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Great local nature park which I didn't know existed. Great to visit with Bookmarks Indy who shared the 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.
If you want to get a good work out while escaping the daily grind, consider going to Skiles Test Nature Park soon. There is a nicely paved path that winds up a steep hill at the beginning (there are about five rest areas along the way if you need them!). Once it crests the hill, it leads to the north end of the park which makes it about 3/4 of a mile from the parking lot. On the east side of the park is a reclaimed prairie area. I was a little surprised that the grasses had been cut before winter, so it didn't look much like a prairie as it did a giant lawn. On the west side of the path is a densely wooded area with one primary side path that loops through the forest. It is mostly well maintained, but is not paved like the central path. And for those a bit more adventurous, there are numerous less traveled paths that wind around. I took one of those on the northern end and had to negotiate my way across a shallow stream about six feet across by using stones in the floor of the creek. As I rose up the bank on the other side, I noticed the tracks of the deer that had recently used the path too. There are no path markers or any pamphlets in a kiosk at the beginning. No restroom and water fountains are on site either. But if you like being out in nature and don't mind the challenge of a steep hill, then Skiles Test NP may be perfect for you! Fun Fact: Skiles Edward Test was a local business man who is connected to the Indy legend of the "House with Blue Lights". Review #592
I can't help but notice that Neal P. has really accurately described Skiles Test Nature Park, which he describes as an 80-acre city park that isn't really a traditional "city park." While his review is from 2013, not a whole heck of a lot has changed. It's an area that has seen its share of both fun and frightening controversy ranging from one of Indy's great urban legends, the House of Blue Lights once owned by the park's namesake Skiles Test, to the park area's history as an area frequently used for sexual encounters in the 1990s. Fortunately, both "controversies" are well behind it and Skiles Test Nature Park is primarily used now as a place for casual encounters with nature and a nice connector to the larger Fall Creek Greenway that is mostly paved and perfect for biking several miles. Assuming you park in the relatively small parking lot just West of Shadeland Avenue off Fall Creek Parkway, Skiles Test Nature Park gives you the option of crossing the street and going left through a surprisingly large natural wetland area. While I'd been aware of this area for years, it always surprises me just how extensive it is as I wheel through it. Because it's a wetland area, you should be aware that it floods relatively easily and it's not uncommon for the trail to puddle in places. When I visited yesterday, there were a few spots of mild to moderate flooding that were easily handled in a wheelchair. I also like this section as it tends to be more wheelchair friendly than the rest of the Skiles Test section of the trail. However, this section is relatively short but does tie in directly to the Fall Creek Greenway and a much larger parking area. The first thing to notice about the Skiles Test trail is that what you think simply goes through a residential area is a remarkably wooded area. It's clearly marked to help you identify the various wildlife and tree life you may encounter. While I'm sure this has changed somewhat given the increase in industry in the area since the park was created, it's still relatively common to see wildlife in the area. I always think of that movie "Over the Hedge" and how the animals tried to peacefully co-exist with the ever increasing residential areas. That said, even driving by this area is often greeted by sights of deer and other animals. They say you can still see skunks, coyotes, deer, black rat snakes, various lizards, owls, a variety of birds and a few other animals along the nicely wooded yet fairly nicely paved trail. It also offers a variety of side trails, some very lightly paved and others mostly cleared out dirt paths. I saw several runners/walkers taking these paths. While city parks, in general, are disability/wheelchair friendly, Skiles Test Nature Park really pushes the boundary in this area. As Neal notes, there's an initial incline going into the park that led several trail walkers/bikers to look at me and say "Boy, you're really getting your workout today." Yep, that was true. I would likely not recommend it for a standard wheelchair user in a manual wheelchair. It's a difficult incline even for experienced trail users like myself. If you are a chair user in good shape, it's a beautiful setting and a nice, relatively short physical challenge. I'm guessing the first half, maybe not even that far, is truly well paved. After that, you tend to get broken pavement that hasn't been as maintained as you would think a city-owned area would be. It's not bad or dangerous - just more challenging. I saw bikes tackling it without much problem, but it seems like most strollers weren't covering the entire trail. While I didn't see as much wildlife as I'd hoped, I was excited to reach within eyesight of trail's end and spot a young doe crossing the path. It stopped and looked at me for a while, but eventually walked away when a less enthralled runner decided to take a side path and the noise seemed to surprise it. This particular trail area seems to be less fully utilized than the Monon Trail, though there's a point where you can also catch the Monon from the Fall Creek Greenway. All of these trails are a wonderful Indy resource and I always find people in the Skiles Test area to be moving at a slower, friendlier pace. I had one particular young woman on a bicycle pass me by with a friendly "hello" before turning around to greet me a few minutes later and tell me that the trail would eventually dead end and how much she was inspired to see me out on the trail - sadly, that likely means that not enough folks with disabilities are using these for the most part disability friendly trails. I have to knock off a star for the accessibility concerns, though I'm always excited to see accessible parking in park areas, but Skiles Test Nature Park remains a beautiful option for slowing down and appreciating nature while not having to drive too far from home for Indy's Eastsiders.
