I was in Ellenberger Park recently and had the opportunity to spend some time on the underrated…read morePleasant Run Trail. The Pleasant Run Trail is a 6.9-mile trail that has Ellenberger Park as its north point, Garfield Park as its south point, and it also goes through Christian Park. The trail also connects to the Red Line at the Garfield Park station. The trail mostly runs through residential areas other than its park connections. You will pass by the Kin Hubbard Memorial, Howe (which I believe is becoming a middle school now), the conservatory at Garfield Park, and a few other familiar features. The trail is almost completely paved, though I would say a handful of curb-cuts were a bit difficult in the wheelchair. The trail is also well-marked with clear signage for directions. There's generally good visibility on the trail, though I do know there's been some crime issues on the southeast side of the trail. There's quite a bit of greenery. I'm not quite sure why, but I've never spent a ton of time on this trail. I typically head to the nearby Pennsy or the Fall Creek Greenway farther north. However, this really is a lovely little trail that is for the most part well-maintained. The Pleasant Run Greenway continues to grow and I believe the plan is to connect to the White River Greenway (another underappreciated trail). Parking is readily available at all three parks and wheelchair users can easily access the trail at any of the three parks.

This is a very nice trail. It spans almost 7 miles and runs from Ellenberger Park to Christian Park…read moreto Garfield Park. You can access the trail at either of the tree parks. They all have their own parking. I accessed it from Garfield Park. The trail is well marked, paved in most areas and pretty wide. There are other paved trails that branch off from it, but it is pretty well marked to keep you on the right path. The trail is good for walking, jogging, biking, and skating. It was a nice day when I was out on the trail and there was not a lot of traffic. I think this trail gets overlooked a lot for some reason. This trail is not circular; its linear which means you have to come back as far as you go out unless you have prearranged transportation at the other end. You have have to cross some streets while on the trail. The trail is relatively peaceful and well maintained. This is a nice trail just outside of downtown. It gets it name from Pleasant Run, the roadway that it runs along. It also gives you the sights and sounds of a creek and some neighborhoods along the way. I enjoyed the trail and I believe that it feeds into longer trails such as the Pennsy and Cultural Trails.

The first thing that I noticed about this trail is that it is wide, clean and very accesible. It is…read morewell maintained in in excellent condition. I picked it up in Greenfield by the new Depot Park. There is where you will find the art portion of the trail. There are a few murals, a sculpture, a decorated box car, a bunch of trees dedicated to people or organizations, and some benches to sit on and take a load off. The section of the trail spans about 5.6 miles and you will find exercise equipment, restrooms, and emergency phones along its path. It is open from dusk to dawn and some sections of the trail are better illuminated than others. The trail has a decent amount of shade to protect you from the sun. I really liked this trail. I was out there on a nice day (weekday) and I had the trail pretty much to myself. Which was surprising because of how nice a day it was and how awesome the trail is. This is one of the trails three segments. All three segments together total about 10 miles. There are plans to connect the trail with the Pleasant Run Trail, which would make it part of a much larger, 150-mile cross-state trail system. That is going to be awesome and I can't wait.

Favorite new discovery (new to me discovery, that is): We walked out of Landlocked and I looked…read moreacross the street to discover this trail. I am not sure how many times I have been right in this exact spot but never realized this trail is located here. What a peaceful and fun discovery! We spent Mother's Day morning walking along the trail listening to the sound of the birds and appreciating the peacefulness. The trail appears to go on for a couple miles and it's separated enough from cars that you really can enjoy quiet surroundings. It also helps that it conveniently starts right at a coffee shop so you can pick up a treat to take along with you for the trail. We passed a handful of bikers and walkers but mostly it was fairly quiet during our visit. I may prefer this trail to the Monon trail given how few people were on it. Looking forward to our next visit already!

If you like the Indy outdoor scene but want to avoid the crowds, Southwestway Park is a great place…read morefor it! I consider the hiking to be similar to Eagle Creek and Fort Harrison parks, but with the perks of no entry fee and thus, less crowds. I went on my hike on an early Saturday evening. There is pretty good shade coverage on the trails. They are rated for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Some spots can be muddy or slick, so good traction on your shoes is a must. I don't believe there is a bathroom on the premises. There's also not a ton of parking by the hiking trails either. However, there is some construction going on in the area, so they might be adding some extra facilities with this.

This is a great park for mountain biking of all levels and hiking. Good free outdoor activity and a…read moreworkout. We took some of our kids mountain biking for the first time here. Helmets are definitely a must. Even the beginner trail can be challenging if never mountain biked before. My kids really enjoyed it, one struggled with getting up the hills though so that caused some hardship when biking with multiple people in close proximity. The mountain biking trails also have hikers on them so beware and try to be as safe as you can. After mountain biking, we hiked a trail which was fun. Not sure how long the trail was, but we walked all the way down by the water which was very pretty. They have a paved path as well if that's more your speed. Parking areas are available which makes accessing the park easy. I didn't notice any restroom building, but they had a porta potty open for use. A playground was accessible near the area we parked at.

