I was recently appointed to the Indiana Trails Advisory Board. We held a meeting at Wilfong…read morePavilion in Founders Park, another Carmel Park I'd had yet to visit. This is a 37-acre park (it feels bigger, but that's according to the Carmel Parks website). I think the reason it feels bigger is that it better utilizes its space over a park like the nearby Hazel Landing. Founders Park has a large shelter, restroom facility, open sports fields (there were kids playing soccer while I was there), walking trails, and a very cool playground that is nature-inspired - swings, a sandbox, climbing structures, and more. Founders Park also has native prairie, wetlands, and a pond. Wilfong Pavilion is a neat facility with a capacity in its main room of 99 people. It also has beautiful views. Founders Park has had multiple upgrades recently including repair of its retaining wall, new fencing, an improved parking lot, and added rubber safety surfacing with the playground. I definitely see this as a very family friendly park. There's a seasonal drinking fountain, fishing, trails, a bike rack, and a seasonal foot wash station that makes me wish I had feet. Carmel is typically good about accessibility and that's definitely evident here. The bathroom had a nice, larger stall with grab rails. I would definitely return and I would definitely consider renting Wilfong Pavilion myself as it has accessible parking and appropriate curb cuts.

Are you looking for a park to take your little ones to or just a park to have picnic at then look…read moreno further. This park is really nice and has some wonderful activities at it for children to enjoy. There are a lot of picnic benches and plenty of grass here for a nice picnic on a nice warm day. There are bathrooms that looked well kept here. If you are in the area definitely check this park out. I had met my friend and her daughter here and found this park to be very enjoyable.

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.

Very short trail. If you're going for walking I don't recommend but if you just want to be outdoors…read morein the shade and near the creek it would be fine. I went with my dog hoping to get a decent walk in and I was disappointed.

I'll openly admit that I'd never heard of Hague Road Nature Haven until I decided to do some…read moreHamilton County exploring today following church. Hague Road Nature Haven is a relatively small spot at 43 acres. It's located at the Southeast corner of Hague Road and SR 38. The master plan calls for an outdoor education center, though for the most part the current status of Hague Road Nature Haven is as a fairly rough, immersive, and absolutely peaceful place that makes up for its accessibility issues with being a bit of natural wonder right here in Central Indiana. Hague Road Nature Haven is surrounded by Cicero Creek. There's a small parking lot. It's cleared but still natural in presentation. Plans eventually call for campsites, a natural playground, a nature center, study areas, and I believe I even saw plans for a small, natural amphitheatre. There are no plans, necessarily, to turn this into anything resembling a recreation area and we should be grateful for that. For now, you've got lots of greenery, hiking trails, creekside spots for stomping or wheeling or just watching. There's one absolutely delightful spot with a sort of swing bench. It's an inspired touch for an inspiring location in Noblesville. You can fish here, of course, and I was honestly surprised at just how much of this nature haven I could handle by wheelchair (though certainly not all). The creek itself stays relatively shallow. However, obviously, children should be supervised and care should be taken to ensure safety. This is nature, after all, and things can happen easily. Animals may very well be here, as well. This haven is still relatively light in terms of attendance and in one afternoon I saw fish, tadpoles, lots of birds and, yes, even deer. I wouldn't be surprised if turtles are around here and maybe even a snake or two (I like snakes...for me, that's a good thing). There's a relatively light "nature walk" trail here. It runs just under a mile. The path is natural, though I found it cleared enough that I could manage it. In adverse weather, I probably could not. It's not technically "accessible," but it's wide enough, mostly smooth ground/crushed stone, and almost completely flat. Plus, it's right by the creek. This also means mosquitoes in season, but that's easily handled. Absolutely heaven. This is a relatively secluded area - this can be an amazing thing, but it's also worth noting in terms of taking appropriate precautions. You're really not that far from residential areas here, though this truly is a set-apart haven and a magnificent slice of nature almost smack dab where you least expect it. There's no question I'll be back.

Besides the fact it was a perfectly beautiful sunny day, this was not worth the gas to drive here,…read moremuch less the $7 each to get in. It is definitely not a lake, but a decent size pond. You are not allowed past thigh deep in the water unless you pay an extra $10 an hour to do the obstacle course. Also, parking is not clearly marked. Small kids did seem to have a good time, so it might be worthwhile for families with little ones. Since Fishers residents get in free, it might also be a good dunning spot for you. They do allow outside food and coolers, if you want to pack a lunch, and offer coolers with drinks for sale at an inflated price. If you do decide to go, make sure to fill out the waver online ahead of time.

I went by my self to try this place before I brought any grandkids. 1 + is that you are allowed to…read morebring in outside food coolers and toys of floaties basically all the stuff that you would want to bring with you and I do suggest you do so. I asked if there was a place where they do sell drinks and snacks and I was told they do over by the Porta Potty but I really didn't see anywhere that these items were being sold Maybe there was someone back in the kayak shed they had those things available but I would just recommend you bring your own. They only have porta potty available which I personally not a fan of. The Sandy Beach area where I was laying had so many bees and wasps. I happen to have some bug spray in my bag so sprayed myself and the area where I was laying at and my towels in an effort to keep them away. Worked for short amount of time. The sand is very hard and uncomfortable. Bring chairs. It's $7 per person to get in if you're not a fisher's resident if your Fisher's resident it's free and probably more affordable if you have the group of kids because it is $10 extra for an hour of the kayak use and $10 extra to go beyond the roped area probably because they have this inflated play area that's tethered outside that roped area. They have a lifeguard on duty. Fill out the waiver before you go. If you have the money and bring your own food and drinks it could be a nice little outing for the family. If your not a resident of fishers though I'm sure there are more enjoyable options for $7, $10 or $27 per person. Also be prepared to bring cartloads to be able to enjoy or be comfortable.