This is an 80 acre city park, or more accurately a "Natural Resource Area". It does NOT have any amenities that you would expect in a "park". There are couple miles of trails in the park proper, but only a small part of which is paved (asphalt.) The start of the trail, though paved, is very steep. You would need to be in good shape to push a kid in a stroller up this hill. I would not call this hill handicap accessible. When you get to the top of the hill, it changes to stone and dirt. Good for bird-watching, and catching a glimpse of deer. It's right next to Interstate 465, so you do get some traffic noise. The parking area is very small. I do not remember seeing any bathrooms or drinking fountains here. Presently (July 2013), this (the parking lot actually) is the northern end of "Fall Creek Trail". http://www.yelp.com/biz/fall-creek-trail-indianapolis So from Skiles Test, you can transit the entire Fall Creek Trail, going SouthWest to the Monon Trail, about 7 miles. There are only 11 regular parking spots, plus 2 handicap spots. If the Skiles parking lot is full, go .13 miles West on Fall Creek Road, and turn South (left) onto Fall Creek Parkway N. Dr, and go .25 miles until you get to a parking lot adjacent to Fall Creek Trail, which will be on your left. If you're brave and willing to cross Shadeland Avenue on foot, there is plenty of parking at Boy Scout headquarters across the street, at Shadeland and Fall Creek Road, with a 1/4 mile walk back to Skiles.
What I like about this park is the variety of trails within a small area. The main trail is paved and has information signs along it about species in the area. But there's also wooded dirt trails off to the sides and a prairie trail to the north. The north part of the park is pretty flat while the south has a big elevation decrease. The other bonus of this park is that it connects to the Fall Creek trail. You can park at either trail head and enjoy the short connector trail between them. read more
Nice little park next to I-465 on the northeast side of town. For me, I like to ride my bike here by following the fall Creek trail. The park has one main trail that runs through the space, but many spur trails venture off either side as you make your way north from the parking lot. An open meadow is on the east side of the trail and smaller trails on the west side offer some hills and more dense vegetation. Lately, on nice days, our state park, Ft Harrison, has been very crowded and the wait to get in can take 20 minutes or more. If I see the line at the Fort , I just turn around and come to this space to get sweaty or just take a walk with nature. read more
5 years ago
Great local nature park which I didn't know existed. Great to visit with Bookmarks Indy who shared the 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. read more
If you want to get a good work out while escaping the daily grind, consider going to Skiles Test Nature Park soon. There is a nicely paved path that winds up a steep hill at the beginning (there are about five rest areas along the way if you need them!). Once it crests the hill, it leads to the north end of the park which makes it about 3/4 of a mile from the parking lot. On the east side of the park is a reclaimed prairie area. I was a little surprised that the grasses had been cut before winter, so it didn't look much like a prairie as it did a giant lawn. On the west side of the path is a densely wooded area with one primary side path that loops through the forest. It is mostly well maintained, but is not paved like the central path. And for those a bit more adventurous, there are numerous less traveled paths that wind around. I took one of those on the northern end and had to negotiate my way across a shallow stream about six feet across by using stones in the floor of the creek. As I rose up the bank on the other side, I noticed the tracks of the deer that had recently used the path too. There are no path markers or any pamphlets in a kiosk at the beginning. No restroom and water fountains are on site either. But if you like being out in nature and don't mind the challenge of a steep hill, then Skiles Test NP may be perfect for you! Fun Fact: Skiles Edward Test was a local business man who is connected to the Indy legend of the "House with Blue Lights". Review #592 read more
11 years ago
I can't help but notice that Neal P. has really accurately described Skiles Test Nature Park, which he describes as an 80-acre city park that isn't really a traditional "city park." While his review is from 2013, not a whole heck of a lot has changed. It's an area that has seen its share of both fun and frightening controversy ranging from one of Indy's great urban legends, the House of Blue Lights once owned by the park's namesake Skiles Test, to the park area's history as an area frequently used for sexual encounters in the 1990s. Fortunately, both "controversies" are well behind it and Skiles Test Nature Park is primarily used now as a place for casual encounters with nature and a nice connector to the larger Fall Creek Greenway that is mostly paved and perfect for biking several miles. Assuming you park in the relatively small parking lot just West of Shadeland Avenue off Fall Creek Parkway, Skiles Test Nature Park gives you the option of crossing the street and going left through a surprisingly large natural wetland area. While I'd been aware of this area for years, it always surprises me just how extensive it is as I wheel through it. Because it's a wetland area, you should be aware that it floods relatively easily and