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Deep River County Park in Hobart, Indiana, contains a historic area, hiking trails, and a lake for fishing. The entire park is about 1,362 acres in area and is open 7am to dusk year-round.
Historic Area
The main section of the park is the historic area along Old Lincoln Highway. The buildings are open from May 1 to October 31, daily except Mondays from 10am to 5pm. Admission is free.
The gift shop and visitor center was originally a church built in 1904. Inside, you can purchase souvenirs and locally-made products such as jams, honey, and maple syrup.
Wood’s Historic Grist Mill
Next door is Wood’s Historic Grist Mill. It was built in 1838 by settler John Wood of Massachusetts. Wood claimed the land in December 1835 and with the mill established the very first continuing industry in Lake and Porter counties.
The mill was restored in 1975 and opened to the public as a museum in May 1977. A water wheel, which wasn’t part of the original building, was added for aesthetic value.
Inside the mill, it’s possible to see historic artifacts from the area including photos and furniture. An attendant is happy to turn on the grist mill for visitors and explain how the flour dresser works.
The basement contains tools and equipment that would have been used during the mill’s heyday, while the second floor displays more historic artifacts. Items from a school, typical home, and general store are part of the exhibits.
Finally, on the third floor are more historic artifacts such as a baby carriage and stroller, trunks, and more equipment.
Common Area
Outside the mill is a common area containing a gazebo which is often used for weddings. A path leads around the gazebo and next to Deep River.
Grinder Field
Crossing the bridge takes you to Grinder Field, where the Deep River Grinders vintage baseball team plays home games. They play according to the 33 original rules of baseball adopted in 1858.
At the back of the field are two more historic buildings. On the left is a saw mill and on the right is a maple sugar shack.
Trails
Deep River County Park contains a few short hiking trails as well. We parked at the lot on County Line Road just north of the historic area, where there’s a playground, picnic tables, toilets, and a small library. From there, we took a nice walk through the forest and along Deep River.
If you pick up a trail map at the mill, don’t trust the trail to loop around back to County Line Road. The map showed the trail crossing the river just before reaching a railroad trestle, but that wasn’t the case. We had to walk back the way we came to return to our car.
Fishing
Big Maple Lake, which has an entrance along Ainsworth Road, is available for fishing. We didn’t visit this part of the park.
