This is a pretty decent park. It has a decent sized private parking lot and a community center. The…read moreplayground is awesome. It does not just have a rock climbing wall. it has a rock to climb. There is a nice dragon fly shaped see-saw, a wasp looking small jungle gym with a slide, a new style climber dome, a swing set with a saucer swing, and some other newer style swings, some percussion instruments like congos, and a medium size jungle gym with ladders, cargo nets, ropes stairs and a slide. The park is home to a small but decent splash pad. It was not operational while I was there because I visited off-season. Nect to the splash pad is a pretty decent full basketball court. It is well maintained and the court, rims and back board look new. You will find two shelters on opposite ends of the park with picnic tables under them. There are no grills however. The larger of the two shelters is by the community center. There is also a half basketball court over there. It is as nice as the full court. I could really make it rain there. Many people that visit the park are there to utilize its half mile trail that goes around the park's perimeter. It is a very nice paved trail that is popular among runner, walkers, and dog walkers a like. To top it all off the park has some green space pockets that can be used for pick up soccer or football games, playing catch, tossing a frisbee around or having a picnic. This is a very nice park that has a lot to offer and is very accessible. I enjoyed my time at the park and could only imagine if the community center and splash pad was open how I would a felt. I recommend checking out this place. It is even worth a little bit of a drive to get to.

This new park/playground/athletic field looks like a great new addition to the Indy Park system…read more The park was originally built in 2002 across the street, but due to some changes in circumstances in 2011, a plan was made to exchange property and move the park to its present location. Like all plans, it has taken awhile to get the park to the final stages which should be done later this year. In the meantime, the park has hiking trails, a splash area, a ton of playground equipment, and basketball courts. There is a spacious new parking lot and the community center is nearing completion. The only negative I can see is the landscaping. They are sowing grass around the latest construction areas and have a sweeping lawn between the playground and pavilion on the south end. However, there is a noticeable absence of trees for shade. It would be great to see at least some trees planted along the trails and near the playground to eventually offer a place to cool down. Review #566

This may be a small park, but has enough to keep you entertained. It was established in 1972 and…read morewas originally 8 acres. However, a few acres sold for industrial development through the years and the park is currently less than 4 acres. The park gets its name from the intersection that it is located, LaSalle Street and Clayton Ave. It has its own large private parking lot. There is also some street parking available as well. The park features a large patch of green space that would be suitable for activities such as soccer, football, playing catch, flying a kite, throwing a frisbee, or having a picnic. It is well maintained. There use to be goal post at each end of the field, but they are long gone. There is also a shelter with picnic tables under it and a grill just outside of it. There is an adequate splash pad at the park that has some benches around it that caregivers can sit on while their little frolic in the water. I visited the park during the winter, so the splash pad was closed for the season. The park has a small restroom near the splash pad that has a rubber duck mural painted on all of its side. The center piece of the park is its playground. It is a decent playground on a bed of wood chips. The equipment is a bit older, but in decent shape. The equipment in the area includes a spinning net tree climber, a bank of traditional swings, and a large accesible jungle gym with a bunch of slides, tunnels, bridges and monkey bars. There are benches around the playground area that caregivers can sit while their little ones play. This is a nice neighborhood park that has a lot to offer. It could use a few upgrades, but is still fully operational and you can have a real good time here. I have definitely seen a lot worse. This park is definitely worth a visit, if you happen to be in the area.

