The Rock River Trail is a 3-mile trail through a pristine forest that ends at a very scenic area on Rock River. Rolling hills and quiet atmosphere give this trail a contemplative quality.
Getting there
From the intersection of Route 30 and Route 28 in Indian Lake follow Route 28/30 toward Blue Mountain Lake for 6.0 miles to the trailhead on the right.
Hiking
From the trailhead you will start on a soft trail that gets much less use than other trails in the Indian Lake area. You initially work your way over a few rolling hills before you descend to a low land area with Rock Pond through the woods on your left. The pond can be seen slightly through the forest, but no trail actually approaches its shore.
The trail will swing from high ground to low ground but eventually stay high above the lake to avoid any wet trail crossings. Wildflowers throughout the year will be very apparent along this area. The trail slowly swings northerly around Stark Hills before it starts to slowly descend and eventually end at the shore of Rock River.
The trail is 3-miles long, one way.
Fishing
This is a very scenic destination on the river, and if you were so inclined, bringing a telescoping fishing rod and a bit of bait, you could even catch a nice trout dinner.
Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing
This would be an excellent snowshoe or cross-country ski. It doesn't get much winter use so the trail would be untouched in most cases making travel a bit slower and more difficult.
From the trailhead you will start skiing on a soft trail that gets much less use than other trails in the Indian Lake area, but later in the season with a good base the ski can be a nice one. You initially work your way over a few rolling hills before you descend to a low land area with Rock Pond through the woods on your left. The pond can be seen slightly through the forest, but no trail actually approaches its shore. The trail will swing from high ground to low ground but eventually stay high above the lake to avoid any wet trail crossings, which typically don't exist this time of year. The trail slowly swings northerly around Stark Hills before it starts to slowly descend and eventually end at the Shore of Rock River. There is a sharp descent to the shore of Rock River; this is also along a narrow trail with many trees lining it, for most it might be wise to take off the skis and walk down the hill, the river is just a bit further down the trail.
