Great local nature park which I didn't know existed. Great to visit with Bookmarks Indy who shared…read morethe history of Skiles Test who donated the property to the City of Indianapolis on his death in 1964. Wish they wouldn't have torn down the home and outbuildings. If you walk the trails you can still see here and there indications that there used to be structures on the site.

Found this little park and went for a walk. Has a paved trail (with an incline at the beginning)…read moreand tiny offshoot trails that loop thru the woods. Its a nice little spot for that area and would go again if convenient but probably wouldn't go out of my way to go back. Overall we did have a pleasant experience

Avon Town Hall Park is an 83-acre park established in 2002 in Avon, Indiana, a small suburb of Indy…read morelocated just inside Hendricks County on the westside. Being right next to Avon's somewhat newer town hall, this park definitely goes all out with amenities - an 18-hole disc golf course (elevation issues for those with disabilities), a Bocce court, three bodies of water (9-acre Town Hall Park Lake, a small pond to the east of the lake, and 3-acre Sycamore Lake), paved trails, picnic tables, ping pong tables, playgrounds, restrooms, shelters, AND the only free, public outdoor radio control race track in Hendricks County! The bocce ball court is located along the path connecting the park to the Kroger Shopping area. NOTE: Balls are not provided. Take your own balls. (He says with a slightly naughty grin). Fishing is allowed, however, Avon Town Hall Lakes are catch and release only and do require a state fishing license. No nets are allowed. Swimming, wading, ice fishing, and ice skating are not allowed on the ponds. The "200 Years" sculpture was commissioned or the bicentennial. If you know my work on children's issues, you can probably guess that I would appreciate the park's "Angel of Hope" memorial dedicated to parents who have lost children. It's a memorial I find myself visiting any time I'm in Avon (which is less often these days as I'm down to one surviving family member, but most of my family lived in Putnam County just west). I do find that sometimes Avon can be a bit slow to clear brush from the trails, a fact that can be difficult for wheelchair users. However, for the most part I'd easily call the trails wheelchair friendly. I'd just be more careful during Fall and Winter months especially. Parking is super easy here, shelters can be rented, and the playground areas are always kept clean. Avon is a lovely little community and this park really reflects the pride they take in their community.

I enjoy taking walks here whenever I'm in the area. You can get a good amount of steps in, either…read moreby walking straight down the path (I usually start near the playground by the PD) or by doing a couple of laps around the lake. It's usually not too busy, which makes for a relaxing walk.

Highland Park has some of the best views in the city. Whether I come here to have a picnic, hang…read morewith friends, or watch the 4th of July fireworks - I always have a good time. My only complaint is that there is no public bathroom at the park. It's always clean though. Free of garbage and well taken care of

This totally might be conjecture, but I'm wondering if Highland Park was so named because it's…read moreliterally a park that sits on high land. Get it? Highland. I don't know -- but that sounds like a good guess, doesn't it? Anyway, because the park is a bit elevated, you can get a great view of the downtown Indianapolis cityscape. It's really cool. The park itself is small and is more of a neighborhood park. It has a small playground with a small play structure. It has slides, some bars to climb, and some swings. The play structure is definitely more appropriate for kids ages 5 and under. I think older kids would get bored with it quickly. I would not go out of my way to visit this park just to play at the playground, but I would visit to sit at one of the picnic benches to eat and enjoy the view. Parking is along the street -- there isn't a designated parking lot. There also weren't any restrooms or water fountains that I saw.

This review is for the park's outdoor pool: in terms of public pools, it's my favorite yet that…read moreI've visited in Indy. I stopped by for a few hours on the 4th of July and it wasn't too crowded at all and I could easily find a lounge chair and dip in the pool with plenty of my own space. The lifeguards all had a great camaraderie with each other and I noticed a lot of the younger kids talking to them like friends. They were dancing and jamming to music and even taking song requests. I'm not sure if the vibe is like that every day, or if it was special for the 4th of July, but I'll definitely be back because of it. A problem at a lot of public pools is that the lifeguards are constantly blowing their whistle at misbehaving swimmers, but everyone seemed to be obeying all the rules at Ellenberger which allowed me to read my book in peace. Big, clean pool, not crowded, super friendly lifeguards, music, no constant whistle blowing gave me a chance to read, nap, and swim. The perfect 4th thanks to Indy Parks!

