Knobstone Trail

Contained within 40,000 acres of old forest, nestled along the rugged ridges of an ancient escarpment, sits Indiana’s longest footpath, the Knobstone Trail (KT). This wooded roller coaster of a hike is 58 miles long with over 9,000 ft of elevation gain. It has gained in popularity over recent years and is affectionately referred to as the “Little Appalachian Trail” due to its relentless and rugged terrain.

Before I started MLGHikes, I actually thru-hiked this trail in the spring of 2021, and the only thing I vividly remember was the last 15 miles. I trudged through an intense thunderstorm just to be done with it. When I look back on my most miserable hiking experiences, my last day on the KT is up there.

Even so, I decided to come back to the state I was raised in to attempt a winter hike of the Knobstone Trail. Why, you ask?

• I am a firm believer in second chances.
• The forecast was showing an unseasonably warm week in mid-February, and a veteran hiker of the KT in southern Indiana reported that the snow was starting to melt.
• My wife and I are expecting our second child in April 2026, and this would likely be my last opportunity for outdoor adventures for quite a while.

My friend Vladi was down to hike it with me, so I packed up my gear and made the long drive to the Crossroads of America to meet him near the trailhead.

Author’s Note: Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. If you do end up making a purchase through one of them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for the support!

Part 1: Quick Overview

Author’s Note: There are technically two Knobstone Trails in Indiana. The one this guide goes over is the original one, and not the 160-mile Knobstone Hiking Trail, which includes the Tecumseh Trail, Pioneer Trail, Hoosier National Forest, and the Knobstone Trail. The long-distance KHT is still in development, though anyone can currently hike it as long as they don’t mind some road walks. Find more information on that, HERE.

Part 2: Trip Report

Day 1: February 14th, 2026 (Delaney Creek Park to Campsite near Elk Creek Fishery Area, 13.3 miles, 2,169 ft elevation gain)

Since Vladi and I drove separately, we parked my car at Deam Lake (the southern terminus), hopped into his vehicle, and then drove 45 minutes to the Spurgeon Hollow Trailhead (the northern terminus). Before we began, we scanned the QR code at the welcome sign to register our hike. The sky was overcast, and the air still had the chilly sting of winter as we donned our packs and began our journey.

Immediately, the hike veered into the forest, and shortly thereafter, we encountered snow. Even with the recent warm spell, snow was abundant for the first 3 miles of the trail. It was only a few inches deep, but it was still the most snow I’ve ever hiked through. I did not bring any micro spikes, but my trail runners were doing just fine without them. There were no other shoe prints, so we had to be among the earliest KT hikers of the year. We were literally breaking trail. We zigzagged through the forest and crossed snowmelt-swollen creeks. The Knobstone Trail is notoriously dry, so flowing creeks this early were a good sign.

The next few miles were spent traversing the hardwood forests and valleys of the Clark State Forest. On the higher ridges, snow had all but melted away, while in the deep forest, the sun had not penetrated enough to make much of a dent. Though spring was still over a month away, there were signs of it everywhere. Insects were few (thankfully), but we saw them; the green tunnel was slowly but surely creeping back in, and as the day wore on, the air lost some of its bitter bite. It would not be long before wildflowers would start to sprout.

While we were breaking for lunch, we saw two other hikers pass by going northbound. One of them was a familiar face. 5 years ago, when I first hiked the KT, I used Adventure Shuttles to shuttle me. That shuttle service was run by a well-known Knobstone Trail hiker, Kim Purlee. She lives close by and is willing to shuttle hikers, leave water caches, and even scout the trail. Weeks before our hike, I reached out to Kim to see what the conditions of the trail were like. She volunteered to check it out. She reported the snow was starting to melt and that water would most likely not be an issue.

Luckily, the rain this time was considerably more gentle. We found a suitable site next to the trail. After getting our tents set up, Vladi was able to get a fire going. While we ate dinner, the rain picked up, but the fire was roaring, so we were able to keep warm and mostly dry. After relaxing near the fire, I crawled into my tent and went to sleep. The sounds of the rain against my tent made for a great white noise substitute.

