Pike State Forest is a 4444 acres (18 km²) state forest

State forest

A state forest is a forest that is administered or protected by some agency of a sovereign state.The precise application of the term varies by jurisdiction...

 in Pike County

Pike County, Indiana

As of the census of 2000, there were 12,837 people, 5,119 households, and 3,680 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile . There were 5,611 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...

, Indiana

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...

. The nearest city to the forest is Winslow

Winslow, Indiana

Winslow is a town in Patoka Township, Pike County, Indiana, United States. The population was 864 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Jasper Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Winslow is located at ....

. The Patoka River

Patoka River

The Patoka River is a tributary of the Wabash River in southwestern Indiana in the United States. It drains a largely rural area of forested bottomland and agricultural lands among the hills north of Evansville.-Description:...

 runs through the forest, which has a varied topography consisting of both hills and lowlands near the river. The land comprising the forest was acquired over a period ranging from the 1930s to the 1950s. The buildings and facilities in the forest were mainly constructed by the Works Progress Administration

Works Progress Administration

The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...

 using wood from the area. Pike is administered by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Indiana Department of Natural Resources

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is the agency of the U.S. state of Indiana charged with maintaining natural areas such as state parks, state forests, recreation areas, etc...

; since 1997, it has been under the administration of nearby Ferdinand State Forest

Ferdinand State Forest

Ferdinand State Forest was formed in 1934 in Dubois County, Indiana, USA. Its west edge is approximately 5 miles to the east of the town of Ferdinand; Indiana State Road 264 connects the town with the forest. The forest covers an area of .-External links:*...

.