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    Whitewater State Park

    4.4 (19 reviews)

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    Brady R.

    A great place near my hometown to get away and explore nature in a variety of ways: - horseback riding (can bring your own/camp or ride at their saddle barn) - fishing / boating - hiking - camping - a variety of other forms of entertainment and activities depending on the time of year (i.e. a Haunted Trail for Halloween in October; outdoor movies when COVID isn't happening). This isn't the park that connects to Brookville Lake, but rather Whitewater.

    Jamie W.

    This state Park is under 2 hours from my home, so I've been eager to get over there and check it out. I really wanted to check it out during the summer and take my kids to the beach, I didn't get a chance to do that but I've learned it's also a pretty cool place to visit in the winter! From October to march, the Brookville Lake portion in the State Park dries up and becomes a resting area for birds. It's really cool to see, kind of an eerie & deserted, but an intriguing experience. You can see the bottom of the lake, and hear nothing but the sound of birds in the distance. It's pretty relaxing. You can walk out on the pier (that doesn't go out to anything because the lake is dried up), and see the birds, the footprints of miscellaneous animals, driftwood, and other unique fossils. From March to October, there is boating and fishing options. There are two lakes in this park, the other Lake has a beach area with changing rooms/restrooms (closed off season). Fish cleaning areas and lots of hiking trails too. The Veterans trail was intriguing, we didn't get a chance to hike it but will be back to do so! The Dam has a pull off area you can park at and walk to the bottom of it. It's pretty cool to see!

    Lisa W.

    Went on trail #12. It was pretty mild. Views of the water on half of the loop. Not a lot of scenic stops as creek bed was dried out.

    Marley W.

    Very nice Indiana State Park! Lots to do here or not depending on your vacation preferences. Campsites are large & accommodating - large asphalt pads & electric service available. Many large mature trees - most of the standing dead ash trees have been removed and there is still ample shade! While here our grandkids enjoyed fishing, kayaking & swimming as well as a small bit of surfing on their phones! Could not believe we actually got 2 bars on Verizon while in the park! Each site has the requisite fire ring & picnic table - each in reasonable shape. Over the weekend it was delightful that all of our neighbors were good neighbors to have! Park was almost full over the weekend but now on Monday morning it is very much thinned out! We would come back here again! It looks to be a great place to camp in the spring & fall! Can imagine sitting by the fire with either a glass of wine or some hot cocoa & s'mores! The only negative I can say is that the restrooms are in need of an update. Showers are one temperature control push style.

    Reflection on the lake at the beach.
    Nobuyuki S.

    When we first moved to Indiana, we were missing having the beach about 200 feet away. We'd drive to the beach at this state park every summer. Indiana and Ohio have a number of lakes and state parks like this and Whitewater State Park is quite pleasant. I was here for the TEC (Tri-Eastern Conference) Middle School cross country meet. No one was lying on the beach, and it was a bit chilly to think about that anyway. There was a good reflection on the lake and it was all quite pleasant. The person at the gate house was helpful and pleasant. Directional signs are a bit small--or I'm a bit older perhaps--but you can find the horses, boat launching areas, or the beach easily while going the indicated 15 mph.

    Robert T.