I live not far from Indy's Ellenberger Park, an Irvington landmark designed by George Edward…read moreKessler and opened in 1909. This makes it one of Indy's oldest public parks. The pool opened in 1930 and in 1962 an ice rink was installed. The park encompasses 42 acres and includes two playgrounds, sand volleyball courts, tennis courts, football/softball/baseball areas, and has played host to the popular Irvington Farmer's Market. It's also a popular spot for Indy Parks concerts. Those into geocaching should note the park actually is host to multiple individual geocaches. The park is actually surprisingly undeveloped. It has rolling hills, a popular spot for winter sledding, and a good amount of the park doesn't even have sidewalks. It's remained quite natural over the years with lots of mature trees. As a wheelchair user, of course, this can be somewhat frustrating given that a certain amount of development is needed to be accessible. While I love Ellenberger Park as a place to visit, there are geocaches I can't reach and places where I risk tipping over if I venture to them. Trust me, I've done it more than once. The park is close to most Irvington area restaurants along with the adjacent Pleasant Run and nearby 10th Street. The Park is named after John Ellenberger, whose family owned much of the land in the area and who'd been generous with the community and had often let residents use the land. In fact, there was controversy when the park was "officially" established as it required a tax hike. People couldn't figure out why they were being asked to pay taxes for something they'd already been using for free. But, they did. The park temporarily changed names, but residents again protested and it returned to Ellenberger Park as it has been since the early 1920s. Ellenberger Park lacks sheltered picnic areas and public restrooms. There was talk of creating more parking, but it would have cost the sledding hill and that was too steep a price to pay (Sorry, couldn't resist). The ice rink was closed in 2009 due to needed repairs that were deemed too expensive. Even the ball fields don't have seating with them. Ellenberger Park is that rarity - a rather large park more focused on nature than activity. While I can't quite go a 5-star because of accessibility issues and some general upkeep concerns, it remains a place I visit often.

Nice place for a walk and some bird watching. Some trails are paved and some are mowed grass and…read moresome are crushed gravel. You can stick with level trails but they have less shade or you can head in to the woods and get shade but more elevation shade. I was there on a Friday afternoon and I didn't see another person at all.

This secluded park has several types of hiking available. For those who like wooded hikes with…read moresteep terrain changes, Trail #2 is a half mile loop that will get your heart pounding. For someone who likes a level hike along a prairie, the park has a longer loop around the perimeter of the 83 acre park. For visitors with mobility challenges, a paved loop near the north end parking lot goes around the northern prairie while skirting along the north end of the woods. The park is located off SR 67, south of Martinsville, just passed the street sign for Hyndsdale on North Duckworth Road. Duckworth makes several zigzags west and north before you see the east parking lot (the north parking lot is farther north and then west on Gray Road.) At the east end parking lot, you can head straight west up the gravel path into the woods. At the crest of the hill, you will be able to head left, straight, or right. The right side path is for Trail 1 and leads north on a short loop back to the parking lot. The left side path and the straight path are the two ends of Trail 2 which wanders through the hilly forest until reaching the south/west edge of the forest. The stretch between these two exits is a gravel path along the prairie that connects the two. Unfortunately, there are no trail markers and only some of the kiosks at the north end parking lot have maps showing where the trails lead. Apparently, there is supposed to be a tree identification program along the trails, but I could not find any markers along the trail to tell which trees matched up to the photo I took of the map with the key. The north end parking area has access to a shelter (with a grill and tables) and a mini "playground". There are a couple additional picnic tables to the west of the lot that are shaded and overlook the creek. Port-o-lets are found at the north parking lot as well. While hiking, I also noticed lots of bird houses for different varieties of fowl in both the prairie and wooded areas. Near the north lot, there is also a utility pole with numerous bat houses mounted near the top. The houses are for the endangered Indiana Bat. Fortunately, the bats are nocturnal, so no need to be concerned about an encounter. Overall, I liked the variety of the hiking trails, but wish that the park system would make sure both parking lots had trail information and that the trails and trees were indicated more clearly. Review #869

This is a very nice garden with only a few amenities. It covers 20 acres and is located on the…read moreButler campus. It is definitely a change of pace from the hustle and bustle of college life and life in the big city. With that being said, it can be difficult to get to if class is in session and parking could be challenging. I do not know if I was supposed to, but I parked on the gardens's circle. The garden is located near the Butler athletic fields and track. The garden is well maintained and has benches placed all over the grounds. I really liked the garden's small lake with the fountain. Overlooking the lake is the Mrs. James Irving Holcomb Memorial Carillon Tower. It is an impressive tower sitting on a hill. You will also find a small waterfall, a gazebo, a poets corner (marked by statue of Socrates), a garden house (that is used for class on certain days and times), a 500-foot-long grass mall ending at a statue of Persephone in an octagonal pool, and canal. This garden is very chill and makes for a wonderful place to lay out a blanket and relax. It is a very calming place. The garden is also a walkers/joggers/bikers paradise. There is a very nice trail that runs along the canal and along the gardens perimeter. This is a nice place to just decompress. I recommend going when school is out because it will be easier to find parking and also less busy. Also, Spring/Summer time has the garden's full foliage and plants on display. I really enjoyed the this place and recommend that you check it out.

Holcomb Gardens turned out to be an interesting place too visit, and we got some nice pictures…read moreclose to the waterfalls :-) Tip: The path around the pond isn't handicapped friendly Like with most venues of this type, there are a lot of insects here, so it's a really good idea to bring along some bug spray. Admission here is free, and spending some time in the Gardems can be quite enjoyable :-)

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.

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!

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.