiana I didn’t know existed! Admittedly, the challenge took a very long time (two kayaking sessions of 2.5 hours each with a break for lunch in between), but I would say it is worth every minute and potential blister!

A Hiker’s Haven

Fall is definitely the time I want to go back to hit the trails. Sam Boggs, the park's property manager, explained why the park is also a hiker's haven. He’s worked at the park since he was in high school. He said, “I've seen a lot of things change. Probably the most significant thing, and the thing that I'm probably most proud of, was my goal of adding trails. So when I got here in 2010, there were 10 miles of trails, and now there are close to 30 miles of trails.” These trails have given visitors even more activities and places to explore. 

He recommended a few trails to me. First, he said to check out Trail 9 which goes around Krieger Lake. It's easily accessed from the Stanley Schoolhouse parking lot and features beautiful glacial topography. Sam said, “I've seen green heron there a lot, which is a unique bird that people don't even know exists…I've seen sandhill crane back there.” He also recommended Trail 4 which is on the north side of Rivir and Mud Lakes. While some trails are hilly, other routes, like Trail 5 around Sand Lake, offer fairly flat strolls.

The Ignite Trail Series

The Ignite Trail Series has also put the park's trail system on the map, literally. They're responsible for helping design, develop, and maintain the trails. In the episode, Nick Brandt, the race director for the Ignite Trail Series, shared his background with me. He’s seen and helped the trail system go from 12 miles to 29. As race director, he gets to introduce even more people to the amazing trails at the park through hiking and trail races. He told me their trail races are so popular, “It grew quickly to the point where we have people from over 30 different states and six different countries.”

The races Ignite hosts include the Ignite Half and Full Marathon, the Glacial Esker 6-12-24 Hour Trail Race, and the Indiana Trail 100. The Glacial Esker race is based on time, which takes a different kind of mental strength. Nick explained, “You got a 3.55-mile loop. You run that as many times as you want…There's really no pressure. You just go out and plod along and do what you want to do.” He’s had people hike, ruck, or run the Glacial Esker, and they’ve had three people go over 100 miles in the 24-hour period. 

Their main focus is definitely the Indiana Trail 100. Nick said, “It's a 25-mile loop of completely unique trail, no doubling back. Participants can run 50, 75, or 100 miles, and this race is capped at 400 people across all three distances.” As for the trails used in the race, you'll find them a great starting spot for newer trail runners, but also challenging enough for the experts. Nick explained, “We're in northern Indiana. We're flatlanders, of course, but we've got what the old race director used to call ‘death by a thousand cuts.’ There's just all these little rollers out there.”  The race is also a Western States qualifier which is another appeal for trail runners.

In the podcast, Nick gives his tips for how to train for an ultra distance. It mostly comes down to walking, fueling, and more walking! The race series offers training weekends for people to get a sense of the trails as well. Best of all, the races all benefit the park. Every race you run with them puts money right back into Chain O Lakes.

Planning Your Visit

If you want to enjoy hiking at Chain O’ Lakes, I would suggest going in the spring or fall. If the water is more your style, going in the spring or early summer is ideal. If you wait too long or it’s been a dry year, the water will be really low in the channels and will make the kayak challenge even more difficult. If you really want to time it right, pick an overcast day so you aren’t too sunburned after hours of kayaking or canoeing. Anytime of the year, you can visit the schoolhouse, go birdwatching, or discover the powerful impact of nature on your soul.

After my day at Chain O’ Lakes, I left physically very tired, but emotionally full and energized at a deep, soul level. I’m not sure you can find that kind of restorative, life-giving ​​rest unless you spend time outside. Go make some of your own memories, and I hope to see you in the parks!