I was out driving in Fishers yesterday as I needed a different view and wanted to grab a meal at a…read moredifferent restaurant than usual. After grabbing dinner at nearby Mashcraft Brewing, I was headed home and thought to myself "Hey, I've never actually driven down 106th Street." So, I did. When you get my age, that's about as close as you get to impulsive. Seriously, I have to admit that I'd never even heard of Heritage Park at White River before yesterday. I started to drive in and completely fell in love with it. As Ken N. notes, it's mostly a park for adults and/or adults with families. It's a calmer, more serene space geared toward more peaceful activities. There's nary a playground to be found and the entire 33 acres of the park scream out "event" rather than social gathering. The centerpiece of the park is the historic Ambassador House. The perfect description of this park is, indeed, "charming." Originally built in 1826 at the corner of 96th & Allisonville Road, the Ambassador House is a Greek Revival-style home that served as the summer home of Indianapolis attorney Addison Harris. Harris served as the U.S. Ambassador to Austria-Hungary from 1899-1901. The Ambassador House and Heritage Gardens can both be rented for special events - in fact, they were in use when I arrived yesterday. You can still visit the park during these times (there's a separate parking area), but access to the house itself is limited. The outdoor event area, complete with a European-style terrace, can accommodate up to 250 including in the Garden Tent. The outdoor area is only available from April - October. The indoor area, which can accommodate up to 60, is available year-round. Heritage Park offers greenways, multi-use trails, nature trails, picnic areas, a shelter, a nice-sized sledding hill, tables, and trails. There's also a public restroom. You will not, however, get a playground or sports equipment. For some, this is a negative but I'll confess I see it as a plus because even adults deserve a park and this is a nice, well kept one. Considering the use as an event space, the lack of "playing" is consistent with the charm and natural ambience of the setting. Heritage Park also hosts some of Fishers more powerful events such as Yappy Hour and Wine Down Wednesday. Because the natural setting has been largely maintained (though it's fair to say the residential surroundings are at times viewable even on the trails), it's not uncommon to see a variety of flower and animal life. Birdwatching is especially popular here. I noticed a wheelchair ramp into the Ambassador House, an obvious add-on to increase accessibility. Fishers has a strong history of addressing accessibility and this park is consistent with that vision. There's a half-mile paged loop that serves as the entryway to the larger White River Greenway. There are benches around it. You can also find benches at the more nature-centered trail. The park also hosts the Angel of Hope! I'm going 5 stars with this park - while it may not have all the features of traditional parks, it's a wonderful park for adults and families allowing for special events and an atmosphere that will make those events special. This was my first visit - it won't be my last.

Heritage Park is a 33 acre park that sits back hidden from the road. The entrance is located at the…read morecorner of 106th street and Eller road. It is known for its wooded trails, one of Fishers best sledding hills and the historic Ambassador House and Heritage Gardens. The Ambassador House and gardens can be rented year round for special events and weddings. In addition to the house and gardens, there are nature trails home to a variety of birds and plants making it ideal for birdwatching and nature study. There is also a paved half-mile loop trail that serves as the first segment of the White River Greenway. The park is open year round daily from dawn to dusk.

I was a little bit nervous about signing up to do a 3k event in November, however, the opportunity…read morepresented itself and I knew I'd be able to visit a park I'd never been to before. Flat Fork Creek Park is part of Fishers Parks. Located at 101st and Cyntheanne Road, Flat Fork Creek Park offers just over 60 acres of relaxing fun for just about everyone in the family including a good amount of ADA accessibility. First off, you'll get a 60-foot sledding hill here. That's good to know as we inch toward winter. It's the tallest point in Hamilton County. There's also a 1.25 mile progressive mountain bike course that offers features for both mountain biking newbies and those with more experience. There's a beautiful fishing pond - state license required except for those 17 and under. Nearly 20 acres in the park are reforestation areas and there's a shelter with picnic tables that can be rented. Okay, that accessibility I mentioned? The 3k I did was a relatively small group, though it was centered around disability and had several disabled participants. The park includes an ADA accessible treehouse, a paved multi-use trail, and a boardwalk (I would note that while the boardwalk is, indeed, accessible, you do want to be a tad careful due to the side of the boardwalk that do offer a bit of a drop-off). You know what I think is really cool? They've created a ramp here so that even those with mobility issues can get to the top of the sledding hill - in most parks, that's an afterthought. As a side note, Fishers has won awards for their inclusion work and this park really shows it. This is really just a lovely park. You're not going to find a playground or other frequent park features, however, this beautiful park does a nice job of including everyone and weaving together nature with fun park adventures. This was my first time here. It won't be my last.

I recently discovered this park and have gone back a few times now. It's a beautiful park with a…read moregreat walking path, trail and hill. I love taking my dog here for a walk or going alone just to watch the sun set. The park is spacious and clean and overall a great experience. If it were closer to me I'd probably go daily.

Calling all nature-loving families…read more If your kids would rather play with sticks, logs, and their imagination than a traditional playground, this spot is for you Little play hut with a table and two chairs Hopscotch and balance beams Lots of tree logs, sticks, and natural elements for open-ended play Encourages creativity, imagination, and nature-based exploration Completely covered by trees, so there's plenty of shade Multiple walking paths nearby for a family nature walk ‍ This is one of those places where kids can slow down, get creative, and connect with nature. No flashy playground equipment--just all that Mother Nature has to offer #coolcreekpark #nature #natureplayground #carmel #hamiltoncounty

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.

