Leaves of Indiana with Kids: A Nature Explorer Guide (+ Free Map)

Indiana's forests put on a beautiful autumn show, as the rolling hills of Brown County and the ravines of Turkey Run blaze with the scarlet of red and sugar maples, the gold of birches and quaking aspens, and the deep bronze of oaks. Beyond the color, Indiana's trees are full of surprises for kids: the towering yellow poplar (the state tree) with its tulip-shaped leaves, the sugar maple whose sap becomes maple syrup, sassafras leaves that smell like root beer, and quaking aspens whose leaves flutter in the slightest breeze. From Hoosier National Forest to the Indiana Dunes, learning to read the leaves turns any Indiana walk into a discovery.

This guide maps the best spots to find Indiana's most fascinating leaves and trees with kids. Give your young explorer a mission before you go with Nature Explorer Club's Leaves of Indiana Activity Book to track every leaf your family discovers.

Best Spots for Leaf and Tree Spotting in Indiana

We mapped the best tree-spotting locations in Indiana so you can plan your adventure before you go.

1. Brown County State Park — Indiana's largest state park, often called the "Little Smokies," and one of the most famous fall-color destinations in the Midwest.
2. Turkey Run State Park — A dramatic park of sandstone ravines, canyons, and old-growth forest — spectacular in autumn.
3. Hoosier National Forest — A vast southern Indiana forest of hardwoods and hills, glorious with fall color.
4. Clifty Falls State Park — A park of waterfalls and deep canyons framed by hardwood forest.
5. McCormick's Creek State Park — Indiana's first state park, with a limestone canyon, waterfall, and rich woods.
6. Indiana Dunes National Park — Lake Michigan dunes backed by oak savanna and woods, with fine fall color and unusual trees.
7. Morgan-Monroe State Forest — A large forest of hardwoods with quiet trails, beautiful in autumn.
8. Salamonie River State Forest — A river forest with hardwoods and easy trails for family tree-spotting.
9. Prophetstown State Park — A prairie park with woodland edges and native trees along its trails.
10. Hayes Arboretum, Richmond — An arboretum with labeled native trees and a beech-maple forest — perfect for kids learning species.

Make the Adventure Real The Leaves of Indiana Activity Book turns your trip into a hands-on mission for ages 7–12 — with a species tracker, fun facts, drawing pages, games, and puzzles. Shop the Book Get the Full IN Set

Family Tips for Leaf and Tree Spotting in Indiana

• Visit Brown County in October. Nicknamed the "Little Smokies," its rolling forested hills are one of the Midwest's great fall-color destinations, usually peaking mid-to-late October.
• Find a tulip poplar flower or leaf. Indiana's state tree has greenish-orange tulip-shaped flowers in spring and tulip-shaped leaves — and it's one of the tallest trees in the forest.
• Crush a sassafras leaf and smell it. It smells like root beer — and a single tree can have three leaf shapes (oval, mitten, and three-lobed), a fun hunt for kids.
• Explore the Hayes Arboretum. Its labeled native trees make it easy and fun for kids to compare leaves and learn species.

Frequently Asked Questions: Leaves of Indiana with Kids

What is the state tree of Indiana?

The yellow poplar (also called the tulip tree) is Indiana's state tree — one of the tallest trees in the eastern forest, reaching up to 150 feet. Despite the name it's not a poplar but a member of the magnolia family, named for its tulip-shaped leaves and greenish-orange tulip-like flowers.

Where can families see fall color in Indiana?

Brown County State Park is the most famous, with rolling forested hills nicknamed the "Little Smokies." Turkey Run, Clifty Falls, and the Hoosier National Forest are also spectacular, usually peaking in mid-to-late October.

Which Indiana tree smells like root beer?

The sassafras tree's leaves smell like root beer when crushed — in fact, sassafras was once used to flavor root beer. It's also remarkable because a single tree can grow three different leaf shapes: oval, two-lobed (like a mitten), and three-lobed. The leaves turn brilliant orange, yellow, and red in fall.

Why do quaking aspen leaves "quake"?

The quaking aspen's leaves have flat leaf stalks, which makes them flutter and tremble in even the slightest breeze — that's how the tree got its name. Its bark is greenish-white and can actually photosynthesize, and aspens grow in connected groves that are genetically identical.

What's an easy way for kids to start identifying trees?

Start with leaf shape — is it a simple single leaf (like maple, oak, or tulip poplar), a compound leaf made of leaflets, or a needle (like white pine)? Then look at bark and any nuts or cones. Distinctive Indiana trees like the tulip-leaved yellow poplar, the five-lobed sugar maple, the fluttering quaking aspen, and the root-beer-scented sassafras make great first species to learn.

Turn Your Indiana Adventure Into a Real Leaf Exploration

Give your kids a mission before you go. Our Leaves of Indiana Activity Book is a nature journal for ages 7 to 12 — with a leaf tracker, fun facts about each species, leaf category guides, drawing pages, games, and puzzles.

Or get all four Indiana nature books together — the Indiana Nature Explorer Series bundles the Birds, Butterflies, Leaves, and Wildflowers of Indiana activity books.

Also exploring Indiana's nature? Read our family guides to Birds of Indiana with Kids, Butterflies of Indiana with Kids, and Wildflowers of Indiana with Kids.