What a wonderful place to get out of the city and just slow down! My honey took me here 4/26/26…read moresince we've had some nice weather lately. Pleasantly surprised they have many picnic tables, the cover bridge to see and of course the Falls. Just be careful when walking to the lower fall as you are pretty close to the ledge of the falls. Plenty to enjoy here. Next time we shall have a nice picnic and enjoy the scenery. You can swim too.Parking is easy but i'm sure it gets crowded in the summer time!

Cataract Falls is a geological wonder worth visiting and only an hour west of Indianapolis. These…read moremagnificent Falls were created over millions of years as ice and water carved into the ancient limestone resulting in Mill Creek and two sets of falls. The Upper Falls drops 20 feet and can be viewed near the entrance to the park at several overlooks. We visited this week on a bright summer day. The waters were loud and rapid after recent rains. This is one of Indiana's most beautiful sites. There is a large parking lot near the Upper Falls along with picnic tables, grill, pavilion and small playground. We brought a picnic lunch so we could enjoy the Falls. There are pit bathrooms near the playground in a second parking lot. The Lower Falls are a short drive through the park. A nearby lot provides plenty of parking. The short path to view the falls is not paved, but an easy walk. These falls drop 18 feet with incredible views of the layered limestone exposed west of the falls. I was envious of a lone kayaker below the falls. There are marked trails through dense woods descending near the creek. You'll want to wear good hiking shoes and bug spray if you are up for the adventure. The property was donated by Agnes Stuckey in memory of her mother, Agnes Steiner. The Park is maintained by the Indiana DNR. There was no admission during our midweek visit.

If you like the Indy outdoor scene but want to avoid the crowds, Southwestway Park is a great place…read morefor it! I consider the hiking to be similar to Eagle Creek and Fort Harrison parks, but with the perks of no entry fee and thus, less crowds. I went on my hike on an early Saturday evening. There is pretty good shade coverage on the trails. They are rated for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Some spots can be muddy or slick, so good traction on your shoes is a must. I don't believe there is a bathroom on the premises. There's also not a ton of parking by the hiking trails either. However, there is some construction going on in the area, so they might be adding some extra facilities with this.

This is a great park for mountain biking of all levels and hiking. Good free outdoor activity and a…read moreworkout. We took some of our kids mountain biking for the first time here. Helmets are definitely a must. Even the beginner trail can be challenging if never mountain biked before. My kids really enjoyed it, one struggled with getting up the hills though so that caused some hardship when biking with multiple people in close proximity. The mountain biking trails also have hikers on them so beware and try to be as safe as you can. After mountain biking, we hiked a trail which was fun. Not sure how long the trail was, but we walked all the way down by the water which was very pretty. They have a paved path as well if that's more your speed. Parking areas are available which makes accessing the park easy. I didn't notice any restroom building, but they had a porta potty open for use. A playground was accessible near the area we parked at.

I'm a huge fan of the five trails in Plainfield. Their safe, as a trail can be, clean, paved, many…read moreconvenient parking areas throughout Plainfield and not over populated like the Monon. Most of the folks I encounter are friendly and polite with a lot of dog walkers, runners and bikers. Each of the trails intersect with another trail making it easy to explore Plainfield or stay away from the congestion of the world. If you enjoy spending time in nature, you'll enjoy Vandalia Trail. Spend a few hours exploring all the trails to find your favorite route throughout Plainfield. Vandalia Trail replaced the old Vandalia railroad line. As a child my husband played on and around the Vandalia tracks and I love hearing his childhood memories. Most of the 5 trails have points of interest along the way that can distract you. Vandalia Trail has a great bridge at the intersection of White Lick Trail close to the baseball diamonds at Franklin Park. Just across the bridge is a shaded seating area which is great to meet up with friends and a map of the trails if you get turned around. I often find myself stopping to watch a ballgame at Franklin Park on my way to White Lick Trail. The almost 5 mile trail is a comfortable walk, jog or ride with a few hilly areas. The N. East Street and Aquatic Center hill is probably the steepest but still manageable for most. Much of the trail is shaded with sunlight streaming through the trees and I find very peaceful. You will encounter a few road crossings or under passes, and even though well marked stay vigilante. Vandalia Trail connects with White Lick Trail which takes you to Main St., a.ka. Washington St. or US 40, Al's Doughnuts, Oasis Diner, or Dairy Queen if you're looking for a quick snack or meal. From here continue on to Friendship Park and Hummel Park. Both are beautiful parks and each have their own points of interest worth exploring.