Perfect spot for a laid-back family adventure!…read more Flowing Well Park in Carmel is a hidden gem for families looking to spend time outdoors without a big production. The open space, fresh air, and scenic creek made for a relaxing, fun-filled afternoon. Our kids had the best time splashing in the water, exploring the trail, and collecting cool rocks along the way. It felt like a mini nature escape right in town. Major parent win: there's a foot wash station at the entrance--so helpful when little feet are muddy but happy! There's also a picnic area to grab a bite to eat. We'll definitely be back for more sunshine and creekside exploring. Towels would probably be a good idea to have on hand.

Lovely little park besties between neighborhood. Very easy walking trail if you are not looking for…read moretoo much intensity. It would be a great spot for kids to play in the shallow creek or for dogs. We enjoyed our morning hike!

I took a visitor bird watching on the grounds of the Jill Perelman Pavilion. The park has three…read moreseparate trails for birdwatching including a barred owl trail, a water trail and a prairie trail. The trails are paved or covered and easily accessible. A map near the parking lot describes the trails. The prairie trail has a few wren houses which had attracted a nice tree sparrow. There are benches along the prairie trail to sit and watch the birds. There were were a number of dog walkers out enjoying the trails and a few runners. Knocking off a point because there was a bit of trash in the retention pond and the noise of 116th Street detracted from the experience of the water fowl walk. Otherwise, a nice trail with plenty of parking.

This is a very nice indoor pavilion that hosts many local events and summer day camps. It was…read moreclosed when I was there, so this review is of the small park behind it. This park is filled with nature themed playground equipment. It is located on the Carmel/Zionsville line. It has a huge parking lot and a water fountain and restroom facilities. There are a bunch of picnic tables on the terrace area between the playground and the building. The playground is natural and is actually located in the woods. Most of the equipment is net based and wooded. There are wood balance beams and net climbing structures with a wood frame. The area in the front is for smaller kids (under 5) and the equipment near the back is more complex and is for the older kids (5 and older). The highlight of the park is easily the zip line. My little loved it. She wore me out from pushing her. The zip line will travel down the cable without a push, but my kid wanted to go faster. It is a pretty cool zip line, but the nostalgia wore off fast. Being that the play area is in the woods, it is surrounded by a bunch of trees and is well shaded. My little was not very keen on this park. She was more than ready to go only after 20 minutes or so. This park is ok, but not worth being a destination park. It does not have many visitors and was wide open while me and my little was there. West Park (which is right next door), once they are done their maintenance, looked like it will be awesome. So, once that park is up and running, to maximize my time, I would probably treat this park as an appetizer and West Park as the main course.

Such a beautiful, scenic well maintained park 9 minutes away from the reservoir. We wanted to spend…read moretime at the reservoir but also spend some quite time with friends and Geist Park hit the spot! Clean park, well maintained shelter areas and a nice play area for kids. They also have restrooms which is always an added bonus. Decent size parking lot and pretty location!

This is a cute little neighborhood park in the Fishers / Geist / Fortville area. We originally…read morevisited because we wanted to check out the playground, but we soon discovered that this park has a beautiful nature trail that winds along the back of the park. The Geist Reservoir runs through the park, and when we visited, we saw people kayaking along the river. We had fun just throwing rocks into the water. Be advised that there are signs all around the park near the river that say that you shouldn't swim in the water because there is a strong undercurrent. So no swimming! The playground has a really neat play structure with lots of ropes, ramps and things to climb. My kids had a lot of fun here -- it's set up almost like an obstacle course. There are also slides, swings (including a swing for really young children), riding toys and tunnels. The ground is covered with wood chips, so it's nice and soft in case your kiddo falls. There are also benches all around so you can sit and see your kid play from whatever angle you happen to be in. There are restrooms just off of the playground, and they were relatively clean when we were there. Parking is plentiful and right by the playground.

I love all of the great parks and public nature spaces in Fishers. Bee Camp Creek Trailhead is one…read moreof those places, and it is located in a residential neighborhood, just off of Olio Road. You'd almost miss it if you weren't looking for it. There's a playground here, which is important to mention if you have children like mine who might not want to go for a hike or walk anywhere outdoors if it doesn't also include visiting a playground. The playground is located right next to the parking lot, and there are lots of things to climb and jump on. There's also a slide and monkey bars and things, and benches to sit on. As the name of this place suggests, there is a paved trail that winds through the back of a neighborhood, around a retention pond, that supposedly meets up with Geist Reservoir. We didn't make it too far along the trail, but I'd like to come back to explore it a little more.

I visited this park for the first time on 7/17/21. I arrived right before sunset so some of the…read morepictures will have daylight, some will be somewhat dark. Therefore, I was only able to walk through the Veterans Memorial section, the Bridge and a little bit of the park itself. The park has a gazebo, restrooms and boat launch. I'm sure it offers more, however, it became too dark to view what else the park had to offer. The park was clean and well maintained.

Location, location, location! This park has a spectacular location sitting along the edge of Morse…read moreReservoir. There is a community center, a gazebo, permanent restrooms, and a playground up the hill. There are docks for boaters to use and even a bit of open space to relax to the west of the center. A nice place to rest and watch life on the water! Review #2035