Visit DNR at the Indiana State Fair
Discover nature and fun at the DNR Building during the Indiana State Fair (Aug. 7-23, closed Mondays). Make your way to one of the coolest spots at the fairgrounds. Located in the northwest corner, the DNR Building is a refreshing, air-conditioned escape packed with outdoor adventure and interactive exhibits.
While inside, pick up the latest Recreation Guide, Fishing Guide, and Hunting & Trapping Guide, enjoy the fascinating displays, chat with the knowledgeable staff, and observe the fish in the aquariums.
This year also marks a special milestone: The DNR State Fair Fishin’ Pond turns 20 years old. Since 2006, the Fishin’ Pond has offered kids ages 5–17 the chance to fish for free at the state fair.
Know a kid who might enjoy fishin’? Bring them by to cast a celebratory line. The pond is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4–7 p.m., and every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. and 4–7 p.m.
Want to help inspire the next generation? Volunteer at the pond. Volunteers are needed throughout the fair, Aug. 7–23, with roles including registration, preparing equipment, and helping kids fish.
Find out more about DNR at the State Fair
Fall hunting licenses on sale
Whether you’re gearing up to hunt, fish, or simply enjoy the outdoors this season, now’s the perfect time to prepare. Check out our sport license webpage, if you're unsure which license to get.
New phase open on Parke Community Rail Trail
The DNR and Parke Trails Alliance celebrated the opening of the second phase of the Parke Community Rail Trail on July 14 in Jessup.
The segment, 2.5 miles of hard-surface trail, was constructed by the nonprofit with help from a $5 million dedicated grant administered by the DNR.
Phase 2 connected the communities of Jessup and Catlin, relocated a 175-year-old Whipple truss bridge to provide safe crossing across Little Raccoon Creek, and constructed a new trailhead in Jessup.
New DNR hunting, fishing, and trapping license mobile app is available
The GoOutdoorsIN mobile app launched in early July and is ready to download. It’s free and available for Android and iOS. With the app, you can purchase a license, check in your harvest, view your order history and active privileges, and edit your customer account information from your smartphone.
When searching in the app stores, search “GoOutdoorsIN” so that the app pops to the top of the search results. You can also find it in the official DNR app.
Celebrating National Shooting Sports Month
August is National Shooting Sports Month, a great time to enjoy shooting sports while recognizing the important role recreational shooters play in conservation. Through excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment, shooters help fund wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, public shooting ranges, hunter education, and outdoor recreation opportunities across Indiana.
Celebrate by visiting a local public shooting range, introduce a friend or family member to shooting sports, take a hunter education course, or try a new shooting discipline. Every trip to the range helps strengthen a longstanding tradition of responsible firearm ownership, skill building and confidence, outdoor recreation, and conservation.
Check out the Learn to Target Shoot resources on the Learn to Hunt, Trap, & Shoot webpage for more.
DNR rewards await you
Do you have your DNR Rewards pass yet?
If not, you’re missing out on the chance to earn points that lead to valuable prizes for doing things you already love to do, like visiting DNR properties and doing DNR things.
DNR Rewards replaced the Nature’s Passport, which was discontinued in 2024. In DNR Rewards participants earn points for things like overnight stays at a state park inn, camping, visiting a nature preserve, visiting a state forest, visiting a shooting range, renting a watercraft … there are more than 200 opportunities around the state for participants to earn points.
Points are collected, and once you reach 10,000 points, you can redeem them for a $25 State Park Inns gift card or a $25 camping gift card.
All check-ins reset after 24 hours, so if you check in at Ouabache State Park on a Monday at 3 p.m., you can check in again to Ouabache State Park the next day at 3 p.m.
Signing up, which you can do via the DNR app, is free. Just go to your favorite app store, download the Indiana DNR app, click on DNR Rewards, enter your information, and you’re ready to go. What are you waiting for?
5K Tree Trail Trot at Salamonie Lake on Aug. 22
This Salamonie Lake race is family-friendly and open to runners and walkers of all ages. Children 10 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Well socialized dogs on 6 foot or shorter leashes are welcome as well. Strollers are not advised due to uneven trail surfaces, steps, and hills.
7:30-8 a.m. Check-in and final registration (meet at the wildlife management pond to register and/or check in)
8:30 a.m. Start of race
9 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Pancake breakfast free to registered runners. Freewill donation from the public.
10 a.m. Race awards to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place male and female runners at the wildlife management pond
Sponsored by Salamonie Lake's Friends of Upper Wabash Interpretive Services, Cardinal Family Medicine and First Federal Savings Bank.
Discover the Outdoors field trip grants to benefit more than 5,000 Indiana students
Students at 72 Indiana schools will experience the outdoors during the 2026-27 school year thanks in part to a grant program that supports field trips to Indiana State Parks and other state park-managed properties.
Discover the Outdoors, offered in partnership between Indiana State Parks and the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation (INRF), encourages educators from all K-12 schools to move the classroom outside and engage students with Indiana’s natural resources. Since 2013, the program has helped more than 35,000 students visit a state park at a reduced cost to the schools and students.
Bantam sunfish found during community bioblitz
On June 20, DNR biologists participated in the annual Indiana Academy of Science BioBlitz, which was held at Harmonie State Park. A bioblitz is an event where professionals and amateur enthusiasts search for and document as many different species as possible within a certain location.
For DNR’s nongame aquatics team, this blitz yielded surprising results. The state endangered bantam sunfish was collected from two small Wabash River tributaries. Prior to this discovery, the bantam sunfish had only been reported at two other locations in the state, but those collections have never been confirmed by DNR staff.
Extreme southwest Indiana marks the northern extent of the bantam sunfish’s range. After this recent find, the DNR nongame aquatics team plans to expand their search in the area to hopefully find a larger source population.
You can support further research for Indiana’s rare and endangered species by donating here.
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