Very nice nature park. Loop trail is easy walking. Great place to take the kids or the dog for a…read morewalk. Several access points for fishing along the trail and near the bridge.

Just north of Crawfordsville on US-231 is a nature park with a wooded hike and lots of bench/tables…read morealong the path. The majority of the trail parallels the river, including the bend for the last third of the trail. Near the entrance are several board displays including a map and information about the wildlife in the area. The trail starts on the left of the parking lot and loops around a small pond to cover the majority of the park to the right. Most of the paths are dirt, though parts are sandy (near the bend) and rocky. Decent footing for walking, but not so good for jogging since there can be muddy stretches and uneven surfaces. Near the bend, the trail opens up to a "beach" area across from an old power plant. The river has a small dam that creates a murmuring that is relaxing. Fishing is allowed, but there are signs posted that the fish may not be healthy for eating. Sadly, after the rounding of the bend where the trail passes under US-231, a "camp" for homeless blocked the path. I didn't see anyone there, but felt uncomfortable going beyond that point. On the trail back, I found a bypass along the front of the park where the tall grasses had been cut straight to the parking lot. Overall, the park was a decent hike, but could use some attention. I kept running into cobwebs through the wooded area, so I wonder how much use the trail gets. Also, the trail got hard to follow beyond the bend. I wasn't sure if I was to continue along the river or if there was some woodland path that was obscured from view. Note: Access to the park is only available from the north bound lanes of US-231 near the Elston Park Softball Complex. Review #966

Well, this park is gone. They have torn it down and started putting up buildings. The only thing…read morethat remains is the nature trail. There is no easy parking available to access the trail. I had to park in the neighborhood (Walker Farms) that borders the park and walk over. It was about a quarter-mile walk. The nature trail is small, but well defined. Most of it is paved. You will find a few benches along the trail and the trail head borders a small pond. There is also a picnic table over there that overlooks the pond. The trail does not go too deep in the woods and you are never too far from the road. You will always be able to see houses and/or the road while you are on the trail, so you should not get lost. As I mentioned the park's parking lot and playground equipment are long gone, probably due to main Street park being so close. The construction has also affected parts of the trail as well. All you see are most of the trail and remnants of the park now such as a handicap parking sign or trash cans. I am not sure if there are plans to rebuild to park or not after the construction is done. So, as it stands today , the park does not have much value outside of visitors from the nearby neighborhoods walking the trail to get out and get a quick immersion in nature. This is definitely not a destination spot, nor a place I would recommend traveling to visit.

This 11 acre park and nature trail is part of the Zionsville Park system and services the…read moresurrounding neighborhoods of Whitestown. The short nature trail has a hard surface but access is over grass. There is natural prairie surrounded by young trees. Maybe a good place to bird watch. Summer overgrowth of the trail left me feeling somewhat unsafe. The play structure is small with basic swings, slides and climbing structure. Not as fancy as the nearby Main Street Park. The local 4-H donated a small pavilion complete with tables and waste cans. The park features a large retention pond with paved sidewalks and benches on two sides. There are supplies for cleaning up after your pooch. Also, there is a nicely maintained field that can be used for soccer or football. There is parking for 16 cars. This is a good neighborhood park.

