Fall (autumn) in the canyons of Turkey Run State Park is a fantastic time to visit. The warm, sunlit leaves stand out against the brown canyon walls, and the canyon floors are covered with colorful leaves from the forest above. Many leaves are off of the trees, allowing you to see through the forest and view otherwise hidden objects around the park.
Be prepared for some rugged hiking, the one mile long trail 2 is relatively mild for most of it's length to the narrows covered bridge, but through Gypsy Gulch one must walk over and boulders, a far cry from most state parks where boardwalks take away the challenge.
From the boulders of Gypsy Gulch, one is dwarfed by the canyon walls, and even more so by the towering tulip poplar trees towering above. On this visit, the waterfalls that often run in these canyons were only drips, but in wet seasons when they flow, hikers must walk near or even through them.
Certainly more than just a casual walk through the forest, trail 2 offers some rugged hiking, but not to an extreme extent. It's manageable by most adventurous people who have good footing and balance.
The beginning of trail 3 (or the end depending upon the route you choose) offers a totally different environment than most of this area of the country. Just steps into this canyon, visitors are transported into a landscape usually found much further north. The air temperature drops significantly, and the plants are totally different than any other areas of the park. It's as if you walked back in time thousands of years in only a few steps.
Trail 3 is much more rugged, taking visitors through a few canyons where at one point, hikers must walk through the water as it flows down the canyon. Even more challenging features lie ahead on trail 3......
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