I love running on this paved trail in Plainfield...a lot of traffic in most areas but on some parts…read moreof the trail it can seem lonely. Great mile markers. The parks department keeps it mostly clear and easy to access. This is a gem in Plainfield!

Red Maple Path is one of three paths located inside the 205-acre Hummel Park. Red Maple is…read moreprimarily known for its wooden bridge pathway. It's a narrow path, though I had no issues crossing it in my wheelchair. I can never turn down a good bridge. The entire path is around 1.2 miles around the eastern portion of Hummel Park. You'll experience several of the park's amenities. This is a very wooded park and quite beautiful. The path itself is paved and super wheelchair friendly with barely an incline to be found. It's worth noting that the bridge goes over the White Lick Creek. This is a pedestrian bridge and no fishing is allowed. You're really not supposed to stop on the bridge, though it'll take a stronger person than me to not stop and gaze at the beauty. Because this is located inside Hummel Park, parking itself is solid and there are accessible spots, including van accessible, quite close to the trail. This was one of my stops on a work trip to Plainfield and I already find myself wanting to return in the near future.

Red Maple Path is the Hummel Park Wooden Bridge path intended primarily for pedestrian use to…read moresafely cross White Lick Creek. The bridge is narrow so walking your bike across is a must. Nice location for pictures or an easy to find meeting spot in the park.

I'd love to tell you that I intentionally sought out the Coatesville Trailhead of the Vandalia…read moreTrail. That would be a lie. The truth is I stumbled across it while in Coatesville for my father's funeral at nearby Bousley Funeral Home. If you know me, you know that I've traveled over 6,000 miles by wheelchair for a variety of charities. "Wheeling" is a coping skill. So, when I arrived in Coatesville early and began looking around I couldn't help but explore this trailhead when I stumbled upon it. First off, this is a pretty fine trailhead. This section of the Vandalia Trail runs from Amo to the Hendricks-Putnam County Line. It's 4.1 miles and is considered part of Indiana's National Road Heritage Trail. For those who don't know, U.S. 40 is the historic National Road (and known as Washington Street in Indy). This is a trail perfect for walkers, bicyclists, and at times equestrians. In my case, it's also great for wheelchair users. The trail is nicely paved. Both the Coatesville and Amo Trailheads have nicely done restrooms (though I have noticed they seem to struggle with some vandalism of them). Next to the restrooms, you'll find bike repair stations and air pumps. There's also a crushed gravel equestrian trail that runs parallel to the paved travel. I didn't have time to do the entire 4.1 miles. However, I've already decided to use the trail on my next special event later this year. It's nicely shaded, has a cool bridge about halfway between the trailheads, and both Amo and Coatesville are small but attractive towns. While I can't testify to the entire trail since I didn't finish it, the part I handled was in good shape and relatively easy for me as an active wheelchair user. I didn't run into a lot of people, however, it was in late April and not the best weather. At least twice, maybe three times, I've pretty much traveled the National Road Heritage Trail across Indiana (it's about 150 miles). It's a great route. My parents lived in Coatesville for years before their passing, my father most recently last month. For whatever reason, I've not spent a lot of time on the Vandalia. I'll be changing that this year and definitely doing this trail from Coatesville to Amo. Per the Hendricks County Parks website, parking is available at the Coatesville trailhead on the south side of Railroad Street, just east of Milton Street, near the town's flagpole. The trail extends east to Amo and west to Greencastle. Amo has a cool museum and a great pizza shop, Greencastle is home to Depauw University and has some additional cool trails. Trails don't always have quality restrooms, especially for wheelchair users, and I really love the effort put into these.