I had never been camping nor have I stayed in a cabin. The associate working the front desk was…read morevery welcoming and very polite. We checked in with no problems. We were able to rent fishing poles and buy live bait! We didn't catch any fish. We did see the truck release the fish into the water and stock the lakes. Several other families hooked fish but our luck just wasn't with us! We still had a great time! The cabins were authentic wood beams and the smell of pine. I was happy there were a few electrical outlets and an air conditioner. There were 3 beds, which we provided our own bedding. The ability to walk from it Cabin straight to the lake, a 3 second walk, was amazing. The Friday night bonfire was great for smores! The only things I didn't care for were that the mattresses were not in plastic - our family that stayed in 3 other cabins had plastic. I also did not care for the showers. The bathroom and showers we saw were in the bait house. 2 out of 4 women's restrooms were out of order. The restroom I went in wasn't very welcoming. No soap. Toilet wasn't the best. Dirty feminine products in the trash. No paper towels or dryers. The showers didn't appear sanitary. Walls looked run down. There was a designated area with 16 showers but the view of the first showers at the bait house deterred us from giving those a chance. We stayed Friday to Saturday. Cleaned ourselves in the canon with baby wipes and wash cloths. Didn't shower until we got home. Overall, I would come back. Peaceful and calming scenery.

Spent the July 4th holiday weekend here and our family loved it. Easy check in and check out…read moreprocess, the staff was extremely helpful every time I called with questions since it was our first time there. The down side was the bath house wasn't as clean a day later, all toilets were clogged and the floor was disgusting. I will definitely visit again.

I'm a definite fan of Carmel Parks, however, I'd also definitely place Hazel Landing Park on the…read morelow-end of the Carmel Parks system. Hazel Landing Park was reopened on October 20, 2025 with the debut of the new, and quite wonderful, Bur Oak Bridge. The bridge connects directly from the park, though if you're parking on the paved area you'll have a little bit of a walk and a gravel path you'll have to use to access the bridge. The bridge, easily my favorite thing about this park, spans 500 feet across the White River. It's 14-feet wide and is great for pedestrians, bikers, or wheelers like me. It connects Hazel Landing Park to Heritage Park in Fishers. Heritage Park is definitely a more traditional park with a quality restroom and more traditional amenities. Hazel Landing Park was originally developed in 2003. It's a 41-acre park with its only other main feature being an 18-hole disc golf course. It's set against the river - kind of cool. There's also a canoe and kayak launch, picnic tables, a grill, and lots of green space. That said, it also has a bit of an industrial feeling as it's backed by parts of Carmel's utilities and the concrete companies and a gravel pit. If you know Hazel Dell Parkway, you will know what I'm talking about. The other major negative is that the driving path is significantly rough with major potholes. It's definitely not a park you want to pull into quickly. This isn't a bad park by any means. The Bur Oak Bridge is exceptional. While there's an incline to get on the bridge, it's a gradual incline and I had no issues handling it in my wheelchair. I do know this is a park that tends to flood in poor weather (it is next to White River), though it wasn't particularly bad today. I wouldn't recommend this park for wheelchair users, though someone with assistance or someone particularly able to handle gravel could at least enjoy the bridge. With so many other park options in Carmel, this would probably be one I'd mostly pass on other than those days when I want to take in the beautiful White River.

1st impression: tiny park but with very nicely placed picnic tables and a little landing from which…read moreone could fish or launch a kayak. BUT, 1) In a couple months a pedestrian bridge will connect it to Heritage Park in Fishers, which has really nice paved woodsy walking trails; & 2) If you bring a lawn chair & sit on the landing in the shade a few feet from the White River, you will (hopefully) feel perfect peace.

The kids (and honestly, the adults too) will LOVE these…read more "tree-style" honeycomb pods at Meadowlark Park -- it's basically modern art you can actually play on! Giant treetop-style play structure that feels straight out of a storybook Padded ground Playground for all ages with 3 separate climbing structures Massive, fast tunnel slides + toddler/baby-friendly slides 2 shaded pavilions + bathrooms for snack/lunch breaks Pickleball courts, basketball court,  pond & access to the Monon Trail + other walking paths ‍ If your kid loves climbing, pretending, and exploring--you NEED to check out this treehouse-style playground

This is a great park. It looks like it was renovated recently. I've never been here and I was…read morepleasantly surprised! It's right outside of Main Street Carmel. There was a playground, pickleball/tennis, basketball, an open area, and some walking/biking trails.

Indy is truly so lucky to be able to have as much outdoor space as we do through Fort Harrison…read moreState Park. There are trails galore, and that's mainly why I go, so I'll focus on that. There are a lot of different trailheads that have different difficulty, but I'd say they're mostly moderate on average. Each trailhead has its own parking lot. There is also a $7 entry fee per car. The trails aren't too busy most of the time but it's not uncommon to pass by others. The trails are also very clean and kept under good shade covered. There's nice views here with all the trees and the historical sites from when Fort Harrison was, well, a fort. I'm mostly a hiker by way of my outdoor adventures, so I'd love to check out some of the other resources at the park sometime!

Back at Fort Harrison with my best fur-iend Bentley. There are lots of trails here, but when this…read morelittle guy is with me we stick to the paved paths. He's got a huge adventure spirit, just little legs, so we switch things up with chauffeur service, aka me pushing his stroller :D This is one of our favorite easy outings together.