it's not uncommon for the trail to puddle in places. When I visited yesterday, there were a few spots of mild to moderate flooding that were easily handled in a wheelchair. I also like this section as it tends to be more wheelchair friendly than the rest of the Skiles Test section of the trail. However, this section is relatively short but does tie in directly to the Fall Creek Greenway and a much larger parking area. The first thing to notice about the Skiles Test trail is that what you think simply goes through a residential area is a remarkably wooded area. It's clearly marked to help you identify the various wildlife and tree life you may encounter. While I'm sure this has changed somewhat given the increase in industry in the area since the park was created, it's still relatively common to see wildlife in the area. I always think of that movie "Over the Hedge" and how the animals tried to peacefully co-exist with the ever increasing residential areas. That said, even driving by this area is often greeted by sights of deer and other animals. They say you can still see skunks, coyotes, deer, black rat snakes, various lizards, owls, a variety of birds and a few other animals along the nicely wooded yet fairly nicely paved trail. It also offers a variety of side trails, some very lightly paved and others mostly cleared out dirt paths. I saw several runners/walkers taking these paths. While city parks, in general, are disability/wheelchair friendly, Skiles Test Nature Park really pushes the boundary in this area. As Neal notes, there's an initial incline going into the park that led several trail walkers/bikers to look at me and say "Boy, you're really getting your workout today." Yep, that was true. I would likely not recommend it for a standard wheelchair user in a manual wheelchair. It's a difficult incline even for experienced trail users like myself. If you are a chair user in good shape, it's a beautiful setting and a nice, relatively short physical challenge. I'm guessing the first half, maybe not even that far, is truly well paved. After that, you tend to get broken pavement that hasn't been as maintained as you would think a city-owned area would be. It's not bad or dangerous - just more challenging. I saw bikes tackling it without much problem, but it seems like most strollers weren't covering the entire trail. While I didn't see as much wildlife as I'd hoped, I was excited to reach within eyesight of trail's end and spot a young doe crossing the path. It stopped and looked at me for a while, but eventually walked away when a less enthralled runner decided to take a side path and the noise seemed to surprise it. This particular trail area seems to be less fully utilized than the Monon Trail, though there's a point where you can also catch the Monon from the Fall Creek Greenway. All of these trails are a wonderful Indy resource and I always find people in the Skiles Test area to be moving at a slower, friendlier pace. I had one particular young woman on a bicycle pass me by with a friendly "hello" before turning around to greet me a few minutes later and tell me that the trail would eventually dead end and how much she was inspired to see me out on the trail - sadly, that likely means that not enough folks with disabilities are using these for the most part disability friendly trails. I have to knock off a star for the accessibility concerns, though I'm always excited to see accessible parking in park areas, but Skiles Test Nature Park remains a beautiful option for slowing down and appreciating nature while not having to drive too far from home for Indy's Eastsiders. read more
13 years ago
This is an 80 acre city park, or more accurately a "Natural Resource Area". It does NOT have any amenities that you would expect in a "park". There are couple miles of trails in the park proper, but only a small part of which is paved (asphalt.) The start of the trail, though paved, is very steep. You would need to be in good shape to push a kid in a stroller up this hill. I would not call this hill handicap accessible. When you get to the top of the hill, it changes to stone and dirt. Good for bird-watching, and catching a glimpse of deer. It's right next to Interstate 465, so you do get some traffic noise. The parking area is very small. I do not remember seeing any bathrooms or drinking fountains here. Presently (July 2013), this (the parking lot actually) is the northern end of "Fall Creek Trail". http://www.yelp.com/biz/fall-creek-trail-indianapolis So from Skiles Test, you can transit the entire Fall Creek Trail, going SouthWest to the Monon Trail, about 7 miles. There are only 11 regular parking spots, plus 2 handicap spots. If the Skiles parking lot is full, go .13 miles West on Fall Creek Road, and turn South (left) onto Fall Creek Parkway N. Dr, and go .25 miles until you get to a parking lot adjacent to Fall Creek Trail, which will be on your left. If you're brave and willing to cross Shadeland Avenue on foot, there is plenty of parking at Boy Scout headquarters across the street, at Shadeland and Fall Creek Road, with a 1/4 mile walk back to Skiles. read more
This is a great park to get exercise considering it consists of quite a bit of climbing. The trail runs along Fall Creek, up this large hill, through open fields and thick woods. It's a hike park, not a playground park. You'll probably see deer too. read more
7 years ago
More info about Skiles Test Nature Park
6828 Fall Creek Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46220
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