Portion of Indiana Forest Named One of the Most Beautiful in America

Indiana has a reputation for being a somewhat boring state. While it's true we don't have some of the same appeal as states such as California, New York, or maybe Florida, what we do have is thousands upon thousands of acres of amazing woodland areas, which I'll take over any state in the country any day of the week. And I'm not the only one who thinks that. One of those areas has been recognized as one of the most beautiful and remote places in the entire country by the travel website, Love Exploring.

With the constant barrage of sensory overload we deal with every day from TV to billboards, and of course, our phones, it's nice to disconnect every once in a while and enjoy some peace and quiet with a hike or a camping trip. The more secluded, the better. Here in the Hoosier State, it doesn't get any better than Charles C. Deam Wilderness inside Hoosier National Forest, according to Love Exploring.

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Where to Find Charles C. Deam Wilderness

Designated a wilderness in 1982, the area is just under 20 miles southeast of Bloomington and makes up 12,953 acres of the National Forest, according to the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDAFS). It features 36 miles of trails for hiking, backpacking, and horse riding with various levels of terrain, some of which include views of nearby Monroe Lake.

The Meaning of "Designated Wilderness"

When an area of a state is given the title of, "designated wilderness," it receives special legal status under the Wilderness Act of 1964, which essentially means it is protected by federal law to preserve it in its natural condition and prevents people and businesses from using it for commercial purposes, so residents like you and I can enjoy it as it is. You can read the act in its entirety at Wilderness.net.

The downside to the act, and one I imagine lawmakers didn't foresee when it was drafted nearly 60 years ago, is that the designation resulted in a huge uptick in visitors which the USDAFS says resulted in "significant damage" happening to the area. To curb that damage over the years, special restrictions have been put in place at Charles C Deam Wilderness "to protect the wilderness character." The full list of those can be found on the USDAFS website.

A Look Inside Charles C Deam Wilderness

The area is a popular destination for hikers and campers who are looking to get off the grid for a few days, many of whom have filmed their experiences and uploaded them to YouTube. That includes the channel Winters Kamp who shared the video below of a five-mile hike he took along the Wilderness's Peninsula Trail which seems to be a popular trail to hike based on the number of videos I found.

Another popular destination inside the Charles C Deam Wilderness is Patton Cave. According to Hoosier Hiking, the cave is not "on trail" however, it's not too difficult to find and is "worth the destination for cavers of all abilities."

Next time you want to get away from all the noise, a trip to the Charles C Deam Wilderness sounds, and looks, like the perfect destination to do that.

[Sources: Love Exploring / USDA Forest Service / Wilderness.net / Hoosier Hiking]