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Harmonie State
Park
Posey County is best represented by Harmonie State Park with
its many trails, water features, dense woodlands, and meadows. In addition,
however, these lesser known — and sometimes quite remote — spots are worth
checking out.
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Hovey Lake Fish and Wildlife
Area
Hovey Lake Fish and Wildlife Area, on Hwy. 69 south. Take Hwy. 62 west
through Mt. Vernon to Hwy. 69 south. A brown over-head sign marks this
intersection as the Hovey turnoff. At Hovey, you can bird by car, on foot, or by
water. Be aware of hunting seasons when the water and some access roads are off
limits; and know that when the Ohio River is in flood, you can’t get near Hovey
by road.
By car, take the rock access road north of the lake. It winds
through the north and east portions of property surrounding the lake and
provides frequent birding opportunities in the fields, along sloughs, at the
north end of the lake, and along and through woods and brushy areas both along
the lake and along the Ohio River. Park and walk frequently. This road functions
primarily as a turn-road for farmers so may not be well maintained. At certain
seasons the road is closed except to hunters, and at other times the road is too
wet to drive. Use caution.
On foot, you can take the access road
described above, following it past a sharp right turn to the northeast corner of
the lake. There the auto road makes a sharp left and only an oil-well access
path goes straight. You can, however, walk this path to the back part of Hovey
Lake. Birding is great along the path and across the water. Take a
scope.
Also on foot, you can walk the levee. To get there, drive past the
entrance to Hovey Lake’s public access area (camping and picnic area) to the
gravel road on the west boundary; turn left. Follow that road along the lake
edge until you see the levee on the left. Park along the road and enjoy! Watch
for Turkeys in the fields across the road.
By water, Hovey Lake is best
accessed by canoe. Know, however, that it can be a maze. It’s best to go the
first time with someone who knows the way through the stumps, sloughs, standing
timber, and old creek beds. DNR folks at the visitor’s center can help, too.
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Public Access Boat Ramp
Area
Public Access Boat Ramp Area, just south of Hovey Lake. Follow
the gravel road bordering on the west and south of Hovey Lake Fish and Wildlife
property until you get to the Ohio River public access boat ramp, birding along
the road as you go. Then park in the boat ramp parking lot, walk along the woods
edge, and check out the water. Scope the Kentucky shore for Bald Eagles in
winter. Then drive on as far as road conditions allow. Less than ½ mile past the
boat ramp is a woodsy area full of vines and brambles — and all sorts of birds!
Watch the fields for Turkeys.
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Goose Pond Auto Loop
Goose Pond is Nature Conservancy property. Take Hwy. 62 west
5.9 miles from the traffic light at St. Philips Road and Hwy. 62. Turn left
(south) onto the gravel road that runs alongside the east property boundary of
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Research Center. Cross two crossroads. Check the
woods on the right. From the highway, it’s 2 ½ miles to Goose Pond.
Park and
walk along the road from where the trees begin to where they end. The road makes
a sharp left just past the under-road culvert connecting the two bodies of
water. At that corner, look right to find another slough somewhat hidden from
the road. Good birding throughout the area almost any time, but especially great
during warbler migration.
Beyond Goose Pond, follow the road south (road
deteriorates to a farmer’s turn road but is accessible in dry weather). At the
Y, veer left to follow the Ohio River. Bird woods patches, trees along the
river, fields, brushy areas.
Where the road tees, park and walk right
(south) toward the river. Good for warblers, sparrows, etc.
Back in your
car, turn left at the tee. As you travel north, Co. Rd. 700 E improves, becoming
a paved road and returning to civilization and Hwy. 62.
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Southwind Maritime Port
Area
Southwind Maritime Port Area, at the eastern edge of Mt. Vernon. Take
Hwy. 62 west toward Mt. Vernon and follow the signs into the port. Check the
open fields and brushy areas. At the river, turn east until the road dead-ends.
Check the water for ducks, geese, and other water birds; check the brush and
trees along the edges. Gulls, sometimes hawks, usually herons, and regularly
sparrows. Migration can turn up anything.
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Dempermeier Purple Martin
Colony
Dempermeier Purple Martin Colony, at 1616 Country Club Road on the west
side of Mt. Vernon off Hwy. 62. Although the colony is visible from both Hwy. 62
and Country Club Road, the only safe pull-off is along Country Club Road.