I was visiting a friend in the Twin-Aire neighborhood of Indianapolis and stumbled across Clayton &…read moreLaSalle Park, a relatively small urban park located at 401 S. LaSalle in a neighborhood best described as a mixture of residential and industrial. This is a definite low-feature park with a splash pad being the relative highlight along with a fair amount of greenery that is mostly bordered by a working class neighborhood, shipping trucks, and manufacturing/industrial use buildings. The park reminds me a lot of a smaller park relatively close to my own home, though in my case the apartment complex next to the park is vacant and much creepier. As the late Yelper Ken N. noted in his 2018 review, Clayton & LaSalle shows some definite wear and tear. It seems to be a "summer" park primarily with the splash park on the north side of the park, a shelter with picnic tables, and a playground on the southside of the park. There's a permanent restroom open during park season, essentially summer, and parking available in a northern area and somewhat to the west. The greenspace could be fairly nice, though there's nothing resembling trails here or anything resembling sports fields. The greenery could easily be used that way, of course, but it doesn't seem to be officially designed for it. I've often expressed concerns that Indy has a habit of planting decent looking parks and then not actually taking care of them. Clayton & LaSalle is a definite example of this as what could easily be a shining light in this area is instead proof that this area is largely forgotten in city planning. While I don't have kids, one of the questions I always ask myself when visiting a park is "Would I bring my kids here?" The answer here is definitely a "no." While area kids still benefit from it and the playground itself remains functional, between nearby vacant buildings and the obvious wear and tear of the park this park is closer to a 2-star park than a 4-star at this point. It definitely has potential and with the nearby 201 Studios being developed perhaps there could be some improvements. Essentially, Clayton & LaSalle Park is a small neighborhood park that serves the families in this southeast area of Indianapolis. This entire area is a working class area with a lot of smaller businesses emphasizing manufacturing and industrial industries and there's a lot of vacant buildings that surround the park. The folks I met while around here were friendly and if I lived in the area I would use the park, but there's nothing about Clayton & LaSalle that makes it a destination park and Indy definitely needs to clean it up. This park falls under the umbrella of Indy Parks.

This is a standard park with a playground, shelter & grill, and a basketball court. There is a…read moresmall baseball diamond on the north west corner and a paved parking lot on the north east corner. There is also a water fountain available during the park summer season, but no restroom facilities. Nice for the neighborhood, but nothing to draw you here. Review #753

This is a small pocket park located across the street from the Lapel City Hall. It has a small…read moreparking area, a small gravel path a features a bulldog statue in front of a couple of flag poles. The Bulldog is the local high school's mascot, if you were wondering what the connection was. There is a bench in the park to sit and relax, along with a share-a-book box and another bench under a pergola. The park is well maintained and is a nice welcome for visitor's coming the city. This is definitely not a destination park, but is a nice welcome into the town. It lacks many of the amenities I look for in a park and is very small. It could, however, be an ok place to visit if you are in the area looking for a place to hang out or find yourself with some time to kill.

Main Street Park (also known as Bulldog Park because of the school mascot statue on the southeast…read morecorner) is a nice addition to the downtown area of Lapel. There is nice landscaping including a pergola with a bench on the property. A gravel path extends through the park and there is a gravel parking lot on the west end. Flowering plants have been added for color as well. The park seemed well maintained. Review #1156

Orange Park is a "blink and you'll miss it" kind of park that falls under the umbrella of Indy…read moreParks. It's not a park that I'd have gone out looking for, however, I was on the southside resolving some errands and, quite honestly, got lost coming back. I looked over at one point and there was Orange Park. So, I stopped to check it out. Orange Park is definitely a neighborhood park with a relatively small playground, some benches, some green space, and that's about it. You can find parking along the street, but this is far from a destination park with nothing else to really do. Orange Park was established in 1993. It did receive an upgraded playground in 2024, though it tends to be pretty modest even after the upgrade. This park is a one-acre park. It's a little bigger than a pocket park, but not by a whole lot. The park is on the Southeastside of Indy. The park's playground targets kids aged 2-12. There's definitely nothing for teens here. For what it is, Orange Park is perfectly fine. There's no reason to go out of your way to visit it. However, it serves its purpose for those who live in this area.

