Being someone who grew up here this park was a staple of my childhood. Its changed some but overall…read morenot much. They have pickleball courts, basketball courts, a city pool with splash pad, multiple shelters you can rent for get togethers, trails to hike, disc golf course, playground for the kids, and the greatest sledding hill in Indiana come winter time. For the 4th of July, they always shoot off fireworks off the top of the hill for the whole town to see. Arguably one of the best city parks in all of Indiana given the hilly terrain and all the activities.

This public park for Martinsville is comparable to Pioneer Park in Moorseville. There are four…read moretennis courts and two full size basketball courts or they can be used as four half courts. They have a full size pool with a water slide, a splash pad and a good size facilities building to accommodate their water park. Both parks are very similar in that respect. This park might have better shelters depending on your point of view but definitely a couple more with a total of nine. Most are fully enclosed and most have fireplaces. Most have some sort of playground equipment at each shelter location. These shelters can be more accomdodating in inclement weather or during colder weather. But enclosed ones have ways to open them up for summer weather such as one or more garage doors. Parking is plentiful at most shelters and all have access to a paved road. There are trails for hiking, a large fishing pond and a dedicated playground with a huge spaceship structure at its core. A dog park is available. My only complaint is there is no sign that I saw directing you to the restrooms. The obvious boy & girl restrooms at the rear dog park were locked.

Nice place for a walk and some bird watching. Some trails are paved and some are mowed grass and…read moresome are crushed gravel. You can stick with level trails but they have less shade or you can head in to the woods and get shade but more elevation shade. I was there on a Friday afternoon and I didn't see another person at all.

This secluded park has several types of hiking available. For those who like wooded hikes with…read moresteep terrain changes, Trail #2 is a half mile loop that will get your heart pounding. For someone who likes a level hike along a prairie, the park has a longer loop around the perimeter of the 83 acre park. For visitors with mobility challenges, a paved loop near the north end parking lot goes around the northern prairie while skirting along the north end of the woods. The park is located off SR 67, south of Martinsville, just passed the street sign for Hyndsdale on North Duckworth Road. Duckworth makes several zigzags west and north before you see the east parking lot (the north parking lot is farther north and then west on Gray Road.) At the east end parking lot, you can head straight west up the gravel path into the woods. At the crest of the hill, you will be able to head left, straight, or right. The right side path is for Trail 1 and leads north on a short loop back to the parking lot. The left side path and the straight path are the two ends of Trail 2 which wanders through the hilly forest until reaching the south/west edge of the forest. The stretch between these two exits is a gravel path along the prairie that connects the two. Unfortunately, there are no trail markers and only some of the kiosks at the north end parking lot have maps showing where the trails lead. Apparently, there is supposed to be a tree identification program along the trails, but I could not find any markers along the trail to tell which trees matched up to the photo I took of the map with the key. The north end parking area has access to a shelter (with a grill and tables) and a mini "playground". There are a couple additional picnic tables to the west of the lot that are shaded and overlook the creek. Port-o-lets are found at the north parking lot as well. While hiking, I also noticed lots of bird houses for different varieties of fowl in both the prairie and wooded areas. Near the north lot, there is also a utility pole with numerous bat houses mounted near the top. The houses are for the endangered Indiana Bat. Fortunately, the bats are nocturnal, so no need to be concerned about an encounter. Overall, I liked the variety of the hiking trails, but wish that the park system would make sure both parking lots had trail information and that the trails and trees were indicated more clearly. Review #869

Little Green Thumb at Garfield Conservatory…read more We tried a new-to-us program today and it was honestly SO cute! This peaceful, hands-on story time was such a sweet way to spend the morning with the kids. The kids got to: Feed & pet the chickens Read stories about the sun Use the sunshine to melt crayons into cute animal shapes Pick peppers Check out dried sunflowers & their seeds Have a little dance party Plant beets Explore the garden It was such a calm, down-to-earth experience that combined story time, gardening, animals, crafts + outdoor exploring--perfect for little ones! Garfield Park Conservatory -- Indianapolis Ages: 2-5 $6 per child Registration required Next Little Green Thumb: September 16 | 10-11 AM Join them in Blake's Garden to learn about gardening and help plant, grow & harvest in the vegetable garden. There will also be a story, craft + time to explore! Definitely adding this one to our list of sweet Indy activities for little kids!

