Your family will love these affordable vacation spots throughout Indiana

Although summer doesn't officially start until June 20, families can immediately begin taking advantage of some great vacation spots across Indiana.

The state offers a myriad of destinations that include parks, historical towns and more. The average cost for an Indiana state park daily pass is between $7-$25 and the average cost of an annual pass is between $45-$60. Cabins range from $99-$134, and campgrounds range from $30-$45. Here's a guide to numerous affordable vacation sites in Indiana, in no particular order.

Brown County

Founded in 1836 and named for the Tennessee capital, county seat Nashville is a historic art colony location with several studio art sites and shops. The county boasts both Brown County State Park and Yellowwood State Forest. The former is one of the largest state parks in the United States, and is famous for its scenic views, particularly during autumn as leaves change colors. Yellowwood has fishing in the 133-acre lake and gold panning. In addition to those natural areas, Nashville's Brown County Art Guild contains a permanent collection of art. The Guild features the works of prominent Indiana artists. There are several other local art galleries, many with free admission. Just north of the state parks is the Bill Monroe Bluegrass Hall of Fame.

Prophetstown State Park

Nestled on the banks of Wabash and Tippecanoe rivers — Prophetstown State Park is Indiana's newest state park. Prophetstown has a partnership with The Farm at Prophetstown, where visitors can explore 1920s farm life while walking through 900 acres of restored prairie. The aquatic center has a lazy river float, a 30-foot slide, body flume and more. Wolf Park, in the greater-Lafayette area, is a non-profit with the objective of improving public understanding about wolves.

Madison

Madison sits on the banks of the Ohio River — with boat tours and, the Milton-Madison bridge where visitors can walk over the river. Madison also has the largest contiguous National Historic Landmark in the United States — Clifty Falls State Park. Hike or Bike at Heritage or Hatcher Hill Trail. Madison's Broomtail carriage company also offers rides throughout the city.

Indiana Dunes

In 1900, scientists, recreationists and nature enthusiasts recognizing the value of the Indiana Dunes fought to have the area preserved leading to the Dunes’ establishment as a state park in 1925. The Dunes has access to the 9-mile Calumet trail for hiking and Lake Michigan for swimming. The Indiana Dunes is classified as both a state and national park.

Potato Creek State Park

Potato Creek State Park has a variety of natural habitats such as the 327-acre Worster lake, old fields, mature woodlands, restored prairies and diverse wetlands. Potato Creek has several trails — ranging in various lengths and difficulty levels. The Worster lake has a beach open for visitors included in the charge of admission to the park. And a new, four-story inn, with 120 guest rooms and 250 parking spaces, will mark a change to the shoreline of the park’s Worster Lake, where it will take in a sweeping view of the water. The inn is expected to be complete in 2026 or 27.

Turkey Run State Park

Turkey Run State Park, with its natural geological marvels such as sandstone ravines and aged forests, is a popular spot. Book your stay early, as the inn and campsites tend to fill up. Sugar Creek runs through the park, with canoeing, kayaking and tubing trips. Hiking is another popular activity on the parks trails. Turkey Run also has several historical sites, such as The Lieber cabin built in 1848. Turkey Run has guided horseback riding with a cost of $25 per person.

Indianapolis

As the capital city of Indiana — Indianapolis provides numerous places to visit. Home to parks such as Eagle Creek, White River State park and the 10,000 square foot Garfield park. White River State has several places to visit within such as the Indianapolis Zoo. At the Indianapolis zoo, there are opportunities to feed animals and go on rides at the zoo. The city has plentiful arts and cultural hotspots, too. It also bills itself am amateur sports mecca, as the home of the NCAA. In addition, there are several professional sports teams that call the city home.

Bloomington

Monroe Lake is a reservoir and a spot for any type of watercraft — with 11,000 surface acres available for use. It has three beaches for visitors to swim on. Monroe Lake has several hiking trails ranging in difficulty level and distance. The city is undoubtedly most famous as the home of Indiana University, and the campus offers numerous cultural and sports activities to attend.

Angola

Pokagon State Park is one of Indiana's original parks, with unique work from the Civilian Conservation Corps. Pokagon park was renamed to acknowledge the rich Native American heritage of the state and region. The park is framed by Lake James and Snow Lake providing opportunities for boating, swimming and fishing. If you plan your trip for the winter, the park's refrigerated toboggan run includes a 90-foot vertical drop over its quarter-mile run.

Indiana Beach

Indiana Beach offers roller coasters, boat rides, and a waterpark for visitors. Indiana Beach has beachfront views of Lake Schafer and several deals available throughout the summer.

Amish Country

The southeastern portion of Elkhart County and much of LaGrange County offer many opportunities to experience Amish and Mennonite culture and cuisine.

Shipshewana offers various sites for visitors — the Dutch Creek farm has wagon tours available. The town also offers carriage rides, dairy farms and auctions. Menno-Hof tells the Amish-Mennonite story with a chance to explore a 17th century sailing ship and replicas of buildings from the 19th century.

The southeastern portion of Elkhart County and much of LaGrange County offer many opportunities to experience Amish and Mennonite culture and cuisine.

Shipshewana offers various sites for visitors — the Dutch Creek farm has wagon tours available. The town also offers carriage rides, dairy farms and auctions. Menno-Hof tells the Amish-Mennonite story with a chance to explore a 17th century sailing ship and replicas of buildings from the 19th century.

Nearby Nappanee has The Barns at Nappanee, which the town bills as preserving "a way of life adhering to nearly forgotten patterns of living in today's fast paced world." The attraction includes many eateries, plays and other events.

South Bend/Mishawaka

The St. Joseph River winds through the town of Mishawaka, home to several outdoor recreation sites. Mishawaka's Shiojiri park is a Japanese strolling garden meant to connect the city back to its sister city in Japan. The Mishawaka river walk is accessible from downtown and leads through several parks, connecting to similar walks in next-door-neighbor South Bend. Of course, many visitors like to stop there and see the campus of the University of Notre Dame.

South Bend is also the site of Indiana's first zoo, the Potawatomi Zoo.

Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne's Eagle Marsh is a 831-acre wetland preserve with 14 miles of hiking. The Fort Wayne Zoo was named one of the Top 10 zoos in the United States. The Botanical Conservatory has 2,000 plants from 1,000 varieties.

Crawfordsville

The historic city of Crawfordsville was home to Lew Wallace, a general for Lincoln and author of Ben Hur. General Lew Wallace's office is open in Crawfordsville now as part of the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum — holding a collection of the general's artifacts. The Montgomery County Rotary Jail Museum shows 18 rotary jails built during the 1880s.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Your family will love these affordable vacation spots in Indiana