Really cute small perfect size park for families with little ones or families with special needs…read morechildren that elope. Came here with my 28 year-old stepson with autism for an autism meet up event. This park was specifically chosen because it is enclosed so dads, moms, caregivers can feel better about letting their kids run around without having to worry about them running into the street or eloping somewhere they shouldn't. Great place for a birthday party or meetup!

I love that Indianapolis has so many parks! It seems like there's one everywhere you look. This one…read moreis a cute neighborhood park in the Herron-Morton area of Indy. It's located in a historic area, and park is a tribute to the neighborhood's history. It includes a playground, open-air pavilion for concerts and performances, and plenty of spaces to sit. The playground isn't the biggest, but sometimes all you need is a little space to let your kids play and burn off some energy. You'll find that here. The playground includes a big structure with two slides (a tube slide and a regular tall slide), a rock climbing structure, monkey bars, a standing swing, and little interactive activities at the bottom of the structure for young kids. The playground had wood chips on the ground. The playground also has swings (two big-kid swings and two baby swings), as well as spring horsey riders to play on. The playground area and the swings area are separated by a big planter that includes beautiful native flowers and plants. One of the great things about this playground is that it's big enough to entertain a young kid for a while, but it's also small enough that you can see your young kid from wherever they're playing at the park. There are also several benches around the park underneath trees, with lots of shady spots everywhere. At the back of the park is a an open-air pavilion. Residents can rent the pavilion for their own use. I didn't see any restrooms, but I wasn't actively searching for one. So there may or may not be restrooms there! Parking is on the street.

This park is located in the Southern Dunes sub division, just down the street from Rosa Parks…read moreElementary. There is no parking for the small park, but it is intended for sub division residents to walk to. You will however see an occasional vehicle parked on the grass in front of the park. The park appears accessible and the ground is covered with shredded tires. I do not know who the park is named after or who pays for the maintance of the park, possibly the sub divisions HOA. But the park is well maintained The park is small and has a bench overlooking the jungle gym/slide. It also has a couple of swings behind the jungle gym. This park is not a park that I would drive to as a destination. I would probably only use it if I lived nearby or was passing it on the way somewhere else.

This park has several baseball parks, a basketball court, and a playground. The park is in need of…read moreattention (gravel parking lot needs more rock to fill in holes and muddy patches; large dead branches need to be removed) but nothing is too difficult or expensive, so maybe a good spring cleaning can whip this park into a good condition. Review #707

It's hard to call this tiny 1400 sq foot space a park, but the bricked corner has recently become…read moredesignated as a park under the care of Zionsville Parks & Recreation. Village Corner on Main Street has historically been a focal point for downtown seasonal events. I fondly remember taking my children to visit Santa in his tiny house on this corner. I have walked through the Corner thousands of times. The Corner holds a historical marker describing the platting of Zionsville in 1852. The town was named after William Zion, director of the Lafayette and Indianapolis Railroad. A historic Verdin Clock stands and keeps time on the Corner. The clock also contains a carillon. Two inviting wood benches sit on the brick patio. While the Corner is small and unassuming, it is part of the Village that is so special to the residents of Zionsville. There is free street parking if you are lucky or early in the day.

Hidden sanctuary in Zionsville? You need to check out Carpenter Nature Preserve!…read more This former golf course has been transformed into a beautiful nature preserve that's quickly becoming one of my favorite hidden gems. Nature-inspired playscape with a slide Water pump and mud kitchen for messy play Outdoor classroom with a chalkboard Outdoor amphitheater Trails with paved, rock, and grass surfaces for every type of adventure Clean bathrooms, water fountain, and picnic tables One thing to know: There isn't a lot of shade yet because the trees are still young. The best part? This is just the beginning! Future phases will include additional trails, wetland boardwalks, a tree canopy walk, more playgrounds, public art, ecological restoration projects, and a regional nature center. This is one of those places that's worth visiting now--and then coming back year after year to watch it grow.

Zionsville has done a super job of adding nature parks to the community. Carpenter Nature Preserve…read moreis the most ambitious project yet. Phase I of the Preserve just opened recently on the grounds of the former historic Wolf Run Golf Club. The park covers 215 acres of rolling hills along Eagle Creek. I visited the Preserve this morning and walked several miles of paved, gravel and natural trails. Phase I includes a nice parking lot with Prairie Pavilion. The Pavilion is small but houses restrooms and covered picnic tables. Maps of the Preserve trails are posted. A small natural playground has been constructed adjacent to the Pavilion. The playground features a water sluice, a slide and a climbing tree structure. The trails are great for a peaceful walk, bird watching, dog walking, biking and running. Two picturesque overlooks provide great views of Eagle Creek and mature tree lines. I saw frogs, rabbits and many birds during my walk. A small amphitheater with firepit has been built Into a hillside on the south side of the park. A covered classroom was built near the center of the park. Many of the features were funded by various contributors and bear their names. The Preserve is open sunrise to sunset. Admission is free. Bring water, wear bug repellent and sunscreen.

