Located in the beautiful hills of Brown County off Highway 46, you will especially enjoy the variety offered in Indiana's largest state park, including nearly 20 miles of roads, with numerous scenic vistas.

Comfortable accommodations at the rustic Abe Martin Lodge, large campgrounds, hiking trails, mountain bike trails, interpretive services, and extensive horse riding facilities are some of the things that make Brown County State Park popular year round.

Abe Martin has become a favorite son of Brown County and of the State Park, which includes Weed Patch Hill and its surroundings. The Abe Martin Lodge commemorates his connection with the county.

For twenty-five years, from 1905-1930, "Abe Martin" was the mouthpiece for Kin Hubbard's daily quips in The Indianapolis News, which, accompanied by sketches of Abe and his friends in action, were syndicated across the nation. Hubbard was born in Bellefontaine, Ohio, and settled in Indianapolis, starting the Abe Martin Character in 1904. At first Abe Martin belonged to no particular locality, but on February 3, 1905, he announced, "I'm goin' ter move ter Brown County Tewmorrow," and the next day he was depicted in a wagon piled high with household goods.

His comment was, "By cracky, it's sum travelin' ter git ter Brown County." The reason for the move lay in the fact that the steep hills and the general "picturesque-ness" of that area lent themselves to humerous exaggeration and provided the material Hubbard liked for his pictorial backgrounds.

Gradually many of Abe's neighbors came into being, to appear in the pictures and text. The cottages of the Abe Martin Lodge in the Park bear the names of these characters.

Much of Hubbard's humor is as timely now as it was during its heyday, from 1905 to 1930. Will Rogers called Kin Hubbard "America's greatest humorist."

Hubbard's cartoons played a significant part in drawing the attention of artists and tourists to Brown County. They, in turn, have made the area world famous. In dedication to his memory, the Department of Natural Resources built Abe Martin Lodge in 1932 on Kin Hubbard Ridge, naming the cottages after his principle characters.

State park permits can be purchased at any of the state park property locations across Indiana. State park permits can also be ordered online by visiting the INDINIA ENTRANCE FEE web page.

* RVs Use West Gate * Electric / 401 sites * Non-Electric / 28 sites * Rally / 60 sites o Horsemen's - Entrance off 135 South + Electric / 118 sites + Non-Electric / 86 sites * Youth Tent Areas * Camp Store * Dumping Station

Abe Martin Lodge is located in Brown County State Park on a wooded preserve among rolling hills, comprising more than 15,000 acres. The largest state park in Indiana, it includes Weed Patch Hill, which - at an elevation of 1,058 feet - is one of the highest points in the state.

Built in 1932 of hand-hewn native stone and oak timbers cut in the park, the Main Lodge has two spacious and comfortable lobbies with two fireplaces. A rustic dining room makes eating a pleasure. Abe Martin says, "You just can't go away hungry."

There are thirty rooms in the Main Lodge, with another 54 in the new addition.

These rooms and the twenty housekeeping cabins are open all year. The original cabins built in 1932 are electrically heated and air-conditioned. These units are open from April until November.