Lake Monroe Area Hit Hard by StormsLake Monroe Area Hit Hard by Storms Paynetown and Fairfax State Recreation Areas * Paynetown: Closed until at least July 2. Only limited access allowed for boat launching, boat rentals, and retrieving personal property from campgrounds. Beach and other areas closed due to fallen trees and debris. * Fairfax: Open for boaters and picnickers. Beach, beach house, and trails closed. Hoosier National Forest and Hardin Ridge Recreation Area * Forest: All sites and roads open, but fallen trees on trails. Visitors should be cautious of potential falling branches. * Hardin Ridge: Damage still being assessed. Campers with reservations will be notified of any cancellations. Amy Weingartner Branigin Peninsula Reserve * Closed until likely July 4 due to significant storm damage, including fallen trees and debris. Other Information * DNR boat ramps remain open, but fuel is not available on the lake. * Boaters should be aware of floating and submerged debris. * Visitors should take precautions due to downed trees and the possibility of falling branches. Contact Information * DNR office: 812-837-9546 (8 a.m. – 4 p.m.) * Hoosier National Forest (Bedford office): 812-275-5987 * Sycamore Land Trust website: https://sycamorelandtrust.org
Tuesday’s storms, which left much of Monroe County without electricity and with downed trees and power lines, hit areas near Lake Monroe, which could disrupt holiday plans for the weekend and the Fourth of July.
Paynetown and Fairfax State Recreation Areas
According to Jill Vance, interpretive naturalist, the Paynetown and Fairfax recreation areas on Lake Monroe are currently closed with limited access. Electricity was out at one of the state-owned properties on the lake Thursday, and power may not be restored until next week.
In Paynetown, visitors are only allowed on the property to launch at the boat ramp, rent a boat from Lake Monroe Boat Rental, access a boat docked at the marina or retrieve personal property from a campground. Vance said no one is allowed to use the beach or any other part of the area while there.
“The biggest thing is we have a lot of damage to trees,” she said Thursday afternoon, adding that hundreds of broken branches called “widow makers” are falling from trees, causing problems for workers clearing the debris. “We don’t want people coming into those areas without a good reason to be there.”
Vance hopes to have the campground open by Tuesday, July 2. People with reservations will be contacted through the reservation system with more information. Before that happens, Vance says DNR workers are busy cutting down trees and moving debris into huge piles.
Paynetown amenities, including the beach, beach house, marina fuel sales, modern restrooms, comfort stations, activity center and walking trails, may be closed for extended periods of time.
“It’s a disaster area on the trails right now,” Vance said. With the priority of reopening Paynetown campgrounds, clearing trails will take longer.
Fairfax Recreation Area had less storm damage. The area is open for use by boaters and picnickers, but the beach, beach house and trails are closed.
Although all eight DNR boat ramps remain open, fuel is not available on the lake, so boaters must purchase fuel elsewhere. Anyone who has a boat in a private marina should contact that marina. Anyone who has a boat rental reservation for Thursday, June 27 through Sunday, June 30, should contact the rental company.
People who have a reservation at the Fourwinds Lakeside Inn should also contact them.
Vance said anyone visiting Lake Monroe should be aware of fallen trees, debris and the possibility of falling branches. She warns boaters to be aware that more debris will be floating and submerged in the lake.
Anyone with questions can call the DNR office at 812-837-9546 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Hoosier National Forest and Hardin Ridge Recreation Area
Crews were still on Hoosier National Forest property near the lake Thursday assessing damage, spokeswoman Marion Mason said. All Forest Service sites and roads are open, but visitors should expect to see fallen trees on trails for weeks. Mason warned that people visiting the national forest should be aware that trees and branches could still fall.
BA Services, which manages the Hardin Ridge Recreation Area on the south side of the lake, rates campsites. They will notify anyone with reservations “very soon,” Mason said, if cancellations are necessary.
Although the area around Lake Monroe is a popular destination, Mason said there are other trails and recreation areas in the Hoosier National Forest further south that are open and did not sustain storm damage. Go online to www.fs.usda.gove/Hoosier for more information about those areas. For more information, call the Bedford office at 812-275-5987.
Amy Weingartner Branigin Peninsula Reserve
Sycamore Land Trust announced Wednesday that the Amy Weingartner Branigin Peninsula Preserve along the north shore of Lake Monroe is temporarily closed. The preserve had significant storm damage, with fallen trees and debris making the trail unsafe for hiking. For updates, visit the Sycamore Land Trust website at https://sycamorelandtrust.org.
John Lawrence, executive director, said he doesn’t expect the preserve to open until the Fourth of July. The connecting path to the peninsula is blocked by fallen trees and the old road further along the path has several fallen trees.
The land trust’s Porter West property was also affected by the storm, Lawrence said. While that land is still open, anyone hiking the trails should be aware of downed trees and the possibility of falling branches.
