Read time: 4 min.

Trying to track down as many flowing wells as I can has been a slow journey of late. I found three at a Madison County campground back in December, but the main attraction was hidden under a tarp for the winter. After grabbing lunch at Juan’s in Chesterfield this past weekend, I figured I’d swing by and check it out again. This time, I got lucky: the well was flowing at full force!

I first discovered the flowing well at Chesterfield’s RV Resort through a casual Google search. I typed in a few generic keywords, and a quick glance at the image results brought up a map of what used to be the Anderson / Muncie KOA. Zooming in near the fishing pond led me to stumble across the unexpected gem.

I went out to search for the well posthaste. Skipping the check-in station at the campground felt a bit sneaky, but I pressed on, determined to find it. Unfortunately, my clumsy detour around the fishing lake led to disappointment. All I saw was a sign warning me to not drink the water from the pond. I’d been flummoxed! After I licked my wounds for a while, I finally mustered the courage to ask a social media group about the well. One member, familiar with the property, recalled there being six!

Not long after, I got a message from a fellow enthusiast named Dean Alger who sent me a photo of the well he’d taken. I headed back to Chesterfield and followed his directions, only to find the well right behind where I’d driven. To my surprise, the warning sign that caught my attention had nothing to do with the pond. It was posted about the well itself!

The well was covered in a tarp for the winter when I visited. It was also hooked up to a hose that piped the outflow away from the concrete trough it usually drains down. I followed the tubing to the lake and, sure enough, a constant stream of reddish water spat forth. I was sorry to miss the chance to see it flow in its natural state or drink from it, but finding a flowing well under such remarkable stewardship was just as refreshing.

Since then, my flowing well trail has mostly gone cold. I learned of three within a couple miles of my house, but they sit on private property. Getting permission to take a gander has turned into a nightmare! I’d put the frustration out of my mind until that fateful lunch with my brother. We were only a mile or two down the road from Chesterfield’s RV Resort, so we decided to stop by for a visit.

Once we turned in, I felt better about bypassing the check-in station since I’d become an old pro. I even knew exactly where to go to find the well- in fact, I could spy it from my car! There it was, with water cascading out like it has for decades. My brother ignored the sign, took a swig, and pronounced it rusty, but a ten-of-ten on the drinkability scale.

Saturday was the fourth time I’d been to Chesterfield’s RV Park in search of flowing wells. My second and third trips revealed two others, one buried and one dry, and I intended to check the status of the well that wasn’t flowing. Unfortunately, a belly full of enchiladas and a motorhome stuffed with suspicious campers convinced me that taking the short hike back wasn’t the best idea this time around. At least I have a reason to go back for trip number five!