During a recent trip to Turkey Run State Park for a meeting, I had some extra time to explore a…read morebit. While you might think that's what led me to Shades State Park, to be honest I landed here because I got lost. So, I figured "What the heck?" and decided to snag a second Indiana state park in one day. Located about 17 miles southwest of Crawfordsville off SR 47, Shades State Park is an ideal location for camping, hiking, and canoeing. As Katy E. notes in her review, Shades is less popular than the pretty close by Turkey Run. With sandstone clicks overlooking Sugar Creek, this is the place for those who want more nature and less activity. You can also check out the Pine Hills Nature Preserve while here. Shades is definitely not built necessarily for someone like me (a wheelchair user) precisely because it's not "built." It's a pretty natural setting, though it does have a picnic area with shelters, a 6-ravine hiking challenge, 10 trails (plus a backpacking trail), fishing, interpretive naturalist services (seasonal), and it's a favorite spot for a number of astronomy groups due to its dark skies. While I found the entrance to Turkey Run (which I love) a little too developed, such is not really the case here. There are 105 non-electric camping sites, 7 backpack camping sites, 10 sites for canoe camping, youth tent areas, and a dumping station. For hikers, the trails range from about .5 miles to about 2.5 miles. A couple of these trails are genuinely rugged, and probably not best for beginners. There are a couple shorter trails that are considered easy, though obviously "easy" means different things - especially for wheelchair users. Trail #7 is currently closed due to recent rains/floods. A few fun facts: Shades State Park opened in 1947. It was the state's 15th state park. This area was originally known as "Shades of Death" due to its darkness and deep forest. In the 19th century, there was a mineral springs resort here. Joseph Frisz, the owner, actually sold the land to the state for a park to preserve the area. Shades does not have a hotel or inn, however, you're close to Crawfordsville. Turkey Run Inn is about eight miles away for those not into primitive camping. I'm a big fan of this park. While there are certainly trails here I can't really do in the wheelchair, there's enough places to go that I can easily still spend the day here. Including Pine Hills, Shades covers about 3,000 acres.

What a serene and beautiful state park! Went during memorial weekend which was the perfect…read moretime/weather. We brought 2 dogs (small and medium size) with us. Recommend bringing plenty of water, bug spray, a packed lunch/snacks, a bag for trash because you must pack in and pack out - leave no trace behind. Wear hiking boots for ample ankle support and when you cross creeks/streams of water. For hiking - we hit up trail 2, then 1 and ended with 9. I'm glad we did it in that order because we did the most challenging trails in the beginning and ended with a nice walk. Easily hiked ~6 miles. We went when it wasn't crowded so we were fully immersed into nature without big groups. This park doesn't have much foot traffic compared to Turkey Run, which is what we enjoyed the most here. We went around noon and left before it got dark. PROS: $7 for Indiana residents, modern restrooms, playground for kids and benches for lunch. CONS: No trash cans

I have been riding the Midland Trace trail for a few years. I continue to enjoy their new…read moreextensions. Today was no exception as I found a few extra miles that I hadn't ridden. While there were signs saying it was under construction, I didn't see real construction until HWY 32. This section had a beautiful winding path (rather than the straight as an arrow Monon). It also had a lot of shade which was greatly appreciated on this hot muggy July 1. Not sure how many miles are complete but my round trip from the Nora YMCA was just over 31 miles. My next trip I will clock the miles from Union Street.

The Midland Trace Trail is located in Hamilton County in Central Indiana. It's a 3.75 mile asphalt…read moretrail that is 12' wide. It continues to be under development and has several new sections planned for the future. I used the Midland Trace Trail during the 2022 Tenderness Tour event as I traveled by wheelchair from Indianapolis to Elwood. I caught the Midland Trace Trail after having taken the Monon Trail up to Westfield from Indy. Hamilton County tends to treat their trails better than Marion County, though I do find the signage on this trail just a bit lacking. Amenities include a drinking fountain, benches, dog drinking bowl, dog waste station, bike rack, and public restrooms. I continue to be amazed how often trails don't have public restrooms and I always appreciate it when they are available. Walking/running, bicycling, and rollerblading are allowed on the trail. Of course, it's pretty friendly to wheelchair users as well. I had no difficulty utilizing the trail. My only problem happened when I took a brief detour and ended up crashing in gravel. Major access points include Old Friends Cemetery Park, Quaker park, Kroger, and Simon Moon Park. You are kind of on the edge of rural here. However, it's fairly easy to find places to stop whether you need a break, a restroom, a meal, or even to do a little sightseeing here in Hamilton County. It's also worth noting that you can currently connect to the Monon Trail, Natalie Wheeler Trail, Monon Midland Loop, and Simon Moon Park. Future plans include connections to Grassy Branch Trail, Cool Creek Trail, and Little Eagle Creek Trail. The Midland Trace Trail is part of the Trail Ambassador Program and seemed like it is nurtured. I had no problem in terms of inclines or obstacles. Generally, I find Hamilton County drivers pretty friendly to trail users during those times when crossing is needed. This was my first time using the Midland Trace Trail. It won't be my last.

