Attractions in French Lick, Indiana

French Lick, Indiana is the dark horse of the state. It rises above many other highly advertised vacation spots and leaves visitors longing to return as quickly as possible. A resort town located in the southern portion of the state, it offers a plethora of activities for the outdoor enthusiast--from extreme to leisurely--and is known for being a hospitable home away from home.

Marengo Cave

Discovered in 1883, Marengo Cave is considered a part of the French Lick community and is located just on the outskirts of town. It has been enticing visitors and explorers for more than a century. Choose a simple half-hour tour through the Crystal Palace and observe large flowstone deposits. You can also opt for a longer, one-mile, 70-minute tour of Dripstone Trail, where you will be treated to the Penny Ceiling, an upside-down wishing well.

For the more adventurous souls, learn the art of cave exploration. Don your hard hat and get ready to learn about cave ecology and safe cave-exploring techniques while crawling and making your way through an undeveloped cave. Leave your best clothes at home, though. You'll come out the other side satisfied, yet muddy.

400 East State Road 64, Marengo, IN 47140
(888) 702-2837
marengocave.com

Hoosier National Forest

Nestled in the hills of southern Indiana, the Hoosier National Forest that runs through part of French Lick is the pride of the townspeople. With more than 200,000 acres and 226 miles of trails, there is plenty to do and explore. Choose from a trail that suits your level of expertise and knowledge as a hiker. The Celina Interpretive and Folk Ridge hiking trails are less than a mile long and offer scenic views and overlooks of the valley. If you are looking for the perfect excuse to get away from it all, you'll likely enjoy the 46-mile-long Hickory Ridge trail that you will share with mountain bikers and horseback riders.

811 Constitution Avenue, Bedford, IN 47421
(866) 302-4173
fs.fed.us/r9/hoosier/index.html

Patoka Lake

French Lick is home to Patoka Lake, the second largest reservoir in Indiana. Take up a game of disc golf or show off your expertise at the archery range. If you were all but born with webbed feet and fins you just may want to entertain yourself with water skiing or swimming off the shore of more than 1,200 feet of sandy beach. During the winter the lake is a favorite spot for ice fishing while the area surrounding the lake is the perfect opportunity to get the heart pumping with cross country skiing.

3084 N. Dillard Rd., Birdseye, IN 47513
(812) 685-2464
indianaoutfitters.com

Article Written By Renee Miller

Renee Miller has been writing professionally since 2008. Her accomplishments include being featured in Harlots' Sauce online magazine in January 2009 and writing for various Web sites. She studied communications at Auburn University.

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