
Campfires
Over the years, we’ve taken Hoosiers on indelible hikes and paddling trips, sponsored the creation of original films about Indiana waterways and published an anthology of our favorite Hoosier environmental writing.
Program Details
Upcoming Treks
Our award-winning program is back! This season of Campfires will feature all new opportunities to experience the outdoors and inspire conversations about the world around us and our place in it.
2023 Campfires
- Saturday, April 15 | Buckner Cave (Bloomington)
- Saturday, May 20 | Munsee Woods (Muncie)
- Saturday, June 3 | White River Float (Indianapolis)
- Saturday, July 22 | Tom and Jane Dustin Nature Preserve (Fort Wayne)
- Saturday, August 12 | Urban Wilderness Trail (Indianapolis)
- Saturday, September 16 | Limberlost (Geneva)
- Saturday, October 7 | Oliver’s Woods Nature Preserve (Indianapolis)
- Saturday, October 14 | Archaeological Research Institute (Lawrenceburg)
Past Treks
Originally called Next Indiana Campfires, this program was created in 2016 to help celebrate Indiana’s bicentennial. Since then, we’ve checked off some of our bucket-list experiences around the state. Here are the wild places we’ve explored so far (links take you to blog posts about the experiences):
- Oliver’s Woods (May 11, 2016)
- Wesselman Woods Old Growth Forest (May 22, 2016)
- McVey Memorial Forest (June 7, 2016)
- Syracuse-Wawasee Trails (June 9, 2016)
- Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (June 18, 2016)
- Merry Lea Learning Center of Goshen College (July 23, 2016)
- Eagle Creek Park (July 29, 2016)
- Prophetstown State Park (Aug. 5, 2016)
- Cardinal Greenway and Red-tail Nature Preserve (Aug. 14, 2016)
- Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (Sept. 10, 2016)
- Cope Environmental Center (Sept. 29, 2016)
- Trail Creek Watershed (Oct. 8, 2016)
- Limberlost State Historic Site (Oct. 8, 2016)
- Marian University Nina Mason Pulliam EcoLab (Oct. 21, 2016)
- Glaciers End Nature Preserve (Oct. 29, 2016)
- Morgan-Monroe State Forest (Nov. 5, 2016)
- Meltzer Woods Nature Preserve (April 15, 2017)
- Hanover College (May 3, 2017)
- Fall Creek Woods (July 16, 2017)
- Eagle Creek Reservoir (Aug. 18, 2017)
- Tom and Jane Dustin Nature Preserve (Oct. 12, 2017)
- Sherwood Forest (June 2, 2018)
- Nonie Werbe Kraus Nature Preserve (June 7, 2018)
- Mounds State Park area (July 15, 2018)
- Conner Prairie (Aug. 12, 2018)
- Urban Wilderness Trail (Aug. 24, 2018)
- Blatchley Nature Study Club (April 20, 2019)
- Spicer Lake Nature Preserve (May 4, 2019)
- White River: Cicero/Strawtown (July 20, 2019)
- White River: Broad Ripple to Rocky Ripple (July 27, 2019)
- White River: Newfields to GM Stamping Plant (Aug. 10, 2019)
- The Center at Donaldson (Sept. 21, 2019)
- Camp Dellwood (Oct. 27, 2019)
- White River: Hazel Landing Park to Oliver’s Woods (July 24, 2021)
- Holliday Park (Sept. 18, 2021)
- Cope Environmental Center (May 7, 2022)
- White River: Hazel Landing Park to Oliver’s Woods (June 18, 2022)
- Blatchley Nature Study Club (July 23, 2022)
- Flatwoods Park (August 10, 2022)
- Nonie Werbe Kraus Nature Preserve (September 10, 2022)
- Blue River: Merry Ledges in the Woods/Corydon (September 17, 2022)
#INSlowMoments
During this unprecedented time, it can be difficult to take time for ourselves, to slow down and to find joy in the small constants in life. So we’re encouraging you to pause and connect with the Indiana landscapes that have inspired generations of Hoosiers.
We’re excited to share Campfires: Slow Moments, a program that encourages Hoosiers like you to slow down and appreciate the beauty Indiana has to offer.
To participate:
- Go to your favorite Indiana nature spot. Bring your picnic blanket, pup or pent-up children. Stay for a while. Look. Listen. Scout the area for the best filming location.
- After finding your scenic spot, take a minute-long slow video. Capture the sights and sounds. Stay in the moment—don’t worry about production value.
- Make sure you save the video to your camera roll. You’re in luck—slow videos don’t need to be edited or cut.
- Post your slow video to Instagram, tagging @INHumanities and using #INSlowMoments. Share where you filmed your video, if you’d like, or keep your special Indiana spot a secret.
Upcoming Campfires
Program Highlights

Next Indiana Campfires: A Trail Companion
Next Indiana Campfires: A Trail Companion is a collection of 30 of our favorite readings from the Campfires series, along with a trail journal to record your thoughts and observations. This one-of-a-kind anthology is the perfect addition to your backpack. Get your copy today.
Get your copy
White River Films
In 2019 the Campfires program focused on the White River watershed and the larger question of how Hoosiers relate to water. To explore these connections further, we funded the creation of three short films about the White River.
Watch the films
Slow Moments
Like our Campfires series, our meditative Slow Moments films use excerpts from Indiana writers to encourage connections between nature and literature and to spark conversations about Indiana’s future.
Immerse yourself



Partners and Funders
- Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust
- Upland Brewing Co.
- Partners for the White River
Questions?
Contact Sam Opsahl, Program Associate:
sopsahl@indianahumanities.org | 317.616.3641