Looking for a playground that grows with your kids? Check out West Park in Carmel!…read more Padded ground throughout Multi-level playground designed for different ages and abilities Lower level features swings, one slide, a merry-go-round & a small climbing structure Climb the rocks or take the stairs to reach a metal slide that doesn't get too hot in the sun At the very top is a HUGE climbing structure leading to a giant clock slide--perfect for older, adventurous kids! Splash pad tucked into a rock valley with a beautiful waterfall feature Lots of walking trails and wildflowers to explore Bathrooms are close by Shade is limited, with most of it under the pavilion This is the perfect park for families with kids of different ages. Between the playground, splash pad, and scenic trails, it's easy to spend the whole day here

Wonderful park! As of 2020 I was no longer a full time…read moreresident of the great Indy area so I was not around when this park was built but now that I am coming home for months at a time to visit I am happy this park is not here and open. I was very impressed with the quality of the layout and planning of the park. The walking paths, bike riding paths, the natural plant growth areas are all amazing! The parking is excellent, there are a few great venue areas that I assume can be reserved, the playground looks wonderful and the outdoor activity oppportnies are just wonderful. I highly recommend this park to anyone in the area, it's great for all ages, all activities (even sitting around and reading or looking at the clouds). what a great park!!

It is an awesome lil trail for a quick nature reset. Even though it isn't more than a mile long it…read moreis Beautiful!

Located right near the Hendricks and Boone Count Line on US 136, I was pleasantly surprised at the…read moreaccessibility of this nature park. The trails are limited to hikers and are paved with blacktop. The park offers a perimeter hike or a diagonal path along the sides of the creek that flows towards the Big Walnut Creek to the east. For visitors who like to know what they are looking at, the park has numerous stands with information as well as location indicators on the park maps. There are also labels for types of trees that blend well with the surrounding scenery. I also noticed some small stands with words of positivity like Kindness, Faith, Peace. I don't know the story behind those but they are low to the ground so as to not interfere with those hikers who simply want to see nature. My only knock on the park is that due to erosion along the creek, there were a lot of trees falling over into the creek. The branches were clogging the flow of water, trapping debris and leaves so that some areas of the creek were stagnating. A bit of maintenance to clean up the clogs and maybe some assistance on reducing the erosion would preserve some of the trees fighting to hang on. The park is just over 20 years old and could use a good cleaning to restore its condition. There is a lone shelter outside the wooded part of the park near the parking lot which looked to be in pretty good shape. Review #730

This is a little space next to the Monon near Aldi's. It used to have a bench and a checker table…read more When we ride our bikes up to Carmel, this was a regular stop to sit at the bench under the shade and chill a bit. Now the space is...transitioning? No bench no checkers

Was expecting a nice shaded sitting area with benches like the photos on apples maps, was…read moredisappointed to see them gone. Don't waste your time looking for this spot like I did!

This review is based just on the surprise of finding a clean playground in the middle of no-where…read moreto help give the kids a chance to stretch legs during a long road trip.... Surrounded by corn fields, this small-town community park is a very quaint little picnic area and playground, complete with a baseball field flanked by a tattered American flag waving in the late summer breeze. This was such a picturesque classic place of americana, reminiscent of that "field of dreams" magic. This was a great place to bring the littles (ages 6 and under). Don't forget to stop by the Lizton Dairy Bar at the corner to bring a delicious ice cream shake for that perfect touch. We didn't go into any buildings, as everything was closed/locked at 6 pm on a Saturday. It would likely be a good place for a summertime family gathering or birthday party. My husband said this location is also a Hendricks County voting precinct location.

This park is situated between the the high school and middle school for Tri-West and is supported…read moreby the local Lions Club. The park has multiple baseball diamonds with gravel parking lots where some folks stay in their cars to watch the game with better comfort than those braving the seating around the fields. Beyond the outfield of the southwestern field is a small playground, hopefully out of range of any homers headed that way. There are a variety of pieces for kids to play on, but it seems a bit odd that they are stretched out instead of clustered for easy transitions between pieces. There is also a basketball court that doubles as a parking surface during morning games where finding a spot to park is a challenge. Review #822