Hoosier Hill | Indiana (#8)

Hoosier Hill stands at 1,257 feet above sea level and ranks #44 among U.S. state high points, just behind Campbell Hill in Ohio. This marked my eighth state high point, and thanks to their close proximity—and the lack of any real hiking—it’s easy to pair the two together in a single trip.

The Drive from Campbell Hill

The drive from Campbell Hill to Hoosier Hill takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes and is a good reminder of why I enjoy getting off the Interstate whenever possible. The route winds along rural roads, past farmland and small towns, and straight through the heartland of America. It’s not flashy, but it’s quietly interesting, and it gives you a feel for a part of the country you’d completely miss if you stayed on the highway. There is so much to see in this country when you take the roads less traveled.

At the High Point

Although Hoosier Hill is easy to access, it does sit on private property. Fortunately, the landowner is friendly to highpointers, and the state has placed clear signage along the final stretch of country roads leading you in. When I arrived, there was a small pull-off and only one other car in the lot—another highpointer, this one visiting from Texas.

Photo: The pull off and parking area

One of the things that makes Hoosier Hill stand out is how thoughtfully it’s been maintained. In May 2005, an Eagle Scout named Kyle Cummings rebuilt the high point as part of his Eagle Scout project. Today, the site includes a gravel walkway, a bench, a picnic table, a new sign, and even a bat house designed to help keep mosquitoes in check during the warmer months. Pretty cool—and a sincere thank you to Kyle for his work.

Photo: Kyle Cummings Eagle Scout Work!

There’s also a mailbox and register at the summit, and it’s always worth taking a few minutes to flip through the pages. Reading where people are from, what number this high point is for them, and the notes they leave behind is part of the fun. Every now and then, you’ll even spot a familiar name—someone clearly working through the same high-point journey, just in a different order or at a different pace. It’s a small detail, but it adds a real sense of shared experience to an otherwise quiet spot.

Photos: Indiana’s High Point | Mailbox with Highpointer’s Register

Photo: Summit Selfie!

From Hoosier Hill, I continued south toward Brown County State Park—ranked by The Discoverer as the best state park in Indiana—and on to the next chapter of the trip.

Catch you on the summit!

Date of “Climb”: 18 May 2023