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Prather Park

4.4 (10 reviews)

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Brittany S.

I recently discovered this park thanks to some friends who live in the area. We were looking for a social distancing friendly activity and a loop through River Road Park fit the bill. Our walk weaved it's way through tall grasses, a paved path in front of homes, outdoor fitness equipment, riverfront and more. The park itself was fairly busy during our visit but thanks to the plentiful space we didn't have to pass too many people. This also seemed like a really popular biking spot. At the entrance you'll find a parking lot, bathrooms and play area for kiddos. Overall, a great place to catch some fresh air and get in some steps.

Archeological dig area
Nicole S.

What an unusual (in a good way) park! I like to call this park the Archeology Park, because it is all about fossils and history and ancient peoples. First and most importantly, you're probably wondering: "Is there playground equipment here for kids? For the love of my sanity, please tell me there is something for my child to play on." Yes, yes there is. Not much, but enough to hold a toddler's attention for 20 minutes or so. The piece de resistance of the park is the Play Mound, which kids can climb up and down -- it's sort of a treehouse on a hill. There are two slides on it, too. Adjacent to the Play Mound is a digging sand pit area with fake fossils that kids can dig up. Right next to that is a drum of some sort, with bone-shaped drumsticks. Very interesting. A little farther away is a climbing structure. There is also a display of ancient cultural Native American artifacts, with interactive storytelling at the push of a button. There is more to this park, but we just stayed around where it was most fun for kids. There are walking trails, a field, and restrooms and drinking fountains -- maybe even more. We saw lots of people walking dogs, too. All in all, this is a well-thought-out park.

Ken N.

Maybe I should make it easy to review and simply tell you to read Nicole S's excellent write up. She has a gift with words! But just in case you are still reading, I will let you know that this park is located near the White River and so there are areas of the park where it is either a large lawn (used as a football field) or prairie with paved walking trails. Unlike most waterfront parks, the elevation of this location seems to be raised well above the flood plains that many parks are captive to. The sprawling 62 acres is fairly divided between the halves with the entrance road and parking lot also being centered. There is a permanent restroom and water fountain building on the east end of the lot. If you have kids, there is a truly unique playground which pays homage to ancient native american culture including a climbing mound and an archaeological digging area with plastic bones to discover. There is also a small building that you can walk through that has an interactive area where you push buttons to hear about the daily routines of these early people. There are also artifacts behind glass to look at and read about. The trails walk through the large prairie area with enough spacing so that you can still feel outdoorsy without losing site of where you parked. The prairie is also large enough that it could easily hide small critters and birds that may want to make the place home. They do expect you to keep any pets you have on leash so that they aren't hunting down the critters. You may not want to make this your exclusive park to visit, but it definitely is a place worth checking out for a unique play experience or a peaceful hike. Review #798

Brooke K.

This little gem is a secret hideaway nestled in Carmel suburbia. It has quickly become one of my treasured places of refuge when I just need to unwind. The park is especially beautiful this time of year with its bountiful garden of tall silky grasses of gold and its colorful autumn foliage. The picturesque setting would provide a gorgeous backdrop to any family or group portrait. Take a short walk along the path surrounding the freshly manicured field or for a longer journey walk through the tall grasses, around the bend, and trek up the path adjacent to the neighborhood. Here you will find a nice little wooded trail which is especially comforting on a hot summer day or catch a sprinkling of fallen leaves in the autumn. All these spots are excellent for walking, running, biking, and walking your dog. There is also a nice little dino play park for the kiddos. In all, I highly recommend coming here if your seeking a nice tranquil setting to spend a few hours outdoors. Nice place to picnic, meditate, pray, excerise, and simply enjoy the beauty of nature. Namaste....

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Review Highlights - Prather Park

We were looking for a social distancing friendly activity and a loop through River Road Park fit the bill.

