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    Summit Lake State Park

    4.1 (25 reviews)

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    Brady R.

    During 2020, I've been visiting n ew-to-me state parks and this was on the top of my list given its close proximity from downtown Indy (about 1 hour or so). I went on a random weekday and explore the hiking trails. All said and done, I did every hiking trail in about 1.5ish hours. That being said, the highlight of the park is, you guessed it, the lake. There are lots of options for those that are going for the water - boating, swimming, fishing, and more. There are lots of places to venture off the beaten path and set up a picnic or have a nice, relaxing hammock session. There is also camping available. Would I come back? Yeah, but it wouldn't be for hiking alone.

    Allison F.

    While it's not the coolest of the Indiana State Parks, you can still make the most of your day at Summit Lake between hiking, canoeing, boating, fishing, and/or swimming. Note that this park is more geared toward water activities, so if you're only coming to hike, you'll have covered all of the trails in under two hours. in short, BYOB (bring your own boat).

    Beach
    Jamie W.

    This is definitely a fisherman's park! BUT don't let that sway you from visiting because I found myself really liking this park after just one visit. And this is why... THE BEACH Visiting on a perfect Wednesday afternoon ended up being a great beach day for our family. It wasn't very busy and the kids loved swimming in the lake. The beach area isn't very big but it's ample room as long as it's not crowded. The sand was clean and soft. The swimming area of the lake is seperated by by rope to keep kayakers and boats away. It goes about 3 1/2 - 4' deep. There is even a concession stand was typical snack and drink (pizza, hot dogs, candy, ice cream, soda, etc.) and it pretty affordable. Or you can bring coolers with your own food and drinks. There is shaded area and picnic tables by the beach as well. There is a small walk from the beach to the parking lot, but they do have handicap parking by the beach. Or you can drop someone off and then go park. RECREATION Besides the beach, Summit Lake Park is known for having some great fishing spots. Lots of fishermen here, boaters, and kayaking. Bait shops available on site and a boat launch. That are lots of hiking trails with great views of the lake. Be sure to bring the bug spray! Volleyball pits can be found by the beach and playground. There are 2 playgrounds, one in within the camp ground. A lot of people come here for the camping. SUNSETS The sunsets here over the lake are very pretty. There is a Sunset pavilion, you can pack a picnic dinner and go watch the sunset! My one negative (reason for 4 stars) was that there were people smoking on the beach. I was under the impression that smoking was not allowed in state parks, but with the number of butts on the grounds this seems like something a lot of people were doing. I didn't see any rangers come around but there was a gal working in the concession stand that didn't say anything to them.

    B B.

    It snowed while I was here but the fire was warm the lines were swimming around with their mate beautiful sound they make

    Brooke K.

    We came here for a long lazy Sunday afternoon, found a great place to set up our hammocks, and watched the sunset over the lake. It was the perfect afternoon! What I loved about this park most was it was practically empty. We really felt like we had a little piece of the park all to ourselves. Other fun things about this park: -You can rent canoes for $5 per hour, $20 per day. -Plenty of places to grill -You can fish -Campsites (all electric) available $30 per night -Boat ramps available (idle speed only) -Rent-a-camp available for $40 -Shelters available for rent $35-$40 -Park is open year round -Swimming beach available I wouldn't recommend coming here for hiking. Trails are pretty boring. However, if you're looking for a place to simply sit by/on the water and relax I would highly recommend coming here. The lake is beautiful and the sunsets over the water are stunning.

    Kayaking on summit lake 2018
    Judith G.

    Nice camp sites, lake is very weedy this year (2018) Water is very clear. Great kayaking lake, staff friendly park is kept clean.

    Chase B.

    This park is beautiful. I have camped here a couple of times and haven't been disappointed! There is a nice lake with fishing, pretty trails, and sizable campsites. Our 30 foot RV has no issues navigating. The electric hookup has 30 and 50 amps. I would highly recommend this campground if you're looking for a nice weekend getaway.

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    Took my family with me we had a blast! We had just moved to Indiana and we're looking for things nearby for the kids to enjoy.