Do you have a child who loves pretending to be an animal? Then you need to check out Grassy Creek…read moreRegional Park! Huge nature-inspired playground with endless opportunities to climb and explore Giant climbing area that's perfect for pretending to be a spider Butterfly tunnel Cute animal play features including an ant, turtle, frog, and more Owl-themed play structure with slides Two tall climbing towers--one shaped like a bird's nest and the other like a treehouse Lots of different types of slides and swings Lily pad obstacle course for hopping and balancing Small indoor nature center with live animals, hands-on activities, bird watching, and books Con: The long zipline was missing a piece during our visit, so it wasn't in use. If your kids love climbing, pretending, and exploring the outdoors, this is one of the most unique playgrounds in Indianapolis. You can easily spend a whole morning bouncing between the playground and th

I love that Indy is stepping up the park game around the city. This park is on the far east side of…read moreIndianapolis. It was a pretty hot day when we came out. There is an old grassy creek park that I went to first, I had to keep driving east to find this spot. The kids enjoyed themselves. They have an area for littler kids, not much shade in this area. They have a treehouse that has a slide. My kids enjoyed the zip swing and had fun pushing each other. They have swinging benches, shelter with charcoal grill, and the floor is turf. It is a pretty cool looking park.

Sometimes, a good idea actually takes root and does something good for a community. Back in 2016,…read morea neighborhood (Springdale) decided to turn an empty lot into a park that would help preserve one of the oldest trees in the neighborhood: The Nowland Oak. In cooperation with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful's IPL Project Greenspace, the neighborhood created a small park to tell the story of Indiana during the 300 years of the tree's life. A concrete base was created by a local artist (Nick Gehlhausen) and formed roots spreading down the hillside. On the base, panels were set up showing the history of the state in timelines and script. On the reverse side of the panels, information about native plants is shown. Mosaics were created by artist Barbara Zech to welcome visitors and to follow a path to the park. Note that additional markers were embedded into the sidewalk and lead visitors to an even older Chinquapin Oak a couple blocks away estimated to be 450 years old! (It is probably the oldest tree in Marion County and is called the Temple Oak.) Instead of removing the tree on a lot that was slated for demolition, it is nice to see something pleasant and educational added to the neighborhood. Note: There is no parking other than street parking in the area. Review #578

My husband and I took our grandchildren here for a picnic and hiking/exploring. The nature center…read morewas closed (I had not checked their hours), but we had a great time before incoming rain/storm sent us home. We'll return! The creek is beautiful and the kids enjoyed the bridge. We found deer and raccoon tracks, and some shells. Nature is wonderful

I don't get to this part of Central Indiana often, however, I had the chance to accompany a friend…read moreand we decided to do a bit of a detour and visit McCloud Nature Park in North Salem (Hendricks County). McCloud Nature Park is a 232-acre nature park established in 2003. It has over six miles of hiking trails, easy access to Big Walnut Creek, a nature center with year-round programs, and a pretty good chance you're going to see wildlife while here. The nature center has live reptiles, amphibians, insects, a bird-viewing room, a resource library, and interactive exhibits. In the late spring, summer, and early fall, you can observe live honeybee hives. There's a park pavilion available for rent (I believe it's only $50 a day). For a nature park, it's obvious much effort has been made to offer some contemporary amenities (modern restrooms/picnic facilities) and a surprising degree of accessibility including the availability of a GRIT Freedom Chair to borrow for two-hour increments (no charge). You can also rent a picnic pavilion with tables/grills. For those who don't know, GRIT chairs are capable of handling basic off-roading quite easily. They are manual chairs, but they have levers instead of the traditional wheel-push function. They're quite cool and ideal for hiking trails. While I was able to handle most of the ground here in my chair, a GRIT chair makes it MUCH easier. The trails are both gravel and natural surfaced trails - they are well marked. You can fish, wade, canoe, and kayak in Big Walnut Creek. The creek is known to have smallmouth bass, panfish, catfish, suckers, and carp (you do have to follow Indiana fishing laws and have an Indiana fishing license). As someone who loves bridges, I was in love with a restored iron truss bridge that is over 100 years old. There's also a swing set with belt, tire, infant, and ADA swings. The wetland habitat has a boardwalk and observation decks. While I'm impressed with how accessible Hendricks County has made this nature park, I'm also impressed with how much accessibility was actually just built into it. There was some clear thought. I sure wouldn't call all the trails accessible, though more advanced wheelchair users like myself can definitely have some fun here (and I did). The nature center admission is free. Hours for the nature center: November through March: Friday & Saturday only, 10am-4pm (closed noon to 1pm). April through October: Wednesday - Saturday, 10am - 4pm (closed noon to 1pm); Sundays, 1-5pm. This is definitely worth a visit to the westside to check out. I'd actually call it a destination nature park with enough features to keep folks happy. There's enough accessibility offerings to allow for all members of the family to enjoy the park. This is an absolute gem and I definitely recommend a visit.