Ouabache Trail & Ouabache Trek

THE OUABACHE STATE PARK

Trail is 10 miles long 

Trek is 2 3/4 miles long

The Ouabache State Park was established in 1933 and at the time was known as the Wells County State Forest and Game Preserve. The entire 1104 acres were devoted to the conservation of game food, reforestation and wild game production. This park was acclaimed and known as the “Greatest Wildlife Laboratory in the United States”. Being divided into three divisions from the start - the CCC Camp, the game farm and the forest preserve - even today one can still see evidence of the foresight of these early conservationists. The park was built by the muscle power of young men known as the CCC Boys (Civilian Conservation Corps), and the WPA (Works Progress Administration). The young men planted the forest you see today, and helped with the wildlife cover, food projects and experiments. Every tree and shrub that shelters or feeds Indiana’s animals, game or song bird were grown and planted there. 

At the State Forest Nursery bittersweet, jersey tea, osage orange, wild grapes, wild roses, persimmon, mulberry, hockberry, wild crab, sassafras, and many, many more were raised. 

The 25 acre lake has been stocked with fresh water fish and its banks were planted with a number of duck foods. At one time, wild swans could be seen at close range. Many types of ducks make it a point to stop off during migration time, and many stay the summer. 

The portion of the park most widely known was the quail and pheasant hatching and rearing area. In 1939 the park maintained about 100 brooder houses for the hatching; the quail numbered more that 3,000 hens and the pheasant brood was more than 4,500 hens with 1/5 that number of cock birds. At one time, egg production for the game farm was 3,500 per day for pheasant eggs and about 1,800 per day for quail. The game birds started laying early in April and ended the middle of June. With a 72,000 quail and 48,000 pheasant egg incubator capacity, the game farm provided eggs and young game birds to more than 425 conservation clubs to be raised and released for the Indiana sportsman. 

An estimated number of 200,000 game birds were released in Indiana. 

Game birds were not the only game reared at the park, raccoons were raised by the scores and liberated throughout the state. To get a bird’s eye view of the vast park, a 100 foot observation tower was constructed to be used during the dry season for fire watch. 

From the tower you will see the remnants of 42 acres of quail pens, 42 mint proof fence and 21 acres enclosed and covered on top. Buffalo and deer may be seen grazing on the outside ranges beside the observation tower.

THE OUABACHE TRAIL AND TREK 

The trail and trek were developed so that you may become better acquainted with what was at one time the greatest wildlife laboratory in the United States.

START OF TRAIL AND TREK   

The trail and trek starts and ends at the Fire Tower. This makes pick up at trail’s end unnecessary. The map for the trail is to scale and should be followed carefully. There will be NO SMOKING in the pine wooded area! The trail is 10 miles long and is B.S.A. approved. The trek is 2 3/4 miles long. Use the park trail numbers seen on map; 1, 2, 3 and etc., watch the map closely.