Southeast of Fountain Square is a neighborhood playground and open space park. Located on Orange…read moreStreet, it is easy to understand how the park got its name. There are a few pullover spaces along the street for convenient parking if you are headed eastbound. The park's south perimeter is lined with mature trees for shade, but the park itself doesn't have any shade by the play areas. There are some benches, but no shelter is available. The playground has a few remaining pieces including a small fort, some swings, and a climbing structure. As I moved around the park, I could see timbers remaining from some forgotten purpose that had the equipment removed and has become reclaimed by the lawn. Although there isn't a lot to draw visitors here currently, it is hoped that as the area becomes home to more younger people wanting to live near Fountain Square, the park will get some needed attention to make it an asset for the neighborhood. Review #2862

This park is a little outdated and seems to be neglected. The grounds are well maintained (the…read moregrass was cut). The park has a decent sized private lot and a large shelter with picnic tables under it and a couple of grills, one large and one regular sized, just outside of it. The park does not have a restroom facility, but there is a port-potty in the parking lot. You will find a small basketball court that is in decent shape. It just looks old though. There is also another small shelter located next to the basketball court, with picnic tables under it. The park's playground area is large and has a rock climbing wall, a track ride, a bank of traditional swings, a hold and spin, a jungle gym climber, a see-saw, a horse rocker, a four seat teeter totter, and a medium sized jungle gym with bridges, slides and a pebble bridge. The equipment is serviceable, but looks pretty worn and dated. There is a decent amount of green space here at the park, however the majority of it is on or down a steep hill. I can imagine that area is very susceptible to flooding after a heavy rain. This park is ok. It is definitely not a destination park and could surely use some renovations. It is not horrible though and does have some value. It just would not be my first park to go to. However, if I was in the area and just wanted a quick and easy playground then I would have no issue of going here.

This 5.4 acre park is very standard in its amenities having a playground, a shelter with picnic…read moretables, and a small hill of greenspace on the north side. The site was formerly where the Cartersburg Elementary School had been located. There is a small parking lot on the south side of the playground and shelter area. A half court basketball goal is also available for visitors to play with. The playground equipment is fairly standard with swings, and climbing/sliding. There are a few smaller pieces as well. Overall, it is a nice playground for the area, but nothing unique to draw in visitors. Review #807

Bear Creek Park is still in the beginning stages of development, as of this writing (September…read more2021). The parks department recently opened the park to visitors on Saturdays and Sundays, so people can explore the land and give input on what they'd like in the park. So my review is about the park in its infancy. I'll definitely be back when the park is done and do another review! This park is located in a neighborhood on the northwest side of Carmel, near Westfield. There are lots of native grasses and plants everywhere, and wide paths for hiking around the park. There are four trail loops right now, each a quarter mile or so. The hiking trails are short enough for even the most whiny, reluctant hikers (aka one of my children). Pretty much, the only thing to do at this park right now is walk around and look at all of the beautiful scenery. There is a single picnic bench by the port-a-potties, but other than that, it's just you and nature. And the park is not accessible to the public during the week days, only the weekends. But it's a beautiful patch of land, and I'm excited to see what Carmel Clay Parks & Rec does with the park.

Great little park, perfect for a Sunday picnic in the spring. Came here with the family out on a…read morecountry drive. Bathrooms were closed, but nearby businesses are within walking distance.

Okay, hear me out…read more I know. I know. You're thinking to yourself "A 4-star park in smalltown Indiana?" "Richard, have you gone mad?" First of all, I've been mad for years. Secondly, North Salem Town Park is just a lovely little park with more features than you might expect. Just this week, they opened a brand new pickleball court that is beautifully done. There's a basketball court. There's a relatively new playground (not very accessible). There's picnic tables. There's a lovely shelter. I know. I know. I'm using the word lovely a lot. But, really. It's all quite lovely. They've really been working on improving this park, and their efforts are showing. They've installed concrete parking near the shelter last year. There's a public restroom. There's rolling hills (not very accessible, though there is a sidewalk area). The basketball area is pretty accessible. LIving in Indy, where parks are not always cared for, it's rather nice to see a town take pride in its park and really maintain it well. North Salem Town Park is an obviously loved park that serves its community well. It has all the basics. While I wouldn't call it a destination park, it's only 25 miles west of Indy and definitely worth a stop if you're in Hendricks County.