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Central Park East Woods

Central Park East Woods

(10 reviews)

This park is what it is. It has tons of parking available in a few different set at lots. To get…read moreto the park, you take a sort drive through a wooded area. At he front of the park you will find three shelters with picnic tabes under them and grills just out side of them. The entrance to the park ends at the Monon Community Center and the Waterpark. The park's bread and butter by far is its trails. It has mile and miles of trails that are interconnected, some paved, some gravel and some dirt. Some through the woods and in the open. There is a storybook trail near the front of the park by the shelters. The trails are awesome with a capital A. They are well maintained and go for miles. You can walk, bike or run them if you so chooses and if you don't have a bike, don't worry. They have a kiosk that you can rent bikes. near the walkway leading to the water park. There is also a restroom there. You will find another restroom structure at the front of the park by the shelter area. The park itself has 3 miles of trails that wind through a variety of ecosystems including native prairies, wetlands, and woodlands. Its trails also connect to the Monon Greenway (it runs through the center of it, and has pretty much adopted it), which gives you more room to roam. Additionally, this park is connected to one of the most futuristic and best all around playgrounds that I have been to. If that was not enough. it has a community center and waterpark located on its grounds pretty much. RIght behind the playground area is a very peaceful lagoon and a boardwalk. It is very nice and I really enjoyed walking it. It has ducks and fish and I found it very tranquil. If you are planning on bike riding, walking, walking the dog and running (why would you want to do that :-)), this is the park for you, even if you have to drive a bit. This park is beautiful year-round, but I find it especially beautiful this time of year, the fall. When the leaves are changing colors and the weather is nice.

2020 has certainly been a year of new park discoveries. This past weekend, my husband and I…read morecelebrated our anniversary by checking out two new parks and grabbing a snow cone. It's the simple pleasures, right? I had visited the Monon Community Center and Waterpark several times before but never the Central Park East Woods that you pass as you enter the overall park. Central Park East Woods features a handful of trails, picnic areas, bathrooms, a community bookshelf and fun themed trails like the Paw Paw Path. I'm always a sucker for boardwalk paths too (what is about the look of boardwalk paths that always gets me to show up?). You'll find this park on the left hand side noted as "picnic area" as you enter the long winding drive for the Monon Center. Everything is within walking distance of one another.

Oliver's Woods Nature Preserve - Very pretty. I had to lower the exposure to make it a little moody.

Oliver's Woods Nature Preserve

(7 reviews)

It's a little bit rare that I discover a spot previously unknown to me, however, this was the case…read moretoday when I visited Oliver's Woods Nature Preserve. I was between tasks near Castleton and decided to do a Yelp search to see if I could snag a review or two during my free time. As is often the case for me, I searched for "parks" and Oliver's Woods popped up along with a review from the always dependable Nicole S. It's amazing to me that I've driven by this preserve many times without realizing its existence. In fact, even while looking for it today I drove by it a couple of times before realizing the place where I needed to turn. It's not particularly well marked from River Road. As it turns out, this is part of its charm. Oliver's Woods Nature Preserve is a 56-acre preserve owned by the Central Indiana Land Trust. It includes 16 acres of woods, 37 acres of prairie-savanna restoration, and a mile of White River frontage. As is true for most preserves under Central Indiana Land Trust, Oliver's Woods is fairly light in development but a fairly nice effort toward some ADA accessibility is noteworthy. It's not perfectly accessible but, let's be honest, nature seldom is perfectly accessible. As Nicole S. notes, this is a rather sublime weaving together of urban and nature. In fact, I really expected this to be more like a pocket park considering it's situated so close to an office park, apartments, and a nearby shopping center along with the highway. Remarkably, this is simply a well preserved area of nature amidst it all. In terms of accessibility, the accessible parking is by the Daugherty house. Oliver Daugherty, who passed away in 2009, donated the property to Central Indiana Land Trust and some unexpected funding received allowed for increased development of it in 2017. The accessible parking spot allowed for access to a .6 mile trail made of crushed gravel. I'm a wheelchair user and had no issues with it. However, it's worth noting that parking in the usual parking lot is more difficult because the gravel isn't quite as crushed. While the preserve is open daily, there are specific times when a volunteer docent is available to give a tour of the preserve. There is a canoe launch available for any craft legally allowed on the water in the city of Indianapolis that you can carry to/from the river from the drop-off area in front of the Daugherty House. The southern half of the Town Run Trail Park also runs through this property with an agreement that was made between Indy Parks and Daugherty himself. Volunteers have helped plant native trees and plants and to remove invasive species. "This special care is allowing native species like wild ginger, Virginia bluebells, waterleaf, wild hyacinth and trillium to flourish," according to the CILT website. Because this is so wooded and you are along White River, seeing wildlife is also a strong possibility. This is not a "recreational" preserve other than the ability to launch a canoe. This is a wonderful preserve for enjoying nature, appreciating White River, and enjoying a short but nicely done trail. There are signs around the preserve explaining the preserve (including at the Daugherty House). Quite honestly, I'd have loved living here. I saw one other vehicle while I was here, though I never saw the person associated with that vehicle. I did hear traffic and the highway, though on a warm and sunny Fall day it all felt really perfect. Now that I know this is here, there's no doubt I'll return!

