Jungle Park

 

May 26, 2021

Jungle Park

Indiana has always been known for its racing heritage, and it hasn’t always been about the Indianapolis 500. This year, I wanted to check out what was once the most famous (and infamous) racetracks in the United States. The long-abandoned Jungle Park Speedway was once known as one of the most famous racetracks in the United States.  Founded in 1926 by Earl Padgett, the track was a 1/2 mile circular shaped sprint car track situated on the banks of Sugar Creek near Turkey Run State Park in Parke County, Indiana. 

I wanted to check it out and also take in what is one of the most beautiful state parks in Indiana on the same trip. Both are about a forty-minute drive west of Indianapolis and while I have visited Turkey Run, I had never taken the time to explore the nearby Jungle Park.

I have a fondness for abandoned places and Jungle Park appeals to a multitude of my interests at once. The racing surface was asphalt on the straightaways and loose gravel in the corners, which caused many accidents throughout the years.  A number of drivers and spectators were tragically killed during the years that the track was open, giving the place a grim history. But it also hosted many of the greatest drivers of the era including eight Indy 500 winners led by the legendary three-time winner Wilbur Shaw.

The track today is mostly overgrown, though you can still sort of make out where it was, the grandstands and a few other overgrown buildings remain and it is still a somewhat hauntingly beautiful location. Nearby, straddling Sugar Creek is the amazing Turkey Run State Park. Turkey Run and nearby Shades State Park are both along the shores of Sugar Creek and feature gorges created via erosion of the creek through the Mansfield Sandstone.

The result is an amazing geological formation of gorges cutting through the forested banks of the creek. Turkey Run also includes a system of trails, Rocky Hollow Falls Canyon Nature Preserve, a suspension bridge across Sugar Creek, camping sites and other recreational area. It is just a beautiful place and I took some time to hike through the woods and gorges.

Parke County is also home to the largest concentrations of covered bridges in the state of Indiana. I did not really take the time to seek out the many examples of covered bridges in the area, I did visit a couple of them that are located close to the state park. You could spend a day or more checking them all out and I hope to do just that on some future visit.

Of course, the best thing about being back in Indiana is the opportunity to visit with so many of my closest and most wonderful friends and this week I had the chance to see many of them at a couple of group gatherings that each featured a gathering of friends, most of whom I have known for forty plus years.

The first get together was at the Liter House restaurant and featured a group of friends including my friend Pat who made his annual drive up from Evansville to hang out, generally we attend Carb Day at the Speedway together, but opted not to this year due to the Covid restrictions. This gathering was the substitute and it worked out really well as a nice group of friends showed up.

The second gathering was organized to celebrate the Indianapolis return of another Hoosier transplant, my friend Molly who has been gone from Indiana almost as long as I have and was making a rare return with her husband and son from their home in Montana. This one was held at the Blind Owl Brewery and had another group of about twenty friends gathering to catch up. I love my friends and am so fortunate to have kept the bonds of friendship strong, even living so far apart.