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    3 years ago

    Beautiful state park. Expansive and so useful! Fishing, birdwatching and a multitude of other activities!

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    5 years ago

    Love coming over here, close to home. Great spots. Friendly staff. Nice lake for kayaking or canoeing.

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    11 years ago

    Great modern amenities, wood is readily available, but campsites are very close and there isn't much to actually do in the campground.

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    Ask the Community - Summit Lake State Park

    I am a photographer of Eagles heard this park has Eagles is that true?

    I have seen eagles over the lake from the campground. I have heard their vocalization while walking trail 2 but have no information on where they may be nesting.

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    Review Highlights - Summit Lake State Park

    There are lots of options for those that are going for the water - boating, swimming, fishing, and more.

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    John Craddock Wetland Nature Preserve

    John Craddock Wetland Nature Preserve

    5.0(1 review)
    12.5 mi

    I really enjoyed my visit to this park. First, I don't think many people know about it and so I…read morehad the entire park to myself. I was able to grab one of the limited street parking sites on Bunch Blvd near the north entrance to the park. Second, there was a small plaza with informational signs describing the park, the folks involved with getting it built, and general wetland information that was brief, but helpful. Next, most of the pathway for visitors is slightly elevated on a boardwalk. Even though there was disturbance in the area during the construction, the wetlands have now recovered and the elevated trail makes for easy walking without damaging the surrounding wildlife. The rest of the trail is equally broad and hopefully gives good enough views that visitors won't wander off into the prairie area of the park. Note that during my visit, the wetlands appeared mostly dry but green. About half way through the trail, a large wooden shelter was constructed with a slightly elevated observation deck that offers great views over the lowlands of the park. There are more benches available there and lots of shade in an otherwise open area of the park. I really appreciate that the area has been preserved as a beautiful green area that can accommodate both humans and nature. Review #1053

    Photos
    John Craddock Wetland Nature Preserve - We always have a great time at the wetlands!

    We always have a great time at the wetlands!

    John Craddock Wetland Nature Preserve - Though dry during my visit, you can see how this lowland area near the river would be a prime space for overflow

    Though dry during my visit, you can see how this lowland area near the river would be a prime space for overflow

    John Craddock Wetland Nature Preserve - North entrance to the park had a small plaza before the entrance.  There is a small entrance on the left side of the gate for visitors

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    North entrance to the park had a small plaza before the entrance. There is a small entrance on the left side of the gate for visitors

    Mounds State Park

    Mounds State Park

    4.6(53 reviews)
    17.7 mi

    Great trails! Definitely one of my favorites. Not too crowded. There's a good variety of trail…read moreoptions. The trails are well kept. It was very cool to see the mounds and read about the history.

    If you haven't been here the mounds are an archeological site, and that this site and was noticed…read moreby outsiders/settlers and survived is also amazing. The nature center has a great mural of the mounds, their preservation, and Mounds before it became Mounds State Park. The obligatory bird/wildlife viewing room, like Turkey Run and Brown County State Park, is here, when you finally peel yourself away from that peaceful space, visit the Bronnenberg House next door to the nature center. You can only go in to the Bronnenberg home on the weekends, but no one bugged us for peeking in the windows of the closed building. There is sadly no more pool, and hasn't been for a couple decades, but you can get your feet wet in the shallows of the White River. We poked around for mussel shells and man-made fossils, river-erroded glass, tiles, and brick bits. Plenty of hiking trails and bike-able spots in the park, a minimal bike trail in the from Bronnenberg house the group of mounds, but the roads are pretty flat around the park if you need a good ride. Friendly enough staff at the gate and campground gate, and one ranger took the time to say hi to us after noticing our way out of state plates. Fellow campers were quiet enough, making this a good getaway.

    Photos
    Mounds State Park
    Mounds State Park
    Mounds State Park

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    Flat Fork Creek Park - Flat Fork Creek Park

    Flat Fork Creek Park

    4.6(45 reviews)
    30.8 mi

    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.

