Park is nice! But trails are dirty and need to be cleaned up!…read moreYou can tell homeless set camp up here quite frequently. The memorial is nice but beware of needles and paraphernalia. Don't recommend once the sun starts going down either!

This park is a hidden gem on the outskirts of Anderson, Indiana. I'm not originally from Indiana,…read morebeing born in Denver, Colorado and living in multiple states all over the US, so I'm always a bit surprised when I find parks like ShadySide. There is a 2.25mile paved trail that wraps around a lake that offers visitors glimpses of giant herons and flocks of ducks and geese. I heard owls hooting in the trees and I swear I saw a bald eagle swoop overhead. I've heard there are also tons of songbirds that make this area home. There are several play areas for the littles and picnic tables and benches for us older folk. If you are nearby or just looking for a different place for a social distance hike I recommend you check it out!

This is a nice nature park with a vast amount of green space. It is located well off of the main…read moreroad which gives it a bit of calmness. It spans 82 acres and dates back to 1970. The park has a shelter with picnic tables under it and a few tables and a grill just outside of it. A large portion of the park is a dog park area. They have 2 large fenced in areas with benches and dog ramps and jump bars. It is a nice dog park and requires a permit where dog owners can purchase a day or annual pass. There is a decent sized parking lot to park in and just off of the parking lot is the entrance to the park's nature trail. It is a very nice trail that is well defined and wide. You are never too deep in the woods being that it borders a neighborhood. The green space is vast and well maintained. You can do just about any field activity here including flying a kite, playing soccer, playing football, throwing a frisbee, having a picnic, batting practice or playing catch. There is a huge hill in the midst of all the green space that would be awesome for hanging out, working out and sledding after a snow. Some people use the green space, instead of paying to use the dog park to walk their dogs. I think that is acceptable by the park, as long as you clean up after it and keep it on a leash. The park's playground is ok. It has a bank of traditional swings, a bank of toddler swings, a geo dome, a see-saw, a spiral slide, and a large accesible jungle gym with a bunch of slides, monkey rings, pull up bars, and track ride. The area is on a bed of saw dust and the equipment is in fair condition and you can see signs of weather and wear. I know that money does not grow on trees, but it would be nice to upgrade this area. I will caution you that the park can get muddy after some precipitation, so dress your feet accordingly. This is a nice nature park that has a dog park, hiking trails, green space, a playground, and picnic area. There is no restroom facility, but they do have a porta-potty available by the parking lot near the dog park area. Definitely worth a visit if you are looking for a park and are in the area. I enjoyed my time there.

Paul Ruster Park is an 82-acre park that sort of rides the South and East corridors of Indy. It's a…read morelittle gem, though not particularly a wheelchair friendly one given it maintains a lot of its natural setting rather than having a lot of actual "features." The park was acquired in 1970 and is part of Indy Parks. It has beautiful, winding trails, a small fishing pond, and a playground that has some nice equipment but I sure wouldn't consider it to be top-notch in that area. I sort of stumbled by Paul Ruster Park. I was on a therapeutic drive after work and happened to make a turn and instantly saw the park sign. As I knew this was not a park I'd ever visited before, I had to stop and check it out. As I was driving in on a winding road, I saw one guy pulling out his fishing equipment. I love that. Paul Ruster Park does feature a bark park. You can buy a pass for it at the Post Road park. There's also a 1.5 mile trail in the park that I tried out - it's relatively gentle with some inclines and has some lakeside features. Dogs can go on the trail, though they must be leashed. The trail is pretty good for wheelchairs and is certainly paved. Paul Ruster has a really good sledding hill, though that's obviously not wheelchair friendly. It might be interesting, though! There is a path that leads to the playground equipment, though I certainly would not call the playground area an accessible area. I'm always curious about how parks get their names. So, I did some research since Paul Ruster doesn't really ring a bell. Ruster was a 1964 graduate of Warren Central High School who died on December 10, 1978 of Hodgkin's Disease. He was a longtime Eastside presence and had a brother who had been a Warren Central baseball star and would become a P.E. teacher. Paul Ruster himself went to Ball State and returned to Warren Township where he taught for 10 years before his death. He was a beloved child advocate and the park was named after him in 1979. Another fun fact about the park - it's reportedly haunted by the ghost of John Kitley, a 12-year-old harmonica playing boy who was killed along train tracks in 1864. The park is close to the Washington Square area and yet is nicely set apart from both the retail and residential areas that are within minutes.