The conservatory offers a variety of plants, flowers, and serene views of the waterfall. The…read morewaterfall and fish pond was definitely my favorite view out of everything offered at the conservatory with their scenic views and decor. The sunken garden was an okay view, the fountains were beautiful but there wasn't any other foliage, flowers, or scenery out there to enhance the view. The garden definitely has potential to be better than it is.

This park looks like Disneyland! The playground structures are absolutely amazing. Bargersville…read moreneeded this park for the kids for a long time. When I stopped on Friday morning to walk the dog, I was shocked to see the parking lot (which holds 60+ cars) almost full. They have 8 pickle-ball courts and they were full with a line of people waiting for a court The pangs of the balls were pretty loud and disrupted any peacefulness that the park has to offer. There is even a set of bleachers to watch the pickle-ball games. Anyway, the park does have an amazing playscape, perhaps the best in the Indy area. There are multiple climbing structures, swings for all abilities, a merry go round type structure and more. There is soft matting under the structures to keep the kids safe. Kids were having a blast. In addition, there is a colorful and awesome splash pad. There are nice benches, some covered, to sit and watch the kids. The park also has a walking trail into a wooded area, which is not paved, just gravel. There is some natural prairie vegetation. Trees have been recently planted. There are a nice set of restrooms including a family restroom. I also saw a small pavilion with picnic tables. Bottom line, while it's a bit crowded and loud, this is a great park with lots of fun things to do.

This is a new 19-acre park located in Bagersville. It still has that "new car smell" and is very…read morewell maintained. It opened on July 1, 2023. There is a decent amount of parking available but this park does get packed. The park features 8 very nice, fenced in, pickleball courts, a large playground, an active splash pad. The park also have two shelters with picnic tables under them and some benches under small shelter-like structures that provides some relief from the blazing sun. The splash pad has a lot going on. There are sprinklers, pouring buckets, sprayers, waterfalls and lots more. It is very nice and open from 9am to 8pm. The playground is modern and is Divided into zones for children aged 2 to 5 and 5 to 12. It is laid on a combination of artificial turf and rubberized, mud-free, surfacing. The playground features a swing bank with traditional and ADA swings, a net cone merry go round, a slide on artificial turf covered hills and a small jungle gym structure with a couple of slides and bridges. The highlight of the playground though is the towering jungle gym with a bunch of tall slides, ropes, and bridges. It is one of the first things that you will see when you arrive at the park. Additional amenities at the park include a water fountain that is capable of filling bottles, a restroom facility and a patch of green space to play catch or just throw a blanket down and relax, hiking trails that lead to and from downtown Bargersville. It is a small, but very well designed park. I will admit, that it does get packed during nice weather, no school days, especially on weekends. I really like this park. Bargersville has began to invest in parks, which is nice. This is definitely a must visit while in the Center Grove/Bargersville area.

This was a great place for a quiet hike with our dog, who is still learning trail manners around…read moreothers pups. It's a relatively short hike that gets your heart pumping with inclines, and it's fascinating to see how the trees and plants are so different from other nearby hiking spots. I'd you're interested in birding, this is a great spot. Parking is limited and there are no bathroom facilities, so plan ahead. We really enjoyed this hiking spot and plan to return.

Short really cute trail. Very quaint and quiet to relax. My family loves to walk the dogs here and…read morelet then sniff their stress away.

A solid nature park to walk my dogs. The trails are usually well-kept, and it's never overly packed…read morewhen I'm there. We're able to get a good amount of walking in without getting bored, which I really appreciate. A peaceful spot for a steady, enjoyable walk.

