I was yearning to get out of the house and redeem a little sunshine before the winters. Luckily, we had some nice weather with no humidity over the weekend. So, we loaded up in the car along with our favorite food items and took a drive out to Lake Monroe, a perfect gateway for a day trip from Indianapolis.

Monroe Lake is the Indiana’s largest inland lake. Built in 1965, there are 10,750 acres of water surface surrounded by several thousand acres of state and federally owned forest lands.

Fairfax State Recreation Areas.
Fairfax State Recreation Areas.

Believe me, the place looked more beautiful than what I imagined it to be. A widespread lake with clear blue water, low hanging clouds and the green surroundings- a perfect setting for summers.

Rowing at Monroe Lake
Rowing at Monroe Lake
Kayaking at Lake monroe
Kayaking at Lake Monroe

Lunch at Lake Monroe

We found one perfect spot into the woods to have lunch. Nice scenery and fresh air just added more flavors to our home cooked food. I looked around and found that the place also offers a setting to grill lunch or dinner like most state parks in Indiana.

Lunch into the woods at Lake Monroe
Lunch into the woods
Into the wood in Lake Monroe
Into the wood in Lake Monroe

Evening at Lake Monroe

After having sumptuous lunch, we decided to wander around the place and discovered few more beautiful places around the lake.

Lake Monroe view from our Picnic spot
Lake Monroe view from our Picnic spot
Lake Monroe in the backdrop
Lake Monroe in the backdrop
Lake side view
Lake side view
Retreating from Lake
Retreating from Lake
Evening at lake Monroe
Evening at lake Monroe
Lake monroe in the evening

Beach Time

I spent few minutes soaking my feet in the water and gazing at the horizon filled with the twilight. I so wanted to embrace the moment with every ounce of myself and preserve it along with my other favorite memories. There is nothing better than ending your day watching the sun set on the lake.

Dusk at the lake Monroe
Dusk at the lake Monroe.
Goodbye to lake Monroe
Saying goodbye to Lake Monroe…

This place turned really beautiful in the dark. We had spotted hell lot of stars and even Ursa minor constellation in the clear night sky. We didn’t plan to stay in the camps, otherwise, that would have been like an added experience. There were lot of groups who were camping and enjoying around the bonfire.

I would strongly advise to visit this bundle of nature as and when you are in the city.

Facts and Tips

  1. Monroe Lake manages 9 recreation areas (Paynetown, Fairfax, Cutright, Allens Creek, Pine Grove, Moores Creek, Cartop, Salt Creek, Crooked Creek, and 3 waterfowl resting areas (Stillwater-Northfork, Middlefork, Southfork) around the reservoir.
  2. Boating, fishing, water-skiing, and swimming are available in numerous locations.
  3. Camping is available at private, state, and federal campsites or at nearby private campgrounds.
  4. One can also visit the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist culture center on the way back.
  5. Lake Monroe is widely known for bird watching, with more than 300 bird species documented in its environs, including herons, ducks, geese, gulls, eagles, warblers, wild turkeys, grouse, woodpeckers, doves, vultures, hawks, grebes, loons, pelicans, gulls, and terns.
  6. One can visit this website for more details about the place