My son and I have been going to all the local skateparks since moving Indiana. This park has a…read morelittle bit of everything a skater could want. A great mix between vert and street. My son just recently got a scooter and he really likes carving in the bowl. If you want to bring the whole family the playground is pretty unique as well so it really has something for everybody. We will definitely be coming back.

This park is named after William Willard, founder of the Indiana School for the Deaf, who the state…read morebuilt a school for in 1850. The park is the site of that school. Willard park is an accessible park. It has one of the largest covered pavilions I have seen at a neighborhood park. There is a free private lot, a playground, a walking/running trail, a full basketball court, a half basket court, and an aquatic center. It is not very quiet as it is right by a firehouse and located off of a busy street. The playground is accessible to children with disabilities. There is a long ram that leads up to the top of the jungle gym equipment. It is some older looking equipment that could use some TLC. Kids will still find it entertaining. The pavilion is massive and has picnic tables. The basketball courts are nice for the most part. The full court has a few cracks, tons of trash, some graffiti. It needs a resurfacing. The half court was a bit lower than the standard height (not complaining) and was in better shape than the full court. It also has 2 4-square courts on the end opposite the hoop. The trail is unpaved but pretty wide. Not sure how far it is, but it looked like a quarter to a half mile or so. The park has a lot of space. It spans over 11 acres. It also has lots of trash. I even saw a spot where someone dumped burned charcoal from their grill. There was a city worker there picking up trash when I was there, but they needed a team to tackle that job. The park has a memorial for Sylvia Likens in the back near the fence, a young girl that was tortured and murdered by her caregiver. This is a decent park, even though it is slipping a bit. It has lots of potential and can easily be a five star spot.

This is a very interesting park. It is a nature/sports park. It spans 66 acres and has a decent…read moreamount of parking available. The is a restroom facility, and port-a-potty available if you need it. You will find a huge patch of green space that have a couple of pair of uprights that could be used for a football or soccer field. There are a few small bleachers that overlook the field. There are also 4 multi-purpose fields with backstops that can be used for baseball, kickball, or softball. However, a permit is required to use any of the fields at the park and the Carmel Dad's Club gets first dibs, from what I gathered. There is also a playground at the park, that is inspired by the area's archeological background. That is where you will find a tree trunk chopping play set, a sand pit, a small fort built on a hill with a slide, ropes and rock climbing, and a small play gym inspired by the rattlesnake effigy. There is a very nice interactive display in a small building over in that area as well. You press a button and the displays inside the building come to life, somewhat, and a narrator provides some details and background. I have never seen anything like this at a park. It is educational and very nice. The park also features a few trails. There are natural trails, near the playground area that wind through the prairies and a large paved trail that goes around the parks fields. That trail is a fitness trail and has a few pieces of equipment, with instructions place along the circular route. The park is very well maintained, especially considering its size. because of the tons of green space, this park is popular among people who want their dogs to free roam and run around. I really like this park. Even though, I did not see any picnic shelters, it still has a lot to offer. I just won't picnic there. It is emaculate and very well maintained. I highly recommend checking this park out.

After a long week at work, I decided I would spend some time today inside area parks. I focused…read moremost of my time in Fishers and Carmel and tried to visit some parks that I've either never actually visited or never actually really experienced. One such park is River Road Park. It's a park I've driven by many times, but I've never actually stopped and enjoyed it. River Road Park is a 62 acre park. Right off the bat, River Road Park presents a bit more uniquely as most area parks because in learning the history of the park we end up going way, way back. In fact, we go back to 8,000 to 6,000 B.C. when the park area is noted as having been inhabited by what we call the Moffitt Village. It was home to the Early Archaic and Early and Late Woodland people and then later occupied by other prehistoric and historic Native Americans. Woodland people were characterized by ceramics, food production and mound building. Hunting became less main stream and the use of plants for food became more popular. The park has really been developed as a way of acknowledging this history. Moving toward modern times, the park was purchased from Kosene & Kosene in 1992. The River Trail was constructed in 1998 as a joint project between Carmel Clay Parks and Hamilton County Parks. The park's ancient history is captured in an award-winning interpretive exhibit created in 2002 along with a complementary historic play area. The exhibit really covers pre-historic Native American culture from about 700 years ago. Today, the park includes paved trails, prairies, a White River overlook, wetlands, soccer and softball fields, and lots of green spaces. River Road also has one of Central Indiana's most unique playgrounds. The playground is equipped with slides and a handicap accessible sandbox with artifacts and rock climbing structures. River Road also features an interpretive building designed to educate visitors about Native American life hundreds of years ago and the historical significance of the local area. They are in the process of adding a canoe launch (signage is already up). There's a bike trail, nature trails, and the park does have public restrooms. While the park is certainly not one of Hamilton County's fanciest parks, River Road Park is unique in that it combines education and play quite beautifully. It also allows for children with disabilities to join in for some of the fun (not every feature of the playground is disability friendly). Being close to the river, the trails here do have some gentle inclines/declines, but they are for the most part quite manageable. There's also plenty of parking here, though a nice job has been done in balancing convenience with maintaining a certain rustic quality within the park's grounds. If you haven't been here, it's certainly worth your time. While smaller children may not stay busy for long, children who can really embrace the educational aspects of the park will have much to appreciate.