The Town of Plainfield has successfully recovered this land from The Indianapolis Airport Authority…read moreand are making some very welcome improvements. I love the new name, Echo Hollow. Perhaps it honors our precious endangered Brown Bats, who have taken up residency in our little forest? I am extremely excited to see all the changes being made in my favorite little spot to connect with nature and wear out my elderly dog. Watching the new walkway being built that will allow us to walk out over the marsh and the pond keeps bringing me back with amazement.

We took our granddaughter to Hummel Park and she enjoyed the massive playground. She had the whole…read morefamily going up and down the large spiral slides and climbing on the colorful structures. We also enjoyed the merry-go-round and the swings. There is so much equipment to keep the kids entertained. We found shaded seating to take a break near the playground. The park is filled with amenities. We saw several nice pavilions equipped with grills. Beautiful gazebos are available for picnics or relaxing. We were disappointed that the splash pad had closed for the season. The splash pad looked fun! A story walk is posted for the kids. Basketball, tennis and pickleball courts are available. I saw several baseball fields, as well. Several paved trails also pass through the park. Lot's of green space fills the park. The restroom facilities are very clean. We found plenty of parking. The park is fully accessible, including ramps on the playground. We saw a community center, but didn't go inside.

Lots of different equipment to climb on and spin or swing on! Several different slides. A large…read morearea for kids to run about and burn off their steam. The 'tall slide' was a favorite of the day!

This is Mooresville's main public park and home to many sporting fields, athletic facilities and…read moreactivities. There are a multitude of hiking and walking paths; some paved others more rustic trails. There is a large public pool and splash pad, with restrooms, showers and changing facilities. The pool area has a large multi story water slide as well as two smaller straight slides for younger children. Next door to the pool is a Zip line with a chair for two people to ride together for only five dollars. It is only open during the warmer seasons. There are seven shelters of various sizes and well as playground equipment near some of them. There are two full size basketball courts or four half courts depending on how you visualize them. There are four complete and fenced in baseball diamonds each equipped with full size backstops to protect spectators and they are well maintained. There are at least five, probably more, soccer fields with goals for community practicing and leagues. Shelter No. 1 is located just to the right of the main entrance and has a permanent volleyball net plus horseshoe pits and some swings. The basketball courts are nearest this shelter and a short walk. Shelter No. 2 is the largest with a large parking lot and is located just to the left of the main entrance. It features the largest and main playground. Shelter No. 4 is on the other side of this huge playground and is located very near the equipment. Shelter No. 3 is also located towards the front of the park, but smaller and has a small single piece of playground equipment with a slide next to the shelter. Shelter No. 6 has its own playground equipment but is within a short walk to the main playground visible across an internal road. There is parking for a half dozen vehicles. Shelter No. 5 looks like a gazebo and is the smallest of the seven but a bit more secluded from all the shelters towards the front of the park. There is parking here for a half dozen vehicles. Shelter No. 7 is double the size of an ordinary shelter and located in the back next to the soccer fields. You can see the wooden bridge leading to the rustic hiking trails in the woods. There are permanent restroom facilities located adjacent to this shelter. There is plenty of marked parking spaces here along the road as well as a small parking lot in front of the wooden bridge. If you like to walk or hike, I recommend parking in the lot by the bridge in the back and starting from there. There is also another open soccer field beyond the trails I have used for kite flying.