White River State Park is one of the most popular parks in the city, and for good reason! The…read morenickname for it is Indy's backyard. With riverfront and canal-front trails, a pedestrian bridge to the zoo, proximity to the city, and the amphitheater, so much goes on down here. Over the years, my favorite special events have been the food truck festival and the solar eclipse festival. The area is kept to be pedestrian friendly, with parking being underground to the park and wide walking and biking lanes. During warmer weather, I often see a hotdog vendor for a nice and easy lunch. There's lots of sculptures around the park too, which helps to keep things scenic. There's also a huge lawn space for running around.

Beautiful greenspace on the outskirts of downtown all along the White River, as the name implies,…read moreand the canal. Lots to see and do, or just relax, enjoy a little nature, walk or run along the water, enjoy all sorts of trails, enjoy some of the public art hidden here and there, have a little picnic, whatever you feel like. There is an outdoors concert venue, a souvenir shop, the zoo, various museums, such as the Eiteljorg, the Indiana State Museum and such. You can rent multi-seat bikes or a segway and cover more ground. Go and discover.

WALKED ON THE MONON TRAIL ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 9, 2025…read more===================================================== My husband really wanted to take our e-bikes to Indianapolis, but I didn't want to deal with loading and unloading them every day on our four day road trip from L.A. to Indy. We did find a good place to rent e-bikes in Indy, but it was so freakin' hot and humid that we didn't do that either. We did however walk on part of the Monon Trail a couple times the week we stayed in Indy. The next time we go back and the weather is cool we'll definitely rent e-bikes and go explore. History: The Monon Trail is named for the Monon Railroad, which was on the land that the path is now on. It was opened in 1999 as a ten mile bike and pedestrian pathway. Today the paved pathway stretches more than twenty miles.

12 years since my last review of the Monon Trail. This Indianapolis treasure connects miles and…read moremiles of neighborhoods and is used daily by cyclists, walkers, runners, rollerbladers, you name it. In the summer months, it can be quite busy. In the last few years, it's been great to see some of the business and residential development along the Monon. Specifically from 30th street all the way to downtown. Who can be sad about a trail that lands you at a bakery like Leviathan? Or, you can also follow the trail until it connects with another fabulous network, The Cultural Trail just off east Mass Ave downtown. If you're visiting from out of town, this is a great option for exercise and a little peace and quiet (other than the intersections... which are not always peaceful thanks to Hoosier drivers ).

Red Maple Path is one of three paths located inside the 205-acre Hummel Park. Red Maple is…read moreprimarily known for its wooden bridge pathway. It's a narrow path, though I had no issues crossing it in my wheelchair. I can never turn down a good bridge. The entire path is around 1.2 miles around the eastern portion of Hummel Park. You'll experience several of the park's amenities. This is a very wooded park and quite beautiful. The path itself is paved and super wheelchair friendly with barely an incline to be found. It's worth noting that the bridge goes over the White Lick Creek. This is a pedestrian bridge and no fishing is allowed. You're really not supposed to stop on the bridge, though it'll take a stronger person than me to not stop and gaze at the beauty. Because this is located inside Hummel Park, parking itself is solid and there are accessible spots, including van accessible, quite close to the trail. This was one of my stops on a work trip to Plainfield and I already find myself wanting to return in the near future.

Red Maple Path is the Hummel Park Wooden Bridge path intended primarily for pedestrian use to…read moresafely cross White Lick Creek. The bridge is narrow so walking your bike across is a must. Nice location for pictures or an easy to find meeting spot in the park.

No playground! Let's just get that out of the way right now. My children believe that all places…read morethat call themselves "parks" should have a playground, otherwise it's false advertising. I don't agree, but you should know up front that this park doesn't have a playground, so you can set your child's expectations where they need to be. What Beckenholdt Family Park does have is lots of walking paths that meander around a beautiful pond. There's also a wooden deck and lookout tower, which when you make it to the top, you can see the whole park. (The lookout tower is also wheelchair accessible, which is cool.) The lookout is what actually caught my eye from the road. I saw it and slammed on my breaks, did a U-turn and headed toward this park that I had never heard of until today. A good portion of the park is dedicated to a fenced dog park called Rovers Run Bark Park. The dog park has a few obstacles, but mostly lots of grassy areas to run. There's also a gazebo-type sitting area for the humans. Next to the dog park is a rainbow bridge -- literally, a bridge that's painted rainbow colors -- called Baker's Rainbow Bridge, for people whose dogs have died. The owners can place their lost dogs' collars, ID tags, photos and other mementos all along the bridge. I have been in my head a lot lately, with my feelings heightened and right at the edges, so seeing this rainbow bridge, with all of the photos and collars attached to the bridge, made me cry. There was just so much love there. It's making me want to cry again just writing about it! What a nice gesture for the community. Luckily, a dog from the dog park sensed that I needed to snap out of it, and ran over to bark at me. I'm so glad I stopped at this park! It wasn't a planned part of my day, but sometimes the unplanned things are just what you need. It was nice to walk around and enjoy the sunshine at this beautiful place.