Day 2: February 15th, 2025 (Campsite near Elk Creek Fishery Area to campsite in between mm 18 and mm 19, 13.2 miles, 2,490 ft elevation gain)

When my alarm went off for the first time, it was still raining. Vladi was snoring in his tent, so I decided to take another hour and see if the rain would slow. Sure enough, when the alarm sounded the second time, the rain had slowed to a drizzle. Once we woke up, we started breaking down camp immediately. Some of that winter chill came back overnight, so we didn’t linger too long.

The slow but steady drizzle continued as we started the day, winding around Elk Creek Lake. A short climb brought us to the ridges as the fishing area dwindled behind us. We passed through a clearing dominated by transmission towers. The buzzing noise from them was consistent as we quickly pushed past this area.

We spent the rest of the morning alternating between high ridges and bottomlands. Maybe it was the lingering snow or the cold creeks, but every time we descended to the forest floor, it felt like someone had turned the AC on, and not in a good way.

Once we arrived at the Leota trailhead, around 8 miles into our day, we stopped for a lunch break. The rain had fianlly subsided, but the sun was obscured by the clouds. It was so cold while we ate that I actually accepted some of Vladi’s coffee, and I don’t ever drink coffee. I put on every layer I could, and I was still freezing. It was probably the most miserable lunch I’ve ever had on trail.

I had never been so happy to finish “resting” and begin a steep climb. As I got moving again, my body temperature warmed up. I got to the top of the climb, and then had a nice, cruisy, 2-mile-long ridge walk. I was ahead of Vladi at this point, but I would stop and wait for him if there was a tricky creek crossing, of which there were several. Today, there were quite a few. One where I had to carefully balance over a fallen tree, and another where I just gave up finding a way around and just took off my shoes and socks and walked barefoot through it.

Even in winter, this section of the trail was incredible. It was lush and vibrant, and had the biggest trees on the trek so far. The smell was even pleasant, I did not see much wildlife so far though, just a few squirrels and chipmunks.

The last few miles of the day involved a steep climb out of the North Branch Valley. After the climb, the trail again relented to a gentle walk along another ridge. For the most part, the trail had been in good shape, but starting around mm 20, there were signs of ATV damage. Thankfully, the ground was still cold enough not to become a total slurry, but within a few weeks, I imagine mud would dominate large sections.

I passed some stagnant, frozen-over ponds before finding a large set of campsites near an abandoned horse trail. It was pretty late at this point, so while I started setting up camp, I made sure to keep an eye out for Vladi, since the campsite was off to the side of the trail. Sure enough, he rolled up to the camp a few mionutes later.

It was much colder that night. Vladi, being a fire wizard, was able to get a good one going despite most of the wood being soaked. Before going to sleep sleep, we spoke about possibly finishing the trail tomorrow. Our original plan was to take 4 days and 3 nights, but with 18 miles to go, it was definitely possible if we started early enough.

I told him I would set a pre-sunrise alarm and see how we both felt; he agreed.

Day 3: February 16th, 2025 (campsite in between mm 18 and mm 19 to Deam Lake State Recreation Area, 18.3 miles, 2,975 ft elevation gain)

Vladi and I woke up before sunrise and decided to attempt to finish the trail. I knew the southern portion of the Knobstone Trail was the most difficult, but we were both eager to finish it. With an early start, we could finish it with some daylight to spare.

A dense fog moved in overnight, so for the first hour or so, we did some headlamp hiking. The trail was a gradual decline before dropping a few hundred feet to the New Chapel Trailhead. Similar to yesterday, it was much colder at the lower elevation, and frost covered the landscape. Vladi and I filtered the frigid water of the South Branch Big Ox Creek before continuing.

The next 6 miles to State Road 160 were pretty standard for the KT, it consisted of hopping across several small intermittent streams. I actually counted today, and we hit 18 crossings in the span of an hour. At some point, the clouds parted, and the sun made its first appearance since we started the hike. We walked through sunlit fog, which made for some cool and interesting shots.

