The Point

The Point is where the Wabash River meets the Ohio, most often the first thing people notice when they look at a map of Indiana.

It was once an important hub for pre-Columbian cultures and in the early 18th Century.  The French built a fort there to protect their trappers and fur traders. 

Today, Point Township is a sparsely populated home to fertile farmland and incredible wildlife and nature preserves.  It’s a fantastic place for outdoor activities, including boating, kayaking, hunting, fishing, hiking and birdwatching.

Hovey Lake Fish and Wildlife Area (FWA), along with properties managed by the Indiana Department of Nature Preserves and the Nature Conservancy, showcase Point Township’s river bottom ecosystem, its cypress sloughs, and provide refuge to diverse wildlife and plant species.

Although the publicly accessible properties in the lands between the rivers are generally not very well developed,  there are fantastic sightseeing opportunities. Casual visitors can take a fascinating drive that passes Hovey Lake, with its still water and ghostly trees, the Ohio River, a major dam, and cypress sloughs right out of the deep south. There’s a very good chance of seeing Bald Eagles, Cranes, Geese, Ducks, Deer and a variety of smaller mammals. Point Township is an important stop on the migratory path of many bird species, as well as Monarch butterflies.

And it is not entirely without amenities. Boat ramps give access to Hovey Lake and the Ohio River, and there are a few trails that show the beauty and diversity of our lowland ecosystems.

So plan a drive through Point Township during your stay. Roads are paved to Hovey Lake and the J.T. Meyers Locks and Dam. During Spring, you can stop at Hastings Plants, which includes five greenhouses and a garden shop amid scenic farmland. If you don’t mind a little gravel, and the rivers aren’t flooding, you can loop around past the Uniontown Ferry boat ramp and the Weyerbacher Marsh, then take a hike at Twin Swamps and/or the Grey Estate Cypress Slough. You can pass by Big Cypress Slough, perhaps spotting the Bald Eagles that nest there, then on to the Wabash Lowlands and Slim Pond.

For hunting and fishing, most of these properties are open with the proper permits.

Just be aware that many sites and activities in the Point are for the more adventurous types. River bottoms flood, and roads and trails can be muddy when the weather is wet. Cypress sloughs and Oak swamps, though scenic, are mosquito infested during summer. So visitors need prepare to prepare accordingly for the season.

But for those adventurous types, or when the weather is right, the Point is a wonderful experience, unlike any you are likely to find elsewhere.