Sometimes you just need to take a freaking walk…read more I've been on a health journey for the past few years, and I am trying to change different habits and my default ways of dealing with stress, anxiety and all sorts of emotions. I used to stress eat. When the hamsters were running wild and free inside my brain, I would head straight to the fridge. Now, I go for a walk... and it's glorious. Today, I needed a walk. It was the end of my work day and I wanted to clear my head and burn some calories. I work less than 10 minutes from Beckenholdt Park, so I left work a few minutes early and headed to the park. I keep my ruck pack in my trunk, so I was all set. I arrived at the park around 4:00pm. It was cool and overcast, but a great day for a walk. I have been to this park multiple times over the years. I have taken my kids fishing in the small pond and have walked laps around its trails. Today, I threw on my ruck sack, put in my earbuds, and started walking. There is something special about moving your legs and listening to good music. Neutral Milk Hotel danced in my ears as I walked laps around the pond. While this band might not be for everyone, I feel like nature parks like Beckenholdt were made for folksy bands like Neutral Milk Hotel. Listening to folk music and walking in nature-- that's a great way to slow down those hamsters! Beckenholdt Park isn't the largest park. There are no playgrounds. But it is a great nature preserve to take your family and your dog. Or to simply go for a nice walk around the pond.

I live approximately 3 miles from Pogue's Run Art & Nature Park, though I've never made it by until…read morethis evening as I was driving home from work and realizing I was in the need for a bit of nature. Pogue's Run Art & Nature Park is, quite obviously, a park that also includes a few pieces of public art lacking any sense of identity or formality. They are certainly pleasant enough - it just seems like if you're going to the trouble of creating a public park with art in it that you'd want to actually identify the art. This park is a part of Indy Parks and is at 2300 N. DeQuincy at the end of a street with an older business park directly across from it. It's in a residential area, though it's kind of set apart from it. I'm not sure if this is considered Little Flower or Community Heights - I think it's a bit too far north to be considered Little Flower. Pogue's Run is named after George Pogue, a blacksmith who was one of the early settlers in the area. He settled in the area round 1819, though even before that the area was known as a path for Native Americans. Pogue is one of Indy's great mysteries - he disappeared in 1821 and was never found. The park contains 1.5 miles of the 2.3 mile Pogue's Run Trail, a trail that was developed as part of a flood control project for Pogue's Run. The park is considered the northern trailhead for the trail. The south trailhead is at Brookside Park. The trail is really the park - though the art is scattered around the trail. There's not a whole lot else to do here and while the pond here is quite beautiful, it's obviously quite murky and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't eat a fish that was caught in it. Pogue's Run the creek runs from right about Arlington High School (which is even closer to my house) to the downtown area where it stops being a creek and flows under Banker's Life Fieldhouse and Lucas Oil Stadium. It empties into White River. There's lots of wildlife here, especially if you visit toward the evening. It's an Indy Park, so it's not open late but I'd imagine there's lots of wildlife then. In fact, it's one of the few Indy parks I've seen that actually has a gate. Signage is poor to get to the park, though there's a sign off East 16th Street (I've heard there's not one off East 21st). You basically have to know the park is there. The park has a wetlands that hosts geese, ducks, egrets, turtles, an occasional snake, and even a beaver lodge. I did a little research and found out that the art work was created in conjunction with Herron School of Art. Much of the art work is functional and gives you a place to sit while at the pond or watching wildlife. The park is, however, also very urban and you'll also see the interstate and nearby homes. There is a bit of a barrier to keep the older and, well, dumpy business park from being easily in view. One of my favorite aspects of the park was that it has a wooden trestle bridge that is just awesome. The trail itself is a mixture of paved and crushed stone. It's got some modest inclines. It's not what I'd call wheelchair friendly, though I was able to make it work and do the entire trail. I doubt it would be passable in a wheelchair after a rain or in snow. There's also a decent-sized parking lot. There's a single portable toilet located in the parking lot. I'm sometimes troubled by Indy's lack of devotion to its parks. This is a decent enough park, but it could be so much more with some creative vision and commitment. However, it's a bit of a working class gem in a working class area of Indy's eastside.

Not much of an art park because I'm most of the pieces are for sitting. There is pretty water by…read morethe part with graffiti, but currently the homeless is sleeping their with their tent. The art should be replaced every year or at least every couple of years to be called an "art and nature park". I'd also like to add that it is right next to a highway. So you will hear nothing but traffic and smell it as well. I always see pretty birds and geese though. The trail is still nice and it's very close to where I live so I do frequently visit.