Oliver's Woods Nature Preserve is truly an urban oasis. You can see and hear the vehicles roar by…read morefrom I-465, just a short distance away. You walk through tall grasses as you walk past billboard signs. I love the city and I tolerate nature, so this place is a great combination of both for me. There are hiking trails here, but they're not clearly marked, so as we were walking and enjoying nature, we encountered several mountain bikers who raced past us. There must have been some sort of mountain biking thing going on, because there were a lot of bikers at the park. We must have been on the biking trail, because we didn't see any other walkers, just bikers. The path is super slim, so we had to duck into the brush whenever we saw a bicycler, which was every three to five minutes. Eventually, we headed back and found an actual walking path. All this to say: If you find a dirt path that is jutted, it's probably not the walking path -- it's the biking path. Once we found the walking path, it was very pretty and peaceful. The hiking / walking path will take you to the boat launch, where you can take your boat out onto the White River. It will also take you to the Daugherty House, which is a house that belonged to the original owner of the property, Oliver Daugherty. You can't go inside the house, but you can look at the outside, and there are signs and QR codes that give you more information about it. We found a lot of native plants here, including wild raspberries that were ripe and ready for picking. We also saw a beaver (!) and trekked across a stream that fed into the White River. This is such a cool place, and it's a true Indianapolis hidden gem.

Turkey Foot Nature Park - Blue bells

Turkey Foot Nature Park

(4 reviews)

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.

Cool Creek Park & Nature Center - Trails

Cool Creek Park & Nature Center

(43 reviews)

What a great nature center and park! We visited to check out for our granddaughters. The Nature…read moreCenter has a nice bird watching deck, a selection of live turtles and snakes and much more. We found the bird collection particularly useful in helping us identify some of our backyard birds. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. They were preparing for a school group during our visit. After the nature center, we walked on one of the nature trails. Some flowering trees were in bloom. The trails are wide and well marked (but not paved). Strategically placed benches along the trails make perfect spots to bird watch. Nearby, is an outdoor amphitheater with a large grassy area for seating. I'm not sure what programs they host, but the space is nice. Near the front of the park, is a modern playground with several colorful climbing structures, swings, slides and the usual equipment. A pavilion is available to get shade or feed the kids. There is a water fountain to keep the kids hydrated. Behind the playground, adult exercise equipment is available. We also saw a soccer field perfect for local practice. There is dedicated parking with handicapped spaces and restrooms on site.

Check out Cool Creek Nature Center! We saw so many birds and turtles, and the viewing area was…read moreamazing. They even had binoculars for the kids, which made it feel like a real little adventure. Inside, there were crafts, books, puzzles, and puppets to keep the kids engaged and learning. Such a fun and educational outing -- we loved it!

Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve - Welcome sign

Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve

(57 reviews)

This is one of my new favorite places to go for a walk/ hike. There are so many trails to choose…read morefrom and when you enter the park on a sunny day, most of the trails to your right are shaded by the umbrella of trees. The trails to the left, on the other hand, are well- lit and sunny. On our most recent visit, my husband and I stumbled upon a very small cemetery. I thought that it might have been a pet cemetery due to its size, but after some quick research, my husband was able to find information regarding the family that it is believed to have belonged to. It was both creepy and cool at the same time. We walked a loop that was surprisingly dense at points and I was amazed at the fact that we didn't pop back out onto the main trail as quickly as I'd thought we would. There were some very steep slopes at points that were marked with cones that I found to be quite dangerous, but it's nature, so what are you going to do?! I love the preservation of this natural/ wild space. The sound of the birds in the forest canopy is calming and there are several places to stop, have s seat and just listen. There is also at least one of those tiny community libraries located there, as well as many other interesting features.

Growing up in the city of Danville, Illinois, there were always parks to enjoy nature. I would…read morenever expect that in the middle of Indianapolis, you could get lost in the wilderness. When me and my wife went hiking on these trails, I forgot we were in the city. It was so peaceful and pleasant and relaxing. This is definitely a place to go for a nice walk and tranquility. Even the squirrels, birds, dragonflies, and all of nature's creatures seem to enjoy the area. I can't wait for us to go back again.

Prather Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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