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Twin Swamps
Visit this wonderful site if you plan to go to Twin
Swamps! Guide
to the Wildflowers of Twin Swamps.
By Rick Mark
Twin Swamps, Nature Conservancy
property. Trails and boardwalks over sloughs and swamps. Great Bald Cypress
stands; beautiful spring flowers; fine birds. Take Hwy. 62 west through Mt.
Vernon to Hwy. 69 south (a left turn). Follow Hwy. 69 south past the entrance to
Hovey Lake. Where the paved road takes a sharp left toward John T. Myers
(Uniontown) Locks and Dam, go straight onto the gravel road (Co. Rd. 1500 S). In
less than a city block, turn right onto another gravel road (Co. Rd. 300 W).
Watch for Twin Swamps parking lot on the left.
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Half-Moon Pond/Wabash Lowlands
Auto Loop
Half-Moon Pond is private property, but it is accessible
for viewing from the county road. Take Hwy. 62 west through Mt. Vernon to Hwy.
69 south. Go about 3 ½ miles to a paved road to the right. There is no road
sign, but there is a sign that directs drivers to Point Township Church of
Nazarene. (It’s also the first road on the right past the crushed stone and rock
yards and labeled on DeLorme Map 60 as Co. Rd. 1100 S.) Turn right. In about one
mile, the paved road turns left toward the Point Township Church, but go
straight onto the gravel road. Follow it for about 4 ½ miles, birding the fields
and patches of woods as you go. At 4 ½ miles, the road veers left with a side
road coming in from the right. Half-Moon Pond is on the right. Use binoculars
and/or a scope. Good for shorebirds, ducks, and a wide variety of other birds,
depending on the season. Great Egrets in late summer; almost anything during
migration.
Continue along the southern edge of Half-Moon Pond to its end,
about 3/4 miles. Follow the gravel road about another mile through a sharp right
curve and a sharp left curve to a heavily wooded lowland. This is river-bottom
woods along the Wabash River. Great variety of birds almost all year
long.
Road continues about another ½ mile before it dead ends on private
property, but in that distance, the road deteriorates dramatically. In wet
weather, this last part is inaccessible.
Wabash Lowlands Tract is south
of Half-Moon Pond. To get there, return to Half-Moon Pond. At the west end of
the pond, a road turns right where a sign indicates "DNR ck in." Bird the woods
on the right (it’s DNR property, so you can walk through the woods, but there
are no trails) and the brushy fields on the left. Called the Wabash Lowlands
Tract, this property runs about a mile on either side of the road. Signs along
the road mark it as "Dedicated State Nature Preserve, Wabash Lowland Tract,
Wildlife Management Area."
A map of this DNR area is file #85a, sheet 1
of 1, dated 6/15/99, and titled "Hovey Lake Fish and Wildlife Areas, Posey
County, Property Map."
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Big Cypress Slough
Big Cypress Slough, DNR property in southwestern Posey County. Pass Hovey
Lake (see above) to where paved road veers sharply left. Take the gravel road
straight ahead onto Co. Rd. 1500 S. Follow gravel road several miles to a sharp
turn to right, along the slough. Lots of great birding from your car or on foot.
Follow the road north to loop back east to Hwy. 69.
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John T. Myers (Uniontown) Locks
and Dam
John T. Myers (Uniontown) Locks and Dam, at the end of Hwy. 69. Grounds
always good for something — Great Blue Herons, hawks, vultures, ducks, geese,
Belted Kingfishers, and so on. Large colony of nesting Cliff Swallows here.
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Posey County Line Road
Posey County Line Road, marking the boundary between
Vanderburgh and Posey counties, from Hwy. 62 south to where it tees into Old Mt.
Vernon Road. Most of this road is gravel but reasonably well maintained. Bird
the meadows, creek banks, and trees — lots of trees! Any number of surprises
hidden here.
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A.B. Brown Generating
Plant Perimeter Auto Loop
To take this loop through the community
of West Franklin, take Hwy. 62 west, past USI, to Busler’s Truck Stop at the
intersection with St. Philips Road (at the stop light). Turn left (south) onto
West Franklin Road (it’s West Franklin to the south and St. Philips to the
north). Pass the Twin Lake Mobile Home Court. Stay on West Franklin Road by
veering left at the Y, following the sign to SIGECO. Check out the trees along
both sides of the road. At SIGECO’s entrance, the road makes a sharp left. Bird
the fence rows and woods.
