The Hayswood Nature Preserve is a county park owned by the Harrison County

Harrison County, Indiana

Harrison County is a county located in the far southern part of the U.S. state of Indiana along the Ohio River. It is divided into twelve townships, and the county seat is Corydon, the former capital of Indiana. The county is part of the larger Louisville/Jefferson County, KY–IN Metropolitan...

 Park and Recreation Board.

The Samuel P Hays Donation

The preserve was donated to the citizens of Harrison County in 1969 by Dr. Samuel P. Hays. The parks board developed a portion of the land in 1973 for public use, but the majority of the land remains in its original condition to be preserved for the future. Although the entire park is open to the public, the nature reserve area is to always kept free of development to continue Dr. Hays dream of natural preservation of the land.

The park property has a history as interesting as its nature. The property was previously owned by Henry L. Fabrique. In 1820 he constructed a mill in the curve of Indian Creek. He later sold the mill to John Peter Mauck, the founder of Mauckport

Mauckport, Indiana

Mauckport is a town in Heth Township, Harrison County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. The population was 81 at the 2010 census.-History:In the earliest times Daniel Boone and his brothers, most notably Squire Boone, were regularly in the area of Mauckport. Squire Boone settled in the area in 1806...

, whose family operated the mill until the 1920s. The same mill was one of many threatened with burning by Confederate General John Hunt Morgan

John Hunt Morgan

John Hunt Morgan was a Confederate general and cavalry officer in the American Civil War.Morgan is best known for Morgan's Raid when, in 1863, he and his men rode over 1,000 miles covering a region from Tennessee, up through Kentucky, into Indiana and on to southern Ohio...

 after the Battle of Corydon

Battle of Corydon

The Battle of Corydon was a minor engagement that took place July 9, 1863, just south of Corydon, which had been the original capital of Indiana until 1825, and was the county seat of Harrison County. The attack occurred during Morgan's Raid in the American Civil War as a force of 2,500 cavalry...

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Park Area

This park preserve covers 311 acres (1.3 km²) and includes the Pilot Knob, the surrounding forest, and several rock outcrops overlooking Indian Creek that runs along the eastern side of the park. The forest consists mostly of oak hickory trees with beach and maple closer to the creek.

The park has a paved looped hiking trail along the north part of the park. There is a large playground on the western side, a fishing lake near the creek, primitive restrooms, and picnic areas.