Hoosier Hill
Encyclopedia
Hoosier Hill is the highest natural point in the state of Indiana
at 1,257 feet (383 m). It is in a rural area of Franklin Township
, Wayne County
to the northwest of Bethel
. The nearest intersection to the high point is Elliot Road and County Line Road. The nearest major landmark is Interstate 70
and Richmond
11 miles (17.5 km) to the south.
The Hill sits on private property; the high point sits in a forested area surrounded by farmland. In 2005, an Eagle Scout
candidate named Kyle Cummings (Troop 820 from Lakeside Park, Kentucky), in cooperation with the property owner, built a trail, sign and picnic area at the high point.
Geologically, the hill sits in the Dearborn Upland, an area of high terrain in southeast Indiana that sits on top of the geologic structure known as the Cincinnati Arch
. However, Hoosier Hill is located in a portion of the upland buried underneath glacial debris known as the Tipton Till Plain. As a result, while the average elevation of this upland region is 1100 +/-100 feet above sea level, the topographic relief is gentle where the "hill" is no more than 30 feet higher than the surrounding landscape of gently rolling farmland. While the high topography seen at Brown County State Park
, which sits in the Norman Upland in south central Indiana, can be mistaken to be a high point (where relief is 400–500 feet from valley to hilltop), the elevations of hilltops ranges from 800–1050 feet.
Residents of the area have been concerned that a nearby landfill
to the north in Randolph County
requested permission to expand the fill area to be higher than Hoosier Hill, thus a manmade landfill would technically be the highest point.
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
at 1,257 feet (383 m). It is in a rural area of Franklin Township
Franklin Township, Wayne County, Indiana
Franklin Township is one of fifteen townships in Wayne County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 1,291.-Geography:Franklin Township covers an area of...
, Wayne County
Wayne County, Indiana
Wayne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 68,917. The county seat is Richmond.-History:...
to the northwest of Bethel
Bethel, Wayne County, Indiana
Bethel is an unincorporated town in Franklin Township, Wayne County, Indiana....
. The nearest intersection to the high point is Elliot Road and County Line Road. The nearest major landmark is Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
and Richmond
Richmond, Indiana
Richmond is a city largely within Wayne Township, Wayne County, in east central Indiana, United States, which borders Ohio. The city also includes the Richmond Municipal Airport, which is in Boston Township and separated from the rest of the city...
11 miles (17.5 km) to the south.
The Hill sits on private property; the high point sits in a forested area surrounded by farmland. In 2005, an Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
candidate named Kyle Cummings (Troop 820 from Lakeside Park, Kentucky), in cooperation with the property owner, built a trail, sign and picnic area at the high point.
Geologically, the hill sits in the Dearborn Upland, an area of high terrain in southeast Indiana that sits on top of the geologic structure known as the Cincinnati Arch
Cincinnati Arch
The Cincinnati Arch is a broad structural uplift between the Illinois Basin to the west, the Michigan Basin to the northwest and the Appalachian Basin and Black Warrior Basin to the east and southeast. It existed as a positive topographic area during Late Ordovician through the Devonian Period...
. However, Hoosier Hill is located in a portion of the upland buried underneath glacial debris known as the Tipton Till Plain. As a result, while the average elevation of this upland region is 1100 +/-100 feet above sea level, the topographic relief is gentle where the "hill" is no more than 30 feet higher than the surrounding landscape of gently rolling farmland. While the high topography seen at Brown County State Park
Brown County State Park
Brown County State Park is an Indiana state park on near Nashville in Brown County, Indiana in the United States. The park opened to the public in 1929, and is Indiana's largest state park. It was the most visited Indiana State Park in 2008 with more than 1.3 million visitors per year...
, which sits in the Norman Upland in south central Indiana, can be mistaken to be a high point (where relief is 400–500 feet from valley to hilltop), the elevations of hilltops ranges from 800–1050 feet.
Residents of the area have been concerned that a nearby landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
to the north in Randolph County
Randolph County, Indiana
Randolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 26,171. The county seat is Winchester.-History:...
requested permission to expand the fill area to be higher than Hoosier Hill, thus a manmade landfill would technically be the highest point.
See also
- List of U.S. states by elevation
- Sand HillSand Hill (Noble County, Indiana)Sand Hill is the second highest summit in the U.S. state of Indiana. It is located in northeastern Wayne Township in Noble County, approximately two and a half miles southeast of the town of South Milford...
, Indiana's second highest point - Weed Patch HillWeed Patch HillWeed Patch Hill, also known as Weed Patch Knob , is the third highest summit in the U.S. state of Indiana. Located in Washington Township and Brown County State Park, it is the highest point in the Knobstone Escarpment....
, the third highest point