About 3 1/4 mile from the highway, West
Franklin Road tees into Smith Diamond Road (neither road is marked). Turn right
onto Smith Diamond Road. In less than a ½ mile, power lines cross the road. Pull
off on the left, park, and scope both sides of the road, the right side
including holding ponds for the power plant.
Continue birding along the
road. In about another mile, you will find yourself in the community of West
Franklin on the Ohio River.
Turn right at the stop sign and travel west
through the community. This is all private property, but park and walk. Several
folks have bird feeders up, and the woods and fields are always alive with wings
and songs. The road makes a sharp right at the western edge of the community and
Co. Rd. 1085 E becomes gravel. Good birding along the road, woods, fields,
grassy and brushy areas.
You’ll pass a cemetery on the left (also good
birding) with the pull-off on the south edge of the grounds. At the next stop
sign, go straight (the crossroad is SIGECO private property), and you’ll find
yourself back on West Franklin Road. Turn left to return to Hwy. 62. (Also see
Schissler Road Auto Loop below.)
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Schissler Road Auto
Loop
From West Franklin Road in Posey County, turn east on
Schissler Road. It’s unmarked, but it’s about 100 feet north of Elk Trail Road
that goes into the Twin Lake Mobile Home Park. For a short distance, Schissler
Road hugs the edge of the trailer park, but then it becomes a narrow rock road
through heavy woods and along fields. Pull off, park, and walk.
Follow
the road east to West Franklin Road in Vanderburgh County. (These two roads by
the same name do not connect.) Turn left on West Franklin to get back to
Broadway and Hwy. 62. Or turn right to go into Union Township where West
Franklin Road becomes Cypress-Dale Road. (See references above.)
If
heading back to Hwy 62, follow West Franklin Road left (north) to Old Mt. Vernon
Road. Turn left. Enjoy the birding along this road. Go straight at the first
stop sign; take a hard right at the second stop sign. Hwy. 62 is a short
distance north.
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Pitcher Lake
Pitcher Lake, north of Hwy. 62 just before the Wabash River Bridge. An
old oxbow of the Wabash, Pitcher Lake has a wetlands on the north end where
water birds hang out — herons, egrets, occasional shore birds during migration.
Take Hwy. 62 west out of Mt. Vernon; turn right on the last road north before
crossing the bridge to Illinois (but not the road at the bridge which takes you
under the highway). The lake is visible from the highway. Road floods; be
cautions.
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New Harmony’s Murphy Park
New Harmony’s Murphy Park, on Hwy. 69. Easy access into picnic area. Tall
trees offer decent spring birding, especially early in the morning before other
folks come to picnic or play.
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New Harmony Inn/Convention Center
Grounds
New Harmony Inn/Convention Center Grounds, on the north side of New
Harmony. Walk the grounds for a variety of birds any time.
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Atheneum Visitor Center
Grounds
Atheneum Visitor Center Grounds, along the Wabash River on the west edge
of New Harmony. Check out the trees along the Wabash, the grassy areas between
the Atheneum and the river, and areas under and around the highway bridge. Nice
variety of sightings here.
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Old Dam Road
Old Dam Road, south edge of New Harmony, off Hwy. 69. Turn right on Old
Dam Road along the cemetery and follow the road to the Wabash River and the Old
Dam. Bird along the road and along the river. Look for wild turkeys in the
evening at the cemetery and many passerines along the road.
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Riecken Purple Martin
Colony
Riecken Purple Martin Colony, at 1725 Old Plank Road off Hwy 69 about 4
miles south of New Harmony. Pass the Posey County Fairgrounds on the left, a hog
farm on the right, and into the S curve on Hwy. 69. Where the highway veers
left, take the gravel road straight ahead (the first gravel road to the right
past the fairgrounds). Frank Riecken has both gourds and apartment houses in his
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Black River
Black River on the Griffin Road, where there is a small community of
summer camps. Brush and trees along the river as seen from the bridge usually
offer an assortment of song birds.
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Mumford Hills
Mumford Hills, north of Griffin. Take the Griffin exit off
I-64 and turn north (right) through Griffin. At the north edge of town, turn
right. Follow the road, turning left at each opportunity. The road eventually
leads to the Wabash River. Check the sloughs, woods, fields, grasslands and
river. Great warblers in spring; wide variety of habitat brings wide variety of
birds throughout the year. (See DeLorme Map 60, A 4-5.)
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