    Photos
    Flat Fork Creek Park - Treehouse vantage point

    Treehouse vantage point

    Flat Fork Creek Park
    Flat Fork Creek Park - Observation deck

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    Observation deck

    Strawtown Koteewi Park - 8/22/21

    Strawtown Koteewi Park

    4.6(18 reviews)
    35.3 mi

    Pronounced as KO-TAY-WEE which means "fire" and possibly "prairie" in the Miami-Peoria language…read more Located in Hamilton county. The park is unique. This place offers the following: Aerial Adventure trails, Archery Range & Pro shop, Bike trails, Canoe launch, Equestrian center & trail, Fishing, Green space, Hiking trails, Natural History center, Nature trail, Prairie, Sport and target archery. The park encompasses 800 acres with 8 miles of multi use trails and 3 miles of white river. The restored Native American village was pretty neat to see how they lived. I had many pix and unable to post as my pix didn't transfer to new phone. =(

    Another great park in Hamilton County!…read more Strawtown Koteewi Park is one of the more unique parks that I've visited in Indiana, as it has multiple Native American structures outside to explore. This is a really neat park to visit with kids, because they can go in and out of the huts, climb in and out of the archeology excavation site, and just have a good time learning about how people used to live on the land before we came along. There is also a very cool visitor's center with artifacts and treasures from a time long past, like a life-sized dugout canoe, animal skeletons, pottery shards, tools and weapons, and lots more. I took a foraging class here this summer, and it was really great learning about the edible plants that are on the park property. Best of all, it was free! But the class was so good that I would have paid for it. Different classes happen all year long, and many of them are free or very little cost. This park is actually very large, and there are different sections where you can hike, go zip lining and horseback riding. The zip lining and horseback riding areas are seasonal, so they're not open all year long.

    Photos
    Strawtown Koteewi Park - 8/22/21

    8/22/21

    Strawtown Koteewi Park - 8/22/21

    8/22/21

    Strawtown Koteewi Park - 8/22/21

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    8/22/21

    Cardinal Greenway

    Cardinal Greenway

    4.4(9 reviews)
    13.0 mi

    It has been nine years since my original review of Indiana's longest rail-trail, the Cardinal…read moreGreenway. Despite the popularity of Central Indiana's Monon Trail, the Cardinal Greenway is a much longer trail at 62 miles of paved trail and another 15 miles of road that many bicyclists use (from Gaston to Jonesboro). I just finished the Cardinal Greenway yet again for one of my Tenderness Tour events, an annual long-distance wheelchair event that I use for fundraising and outreach. As is nearly always the case for me, I started at the Sweetser Switch Trail in Sweetser, Indiana, a smaller trail that leads right into the Cardinal Greenway. My review is based largely upon my experiences as a wheelchair user on the trail, though some of my insights will universally apply. As someone who enjoys long distances, the Cardinal Greenway is ideally suited for a 2-3 trek. It's a mostly wheelchair friendly trail, though some with upper body weakness may struggle on some of the inclines. I will also note that while the Cardinal Greenway tends to have a decent number of trailheads with portable toilets, some of these are surrounded by gravel and may be more difficult to navigate for wheelchair users. \Additionally, multiple parking areas had clearly marked accessible parking yet were either only gravel or had a surface that was so uneven you'd be a fool to try it in a wheelchair. So, a little advance planning is probably a good idea for wheelchair users. Fortunately, the Cardinal has a good team behind it and it's fairly easy to get accurate info. I'd originally given the Cardinal Greenway a 4-star review precisely because of some of my accessibility concerns. I'm increasing to a 5-star this time around because, quite honestly, accessibility has improved over the years and I've simply fallen in love with this trail. It's a fun mixture of city and rural sections. If starting in Sweetser, the lovely Sweetser Cafe is directly off the trailhead and a great place to stop for breakfast/brunch or a drink (before 2pm). In the rural areas, you can go for miles without seeing more than a few people. The Marion section, which goes directly through the more urban parts of Marion, still seems to be under-utilized but is honestly a lot of fun. It looks a little rough, however, I've never had a single issue wheeling through Marion. As you move out of Marion, you start to experience the country area and, of course, once you hit Gas City you either decide to try the bike trail (not advised for walkers...minimal shoulder and occasionally busy traffic) or pick up in Gaston. I loved the Gaston to Muncie stretch and it takes you through downtown Muncie. The trail's main office is at Wysor Street in Muncie, an area I was told isn't the greatest but looks deceptively calm. Again, I had no problems at all but staying aware is important. I will note that the Wysor Street Depot is a beautiful historic landmark that serves as the Cardinal office - yet, it appeared they've reduced their hours. After Muncie, you have a fairly significant period of a modest incline. It was an exhausting stretch for me that ended in Losantville. This is a particularly long stretch and those who want to do an overnight will probably leave the trail in Losantville and stay in Winchester. Losantville to Richmond is, with a couple of exceptions, a pretty nice downhill. Among the three major cities on the trail, I was most impressed with Richmond's care for the trail with the exception of the ending D Street Trailhead that is located in a hard to find and rather run down area a few blocks from City Hall. The trailhead itself is nice and I found several nice people upon my arrival, but the area itself just seems an odd place to end such a wonderful trail. I've always loved this trail and the people I meet along it. The Cardinal Greenway is in the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame (as is the Monon) and continues to get even better every time I ride it. The restroom situation, in particular, has really improved and over 20 trailheads now have a restroom option. If you're looking for a modestly challenging and scenic trail, the Cardinal Greenway is a tremendous option and easily within a couple hours of Indy even at its most distant point in Marion or Richmond.

