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Former Illinoisan and Indianan here.
Grew up in suburbs north of Chicago, went to school in northern Indiana. Horrible places. No /out/. There was some old growth forest near me where I grew up (Des Plaines River trail), but no camping or backpacking. Indiana was worse.
I live in fucking Detroit now, and Michigan is a much better /out/ state. Few hour drive to Sleeping Bear or Nordhouse Dunes, Manistee National Forest. Weekend trips to UP are possible. Around SE Michigan we have Waterloo Pickney trail and some decent dayhiking areas (Potowotomi Trail/Bald Mountain/Pontiac Lake).
But we also have the stupid hunting deer with shotgun rule in the southern part of the state.
Get out of Indiana/Illinois as fast as you can.
