Join the Indiana DNR Division of Nature Preserves for a free guided hike at Olin Lake Nature Preserve.

• Registration required. Capacity: 20

Directions: From Wolcottville, go north 2 miles on S.R. 9. Turn left on C.R. 600 South. Proceed 2 miles, then turn right on C.R. 125 East and go north 0.5 mile to a marked parking lot. A hiking trail leads to the lakeshore.

At just over 100 acres, Olin Lake is the largest lake in Indiana with an undeveloped shoreline. The entire shoreline is protected by this preserve. Most of the shoreline is low and marshy, which undoubtedly contributes to the lack of development. Swamp forest along the shoreline includes tamarack, silver maple, red maple, and green ash. Skunk cabbage abounds in low mucky spots. Aquatic vegetation is sparse because the lake bottom is covered with marl, a white calcareous substance precipitated from the water. On the upland portion of the southeast shore is the remnant of a once-large woods. Many large tulip, oak, and walnut trees were removed in the late 1960s. There are, however, still large specimens of sugar maple, beech, hackberry, and red oak surrounding the stumps of once-larger residents.