I have been to this park a few times and it is a mega-park. It is massive, spanning 150 acres. I…read morelove this park It has everything you could want in a park. There is tons of parking available here spread out between a few different lots depending on what area of the park you are visiting. In the front of the park you will find a 4 shelters that are spaced out. Each shelter has picnic tables under them and grills next to them. The largest of the shelters is by the biggest of the parks playgrounds that has nice equipment that includes a huge jungle gym with slides, animals to climb on, and swings. The ground is lined with rubber matting. Also in the front of the park, you will find two decent full basketballs court that are in good repair. Of in the distance, in the corner close to the main road, you will find three horseshoe pits. The pits are not the best, but will do. You will find a gazebo off by itself and a restroom facility up there in the front of the park too. a little deeper into the park, is another playground area by one of the 4 shelters. It consists of a traditional bank os swings and a jungle gym with climbing equipment and slides. You can take the road further to the back and you will pass a gazebo with seating, picnic tables, and a small shelter on your way to the soccer fields. This is a huge green space that has some small bleacher seating and in addition to soccer can be used for other stuff like playing catch, football or frisbees. Back there you will find another shelter with picnic tables under it and grills nearby and a restroom facility. A little further past that you will find a picturesque bridge. If you cross the bridge, it will lead you to another area of muliti-use soccer fields. The bread and butter of this park is its trails. It has miles of very nice paved trails that go all through the park. There is also a storybook trail and a fitness trail that is just to the side of the bridge. The parks has some very nice trails and are very peaceful as well. I love walking the trails and have done a couple of 5K races there. The park has about 4 baseball fields that are decent. They could use some maintenance though. It is primary used by the Mooresville Baseball League. They have a batting cage, and a snack bar over there as well. There is a zip-line in the park somewhere, but it was closed for the season when I was there. The waterpark look decent, but was also closed. In front of the waterpark and right by the park's maintenance office is another small playground area with a medium jungle gym with slides and another shelter with picnic tables under it. This is a first class park that has everything including horse shoes, shelters that you can rent, green space for days, trails for miles, a water park, zip line, multiple playgrounds, a fitness trail, gazebos, and tons of parking. It is well maintained and very clean. This is one of the best parks in the area and it has something for everyone. I highly recommend this park.

Columbus knows how to do parks. The location of this park in downtown Columbus has historical…read moresignificance. Two rivers, East Fork White and Flatrock Rivers merge creating a flood plain. During the 1800's, water was diverted to create power for milling, called a "Mill Race". A number of mills operated here. There were tanneries, brick makers and woolen manufacturing to name a few. Various mills operated for decades but faced challenges of periodic flooding. The mills closed over time and only a few foundations remain. The site has been transformed into a beautiful park, complete with sculptures, trails, a historic covered bridge and more. We visited the park yesterday and spent several hours exploring the site. A notable observation Tower is prominent near the river. I climbed the 130 steps to the top to see panoramic views of the river and town of Columbus. Graffiti vandals have left "art" on the tower. There is an elevator, but it was non operational during my visit. Maybe it as just me, but it was a little creepy at the top. A modern colorful playground is located on the north side of the park. Climbing structures, slides, interactive toys and a wide variety of swings fill the area. The equipment is clean and pristine. Benches and picnic tables surround the playground for parents. I saw several pavilions around the park for picnics or meetings. The grounds of the park are tree covered and beautiful. There is a project underway to restore native plants. The New Brownsville Covered Bridge crosses a small duck pond and is a lovely backdrop for photos. The tress bridge is opened to auto traffic. I saw several sculptures including an artistic vine covered tunnel. The sculptures did look like they have endured annual flooding. Fisherman were fishing in small boats in the river. There is a small boat launch in the park. An amphitheater structure is also on the grounds. The setting is an ideal spot for summer concerts. A single basketball court is located on the west side of the park. I did see a set of modern restrooms in the park. Pathways are concrete making travel easy for strollers and wheelchairs. Parking is available at various locations throughout the park. There is no charge to visit the park. Warning: the mosquito population was pretty treacherous during my visit. I would recommend long sleeves, pants and spray. They will carry you away.

I feel bad that I was so focused on seeing the covered bridge that I completely spaced out and…read moremissed the observation tower while I was here. The park is lovely, a big green space with some sporting features including tennis courts, picnic shelters, playgrounds, horseshoe pits and basketball courts. You should also check out the amphitheater. The park is located in an oxbow bend in the Flatrock River, so it's surrounded by peaceful slow-flowing water (which did flood quite high a few years ago). [Review 20531 overall - 76 in Indiana - 1512 of 2023.]