Officially the Laura Hare Nature Preserve at Downey Hill, and one of several preserves named after and made possible by the estate of Dr. Hill, who earned a PhD as well as an MD and lived to be a hundred! A gated lane proceeds generally east from the parking area, but your best bet is to head north or south onto the approximately five-mile loop that winds its way around the property and start enjoying. You can always use the lane as a short cut to return to the parking area should you decide not to attempt the entire loop. This is quintessential Brown County terrain: ridgelines, ravines, trees. Give yourself plenty of time to savor it.
Directions: Brown County. From IN 46 X IN 135, east 2.5 miles on IN 46, then right on Valley Branch/Mt. Liberty Rd. Stay on Valley Branch as Mt. Liberty veers left. There is a parking area on the left, 1.6 miles south of IN 46.
GPS: N 39 10.395 W 86 08.752
Facilities: None
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