Central Indiana Wilderness Club upcoming events

CIWC Easy Kayak Day on Somerset Lake - September 5, 2026 (September 05, 2026)

Sat, 05 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT

CIWC Easy Kayak Day on Somerset Lake - September 5, 2026

September 5, 2026, at Somerset Lakes Apartment Office Parking Lot 3202 E 76th St, Indianapolis

Open to the Public

Time: 8:00 am Meeting | 8:30 am Departure | 11:00 am Return

Trip Host: Mary Higgins

There are 3 kayaks available for use with life jackets. If people have their own equipment please bring it.

CIWC requires all participants to wear a life jacket while on the water event.

Transportation Plan: (the number of people depends on who has equipment, only 3 kayaks available.) The resident kayaks are behind the clubhouse/office building. I will meet people in front of the building at 8 am. If people bring their own equipment, then we can accommodate as many as want to come. There is fishing in this 80-acre lake as well. The lake looks like a big @ on the map and has a bridge to paddle under to access both parts of the lake. The entrance to the complex is on River Road/79th St, NOT on Ruth drive!

Required Gear/Clothing: bring your own Kayak, paddle and life jacket. (only 3 public kayaks available) water, snack, and fishing equipment if desired.

CIWC requires all participants to wear a life jacket while on the water event.

Cell Service Availability: Full Service

Emergency Exit Plan: Call 911. If the weather is bad, the trip will be postponed to the following weekend.

Questions? Contact: ciwcinfo@gmail.com

CIWC Fall Car Camping Weekend, O'Bannon Woods SP, September 18-20, 2026 (September 18, 2026)

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 18:00:00 GMT

CIWC Fall Car Camping Weekend

O'Bannon Woods State Park

September 18-20, 2026

Co-Trip Leaders: Susie Payne and Jane Corbett

Type of Trip: Car Camping

Trip Cost: $50

Wilderness Level: 2

Trip Difficulty: Easy/Moderate terrain -

Policy on Fitness Self-Assessment

Group Size: 14/4 Maximum/Minimum

Cancellation Date: August 18, 2026

Adults, no pets

Are you a member who is new - or maybe not been active in a while? Do you want to camp with some outdoor veterans who know the ropes? Do you like to hike with someone who knows how to read a map and won't get you lost? Want to bring your bicycle and ride with an experienced ride leader? Then join us on the CIWC Car Camping weekend on September 18-20 (Friday and Saturday night) at O'Bannon Woods State Park in southern Indiana. If you can't make it Friday night, you can still join us on Saturday. If you don't own a tent, the club has equipment you can borrow. We can probably round up a few sleeping bags, as well. Don't let not having equipment stop you from having a fun outdoor adventure.

We will provide a chili supper for everyone Friday night and campfire s'mores both nights. Campers will provide the rest of their own meals for the weekend. We will have a camp stove for members to use. You are welcome to bring your musical instruments for some campfire playing and singing. There will be two tents/sleeping accommodations per campsite. Open to the idea of carpooling, if any interest. Rain or shine event.

Early fall is a beautiful time in Indiana and O'Bannon Woods is a beautiful park! We have some spots still open. Please sign up on the club's website before September 1st. If you have questions, feel free to contact co-leader, Susie Payne thru ciwcinfo@gmail.com.

Come and explore beautiful southern Indiana at O’Bannon Woods State Park (formerly Wyandotte Woods). Join us for a casual, relaxed weekend of outdoor activities: hiking (8-10 miles on moderate trails), road biking if you want to bring your bike (25 miles, average 10-12 miles an hour), explore the pioneer village and nature center, and relax around the campfire in the evenings with s’mores and singing.

Bring your musical instrument and voice to join in!

Participants will provide their own meals, snacks and beverages and pay their own park entrance fee of $7.00. Five wooded camp sites have been reserved, allowing for two tents or one tent and one trailer. Sites are full electric with water and are in close in proximity for easy social gathering.

Members will provide their own transportation.

We will meet at campsite #189 on Friday evening after you arrive and set up. If members want to carpool, we can connect you with others interested in the same.

Questions may be submitted to ciwcinfo@gmail.com.

All trip participants must fill out and submit a

CIWC Medical Form and Liability Release.

Effective on all trips, there will be a $50 nonrefundable registration fee. This fee will be assessed to those who sign up for a trip, get on the roster and then later cancel. Even cancelling before the cancel date. Those who never make the active roster (i.e. those who stay on the waitlist) will NOT be charged the $50 cancellation fee.

CIWC North Country Trail (NCT) Backpacking, Northern Lower Peninsula, Manistee, MI, September 20-25, 2026 (September 20, 2026)

Sun, 20 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

North Country Trail (NCT) Backpacking

North County Trail (NCT) Manistee River

September 20-25, 2026

Co-Trip Leaders: Dave Hoffmeyer and Wendy Brinson

Type of Trip: Backpacking

Trip Cost: $55

Wilderness Level: 3 - typical meetup day event in good weather setting with cell coverage

Trip Difficulty: Moderate terrain - 500 ft elevation gain. Up to 12 miles per day

Policy on Fitness Self-Assessment

Level 2: Primarily applies to trips in which we carry only day packs. In one day, we can hike up to 9 miles and 4500 feet of elevation gain on maintained trails, or up to 7 miles and 2000 feet of elevation gain on more rugged, less-maintained trails. For a Level 2 trip you should be comfortable hiking 6-8 miles in a day in hilly or mountainous terrain with a light day pack. If a backpacking trip has a Level 2 rating, it means the distances are 2-4 miles with little elevation gain/loss.

