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Some of Indiana’s best Sunday drives end at places most people drive right past. This list covers seven quiet spots across the state, from a mill that has been grinding flour for generations to a canal town with a boat ride and a vintage train.
You will find shaded ravines, waterfalls, a covered bridge, and a lakeside park in the far northeast corner. Each one is open on Sundays, and most are an easy day trip from wherever you live in the state.
Fall is a great season to go, with leaves changing and crowds thinning out on weekdays. Pack a thermos, pick a direction, and let the back roads do their job.
1. Shades State Park, Waveland, IN
Out near Waveland, a rural town of under 500 residents, Sugar Creek has carved a gorge lined with sandstone cliffs. The park sits at 7751 S 890 W, and it is open daily from 7 AM to 11 PM, Sundays included.
The name fits the setting. Most of the trails have a canopy of foliage overhead, which keeps hikers out of the full sun.
Some paths are easy enough for young kids, while others are more challenging and can lead through streams and mud, so sturdy shoes are a smart call.
Beyond hiking, the park offers canoeing, fishing, and camping. There is also a playground, a water station, picnic tables, grills, and restrooms.
Dogs are allowed, and parking is available in both free and paid lots.
Weekends fill up most on Friday evening and Saturday evening, while early in the week is the quietest. A Sunday visit is a good middle ground.
2. Bridgeton Mill, Bridgeton, IN
Here is a fun bit of trivia: the mill has been family owned since 1823, but not by the same family. It bills itself as the oldest continually operating mill in the Midwest.
The current building dates to 1870 and still makes stone ground flour, cornmeal, grits, and polenta. The shop also carries pancake mix, cornbread mix, and fish batter.
A snack shop serves hand dipped ice cream, and a grilled cheese made with bread baked from the mill’s own flour is a natural order.
The setting is the real draw. A covered bridge crosses over a waterfall, and the mill sits on the hill overlooking it all in the small Parke County hamlet of Bridgeton, at 8104 Bridgeton Rd.
Hours are 10 AM to 5 PM daily, but the mill is seasonal. It opens April 1 and closes for winter after the first weekend of December, so fall visits fit well.
Check before you go.
3. Cataract Falls State Recreation Area, Spencer, IN
Plan on a few hours here, because there is more than one waterfall to see. The area near the village of Cataract in Owen County has an upper falls, a lower falls, and a historic covered bridge, and the upper falls is often described as one of the largest in the state.
Walking trails are easy and shaded, which makes it manageable for families. The park also has fishing spots, a playground, picnic tables, grills, and restrooms.
Dogs are allowed.
The address is 2605 N Cataract Rd, outside Spencer. It is open daily from 6 AM to 9 PM.
Saturday and Sunday afternoons are the busiest times, while weekday mornings are much quieter. If your Sunday drive leaves early, you can beat the afternoon rush.
Parking includes free and paid options.
4. Yellowwood State Forest, Nashville, IN
Fall is when the drive itself becomes the main event. The forest sits in the Brown County hills west of Nashville, and the changing leaves along the roads make the stretch through the forest a pleasure to cruise.
The trails are well marked, and miles of them wind through a diverse forest. A peaceful lake adds a spot for fishing, and the forest also allows hunting and permit-required gold panning.
There are picnic tables, grills, restrooms, swings, and a playground. Primitive campsites come with fire pits and picnic tables.
Dogs are allowed, and parking is free.
The address is 772 Yellowwood Lake Rd, and the forest is open 24 hours a day. Saturday afternoon is the busiest stretch, and Sundays are much calmer.
5. Whitewater Canal State Historic Site, Metamora, IN
Metamora is a preserved 19th-century canal town with a population under 200, set along the Whitewater River Valley byway. Main Street at 19073 is lined with unique shops and quirky stores, which makes for an easy browse.
The site features an 1800s canal, and visitors can take a canal boat ride or hop on a vintage train. A grist mill is on site, and the mill is free to visit.
There is also a gift shop, and the town has a cafe and a restaurant.
For a quieter moment, a walk along the old man-made canal doubles as a nature stroll. Kids also get a front-row look at how canals worked and how the railroad later replaced them.
Plan around the schedule. The site is closed Monday and Tuesday and open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM.
Saturday afternoon is the busiest time, so a Wednesday or Thursday trip is calmer.
6. Clifty Falls State Park, Madison, IN
Madison is known for its compact, 19th-century architecture, and the park above the city gives you a view back over it. Clifty Falls sits along the Ohio River at 2221 Clifty Dr.
The trails are well marked and lead to multiple waterfalls, and the park also has a tunnel. Moderate, dog-friendly routes make it approachable.
Beyond hiking, the park offers swimming, tennis, camping, a nature center, and an inn.
Families can use the playground, picnic tables, grills, and cycling lanes. The campground has shower houses and restrooms.
It is open daily from 7 AM to 11 PM. Sunday afternoon is one of its busiest times, so an earlier start or a weekday visit will give you more elbow room on the trails.
7. Pokagon State Park, Angola, IN
Northeast Indiana’s glaciated lake country gets its turn at the end of the list. Pokagon sits just outside Angola, a community of under 9,000 residents, along Lake James.
The park has a swimming beach, guided horse rides, a toboggan run, a nature center, campsites, cabins, and an inn. A restaurant is also part of the mix.
The trails and beach make it a calm option when you want to slow down.
For families, there are playgrounds, a basketball court, a volleyball court, picnic tables, and grills. Cycling lanes add another option, and dogs are allowed.
It is open daily from 7 AM to 11 PM. Saturday afternoon and evening are the busiest, so Sunday or a weekday is easier.
The park office address is 450 Ln 100 Lake James.
