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.

River Heritage Park is a hidden gem in Hamilton County. The Park borders the White River…read more Yesterday, was our first visit and we had a beautiful cool day to walk the trails and explore. The trails are totally accessible with parts of the trail covered with a soft matted material for easy walking/running. Along the trail are a number of colorful play structures with a zip line as a highlight for the kids. My favorite part of the mile plus hike were the scenes and overlooks along the White River. The river was crystal clear and picturesque. We found some evidence of the recent flooding throughout the park. The woods were filled with birds and native trees. We saw large turtles and fish in the river. Benches, picnic tables and information placards are along the trail. A beautiful old silo stands at the trail head along with a picnic pavilion and amphitheater. A playground with plenty of covered seating and a pair of volleyball courts stand near the parking lot. A small set of restrooms are available. Construction by adjacent Citizens Energy is somewhat distracting, but should be temporary. Signs indicate that the Park will begin a new phase of growth after the work is completed at Citizens. We found plenty of parking. The park is well worth a visit and should be spectacular when the leaves start changing color soon.

River Heritage Park in Carmel sits right along the White River and is SO much more than just a…read moreplayground. There's one main playground with: * Swings * Climbing structures * Spinning equipment * An interactive game on a rubber surface * Two shaded picnic tables But here's where this park gets really fun Take the hard, rubberized trail through the park and you'll find three mini play areas scattered along the trail. And THIS is where you'll find the zipline! I've checked out a lot of parks around Hamilton County, and this is one of the longest and fastest free ziplines I've found. There's also a slide just past the zipline, and if you keep walking, you can make your way to White River overlooks. A few things to know: The main playground doesn't have much shade There is shade along the trail Bathrooms are available The rubberized trail is smooth and much easier on your joints than mulch or uneven trails It's basically a playground + mini playground adventure + scenic walk + White River views all in one. And did I mention the zipline is FREE?!

This is a small park (1.7 acres) that is located right off of the Monon Trail. There is no private…read moreparking lot, just free street parking available in front of the park and in the nearby neighborhood. It is touted as one of the best neighborhood parks in Indianapolis. The park is relatively small but has a lot of amenities. There is a medium sized shelter with picnic tables under it, a very nice sand volleyball court, a bathroom facility , benches and a playground area. The playground area is decent. It is on a bed of wood chips and has older, but well maintained equipment. The limited equipment consist of a medium sized jungle gym with a couple of slides and a tunnel. There is also a bank of traditional swings, a bank of toddler swings, and a rocking plane. The location is prime as it has a paved path that leads from the nearby neighborhood, through the park, and onto the Monon Trail. It is a decent park, if you are in the area. It is definitely not a destination park. This would be a nice park to host a small event, like a birthday party or sand volleyball game. It is also a popular spot for joggers and cyclists to take a break while trekking the Monon Trail. There is not much green space for much else. All in all, this is a decent park and I like it, even though it is limited and not much space.

This park reminds me of the neighborhood park I grew up next to. It's quaint and has everything…read morethat you need. I personally love that it's tucked away in a quite neighborhood so that there's not constant traffic zooming in and out. My office loves coming here in the summer to play volleyball after work. From what I can see, a lot of families bring their kids here so the playground is adequate and there is a shelter that you can rent to cook out and host a small party. My favorite part about Canterbury is that it backs up/adjacent to the Monon Trail, I always see a few people I know running/walking their dog while I'm at the park. There's also plenty of smaller trees around that you can put a hammock up to enjoy the day. It's also a short walk to a bunch of neat places like Locally Grown Gardens, Gallery Pastry Shop, Tiny House Treats, Liter House, Mama Carollas, Diavola, etc.

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.

A great place for a nice leisurely walk. A lot of foliage, alongside a creek, a loop trail, and…read morequiet on a weekend afternoon. It connects to Lion's park.

If you want to get up close to nature and the sycamore trees and not travel too far from home then…read moreCreekside Park is the place to be. This little Zionsville park is located in a former floodplain. Nice trails throughout the park and along the creek now bring you so close to nature that you instantly relax. The park is an excellent place to watch birds or look for native wildflowers. Today we saw a Canadian goose sitting on her nest. There were many people out walking their dogs today. The park offers cleanup bags for your pooch at the entrance. The park also connects to Lions Park through a bridge that goes beneath the highway. There are three picnic tables in the park. The park offers limited parking with only five spaces and one handicap space. The park is totally accessible with nice wide smooth trails.

Turkey Foot Nature Park is notable for the spectacular virgin sycamore trees that line Eagle Creek…read more A 335 year old downed tree is featured on display in the park. The display marks the rings on the tree trunk with significant events dating back to 1679! The 23 acre park was built along a section of the Eagle Creek just north of Zionsville that was never developed. Today, the park is hidden between housing developments and a Pete Dye golf course. The town of Zionsville maintains the park. On the south end of the park is a paved parking lot which holds 15 cars. The 1.3 mile of trails are also nicely paved making the hike suitable for a stroller or wheelchair. Small unpaved paths along the trail lead down to Eagle Creek where you can get great views of birds and other wildlife including an occasional bald eagle. Along the sycamore-lined trail, native wild flowers bloom throughout the season. There is a lovely footbridge that crosses Eagle Creek. I find the walk tranquil and refreshing. The park is used for running, biking or walking the dog. There is also entry points for canoe/kayak and fishing is allowed in the Creek. There is no charge to use the park.

Turkey Foot Nature Park is a hidden gem! We discovered it via a tip from a friend who likes to take…read moreher kids creek stomping. This is a great park to do that. There is a shallow creek here that's perfect for wading with young kids, and a short hiking trail, and beautiful nature all around. On the bank of the creek, you'll find little shells all around. When we visited, there wasn't anyone else there, so it was very peaceful and quiet. The parking lot is small, so I imagine that Turkey Foot doesn't get too many visitors at one time anyway. There is a pedestrian bridge that was being repaired when we visited, so we couldn't access it, but we were able to see it from the creek.

I love all of the great parks and public nature spaces in Fishers. Bee Camp Creek Trailhead is one…read moreof those places, and it is located in a residential neighborhood, just off of Olio Road. You'd almost miss it if you weren't looking for it. There's a playground here, which is important to mention if you have children like mine who might not want to go for a hike or walk anywhere outdoors if it doesn't also include visiting a playground. The playground is located right next to the parking lot, and there are lots of things to climb and jump on. There's also a slide and monkey bars and things, and benches to sit on. As the name of this place suggests, there is a paved trail that winds through the back of a neighborhood, around a retention pond, that supposedly meets up with Geist Reservoir. We didn't make it too far along the trail, but I'd like to come back to explore it a little more.

Always great to walk in this space as close to home but like being in a forest. It gets pretty busy…read moreand the path is narrow so have to often step off or into the underbrush. It is a friendly group though so usually not an issue. We took our rescue dog and it was a bit of an issue when someone walking had two dogs off leash. They were calm but to prevent a scuffle I had pick up our dog. Not great but it helps to be mindful of others as this is a city/urban park. The picnic areas are few but nice and there is a lot of space to wander. A fun spot!

This "park" is pretty nice for being in town! It had rained so it was slightly muddy and the…read moreinclines could be a bit slippery but the trail is well kept and easily marked. It's nicely tree covered and I've even seen a few owls and wood peckers the Bochum always make for a good walk! Quiet and peaceful with little rises to get the blood flowing - go for a walk!