Brown County Country Club (BC3) is nestled in the woods just a couple miles from downtown…read moreNashville, Indiana. I visited there on 11/7/15 for a friend's private event and I loved it! When you drive up, first you notice a massive amount of green land with trees bordering the property. There's a 100 acres of land, so there's plenty of green space. Down the drive, there's a parking lot next to their main building. There's space for 30-40 cars, at the very least. Walking into the building, if you look to your right at sunset (when we arrived), you'll catch a brilliant sunset past the trees. It's a wonderful time to be in nature! Once you walk down the path and into the venue, allow your eyes to soak up the cozy warmth of the wooden walls, bar, and floor. This is a lovely place! Right when you walk in there is a bar to the right and then space for around 4-5 round tables and some counters/long table space for food. Keep walking and you'll have three amazing bathrooms to your left. I know, right? How strange is it to be in love with a venue's bathrooms, but you'll know when you see it. The bathroom doors are set to slide open along the wall, and are all made of re-purposed wood from a Brown County auction (thanks to one of the owners' family members explaining this to me!). The bathroom interiors are all bright colors and nothing is gender specific. Also, it's eco-friendly! The sink water fills up the toilet tanks and there are dozens of white towels & a laundry basket. There's a larger gathering place that can fit around 7-8 round tables in the next room, and past this is a door leading to the outside. They allow bonfires, woohoo! Beautiful. Also, the land is so far away from Bloomington and Indianapolis, that there's no light pollution ruining the night sky. On a clear night, there are dozens of sparkling stars. Camping may even be allowed (it was at this event) and there's plenty of space. They have space for disc golf as well. Overall, I loved the place. I hope to attend future events at this venue. This is a family-owned property and it's the perfect addition to the Nashville/southern Indiana community!

Beautiful family owned 24 hole disc golf course. I'm a first time player and had a blast!!…read moreEverything was well marked out and well maintained!! I also enjoyed the wildlife out in the course. We met one of the owners and enjoyed hearing the story behind the business. Definitely a must do if in the area!!!

I'd call this a pocket park, if anything. Yelp has the category "parklet," which is appropriate, I…read morethink, because Old Pumphouse Park is a tiny little park. Yes, a parklet, if you will. (Will you?) There is a literal pump at this park, with a sign that tells you the history of the pump. It's not functional anymore, but it used to be set up as a place for families to get water who didn't have their own well, and for firefighters to do their thing. Now, of course, the town of Nashville has its own water system, and no one needs a water pump. But it's a fun relic. Old Pumphouse Park is pretty much in the center of downtown Nashville, right outside the public restrooms. How I enjoyed the park is: I sat by the pump, which sits under a gazebo by some beautiful hydrangea, and ate some chocolates that I bought down the street. This is a nice park to visit for a bit and sit at for a while, as you're making your way around downtown Nashville.

While Nashville continues to grow and turnover the shops in the area, I was glad to see they…read morefinally started adding parks to the community. Sure, I know they have huge state parks in the area and the kids have playgrounds at the school, but they were missing the charm of having a quiet place, slightly away from the crowded streets of the town. So, when my day of shopping/eating/browsing was winding down, I finally noticed this park. Just a block away from the main drag through town, I was able to sit on one of the benches and appreciate the nice landscaping. The public restrooms are there too, so it makes sense to have a place for others to rest if someone in the group needs to use the facilities. Seems like there has been a pocket park here for quite awhile, but what I finally noticed was the mini shelter that covered an old water pump, the kind used to fetch water out of a well. There is a plaque about the ceremonial "burying" of the old pump back in 1949 when the town finally got on a public water system furnished from a lake in the state park. What makes this quirky is that an actual hearse was used to haul the pump to its final resting place after 60 years of service. There is even a photo of the horse drawn hearse posted in the mini shelter. What a strange bit of local flavor. Regardless of whether you enjoy reading these little bits of local lore, the park was well maintained and provided a nice place to take a break. Review #2779

Great place for kids and adults to and be in the middle of nature. A lot to offer, swimming,…read morecanoeing, zip lining and camp programs. Family reunions are also a big hit .

Beautiful. I have been here many times for Indiana University retreats, boot camps, and seminars…read more It is so nice to unplug from work and to get to know your co-workers and our leadership. I would like to spend more time here! It's so nice.