Brooks Cabin in Hoosier National Forest

The Brooks Cabin serves as a welcome center for visitors entering the Charles C. Deam Wilderness of the Hoosier National Forest in Indiana.

This authentic log cabin was built by John S. Brooks in the 1890’s.

The Forest Service acquired the cabin in a land purchase in 1992. Volunteers dismantled the cabin piece by piece and reassembled it at it’s current location. It was originally located on the Little Blue River in Crawford County.

We couldn’t go inside the cabin, but information placards are located on the property talking about the cabin and history on the wilderness.

There is a cool old millstone outside the cabin as well. A couple picnic tables are located nearby to take a break and have some lunch.

Behind the cabin is the small, but beautiful Blackwell Pond (possibly lake).

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the pond in the 1930s. We were there on a sunny June afternoon and it was covered in lilies. We ended up just sitting on the grass with the pets and having a snack for a bit.

While it’s nothing to go out of your way for, if your in this neck of the woods it’s worth stopping by and checking out. It’s a nice little slice of American history. Check out the nearby Hickory Ridge Fire Tower as well (post link below).

The cabin is located off Tower Ridge Road (GPS coordinates above). It is run by volunteers so it’s usually only open on weekends during the summer months.