Big Walnut Creek

Beginning as a very modest stream on the edge of Boone and Hendricks counties, Big Walnut Creek gains considerable width and depth as it makes its way to the Eel River, on its way to becoming part of the Wabash River. The Big Walnut Watershed is more than 270,000 acres lying mostly in Boone, Hendricks and Putnam counties. It is dominated by agricultural land use, with the exception of a few small towns and the City of Greencastle.  

The Big Walnut Creek Valley was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1985, changing little since then thanks to the efforts of The Nature Conservancy. Some of the largest known Hemlock trees in Indiana are situated within the 2,600 acres known as the Big Walnut Natural Area. Consisting of the Hall Woods Nature Preserve, along with four other minor trail systems, it is some of the most scenic natural land in the area.

A small number of water specific activities, including fishing, fly-fishing, canoeing, and even metal detecting along the shores can be done at several locations along the creek. Historic Houck Covered Bridge and the DePauw Nature Park both serve as “access” points to the creek. There are no official put-in’s in the county at this time and the water level is only sufficient for canoeing during high water times, roughly, March through June.