[1] Although Bloomington, Indiana, is the closest city, the park is closer to the small town of Nashville in Brown County.

The park opened in 1929, and was dedicated in 1932 as a memorial to Indiana humorist Frank McKinney "Kin" Hubbard.

Both are the home of a wide variety of trees that attract visitors each year when the vegetation transforms to its autumn colors.

[2] Early settlers tried farming in Brown County's hilly woodlands, leading them to clear the forests.

Richard Lieber, an Indianapolis businessman who became the first director of the Indiana Department of Conservation, visited Brown County in 1910.

Lieber was so impressed with the beauty of the land that he built a cabin near Nashville and suggested that a portion of the county should be set aside for a state park.

Bright believed that creation of a state park would restore the economic health of the region through tourism.

[Note 1] By 1926, Bright, working as the state's agent, purchased enough land to start a game reserve in Brown County.

[Note 2] During November, 1924, the Indiana Department of Conservation appointed a game warden to manage the preserve.

It also contains yellowwood trees, and is the home of some of Indiana's deep forest species, including the red bat, timber rattlesnake, and broad-winged hawk.

[22] The 1987 Pan American Games, hosted in Indianapolis (roughly 50 miles (80 km) north), utilized Brown County State Park as the venue for the road race cycling competition.

[23] Frank McKinney "Kin" Hubbard (1868 – 1930) was an American humorist-cartoonist whose humor and witticisms were expressed through fictional backwoods characters living in Brown County.

His work (usually a cartoon and a sentence or two) appeared every day on the back page of the Indianapolis News, and was syndicated in about 200 newspapers throughout the country.

The northern entrance is close to the Abe Martin Lodge, Saddle Barn, tennis courts and a swimming pool.

Campers bringing horses must use the southeast entrance, which leads to a specialized campground with hitching posts known as the Horsemen's Camp.

[29] Brown County is nationally known for its outdoor scenery and dramatic views from southern Indiana hilltops.

[32] Brown County State Park affords a number of vistas that overlook wide swaths of deciduous forest that display a large array of colors in the fall.

[34] Activities available in the park include camping, fishing, biking, hiking, and seasonal horseback riding.

This tree typically does not grow further north than central Kentucky, and has been designated as a state threatened species in Indiana.

[21] Mammals typically found in Brown County State Park include white-tailed deer, bobcats, opossum, eastern gray squirrels, and chipmunks.

[40] Other bird species in the park include the blue jay, the crow, the junco, the white-breasted nuthatch, and the robin.

[34] Brown County State Park's Weed Patch Hill is the highest point in the area, at 1,058 feet (322 m) above sea level.

The region is part of the Knobstone Escarpment land form, which consists of steep hills and valleys located between northern Brown County and the Ohio River.

The rocks in this area contain significant amounts of silica, and were part of a large delta system over 330 million years ago.

[46]The park's Abe Martin Lodge, built in 1932, has 30 guest rooms, two lobbies, a gift shop, and a full-service restaurant.

[48] Sight seeing, birdwatching, mountain biking, fishing, hiking and horse riding are all popular activities at Brown County State park.

[31] During July 2018, Bicycling magazine named Brown County one of "The Top 6 Secret Mountain Bike Destinations in the US", and listed the park's recently completed Hobbs Hollow as a must-ride trail.

These trails can be used to access places of interest in the park, including the two lakes, the Ogle Hollow Nature Preserve, Hesitation Point, and lookout towers.

[31] This trail "crosses over impressive stone bridges, stairways, and retaining walls and passes by the Lower Shelter and the North Lookout Tower, both CCC projects".

Brown County State Park has over 20 horse trails, and 11 are wide enough that riders can ride two abreast.