A guide published Oct. 15, 2026, describes outdoor activities for fans traveling to Bloomington for the Oct. 17 matchup between Ohio State and Indiana at Memorial Stadium. The game is scheduled for noon Eastern and features two teams ranked among the nation’s top five, according to the supplied source. The guide focuses on nearby hiking, boating and attractions rather than game coverage.
Brown County State Park, about 40 minutes from the stadium, is presented as a destination for fall scenery and hiking. The source says the park covers roughly 16,000 acres and suggests Hesitation Point, the fire tower and roadside viewpoints. It lists admission at $7 per vehicle for Indiana-registered vehicles and $15 for vehicles with out-of-state plates. The guide cautions that peak fall weekends can bring traffic backups at the entrance and advises visitors to arrive early. Nashville, Indiana, is just outside the park entrance.
McCormick’s Creek State Park is described as a closer option, about 25 minutes from Memorial Stadium. The guide recommends the Wolf Cave Trail, a roughly two-mile loop, and says the park’s waterfall can be reached by a short walk from Trail 3. The listed vehicle fees are $7 for Indiana plates and $15 for out-of-state plates. The source characterizes the trail as moderate and the waterfall walk as easy.
For a higher viewpoint, the article points visitors to the Hickory Ridge Fire Tower, around 30 minutes from the stadium. It says the tower rises 110 feet and has 133 steps, with views of forest and Lake Monroe. The tower is identified as the last standing fire tower in Hoosier National Forest. Nearby Charles C. Deam Wilderness is described as Indiana’s only wilderness area, with nearly 13,000 acres and about 36 miles of trails.
Lake Monroe, roughly six miles from campus, offers canoe and kayak rentals at Paynetown State Recreation Area. The source lists rental prices of $41.73 for four hours and $53.50 for eight hours, and notes that a state entrance fee also applies. It recommends calling ahead to check late-season operating hours and warns that October water is cold, advising visitors to dress accordingly. Hiking trails along the lake provide an alternative to boating.
For an activity nearer the stadium, the guide points to the city boathouse on a 109-acre lake, less than two miles from campus. Canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards are listed at $12 per hour. The source says weekend rentals are limited to two hours and require photo identification. In October, the boathouse is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; because the game has a noon kickoff, the guide says a pregame paddle is not an option and suggests going after the game or Sunday instead.
The guide also recommends visiting downtown Nashville, about 40 minutes from the stadium, for shops and galleries. It describes Hard Truth Distilling Co., located outside town on 325 wooded acres, as offering a 45-to-60-minute ATV tour for visitors 21 and older. The listed price is $70 per person, and the source says weather can affect availability. These details are presented as travel suggestions in the original guide, not as independently verified operating information.
