Great, unique park with amazing scenery and wildlife habitat! It's a perfect mix of grasslands,…read morewoodlands, and wetlands! Chapel Lake is absolutely in my top 5 parks in the area, and I try to make a visit at least once a week. I hope the city of Jeffersonville will take some of the features of this park, and adds them to future parks too!

Located on New Chapel Road in Jeffersonville is a great new park in the east side of town. The…read morepark has one entrance so you can't miss it. There are hiking trails, walking trails, playground for the kids, restrooms are available as well as picnic tables located in a sheltered area. They have a very large pond if you want to kayak and the pond is stocked with fish. Fishing is catch and release and you do need a license to fish in the pond. A great family park and dog friendly! Please pick up after your pets. Leave the park clean and enjoy the day!

Excellent spot for birdwatching. Cormorants, great blues, gulls, and egrets guaranteed. Have also…read morespotted eagles, hawks, orioles, and ospreys.

Your first stop, when visiting the Falls of the Ohio State Park, should be the Interpretive Center,…read morewhich is basically like a mini museum full of exhibits and information about the area, past and present. The Interpretive Center is great for kids, because there are a lot of hands-on activities. Theres an admission fee to enter the Interpretive Center, but it doesn't cost anything to park and walk around the outdoor area of the Falls of the Ohio State Park. Walk on the fossilized rocks, peer out onto the Ohio River and over to Louisville, and enjoy being by the water. Just don't collect any rocks or fossils -- there are signs saying to leave everything where you found it. I do think it's worth it to go into the Interpretive Center, though. There's an interesting piece of artwork on one of the walls of some of the trash that was collected along the Ohio River. It's arranged nicely and looks beautiful, but it's a testament to all of the garbage that people mindlessly leave around that end up in our waterways. This was a quick stop on our visit to southern Indiana, but I definitely think it was well worth it. If you're in the area, this is definitely a place to visit.

This is a great park! Lots to do for all ages. A huge fenced in playground, several swings, a…read moresplash park and a nice walking path! An amazing addition to the community!

Sam Peden Community Park is a good-sized park that needs more trees…read more There's lots to love about Community Park. The walking path is long and well-kept. If you need an easy path, there's the loop around the large duck and goose pond. If you want something a little more challenging, the path leading back to the 4H Fair Grounds has a decent elevation and optional stairs. There are multiple playgrounds for kids and a few areas for sports and games. Nearby are also shelters that can be reserved for events. Parking is plentiful and in multiple spots. There is also a growing effort to install more public art, a reading path, and some free-range meadow grasses. I'm hopeful that the trees grow back after the building of the Academy apartments and that more are planted around the path to provide more shade during the hot summer months. But a great, local park!

After living in New Albany for several years, we discovered the magic that is Sam Peden Community…read morePark (or just Community Park if you grew up around here.) The park boasts loads of amenities in a well-kept landscape. For bird lovers: there's a gorgeous pond which is visited by a lot of ducks, geese, and local bird friends. There's a great 1.2 mile walking track that circles the park, offering views of the pond and a walk and read (single book pages at stops along the trail) for folks with kiddos. They have two playgrounds, four sheltered areas, restrooms (although I've only seen them open twice - pro tip: go to Aldi across the street from the park if they're closed - fast, easy, and clean!), a few short nature trails, green space, a sand volleyball court, soccer fields, a basketball court, and a heck of a lot of tennis courts. I'm new to roller skating and the tennis courts here are a dream come true! Yes, this may not be their intended purpose, and yes, one tennis player one time may have gotten a bit peeved BUT there are so many courts, you don't have to feel guilty about taking away anyone's ability to play tennis. During the week, I've never found the park too crowded. In the early mornings, virtually empty minus some walkers and tennis players. In the evening, loads more folks but still has never felt too crowded, plus LOTS of dog walkers which always makes me excited to see so many sweet puppy faces strolling around. Basketball games are generally happening. On the weekends, this place does get busy. Shelters are available for rent, so there's often parties taking place, we've seen tennis tournaments, soccer games, and more but with how large the park is, we've never felt overcrowded or like we've lost our personal space and have always been able to find easy parking. I would highly recommend this park any time of day and any day of the week.

Had a great time with the grand kiddos. Only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because of the mess in…read morethe latrines.

I like hiking. A lot. And I like hiking at new and different places…read more Charlestown State Park is....okay. They have some really nice trails, spread out and across a large area. There is plenty of parking. And I believe that camping is an option. You have to pay to get in, which is fine. But I am highly annoyed that out of state cars have to pay more. Once when I went though, it was in the off season and there was no one working at the entrance gate. We were hoping to pay with a card, and it appeared to be an honor system for paying the $9 on days when the park is open, but no one is working. I was enticed by the promise of Rose Island ruins (a former amusement park/resort. Not actually an island). But as interesting as it sounds, it was disappointing. It has been all cleaned up and sign-ified and it is more meh than I had hoped. I would probably come back more often if it was more like $5 to get in. But with Louisville's copious parks, state and otherwise, and Bernheim about the same distance drive, I'm inclined to stay on my side of the river.

Wonderful spot! I'm happy that it's coming along. Currently at 4 stars, but I can't wait as the…read moregardens continue to build out the place. I've been to botanical gardens in other cities where the community and local officials don't dedicate resources to it. I'm not sure of the entire breakdown here for funding but I do know they'll obtain a round of funding, build out, and repeat. In the future, this botanical garden will rival some of the best in the country. I don't even think 25% of this place has been developed yet. On the last visit, it was for the holiday light decorations. We got super lucky, arrived, and within 20 minutes it started snowing. It made the experience so worth it. Out of other holiday happenings around town, (Light up downtown, the mega caverns, etc etc), I much preferred this even over all the others. The light decoration isn't the largest but I still think it's worth it. Kids will love it and as long as you're not a grumpy gus(No offense Gus) of a human being, you should have a good time. The gardens part through the spring and summer is also fun but limited. Again, it's going to take time as the years go by but the botanical gardens definitely adds something to the city of Louisville.

