Indiana’s Lost River

Indiana’s Lost River
Greetings, today we will visit one of Indiana’s unique natural areas, the Lost River in Orange County, Indiana.

From the Book:

Two of the features of the lost River are the Orangeville Rise & Wesley Chapel Gulf.
The Lost River is about 87 miles long.

The Lost River is a large sinking and subterranean stream, as well as an intricate cave system. There are two forks of the Lost River. The North Fork begins Northwest of the intersection of NW Washington School Road and Lost River Road. The South Fork of the Lost River begins just north of W Chick Shanks Road just west of its intersection with SW Washington School Road. The North and South Forks of the Lost River meet a short distance south of County Road E County Road 450 N southeast of Orleans in Orange County. On its way west the Lost River crosses Washington, Orange and Martin Counties. For about 23 miles of this length, mostly in Orange County, the Lost River flows underground, hence its name.

Wesley Chapel Gulf
Wesley Chapel Gulf is a 187-acre tract of land located on the Hoosier National Forest in western Orange County, Indiana. It is named for the Wesley Chapel Church, located just to the north. Visitors will find Wesley Chapel Gulf about four miles southwest of Orleans and two miles east of Orangeville. To find it, drive south from Orleans on Indiana State Road 37 to County Road 490 N, about 2.4 miles. A sign pointing towards Orangeville marks the road. Drive west on CR 490 (CR 500 at some point) for about 3.6 miles, reaching County Road 350 W. The Wesley Chapel Church marks the intersection. The church was built in 1858, originally known as Bruner’s Chapel, and has an associated cemetery. The Gulf derives its name from the church. Turn left (south). The parking lot for the Wesley Chapel Gulf is about one half mile south of the church. A Hoosier National Forest sign indicates the correct spot to park. A short hiking trail leads to the Wesley Chapel Rise.
Wesley Chapel Gulf received designation as a National Natural Landmark in 1972 due to its impressive geologic features. The gulf provides a rare glimpse of the Lost River on its subterranean path. Several other karst features are represented in the immediate area of the Gulf including swallow holes, sinkholes, and caves. The Forest Service recognized the uniqueness of Wesley Chapel Gulf and acquired the property in 1996 through a land exchange with U.S. Gypsum Co. The best time to visit Wesley Chapel Gulf is in the fall after the foliage has died down, or during the winter months.

Orangeville Rise
From Wesley Chapel Gulf, return to County Road 500 N and turn left (west). County Road 500 N becomes first CR 525 N, then CR 540 N before intersecting County Road 500W. Turn left (south) towards Orangeville. The parking area is on the south side of Orangeville. A short trail leads to the Rise.
At the Orangeville Rise Indiana’s second largest spring comes to the surface, forming streams that intersect with the Lost River a short distance away. The Rise is a tributary of the Lost River that rises from a cave into a 220-foot diameter rock-walled pit. The stream formed flows southwest to merge with the Lost River. The 355 square mile watershed of the Lost River covers five counties. This area possesses a large number of underground caves, sinkholes and underground streams.

For more information, contact the
Visit French Lick West Baden
8102 West State Road 56
West Baden IN 47469

866.309.9139

Hoosier National Forest
811 Constitution Avenue
Bedford, IN
47421
1-866-302-4173
812-275-5987

Division of Nature Preserves.
402 W. Washington St., Rm. W267.
Indianapolis, IN 46204.
317-232-0209.

You can find information about the places in this podcast in my book, South Central Indiana Road Trips. The book is part of a 9-book series that details just about any road trip destination in Indiana that you can think of, and many you will not think of. Each book covers a different region in the state and each cover approximately 10 counties. Destination includes parks, museums, drive in theaters, bowling alleys and many, many other interesting places. The books, along with my other 130 plus titles, are found on my web site, http://www.mossyfeetbooks.com. The books are available in ebook, softbound and audio book formats. While you are on the web site, subscribe to it by registering your email address in the subscribe button. I will now email you, however whenever I post something on the web site you will receive an email. I post about 3 – 5 times weekly on the site. The posts include podcast episodes, You Tube videos as well as other content. You also receive a notice of when I publish a book, which is about 8 – 10 times per year. Residents of southeastern Indiana can find them at the Walnut Street Variety Shoppe on George Street in Batesville. This podcast will be available as a video in You tube on my Mossy Feet Books channel. Follow me on you tube for great content about Indiana destinations and United States history. You can also follow me on Facebook at Indiana Places and History page. If you follow me on Facebook, you will be notified of when I publish a new book, usually about 10 new books a year. I also post tons of other content as well
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