What a nice little park. I highly recommend visiting the tennis area at Craig Park, and just…read morewatching people hit balls for a while. It's relaxing. There are bleachers at which to sit, and you can just sit and watch, and talk or not talk, depending on whether you're alone or sitting with someone who understands the value of talking and not talking. I'm usually visiting parks with my children, but this time, I did not. How luxurious to enjoy a park as an adult without children! Ingrained habits die hard, though, and I still made a beeline for the playground to check it out. The playground at Craig Park has some fun and somewhat modern equipment: multiple slides, traditional swings, things to climb. The playground area has wood chips on the ground. There's also a surprising amount of shade on the playground because of all of the trees around the area. Shade is so nice and kind of rare in a playground! Near the playground, there's a gaga ball court, pickleball courts and the aforementioned tennis courts. If you walk a little ways away from the playground -- just follow the paved trail -- you'll find a few different spots with fun things to play on along the way. This isn't the most modern park, but it's a nice and peaceful place in Greenwood to spend some time.

Craig Park has a little something for most people. Tennis courts, pickleball courts, a nice play…read morearea for little children, some covered shelters, paved walking paths that seem appropriate for all abilities. You can park off Smith Valley (watch out for the crazy double roundabout) or you can park in the center area south of the baseball/softball fields. In the evening, it's wellness and feels very safe for walking This is also the area that is used for fireworks for the Greenwood Fourth of July never on 4 July event If you want a farther walk, then just around that park you can add in the park at the library and cross the road which makes a nice circle.

Indy is truly so lucky to be able to have as much outdoor space as we do through Fort Harrison…read moreState Park. There are trails galore, and that's mainly why I go, so I'll focus on that. There are a lot of different trailheads that have different difficulty, but I'd say they're mostly moderate on average. Each trailhead has its own parking lot. There is also a $7 entry fee per car. The trails aren't too busy most of the time but it's not uncommon to pass by others. The trails are also very clean and kept under good shade covered. There's nice views here with all the trees and the historical sites from when Fort Harrison was, well, a fort. I'm mostly a hiker by way of my outdoor adventures, so I'd love to check out some of the other resources at the park sometime!

Back at Fort Harrison with my best fur-iend Bentley. There are lots of trails here, but when this…read morelittle guy is with me we stick to the paved paths. He's got a huge adventure spirit, just little legs, so we switch things up with chauffeur service, aka me pushing his stroller :D This is one of our favorite easy outings together.

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.

This park never gets old for us. We stroll through here a couple times a week since it's located…read morejust around the corner from our house in the Old Northside. From the little community library and changing flowers with the seasons to the sensory section of the park and fountain, it's a peaceful refuge in the heart of downtown. We like to sit on the bench and listen to the birds chirp. It's a very simple pocket park that is managed by the neighborhood foundation. Throughout the year, you'll find small events, neighborhood cleanups and engagement photo shoots taking place here. It's a perfect spot to take a book and read for awhile.

The park is located in a somewhat upscale neighborhood, the Old Northside Neighborhood. This is a…read morevery small park that is maintained by the neighborhood. It is decent and consists of a fountain, a sensory garden for the visually impaired and a gazebo. The walkway is mostly gravel around the park. Free street parking is available in the neighborhood that the park is in. The fountain was not operating while I was there, but it was full of pumpkins and looked very festive. There are benches around and just off of the fountain. The gazebo and decent sized and has seating. It is well maintained. The sensory garden sits in the back of the park and it is for the visually impaired. There is a nice bench back there too. The park is well maintained and sits between two houses. If you are not paying attention you could pass it. You will find some green space pockets at the park and there is a give a book, take a book kiosk in an old green newspaper dispenser. The park is home to special events, such as Plunder in the Park. This is a decent park for someone wanting to take a load off. It is not however, as peaceful as it is intended. There are many houses under renovation in the neighborhood and lots of construction nearby. On top of that, there was a lot of neighborhood dog barking going on while I was there. So, this park is not worth making a special trip for for definitely cool if you are in the area or live in the neighborhood.

Another amazing day at Eagle Creek Park! Couldn't ask for better weather. Nature was REALLY…read moreshowing off today.

I visited here get a little exercise while in town recently and was impressed with the quality of…read morethe trails and hiking paths around. Parking was easy to come by on a weekday but I can see it getting tough on a nice weekend day. I thought the $8/day was a little steep and wished they had a weekly pass

The terrific great idea for outside concerts. They have a great concerts where they bring the…read morenumber of local band to as well as concerts by the greater Greek community Band and Band. Can you just bring chair a blanket set an alarm out, there's a great amphitheater.

Nice park and simple play set but works for the little kids. The highlight for my son was the car…read morehe could sit in and "drive." The area is kept clean and nice.

This is a wonderful conservatory and so cool that Indy Parks has this available! For $5 you can…read moreenter the conservatory and enjoy all the plants and surroundings.

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 is the spot for indoor and outdoor kid friendly fun. The interior is small, hosting many…read morerescued reptiles, amphibians, and other exotic animals. There's a small play area with lots of opportunities for hands on learning. Outside there's chickens, walking trails, a play set, and giant chess board for good weather fun. This park is free to explore. Staff is knowledge and passionate about caring for the animals. Looking forward to coming back to check out some of the programs.

I finally stopped by Helen Pecar Park this past weekend on my way through Hendricks County to my…read moreparents' home. Pecar Park & Nature Center is a fairly new Avon Park that is a unique balance of primitive meets contemporary. The park has its own naturalist and the nature center offers turtles, tortoises, bearded dragons, and other animals. There's an amphitheater that is primarily used as an outdoor education space. The Nature Center can be rented by the hour or by the day (only between the hours of 10am-9pm). Pecar Park offers 9 primitive campsites, though there is an indoor bathroom and shower to make everything a little less primitive. Rental of a campsite is $15 for township residents, $25 for non-residents. The park also offers a playground, community fire pit, pod, greenspace, GLOW lab, and geocachers should know geocaching is available at this park (and encouraged). Pecar Park still feels like a work in progress. It's one of those parks that's always a dilemma for me - technically, it's accessible. Yet, it's really not. The way Yelp's accessibility questions are phrased, technically this park meets them. However, this park tends to be a place where it's best to have a companion with you, especially if you have mobility issues, as there are places where paths are a bit more rustic and even the playground is a bit more natural in setting. Pecar Park is off the main drag in Hendricks County and seems to be a still underutilized park. It seems to be more about natural activities than just "fun." There's also a bird aviary and a low ropes challenge. Again, this feels like a work in progress but a cool work in progress. It seems like this park has grown a bit since its 2019 opening, however, it remains one of Avon, Indiana's more underrated gems. While accessibility is definitely a bit of an issue here, with a little assistance it's likely one can really appreciate this more natural and relaxed setting. As near as I could tell, the nature center itself was solid in terms of accessibility. I got everywhere I wanted to go here - it just took a little effort.