SR 160 is where the trail really picked up; the trail rose 300 ft in less than half a mile, and there were no switchbacks to be found. The last time I hiked this section, it was pitch black through a rainstorm, so I did not actually see what it looked like. After the steep ascent, it leveled off for a few more miles and descended to Pixley Knob Rd.

With 8.5 left, Vladi and I took our lunch near the road. I cooked my last freeze-dried meal since we would not be staying another night, and I chowed down on a lot of my snacks to prepare for the final push. Some water caches had been left and dated from a month ago, and I did not feel like filtering, so we helped ourselves to the unopened, slightly frozen gallon jugs of water.

With 2 more 300 ft climbs to go before a nice, gradual end, the fog had finally cleared, and it no longer felt like winter. I removed layer after layer as I actually began sweating for the first time on this trip. At the top of the first climb were some really nice rock formations and Round Knob. As far as views go, it was about as good as it gets on the KT. For at least a short distance, the trees cleared out, and I hiked under an open sky. I even saw the city of Louisville from my vantage point.

The last real ascent was another steep ass-kicker. I slowly inched up from Bartle Knob Rd to around mm 5. With the end so close, it felt like the longest climb of my life. As I reached the top, I needed a long break. Vladi was well behind me, so I found a few trees to lean on, took off my pack, and enjoyed the unseasonably warm weather. The shoes came off next, and I just sat against the tree listening to nature. Once Vladi showed up, I told him I would slow it down so we could finish the hike together.

The final 4+ miles were a leisurely stroll back into the forest. There appeared to be a lot of logging or industry work going on, because a few of the miles were less of a trail, and more walking over tire tracks and around felled trees. Still, the ending was about as perfect as it could be. With about a mile to go, the forest opened up, and the trail paralleled the eastern shore around the still frozen Deam Lake. We arrived just in time for golden hour. The sky was breathtaking, and the flat, grassy shore was a great spot to take it all in. I always like to end my adventures on a high note, and for the Knobstone Trail, it doesn’t get much better than the southern terminus.

After basking in that for a while, we made it to my vehicle, I drove Vladi to his, and we parted ways. I had another 4 hours to go to see my parents in northern Indiana that night.

Part 3: Important Details

Logistics:

The Knobstone Trail is a point-to-point hike, so you will either need a shuttle or two vehicles. Vladi and I were able to secure a cheap hotel near the Deam Lake trailhead the night prior to starting our hike.

The northernmost part of the trail consists of both the Delaney Creek Loop and Spurgeon Hollow Loop (see map below). These loops add significant mileage to a Knobstone Trail hike if you choose to do them. I believe this is why many resources have the KT listed at 50+ miles instead of the 45 that I recorded. I never hiked them all in either of my two hikes, because it would require a lot of backtracking and criss-crossing trails to complete them.

Closest Airports:

• Louisville International Airport (SDP): This is the closest airport to the trailhead. It is approximately 28 miles, a 34-minute drive, to the southern terminus, and 59 miles, a 1-hour drive, to the northern terminus.
• Indianapolis International Airport(IND): Approximately 98 miles; a 1-hour 40-minute drive to the northern terminus and and 111 miles, a 1-hour 45-minute drive, to the southern terminus.

Deciding which direction to hike the KT is a personal choice, but having hiked it twice, I would recommend SOBO. Ending at Deam Lake is way more epic than ending at either Spurgeon Hollow or Delaney Creek trailheads. Most of the scenic sections of the KT are also in the southern half, with plenty of rock formations and ridge walks. I believe the most popular way to hike it is going NOBO, though I’m not sure why. Either the Delaney Creek Trailhead or the Spurgeon Hollow Trailhead are equally good starting point in the north.

Camping/Permit/Fees:

Permits are not required to hike or camp along the KT. Backcountry camping is allowed along the trail (on public lands) except from mile marker 0 to mile marker 2. You are restricted to staying at least a quarter-mile away from all roads, recreation areas, and trailheads, and a minimum of 100 ft from the trail. Campsites are also available at Delaney Park, Clark State Forest, and Deam Lake State Recreation Area.

