General Park Information

The Nature Park is open to the public every day from sunrise to sunset. The park consists of over 500 acres of forest, fields, and abandoned limestone quarry. There are nearly 9 miles of trails in the park. We ask that all visitors please stay on the trails to avoid disturbing areas in the park that are used for faculty-student research.

Mission Statement:

DePauw University is committed to the ecological restoration and stewardship of the Nature Park to serve the purposes of education, research, reflection, and recreation for members of the University and neighboring communities.

Emergency Contact:

Call DePauw Public Safety 765-658-4261 or 911

News and Updates

Andy Zuwerink, Assistant Professor of Biology, will lead a bird banding project at the Nature Park, September 16-18 for BIO 135, Organismal Biology. Birds will be captured using mist nets, banded, measured, and released. The goals of the project are to teach students how to observe and measure birds and how to develop hypotheses about features of birds such as fat content and feather structure.

• Download our new brochures here:
  
  • Checklist of Birds
  • Field Guide to Trees
  • Field Guide to Spring Wildflowers
    

• The campground at the Nature Park is open on weekends from April 1 to November 1. Camping is by reservation only. To make reservations, contact Angie Battin at 765-658-6596 or via email at abattin@depauw.edu.
  
  
• Read our recently written report on white-tailed deer in the Nature Park, "Deer Herbivory at the Nature Park:  A Cause for Concern?"