Tangeman Woods and the Outdoor Lab Trail

Important information for your visit: Parking is no longer available at the fire department. A new parking lot on the west side of the preserve near the Recycling Center is now available.

Tangeman Woods is a beautiful mixed hardwood forest with intermittent creeks, located on the eastern edge of southern Indiana’s rugged Norman Upland. The Outdoor Lab nature trail, created by the Bartholomew County Soil and Water Conservation District in the 1970s, is still used for school field trips, including those conducted by Sycamore’s Environmental Education Program.

Access to Tangeman Woods is conveniently located just off State Road 46, and is less than a mile from Sycamore’s Touch the Earth Natural Area. The preserve has extensive frontage along State Road 46, and contributes to the scenic character of this busy highway.

The Outdoor Lab trail features bridges over shallow but steep ravines, which have been repaired and enhanced by several Boy Scout service projects. With the help of the Hoosier Hikers Council, it was recently expanded to a distance of over 1 mile.  Sycamore staff have worked to enhance the forest by controlling invasive bushes including privet and burning bush, and monitor annually for garlic mustard near the trailhead.

The preserve was donated by the Irwin-Sweeney-Miller Foundation and is named in memory of Clementine Tangeman, a founder of the foundation and past owner of the property. Her brother and foundation co-founder, Irwin Miller, was the long-time chairman of Cummins, Inc.

Directions

• From the intersection of SR 46 and Country Club Rd, go north on Country Club and turn left onto Old Nashville Rd.
• Parking is no longer available at the fire department