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Charles C. Deam Wilderness

The Charles C. Deam Wilderness offers 36 miles of trails for hiking, backpacking, and horse riding through scenic hardwood forest and varied terrain with views of nearby Monroe Lake. The area was designated a wilderness in 1982 and encompasses nearly 12,953 acres of the Hoosier National Forest. Wilderness designation places this area in a special legal status (subject to the 1964 Wilderness Act). It is managed to preserve a natural condition and provide opportunities for solitude.

Since its designation as a wilderness, visitor use in the area increased to a point that significant damage was occurring. Special restrictions are in place to protect the wilderness character. Visitors to this special place are asked to follow these restrictions to lessen your impact and share responsibility in preserving this unique natural resource.

Visitors should be aware that due to Monroe Lake’s purpose of flood control, water levels fluctuate and some campsites may experience flooding and be unusable for periods of time.

Current Conditions

Peninsula Trail is currently closed.
Campsite 12 is temporarily closed due to storm damage.
Designated campsite #21 is closed for visitor safety. We are assessing a relocation site.

Active Alerts

Peninsula Trail Closed

General Information

Additional Resources

Welcome Center

Before you enter the Wilderness, stop by the Welcome Center at Brooks Cabin. Here you can learn why a federally designated Wilderness area is a special place with special rules.

Keep Wilderness Wild

Plese follow best practices for Wilderness recreation to reduce natural and cultural resource damage, erosion and maintain wilderness character.

Horse riders age 17 years and older require a trail use permit

No wheeled vehicles including carts, wagons and bicycles, or motorized travel is allowed.
Mechanized equipment, including generators, is prohibited.
Camping within 100 feet of ponds, Monroe Lake, trails, or streams is allowed only in designated sites.
Camping is restricted within 300 feet of designated trailheads, wilderness access points, horse camps and Tower Ridge Road adjacent to Deam Wilderness.
Geocaching is prohibited.
Horse riders must stay on designated trails. Horse riders must have a permit.
Park only in designated areas. Do not park along Tower Ridge Road.
Campsites must be occupied the first night, and may not be left unattended for more than 24 hours without permission. Camping is limited to 14 days.
Target shooting or practicing is not allowed.
Stock may not be tied within reach of any living tree.
Group size is limited to 10 persons or less.
Outfitting and guiding are not permitted.
It is prohibited to shore a motorized boat on Monroe Lake along the boundary of the Charles C. Deam Wilderness. If you wish to access the Deam Wilderness you must hike in or use a non-motorized boat.
Both recreational and commercial gold panning and mineral collection (including geodes) is prohibited

Address: 811 Constitution Avenue Bedford, IN 47421
Phone: 812-275-5987
Hours: Open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 8:00a.m. to noon and 1:00 - 4:30p.m. EST. Closed Mondays and Fridays (Closed on federal holidays)

Getting There

Directions

From east State Route 46 in Bloomington, take State Route 446 south to Tower Ridge Road. You will see a sign for the Charles C. Deam Wilderness and the Maumee Boy Scout Camp. This gravel road is after the lake and on the left as you are heading south. The Wilderness boundary begins just a few hundred feet down this road and continues for several miles.

Please get a map before visiting this area, as the boundaries are not clearly marked.

Parking

Parking on or along Tower Ridge Road is prohibited. Park only in the lots provided at:

Deam Wilderness experiences heavy use, especially on nice weekends. If parking areas are full, please consider an alternate location. Some nearby areas for backpacking and dispersed camping include: