Sand Creek Conservation Area

Hike over 7.5 total miles of the trails varying in difficulty to the bluff overlooking Sand Creek for panoramic view of the countryside. Sand Creek is primarily known for its hiking and horse trail that winds through forest, open prairie, and floodplain. In addition to wildlife and natural habitat, part of the historic Paris-Springfield Road passes through the grounds.

The historic Paris-Springfield Road, established in 1824, ran through part of what is now Sand Creek Conservation Area. Among the many people moving west in the early nineteenth century, Abraham Lincoln and his family traveled this section of the road when coming to Decatur from Indiana in March of 1830. Westward travelers going to California and Oregon continued to use the road in the 1840s and 1850s. Trail signs stand along the old roadbed for those who wish to walk in “Mr. Lincoln’s footsteps.”