    I'm into tent camping, relaxing and leisurely day hikes so that's what my review will be based on. There are LOTS of activities available in the park if you're into other stuff. The park is open all year but most activities are limited to the warm months. Whitewater SP has a massive area for camping. A few sites suck, most are fine, and some are SWEET. If you're going for the first time, tell the ranger at the gatehouse that you would like to roam around and pick your spot. If that won't fly, rent a spot with your best guess. Once you're in, check it out then look around before you start setting up. If you see something you like better, go back and ask the ranger to switch you. As long as it's not reserved, they'll get you squared away. Lots of grassy-woodsy areas can be found as well as shady, secluded spots under big trees. It was cool to see all the variety. All sites have a solid table, good fire ring and a place to park. There were drinking water spigots, hot showers and real toilets here and there, as well as a few stinkhole outhouses. Um, avoid those... 'nuff said. Whitewater has an issue with raccoons, so keep an eye out for them right after dusk and especially if you're within sight of a dumpster. Secure your food and don't camp near trash cans ! The little bastards got into a closed cooler inside a locking rubbermaid tub and snitched my waffles the first time I visited. The second night I paid better attention. I could hear them sniffin' around for about 20 minutes after I hit the sack, then they gave up. No food = No raccoons. The hiking trails are nice. There are five marked trails from 1 - 3 mi, plus paved roadpaths down to the beach and general store. Trails were well maintained and secluded, very beautiful. Unless you're a smoker, expect easy and comfortable hiking through dense woods and canopy. If you need provisions there's a general store. Liberty, IN is about five miles away if you need groceries. If you're REALLY hurtin' there are two Walmarts nearby, the closest being a 20 min drive across the border in Oxford, Ohio (and Ohio sells beer on Sunday). You won't be roughing it at Whitewater, this is definitely city-slicker camping. However, it whoops KOA (or similar outdoor motels) because the Nature hasn't been beaten out of it. Hard to top that for around $10 bucks a night. Happy trails

    Horseback riding
    Roberta R.

    We stayed a while in one of their cabins and were very impressed by the cabin itself and overall value. The park is kept up nicely. The staff is friendly and helpful. We rented canoes and went horseback riding during our visit; everything was great. Keep up the good work, Indiana!

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    4 years ago

    Very clean nice state campground. Been coming here over 10 years for Labor Day family reunions. Great place to have it.

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    Ask the Community - Whitewater State Park

    Review Highlights - Whitewater State Park

    Swimming, horseback riding, boat rental, hiking in the moderate to rugged zones, a lake beach, camping, picnic areas....

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    Liberty Park - Newer playground

    Liberty Park

    4.0(3 reviews)
    25.9 mi

    The playground at Liberty Park reminds me of the playground equipment that I grew up with in the…read more1980s / early 1990s. Just, like, groups of metal bars that require you to use your imagination, because otherwise they're just bleak and cold and hard objects standing in the middle of a field. This park has metal monkey bars and metal slides, a metal geometric dome and a metal merry-go-round -- all of the metal things. I imagine that this playground might be a little hot to the touch in the summer, but when we visited in late winter, it was perfectly pleasant. But only 3/4 of the playground is old-school playground equipment. The other 1/4 is updated plastic. However, for some reason, my children spent very little time in the updated playground area, and opted for the metal area. Very interesting. This park has lots going for it. It has an enormous sheltered picnic area that seems like it would be good for group events. It has a colorful basketball court with four hoops. There's also a baseball field, disc golf / frisbee golf (frolf) course, a gaga ball court, a walking path, a man-made lake, and a little fairy house by the playground parking lot. Liberty feels like a big park but is also a quaint part of the community. We had a good time visiting.

    Liberty Park is a good sized park in Batesville with plenty for the whole family to enjoy! The…read moreplayground is pretty large in size and has quality looking equipment for the kiddos. I noticed they even had swings for kids with disabilities! Definitely worth a stop if you have kiddos. There's a baseball field and soccer field in the park, as well as some frisbee golf areas. They do have picnic shelters, two that I saw and both were large. There's also a nice gazebo! There are paths where you could walk in loops, which is what I did with my friend, and there are benches sporadically as well for those who like a place to sit and watch the world go by. The bathrooms over by the baseball field were fairly clean for a park bathroom, too. Still had some spider webs, but it's a park bathroom so... ;) Overall, this park was great and an unexpected surprise!