This is touted as Greenfield's very first inclusive playground. It is named in memory of the…read moregrandson of the city's mayor, Chuck Fewell. who passed away with a rare genetic disorder, Hunter's Syndrome. The park opened in June 2022 and is very, very nice. You will find this park just southwest of Greenfield Central Jr. High School and just off the Greenfield Baseball Park. There is more than ample parking available, but it could become tight during a baseball tournament though. One thing to keep in mind is that this is purely a playground. There is no green space, there are no trails, nor are there any tennis courts or basketball courts. I also did not see any restroom facilities, but that does not mean that they are not there. They have a decent sized picnic shelter with picnic tables under it. It is very nice. The play area has the rubbery mud free surface that is being used on most new playgrounds. The equipment is first class. There is a huge jungle gym with slides and a climbing net. There is a bank of swings with expression and traditional swings. You will also find congos, a saucer swing, a new age merry go round, and a sit and spin. Some of the equipment, including the jungle gym has a built-in shade and I love that they have placed benches around the play area where parents can sit and watch their littles. This inclusive playground features safety swings for children of all abilities, wheelchair ramps, and sensory stimulation such as musical instruments and roller-bar slides. It is first class and is in excellent shape. It still has that new car smell, so to speak. It is relatively small but has enough equipment to keep the littles entertained for s bit. This is a nice play option for those looking for a play space in Greenfield. I really like this playground and its inclusive theme. Many children with disabilities are left out of the planning of play spaces, but this one was actually designed with them in mind. I recommend checking this place out.

Relaxing,well kept property and playgrounds for a neighborly feel…read more No recent pics to post.