    My husband and I recently biked the cardinal greenway and had such a nice time. We parked at the…read morestop in gas city and it had a nice lot and bathrooms. We rode north 10 miles and back. The trail is Good despite a decent amount of bumps which can be rough in a road bike. The bridges and scenery were great though. Fun ride!

    Photos
    Cardinal Greenway - Gennett Records - a historic early jazz label that recorded people like Oscar Peterson and Louis Armstrong. There's a walk of fame here.

    Gennett Records - a historic early jazz label that recorded people like Oscar Peterson and Louis Armstrong. There's a walk of fame here.

    Cardinal Greenway - Wonderfully restored Muncie station is the HQ for the Cardinal Greenway Organization - they offer a few trail souvenirs.

    Wonderfully restored Muncie station is the HQ for the Cardinal Greenway Organization - they offer a few trail souvenirs.

    Cardinal Greenway - Round barn along the Cardinal Greenway

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    Round barn along the Cardinal Greenway

    Hoosier Hill - great views

    Hoosier Hill

    4.7(3 reviews)
    24.1 mi

    Yes, I climbed to the highest point of Indiana today with an elevation of 1257 feet above sea…read morelevel. The site is called Hoosier Hill and is promoted by Wayne County. (There really is no hike as you can easily drive up to the site). We drove pass miles of beautiful Amish farmland in Wayne County to find the marker. There is a small gravel drive into a wooded area that is marked by a second rock as the highest point. A picnic table and bench are available for those who want to enjoy the beauty of the site. A mailbox invites visitors to sign the guest book. I must confess that the site did not feel that much higher than other points in the otherwise flat state, but I trust the geological survey that conducted the survey. Parking is limited. There are no restroom facilities or amenities other than the bench.

    The highest natural point in the entire State of Indiana, Hoosier Hill has an elevation of 1257…read morefeet above sea level. It is on private property but amazingly open to the public thanks to the local land owner. A small forested area next to farmland but a small picnic area is at the end of the short trail from the small parking area. I've been to Britton Hill (Florida) and Ebright Azimith (Delaware) and Clingmans Dome (Tennessee) among others, so now I'm adding Hoosier Hill to my list of highest points. Indiana's highest point is the 44th highest point of the state highest points. Way down the ladder but IT STILL COUNTS. [Review 1316 of 2024 - 192 in Indiana - 22339 overall]

    Photos
    Hoosier Hill - Summit selfie

    Summit selfie

    Hoosier Hill - The actual high point

    The actual high point

    Hoosier Hill - Guestbook inside box

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    Guestbook inside box

    Summit Lake State Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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