Starve Hollow State Recreation Area: The Mother of the State

Starve Hollow State Recreation Area is an intimate, beautiful property where it's nearly impossible to take a bad picture! The lake perfectly reflects the trees and rolling knobstone escarpments. The lakefront camp sites are highly sought after, and the trails and access to neighboring Jackson-Washington State Forest offer exciting challenges for hikers.

What's really special about this park and surrounding properties is that it's the mother to the state. At first, the property was used as a tree nursery and hatchery, supplying seedlings and fish to forest, ponds, and properties across the state. DNR still provides these essential services to the state, just down the road from the recreation area. Starve Hollow is still home to several tree plantations that provide seeds for the nursery, which you can visit any time.

If you want to learn more about the Vallonia Nursery or the Jasper-Pulaski Nursery, visit the DNR’s forestry site

You are going to learn about:

  • How it got its unique name

  • Why Starve Hollow is the mother of the state thanks to a tree nursery and fish hatchery

  • The challenging trails and access to hiking at Jackson-Washington State Forest

  • A Sasquatch calling contest and other park events

Check out these great clips from the show:

00 Intro

00:45 Park Overview

01:28 Meet the Staff and their Origin Stories

04:30 The Park’s Name

09:00 Becoming a State Property

09:30 The Creation of the Tree Nursery

10:42 Why Starve Hollow is the Mother of the State

11:45 Tree Plantations at Starve Hollow

12:33 DNR Properties Working Together & How to Visit Them All

16:23 Driving Up Skyline Drive at Jackson-Washington State Forest

17:30 Camping and Fishing at Starve Hollow

20:15 Spotting Wildlife at the Park

20:50 Rent-a-Camp Cabins

22:20 Boat Rental Options

23:31 The Challenging Hiking Trails

26:33 Annual Events and Sasquatch Calling Contests

29:09 How to Care for the Parks

31:00 Camping with Your Pet

32:16 Why Firewood Matters

33:41 Protecting the Beautiful Trees in Our State

Go make some of your own memories, and I hope to see you in the parks!

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Brandt Baughman, Indiana State Parks Director: The State of the State Parks

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Tippecanoe River State Park: History, Diversity, Community