Given that I am in a new town for a month, I figured I would explore my surroundings. My pup was…read moredue for a much needed long walk filled with sights and sounds to stimulate her senses as I was kind of cooped up in the house I was staying in in Saint Albans, Vermont. Don't get me wrong, there was a park or two in Saint Albans, but the major one (Taylor Park) was a bit of a walk aways. It was beautiful with a vast expanse of open land and they held a Farmer's Market there in the Spring, but it was at a distance from where I was, so I didn't frequent there as much. The park I am reviewing now is 9 minute walk from the apartment I am staying at. This park was absolutely amazing and rivals that of AD Barnes Park and Tropical Park in Miami, FL where I grew up but Riley Park is like ten times better! As I entered, I didn't expect much except some large canopy trees, oak trees, birds, and maybe on occassion running into some butterflies, and following down a winding path. As I kept moving forward, I first cane across some very well kempt tennis courts and it wasn't like one or two only but like 7 or 8 and on top of that they offer free tennis cardio classes on Sunday to the community. That was like the first tally mark in my mind in terms of Yelp checkmarks. The park itself continued to seem very clean. There wasn't a surplus of dog poo everywhere or debris or litter of any kind. I then happened upon some more greenery and then what I came to learn was a bike park. This was thee coolest thing I have ever seen at a park. Guests can practice for free I assume on the turf. What made it so sppealing to me was that the gravel itself was super new and dark and also well kempt. Whoever the custodians are for this park deserve to be recognized because this park is at least 40 acres I read online! So the bike park/ramps weren't the only astonishing thing abiut this place. As I made my way around, there was also this bridge that connected to another more elevated area of the park (so please be mindful if you are someone that has trouble walking up steps or hilly areas to be careful). It was a beautiful red bridge kind of like one you would see in the woods somewhere in New England. It sat atop a bumbling brook where moss, ferns, and probably some other creatures one can't see would traverse. Once yoh make your way across the bridge, there was an acquatic park, yes, an actually water park with a pool. If I recall correctly it is named The Kathy Dowling Acquatic Center but don't quote me on it. I didn't get a full view of it as I didn't know if I could bring my dog to that area, so I refrained as I wanted to abide by park rules/policies. I walked paat it but I could see a few large colorful closed tube water slide. The kid in me would have totally gone on one of those lol but I wasn't in proper attire to do so. Plus, I aas walking my dog. What made the walk more fun were the woodland type creatures I encountered along the way like the squirrels my dog would try to chase, some ducks floating in the pond, and dragonflies (as well as beautiful butterflies of course). I had to get a better view of the ducks because I love ducks, birds, penguins, blue jays, etc. They were all huddled and congregated together and I didn't wish to disturb them but it's been awhile since I have seen a majestic Mallard. There were some pretty tall trees in the area as well near that pond as well as a Rock Garden. I liked how they had descriptions of the various landmarks or designated rest areas as you mKe your way around the park. So by this point, I had almost made my way around the park. There were some playground areas for kids with swings and slides that seem like perfect play areas for birthday parties. I am sure they probably have some covered shelter areas to host parties as well or other types of gatherings. I am not sure if they would be free to use or cost money to rent. I passed by a basketball court as well. Another cool area that I had to take a photo of was the skate park. I couldn't believe they have one to use, and for free. Now I myself don't skateboard (I tried to many years ago as a kid but failed lol) but I just was so amazed that these places were available to use for free! My jaunt continued to another brook/pond area as my dog insisted on sniffing around there . She is mighty persistent and she must have really loved the park as she urged me to take her around it again for a second time This time though, I got to see things I didn't notice the first time and yes this was all on the same day. It was probably about a 45-60 min walk tops but I didn't mind as it wasn't super hot or raining and I needed the exercise. I used to walk around parks or grassy areas or jog a lot more and have stopped in recent years, but it was so nice to be in nature, I obliged. I noticed they had these signs with stakes in the ground called "postcards" where they would highlight a major milestone in the parks history. It was a nice added touch.

Great park but the people are horrible that come here. The kids and I left because a grown woman…read moretried punching a toddler in the face for going down a slide with her kid. This said toddler was also dropped off without an adult present .

This is one of the best parks in Muncie. Located just north of downtown, the park features a…read moregreenspace park area, an aquatic center, and two playgrounds on the west end. The aquatic center features a water slide, swimming pool, and a splash center with lots of shade tents within the fenced area. The playground on the north side of the street seems ideal for smaller children. On the south side of the street by the parking area, there is a huge two-story playground with towers and walkways and a long slide from the top level to the ground! The area looked well maintained and clean. Parking was no problem even on a weekend visit just after lunch. Review #938

I was out driving around on a brisk, windy Sunday afternoon just trying to get some fresh air and…read moredecided to do one of my "get lost" drives. While I'm a lifelong Indy resident, the truth is there are still lots of streets I've never really traveled. Today, I decided to travel through Lawrence a bit and ended up spending some time in a fairly lonely Lee Road Park. Lee Road Park is the home for Fall Creek Little League baseball and softball. It also offers a playground, picnicking, and a modestly sized shelter. It's a fairly average park as far as neighborhood parks go. It's decently sized, but it just doesn't offer much beyond a couple of baseball diamonds and an ample amount of parking. The actual playground seems to be a bit run down and the shelter almost seems like it was an afterthought. A small wooded area is consistent with the neighborhood that surrounds the park. The park is within the city of Lawrence. While it's technically within a neighborhood, it's set back a bit and didn't seem like the kind of place families would go out of their way to walk to unless perhaps for a ballgame. In terms of accessibility, certainly the parking lot would be workable and one could likely find a place to sit at one of the ballfields. The playground is definitely not of the accessible variety. I believe a sidewalk goes to the shelter, though like most shelters it seems to have a bit of a lip to it. Basically, in just about every way this is a middle-of-the-road city park. I spent very little time here as there was only one other car and simply not a lot to look at or do.

Here is another sports complex in Lawrence with lots of central parking. There is a small wooded…read morearea by the entrance with a shelter and playground on the north end of the parking area. It is in pretty good condition and is a nice place for a ball game, but not much else is here to draw you to the park. Review #752