Level 3: Applies to backpacking trips in which we hike with 25-35 pound backpacks. In one day, we can hike up to 7 miles and 3000 feet of elevation gain on maintained trails, or up to 5 miles and 2000 feet of elevation gain on more rugged trails. For a Level 3 trip you should be comfortable hiking 6-8 miles in a day in hilly or mountainous terrain with a 25-pound backpack.

Group Size: 8/7 Maximum/Minimum

Adults Only

Join us for 5 days of hiking on the North Country National Scenic Trail along the scenic Manistee River in the Northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Participants will receive credit for 50 of the 100 Miles for the North Country Trail hike 100 challenge. The hike is 5 days long with daily mileage of between 9 to 12 miles. There are some large hills to climb but much of the trail follows the river.

Meeting up after a 6-hour drive from Indianapolis, we will camp near Fife Lake at a State Forest Campground. Averaging 10 miles a day, the trail follows the river mostly on a high bluff with scenic views. Part of this route includes the High Banks Rollways. The Hike will end at the North end of the Manistee River Loop trail on Saturday September 25th.

3 nights of camping will be in State Forest Campgrounds, 1 in a private primitive campground and there will be 1 night of dispersed camping. Transportation is not provided, but we will try to arrange carpooling. All meals are the responsibility of the participant, but we will have an ordering option to buy a large quantity of meals. There will likely be cell phone coverage for much of the hike, but as a precaution your trip leaders will have emergency communication devices.

Temperatures at that time of year should be pleasant with highs in the 60-70’s and overnight lows in the 50’s. Overnight backpacking experience is required with daily mileage of 10 or more.

Questions may be submitted to ciwcinfo@gmail.com.

All trip participants must fill out and submit a

CIWC Medical Form and Liability Release.

Effective on all trips, there will be a $50 non refundable registration fee. This fee will be assessed to those who sign up for a trip, get on the roster and then later cancel. Even cancelling before the cancel date. Those who never make the active roster (i.e. those who stay on the waitlist) will NOT be charged the $50 cancellation fee.

CIWC Volunteer Day at Holliday Park, October 17, 2026 (October 17, 2026)

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Volunteer Day at Holliday Park

6363 Spring Mill Rd, Indianapolis

Saturday October 17, 2026, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm (noon)

Twice a year we “pay back” Holliday Park for allowing us free use of their facilities for our socials, workshops, classes and other events. Your volunteer hours are needed to help us meet our goals with our partnership agreement.

Dress in work clothes as we will be out on the grounds most likely setting up the pumpkin luminaries for the park’s Halloween event.

After we conclude we always head over to Broad Ripple and catch some lunch at some fun place. This gives everyone a chance to talk up recent outings and upcoming plans. It’s even likely that brand new trip ideas will be hatched.

Please register here on the web site if you plan to volunteer at this event so that we can have a count on volunteers.

You may need to sign a waiver onsite to volunteer at the event. Thank you!

Please RSVP to help us anticipate turnout.

CIWC Volunteer Day at Holliday Park, October 25, 2026 (October 25, 2026)

Sun, 25 Oct 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Volunteer Day at Holliday Park

6363 Spring Mill Rd, Indianapolis

Sunday October 25, 2026, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm (noon)

PLACE HOLDER WAITING ON INFORMATION/UPDATES

We have been contacted by Holliday Park to see if we could send over some volunteers on Sunday, October 25th at 9:00 AM to help pick up the pumpkin luminaries we set out last Saturday. This should be a pretty easy task. All of the gravel gets dumped out right on the trail and the pumpkins get put in a large trash bag.

This should take less than an hour.

We get credit for our volunteer hours to be used to offset our use of the nature center for our meetings. This would help build our relationship with the park and keep us on good terms.

Please register so we can anticipate turnout. You will be expected to check in and sign a waiver.

Thanks in advance for your help

Please RSVP to help us anticipate turnout.

CIWC Bring the Kids (age 13+) to Brown County - October 25, 2026 (October 25, 2026)

Sun, 25 Oct 2026 17:30:00 GMT

CIWC Bring the Kids (age 13+) to

Brown County State Park - October 25, 2026

October 25, 2026, at Parking Lot by Ogle Lake

Ogle Lake Trail 7 Nashville, IN 47448

Open to the Public

Time: 1:30 PM Meeting | 2:00 PM Departure | 4:30 PM Return

Trip Host: Debrah Worland

All family members need to be registered in the total number of guests. Maximum of 4 guests per registered adult. Adults must be at least 18 years old, and all kids must be at least 13 years old. Adults are completely responsible for any guests (kids).

Get the kids outside to see the beautiful fall trees before the cold weather comes to stay. 1.5 hike around Ogle Lake on relatively flat trail (with a few sets of a stairs). Stop for snack and play at the playground before driving up to West Lookout Tower to take in the view.

Transportation Plan: Meet at location

Required Gear/Clothing: Water, snack, shoes and clothing appropriate to get dirty, wear weather appropriate clothes

Cell Service Availability: Spotty

Emergency Exit Plan: Call park ranger, will be near vehicles if weather turns

Questions? Contact: ciwcinfo@gmail.com