Attended a silent meditation retreat on a Saturday in November for approximately 4 hours and found…read moreit to be a phenomenal recharge. This is only my 2nd time being able to grab a spot over the past few years, as this is only an occasional offering thus far. I hope it will become a more regular event on the calendar. We arrived to check-in around 8:30 AM and were done by 12:30 PM. The event included silent meditation, chair yoga, mindfulness (including mindful eating exercise), music and singing, sound bowl and chanting, a lesson reading, and a walking meditation on the WBG property. This is a great introduction to a wide variety of experiences for someone who would like to determine what is appealing in practice. The couple who led the event were terrific and I will sign up for this as often as possible. Highly recommended!

TikTok really has opened my eyes to hidden treasures everywhere. I'm sure that I'm not the only one…read morethat feels this way. When you doom scroll, you come across many different places that are true hidden gems. Door To Nowhere, or Heigold House, is definitely an oddity and salute to the past. Some housekeeping, you know, things to know about this place. BE CAREFUL. This sits on a roundabout island with steady traffic. Be mindful to the traffic flow and businesses nearby (I parked at a nearby business off the road and walked over here). Be kind to the natural beauty that surrounds this. And most of all, be respectful. As I said, this sits on a roundabout with flowerbeds surrounding it. Whether you are facing front, as in looking at the front of the façade, or looking from the rear, please stay on the sidewalks provided. Take in the informational plaques as well. Built by Christian H Heigold, a successful stonecutter. Majority of the house was completed in 1853. Heigold was a master at stonecutting and completed the home with busts of Presidents George Washington and James Buchanan. Heigold was also a staunch opponent of the 'Know Nothing Party,' and anti-immigration political party and I would like to think that he built his house with all the busts was a big middle finger to those that were anti-immigration. This façade sat in what was known as the The Point neighborhood, which was favored by those that moved to the city from the New Orleans area. Once Louisville diverted the Beargrass Creek away from downtown, this place started to flood annually. Shifting people away from the neighborhood and then the Great Flood of 1937 happened. Slowly the city started buying houses and demolishing them. Ultimately using the land as a dump site. Then this façade was listed on the National Registry of Historical Places. Remained in that area which became Thruston Park. That is until a developer bought the land adjacent to this and build condos. They moved this massive beast, 70,000-pounds, across River Road to where it sits today.

Such amazing history, a must see spot ! Right off a main road but there is parking nearby !read more

Big Rico park is a very cool and beautiful park located in the Cherokee park system that's created…read moreby Olmsted the same person who made New York's Central Park. Located in the highlands/Cherokee portion of the city of Louisville. I stopped by this park the other day with my wife and 4th horn daughter who is 18 months old. We had planned to play on there small playground but she fell asleep so we Chelsea out the scenery instead. They have lots of water that's ankle high and lots of rock that allows you to walk out in and get in the water. It also a few small trails that surround the park that lets you see yeh park from several angles. The park includes seven benches on the banks of the water for viewing pleasure. They also have a giant pavilion that can be rented out. Which looks like at one point was very impressive. Now it's not upkept and filled with graffiti. It's honestly the only eye sore here. Hopefully they clean it up. Overall cool place that looks like it has 3 different parking lots for different entry points. Although the water is low enough and there is a bough rocks to easily walk this small park and get to any entrance. We had a nice visit here and I look for art to coming back with my other kids and enjoying the exploring and playground.

Great place! Iconic, historic, and fun. Chances are that your parents, and maybe grandparents,…read morejumped off this rock into the cool water below. Be advised it is only maybe 3ft at deepest, rocks on bottom, and occasional waters naked. You know, nature stuff. Crawdads abound, and are fun to hunt. Only caveat is during dry spells the water can become less than savory. Toxic even. So be advised.​

A great little park and a good place to launch a kayak from without paying a launch fee…read more I haven't done any hiking or anything else here except for start an afternoon of kayaking. My friend made the suggestion when we were looking for spot to launch that wouldn't cost $15/boat. The convenience of this cost savings makes up for the downsides. The two downsides are the small, tight parking lot and the long trail from the parking lot to the place where you can put your kayak in to the water. That second problem could be mitigated by the use of a hand wagon...we just need to get one. Ha ha! I am eager to explore more of the park on foot, but I can certainly guarantee I will be back here for more kayaking adventures.

Really cool park that is hidden in a neighborhood of Prospect!…read more I came with a few friends and we hiked the trails. It's not a difficult hike, but there are some hills, rocks, creeks. There are benches to rest on and swings too. I got a bit out of breath sometimes because it was a bit more strenuous than I anticipated. We saw lots of people walking their dogs, kayaking/canoeing. There used to be a waterfall you could check out, but it's not closed off since it's private property. You can park down in here in the small lot.

Extremely rude at the gate really bad attitude just because I'm not from Indiana Indiana State…read moreresidence. What a pitiful way to encourage tourism.

Charlestown State Park is lovely in all weather. We've been hiking their trails since the park…read moreopened in the 90's. Each trail has something different to offer. The picnic areas and playground are also nice for picnics or get togethers. The facilities are clean and everything is kept neat. Get out and enjoy nature (and local history) at Charlestown State Park!