Cam and I made the short drive to Whitewater Memorial State Park in Indiana for a Labor Day weekend adventure at Whitewater Lake. What a beautiful little lake — quiet enough that we only counted a handful of other boats out on the water and a few families scattered along the beach. It was a bit breezy, which turned out to be perfect for me, since paddling into the wind gave me a real workout, while Cam had the easier job of trying to splash Dad every chance he got.
The highlight of the day came when the wind kicked up a beach ball and carried it away from one of the families on shore. Cam and I paddled over, scooped it up, and delivered it back to a very happy father and son — a small moment, but the kind that makes a state park lake feel like a neighborhood more than a destination.
On the drive, we kept up one of our long-standing traditions: stopping for ice cream. This time it was J’s Dairy Inn, in Liberty, Indiana, for a couple of cones to cap off the trip. Cam went with his usual — vanilla, of course.
Whitewater Memorial State Park
Tucked into the rolling hills of east-central Indiana, Whitewater Memorial State Park has been welcoming families since 1949, when the citizens of Union, Fayette, Franklin, and Wayne counties came together to purchase the land as a living memorial to those who served in World War II. Today it’s the 16th park in the Indiana State Park system and one of the easiest weekend escapes for anyone living near the Ohio-Indiana line — just a short 17-mile drive from Oxford. At the heart of it all sits 200-acre Whitewater Lake, a calm, family-friendly stretch of water where you can rent kayaks, canoes, paddle boats, or rowboats, cast a line for bass and bluegill, or just spread out a towel on the beach for the afternoon.
Beyond the lake, the park connects to the massive Brookville Lake-Whitewater Memorial State Park Complex, giving visitors access to over 13,500 combined acres, 9 miles of horseback riding trails, quiet hiking paths through the woods, and family cabins for those who want to turn the day trip into a weekend. History buffs can make a short detour to the nearby Metamora Historic Site, just 10 miles away, for a look at 19th-century canal-town life. Whether you’re paddling, fishing, riding, or just soaking up a lazy Indiana afternoon, Whitewater Memorial makes it easy to fill a day without ever needing to drive far from home.
Address: 1418 S. State Road 101, Liberty, IN 47353
Website: https://www.in.gov/dnr/state-parks/parks-lakes/whitewater-memorial-state-park
