We are now on the Covered Bridge Festival Map

This year, something wonderfully quiet and powerful happened.

Atherton Island Natural Area officially earned a spot on the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival Map, and that little dot on the map carries a big story.

For the Ouabache Land Conservancy, this recognition is more than a pin on paper. It means one of our region’s most unique natural areas now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Indiana’s iconic bridges, woven into the journey of thousands of visitors who explore Parke County each October.

For festival tourists, it opens a new doorway to wonder. Between bridges and craft tents, they now have the chance to step into the woods and experience a landscape protected forever because local people cared enough to save it.

Atherton Island Natural Area is rugged, rare, and beautifully wild. Being included on the map shines a light on the conservation work happening right here in west-central Indiana and invites more people to discover the landscapes that make this place special.

So if you’re traveling the Covered Bridge loop next fall, carve out a little time to wander a trail where nature tells the story. Thanks to this new listing, Atherton Island Natural Area is ready to greet a whole new wave of adventurers.