Tecumseh Trail

About the Tecumseh Trail

The Tecumseh Trail is a 42-mile trail that begins at Morgan-Monroe State Forest and ends in Brown County at Panther Creek.  The Tecumseh was completed by the Hoosier Hikers Council (HHC) in 2002.

Trail

Tecumseh Trail

The description below starts at the Morgan-Monroe ranger station and ends at the Indian Hill parking lot. Trail begins a parking lot across from Ranger Station.

0.00 Trail parallels park road and is flat for 1.2 miles, then moves away from road with a few ups and downs. White rectangle trail blaze. This section shares the Low Gap Trail that is marked with a white diamond.

1.30 Trail leaves main road and follows forest service road.

1.60 Parking lot for Rock Trail. Cross service road.

1.65 Trail turns left down service road.

2.25 Trail transitions to dirt and continues to left, open field straight ahead.

2.60 Trail descends with switch backs.

2.73 Trail reaches bottom of hollow, cross creek bed.

2.80 Enter nature preserve.

2.98 Cross creek following along through the hollow.

3.04 Side spur leads to rock house up to left. Continue straight climbing a set of steps that switch back up the ridge.

3.59 Pond to right, continue to ascend.

3.79 Trail marker, Rock Shelter and Backcountry to left, Low Gap and Tecumseh to right.

4.34 Reach top of ridge, cross logging road and begin to descend.

4.47 Cross creek bed and begin to ascend.

4.83 After a long slow ascent cross logging road, a pond is to the left.

5.21 Begin to descend to Low Gap parking lot.

5.28 Low Gap Parking. Cross bridge, first campsite (large) to left. Cross another bridge and begin to ascend up a set of steps. Several smaller campsites on the right as you climb the ridge.

6.00 Another large campsite on top of ridge.

6.07 From the campsite at the top of the ridge descend to creek with medium sized campsite to your left.

6.79 Trail begins to ascend with some ups and downs

7.19 Trail begins to level a bit before ascending some more.

6.84 Trail reaches the top and levels off along the ridge top.

7.20 Campsite up to left

7.51 Trail junction Low Gap left, Tecumseh continues on white rectangle to right.

7.87 Trail merge continue right

8.15 Leave login road move into the woods to the left

8.32 Trail begins to descend

8.41 Cross creek, begin slow ascent along the creek

8.69 Trail meets logging road, continue to the right as the trail levels out.

9.08 Trail begins to ascend.

9.24 View of Bear lake to your left as you begin to ascend toward the lake.

9.42 Bear Lake. While you may choose to walk across the top of the dam to the road, the trail actually crosses below the spill way over a wooden foot bridge.

9.47 Trail ascends and crosses Bear Creek road moving parallel to the road for a short period continuing to ascend away from the road.

9.76 Trail begins to switch back down the ridge

9.90 Cross creek bed and begin to ascend

10.90 Trail reaches the ridge and levels before descending through a patch of brier bushes.

11.41 Continuing to ascend to the ridge top rail crossing under utility lines

11.62 Cross creek on railroad tie style foot bridge before crossing access road and continuing into the woods.

11.71 Trail emerges onto Richards Road. Turn left for 25 feet and then right and cross two foot bridges as you ascend.

11.80 Cross two small foot bridges

11.96 Trail reaches ridge top

12.08 Trail junction. Original trail continues straight. Alternative route goes right.

12.74 Trail leaves the logging road to the left and joins it again.

13.14 Trail leaves the logging road to the right

13.30 Enter private property and continue to descend to the left.

13.49 Junction with alternative trail, continue left.

13.68 Fox Den Shelter spur. Sign indicating Morgan-Monroe State Forest left 13.9 miles, Richards Rd. left 2.1, Carmel Ridge Rd right 1.3, Hoosier National 27.9 right.

14.18 From Fox Den Shelter turn right, trail descends and then climbs crossing a logging road.

14.70 Trail descends along the hollowthen crosses a dry creek bed before ascending.

14.90 Top of ridge

15.04 Logging road veers to the left, continue to right descending through stand of pines.

15.14 Carmel Ridge road. Turn left on to Carmel Ridge road and follow the road to the top of the hill.

15.4 Turn right and follow gravel road to gate. Due to logging, there is an alternative route that you are required to use. Follow pink and black markers. This section starts out with steep up and downs before leveling out along a creek, crossing the creek several times before joining back to the original trail.

16.47 Junction with original trail, continue right.

16.50 Trail emerges on to Lost Branch road, turn right and follow road to State Hwy 45.

17.25 Turn right on State Hwy 45 for a short distance then left on Indian Hill road.

18.90 Cross rail road tracks and then concrete bridge.

19.95 Turn left into small parking area and hike past gate. Trail moves through field before beginning to ascend.

20.39 Trail levels after a few switchbacks and then ascends again

20.56 Trail junction with Indian Hill parking lot (0.50 to lot).

Camping

Camping is allowed in designated spots along the trail. There are several nice sites including a shelter at Fox Den. There are several alternative routes mixed in due to loggin in the area. The trail is marked by a white rectangle. This trail is considered moderate and water could be spotty.