    Photos
    Liberty Park - Gazebo

    Gazebo

    Liberty Park - Basketball court

    Basketball court

    Liberty Park - Playground

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    Playground

    Rentschler Forest Preserve Ranger Sta - Shelterhouse and river

    Rentschler Forest Preserve Ranger Sta

    4.6(8 reviews)
    28.1 mi

    We recently visited for the first time over the Memorial Day weekend and were pleasantly surprised…read more We only hiked the Cascade Trail so that is what my review will be on. The park website and things online are very confusing. One site says, permit not required and another say one isn't. The sign at the park also says permit required, but there is no where to purchase one in person or online. We took the chance and parked without one. I did see a worker driving around and he didn't seem to be checking cars. The map seems okay for general navigating and there is signage around. The trails are marked okay I think. There could be some improvement, but the Cascade Trail is a big loop so it isn't a huge deal. The trail was well maintained. A little overgrown in places, but nothing terrible. It's also really flat except for the end of the trail where you need to walk up a big hill to get back to where we parked. My kids did fine with the trial the whole time though. The bridge is super neat and my kids had fun crossing it. The falls were pretty and a nice treat, but you really have to wander around to find a good view of it. Luckily none of us minded that. The creek is really nice to play and walk in. That was by far my kids favorite part. We also found lots of fossils to explore and look at! It was a little muddy after all the rain we had received, but nothing terrible.

    My favorite 'hiking' spot in Butler County…read more My favorite part about this preserve are the trails. There are multiple trails that connect to each other, so if you get bored with hiking your usual trail, it's easy to mix it up a little bit. They are all well kept and maintained. Sometimes there is some litter, but we pick it up. There are two old building foundations on one of the trails and a piece of farm equipment grown into a tree, pretty neat! The park is big, lots of space.

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    Rentschler Forest Preserve Ranger Sta
    Rentschler Forest Preserve Ranger Sta - Playground

    Playground

    Rentschler Forest Preserve Ranger Sta - Suspension bridge

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    Suspension bridge

    Glen Helen Nature Preserve - Miss on tree and greenery

    Glen Helen Nature Preserve

    4.5(79 reviews)
    58.9 mi

    Hadn't been here in years. They now charge for parking. I found free parking across the street…read more The building at the entrance was open and has one bathroom and water fountain but can't count on it being open. I went down the stone stairs ... they were slippery but was glad i still could manage them. They have changed things ... added wooden pathways and more water at the bottom of the stairs. I'd hoped walk to both waterfalls. But wearing new shoes and saw it was muddy. So just headed back up the stairs to the car. They have bird feeders at the buildings. Nice place to hike. Parking is 10 bucks.

    Let's start off with the only thing that took me as interesting. They charge $10 for parking. It's…read morea non profit so I guess this is to help in taking care of the the facilities and help pay the staff. I'd never been here but the lovely Mrs went to camp here with her 8th grade class back in the 80's. I'd never been so was kind of curious about it as I was under the impression that it's just a park where kids could learn about nature and all its magic. What I found out is that it is an incredible wandering path. Lots of things to see like waterfalls, rock formations and even a path where you get from one side to the other by stepping from stone to stone. Lots of folks, lots of pets, big and small. The education center had a park employee out there with a bigger falcon, then a smaller falcon and then the gorgeous barn owl. The folks inside the education center were incredibly helpful and knew a ton about the inhabitants of the 'enclosures'. My favorite was the teeny tiny Megatron who's the smallest and cutest owl I've ever seen. Park isn't marked very well. They suggest you download the digital map from the QR code as you walk toward the very nice restroom facility. This is very nice but... the signs(pieces of paper with numbers written on them) with the corresponding numbers from the map are either missing, blurred due to water or faded from the sun. I'm hoping one of the Boy Scouts we saw while here takes it upon themselves to start their petition to create more permanent signs for their 'Eagle' comprehensive service project. There were so many times we were like...where are we. Plenty of trash to pick up so if you're like me, bring a small grocery bag and leave it better than you came. Thank you to the nice couple with the long haired dachshund who climbed the rocky pylon to help me get the cup that had been left there. It makes me happy that there are people still out there willing to help me with such simple but worthwhile side projects.

    Photos
    Glen Helen Nature Preserve
    Glen Helen Nature Preserve - Steps

    Steps

    Glen Helen Nature Preserve - Yellow springs

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    Yellow springs

    Whitewater State Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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