Navigation:

The KT is extremely well marked throughout its entire route. White blazes are marked on trees going both directions, though they were fading in some areas. Additionally, there are brown fiberglass mile markers every mile on the trail. Since we were going SOBO, the mile markers counted down to 0.

The Indiana Dept of Natural Resources (DNR) has two great maps of the Knobstone Trail. One details the northern half, and the other details the southern half. Additionally, the full 160-mile Knobstone Hiking Trail is now on FarOut; this is what I used to primarily navigate.

Water:

Generally speaking, the Knobstone Trail is considered a relatively dry trail for much of the year. The Indiana DNR states that reliable water sources are located at Deam Lake, Elk Creek, Spurgeon Hollow, and Delaney trailheads. From the two times I have hiked this trail, I can confirm these would appear to be reliable year-round.

Because I hiked it in winter and early spring, significant snowmelt filled the countless creeks and streams along the trail. I was able to comfortably carry no more than 1 liter at all times. From all my research and other hiker accounts, this is not the norm if you are hiking in summer and fall months, which is why many hikers choose to cache water at some of the major roads along the trail.

If you live far away, there is at least one outfitter that does this, and Kim, whom I previously mentioned, offers this service as well.

Another thing to note is that most of the creek crossings have no bridges built in. If you care to keep your socks and shoes dry, be prepared to jump, find a makeshift bridge, bushwhack, or walk barefoot across the water. None of them were deep or dangerous, but many were quite tricky to navigate.

Wildlife/Insect Pressure:

I would never hike this trail in the summer, but if you are forced to, be prepared for ticks and spiderwebs. How do I know this? Because I once hiked the nearby Tecumseh Trail in Southern Indiana in the summer. The Tecumseh Trail is a similar trail to the Knobstone Trail in length, profile, and terrain, and I remember finding dozens of ticks on me and having to knock down spiderwebs every few steps. If that matters to you, save this one for shoulder season.

Remoteness/Solitude:

The southern end of the Knobstone Trail is approximately 30 minutes from Louisville, while the northern half is more remote. Overall, the trail passes through a total of 16 roads, so there are plenty of bailout points if necessary. We only saw 5 people on the trail during our hike, and none of them were backpacking. I had reliable cell reception along the entirety of the trail (Verizon).

Hazards/Environmental Concerns:

Southern Indiana can be prone to tornadoes. In 2012 there was one that severely damaged sections of the KT. Also, some of the steps the trail builders created for the trail are starting to deteriorate; aside from the fact that this makes steeper sections of the trail more dangerous, it also results in exposed rebar jutting out on the trail. Watch where you are stepping.

Difficulty:

I know what you’re thinking. How can a trail in Indiana with a max elevation of 1,058 ft be that hard? I thought the same thing when I was first researching it. Make no mistake though, the Knobstone Trail is incredibly difficult. It is called the Little-AT for a reason. With over 20,000 ft of total elevation gain/loss and very few switchbacks, be prepared for pain.

Last Word

When I finished the Knobstone Trail in 2021, I swore I would never come back. There were little to no views, it was mostly wooded, and it was really difficult. Having now completed it twice, I am glad I did not listen to myself. Don’t get me wrong, my original takeaways are still true. If you are looking for a hike with jaw-dropping vistas and epic landscapes, then you probably will not enjoy this trail.

Still, the KT has its own charm to it, and it is a challenging hike. There is a reason people train for their Appalachian Trail thru-hike on the KT. I’m not going to lie to you and say it’s my favorite trail I’ve ever done, nor would I ever hike it in any other season than late fall, late winter, or early spring. If you have a weekend, and are looking to test yourself on a trail you’ve never hiked before, the Knobsotne Trail is definitely worthy of your consideration.

Before ending this, I want to give shouts to the Knobstone Hiking Trail Association (KHTA), which does a great job at caring for and maintaining the Knobstone Trail. They are a wealth of knowledge, and like most trail organizations out there, they don’t get enough love. If you are interested in learning ways you can support them, you can do so HERE.