Indiana State Parks Offer Free Admission on May 4 for Welcome Weekend

May 4 is also a Free Fishing Day.

INDIANAPOLIS - "May the Forest be with You."

The Indiana DNR invites Hoosiers to celebrate the start of the outdoor recreation season with free admission to all Indiana State Parks properties on Sunday, May 4, the second day of Welcome Weekend and the opening day of Visit Indiana Week. 

“We’re excited to welcome back longtime visitors, and we also warmly invite anyone who’s never visited,” said Ginger Murphy, deputy director of Indiana State Parks. “Our parks offer beautiful scenic views, camping and healthy outdoor activities, nature centers for learning about Indiana’s history and natural resources, and delicious dining and restful lodging at our inns.”

Find an Indiana State Parks property and what’s new there at on.IN.gov/stateparks. 

Campgrounds are open, with comfort stations open and water on for the season. A 25 percent discount is available Sunday-Wednesday through May 14 using the code SPRING25. Some restrictions apply. Beginning April 30, campers can reserve a site at camp.IN.gov until 11 p.m. ET on day of arrival. In the past, 2 p.m. ET was the cutoff.

Check out Indiana State Park Inns’ Spring special, which includes 25 percent off the best available rate when booking two consecutive nights through May 22. Complete inns information and some restrictions are listed at IndianaInns.com. 

Many activities are on tap for the weekend, including a fungi walk at Indiana Dunes State Park, a campfire building class at Chain O’Lakes State Park and a talk featuring ways to invite hummingbirds to your backyard at Fort Harrison State Park. All Indiana State Parks programs and events during Welcome Weekend and beyond are listed at calendar.dnr.IN.gov and on each property’s Facebook page. 

May 4 is also a Free Fishing Day, as described at on.IN.gov/fishfree.