Shades State Park Trail 2 (Lover's Leap and Pearl Ravine) Hiking Guide
Shades is Turkey Run's quieter neighbor on Sugar Creek, about 17 miles southwest of Crawfordsville off State Road 47. Trail 2 packs most of what the park is known for into a little over a mile: the Lover's Leap overlook on the sandstone cliffs, the stairway down past Steamboat Rock, and a scramble back up the bed of Pearl Ravine.
Permit: Shades State Park collects the standard Indiana DNR entrance fee at the gate: $7 per day for vehicles with Indiana plates, $15 for out-of-state plates, or $2 per person arriving on foot or bike. Annual entrance passes cost $50 for residents and $120 for nonresidents.
Distance and Rating
The DNR lists Trail 2 at 1.25 miles and rates it Rugged to Very Rugged. Hiking Project maps the trail as a 1.1-mile segment with about 155 feet of climbing and 211 feet of descent, and AllTrails lists it as a 1.4-mile loop. The numbers are small, but the stairs and the creek-bed walking make it slower than its length suggests.
The Route
The trail begins on the path to Lover's Leap, which looks out over Sugar Creek, then runs through upland woods with views down into the ravines. The lower half drops down the Steamboat Rock stairs and turns up the Pearl Ravine streambed, where the creek bed itself is the trail. The park warns this lower portion may be impassable during high water, so after a storm stick to the upper section and the overlooks.
Closures on Other Shades Trails
When this guide was checked in October 2026, the park listed Trails 7 and 8, the Kickapoo Ravine and Shawnee Canyon routes, as closed because of damaged trail structures. Trail 2 was not on that list. If you are planning the park's 6 Ravine Hiking Challenge, ask the office how the closures affect it. Trails 4 and 5 nearby use ladders in Frisz and Kintz ravines, and the park notes ladders can be hard for small children and pets.
Rules, Dogs and Dark Skies
Leashed dogs are allowed on Shades trails; Indiana's rule is a leash no longer than six feet, and the animal must be attended at all times. Trails close at dusk and hikers must be off them by then. Swimming and wading in Sugar Creek are prohibited inside the park. Shades has one of the darkest skies in Indiana, and stargazers who want to stay after 11 p.m. need a permit from the office. Like Turkey Run, Shades closes for two firearms deer-management hunts late in the fall, both in the second half of November, the later one running into early December.
A Resort Turned State Park
In 1886 the mineral springs here led to the Garland Dells Mineral Springs Association and a health resort called the Dell House. Joseph Frisz later became sole owner and was adamant about protecting the trees, and by 1929 The Dells had a 50-room inn and 14 cottages. After Frisz died in 1939 a statewide fundraising campaign bought the land, and Shades State Park opened in 1947. The park now covers 3,541 acres.
Hiking tips for Shades State Park Trail 2 (Lover's Leap and Pearl Ravine)
- Do the overlook first, then descend the Steamboat Rock stairs while your legs are fresh.
- Skip the Pearl Ravine half whenever the water is up after rain.
- Look for turkey vultures riding the updrafts off the cliffs, which the park says draw them in large numbers.
- Plan to finish before dusk, when Shades trails close.
- Pair Trail 2 with Pine Hills Nature Preserve for a fuller day in the park.
Nearby trails to explore
- Pine Hills Nature Preserve Trail (Devil's Backbone)
- Turkey Run Trail 3 (Rocky Hollow and the Ladders)
- Turkey Run 5-Mile Challenge Loop
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Shades is a quiet park, which makes it a good place to meet new hiking partners without the Turkey Run crowds. Start a Shades outing on TrailMates, use the event's group chat to plan the drive and the Lover's Leap meeting point, and add Pine Hills if the group wants more. Download TrailMates on the App Store or Google Play.