This park has a bit of something for everyone! Shelters, playgrounds, aquatic center, ball fields…read moreand courts, and parking! There is a skate park and a small "raceway" for certain events when the weather is warmer. Located on the north end of town, the park is easily accessible and is undergoing some additional work to make it even better. If you are looking for a park, check this one out first! Review #2176

I came to this location with my parents back in the 80s and 90s. You could tell they have put a lot…read moreof work into this establishment. Great Campground!

This is the largest park in North Vernon and offers lots of shelters and camping opportunities. In…read morethe center, there are sports fields (basketball, volleyball, soccer) and playgrounds (note that many of the shelters have either a slide or swingset close by.) The park also has a lot of hills, so the hiking around can provide a nice challenge. There are also a number of places to view the river as it winds through the park. An old stone quarry used to operate here, so that has also added some visual interest. A visitors center can be found on the east side of the park along SR 7/State Street. Review #2173

Nice place, a few little fishing holes. Overall can't complain kids enjoyed themselvesread more

Use to be an amazing place to go with friends during the spring and summer. This place use to allow…read morebeer in cans (if 21+) and no glass bottles, now they tear your car apart looking for alcohol and tell you that alcohol is not allowed. How are a group of adults suppose to enjoy their off day at this business if they can't simply relax and have a beer? I try to go back to this place every year thinking it's fun, but it's just not how it use to be. Staff are always rude as well. Wish I could go back 5 years when this place was at its peak.

When the Selmier family owned the property, Frank Selmier began planting pine, black locust, black…read morewalnut, sycamore, and tulip trees on the land. From 1921 to 1934, he worked on the property and most of the property was placed on Indiana's Classified Forest Program between 1927-1931. After Frank's death, his wife donated the property to the State. This 355 acre property is located just a short distance from US 50 to the northeast side of North Vernon. The park is only accessible form CR 350 N and has the Forest Office/Property Manager's station on the east end of the park. However, if you don't wish to stop by and pick up a brochure, you can take the self-guided trail which starts (and has its own small parking lot) on the west end of the park. That's what I decided to take. The self-guided trail is fairly easy to navigate with wide gravel based roads making up most of the trail. Elevation changes are easy with the exception of one area where steps have been built into the hillside. The trail is roughly 1 mile in length and there are benches for resting or stopping to enjoy the sights and sounds of the park. There are small creeks/runoffs along the way with one spot where a small pond tends to grow after rain fall as it waits to filter through a pipe under the trail to lower ground. For those who like longer hikes, there are additional trails in the park, but none of them are very long. Be advised that hunting is allowed in the park during the season, but hunters should check in at the Forest Office to make sure of any additional restrictions. The brochures list the major items of concern for hunting as well as having maps of the trails. Nothing spectacular to catch your attention as far as terrain, but the forest looks to be in great health and the wide paths make the park more accessible (though not completely) than most. Review #2632

I love the history of covered bridges and cherish the opportunity to visit one. The New Brownsville…read moreCovered Bridge has endured 185 years of weather, relocation, fire and restoration. The original truss bridge was completed by Adam Mason in 1840 and spanned the Whitewater River in Brownsville. The bridge was the only surviving example of a long truss bridge in Indiana, measuring 182 feet long. The bridge was dismantled in 1974 and moved to Mill Race Park in Columbus in 1985 under the guidance of bridge zealot, Virgil Taylor. The bridge was shortened to 85 feet to span a small pond in the park. According to a plaque on the bridge, the original structure was destroyed by fire and later rebuilt. Today, we were able to drive across the restored bridge. I also explored under the bridge on the concrete walkways that descends under the bridge. The bridge is a beautiful reminder of Indiana's history. There is no charge to visit or drive across the bridge. There is no parking close to the bridge, but I did finding parking across the park.

Located in a quaint little park, this bridge was actually moved here from the Brownsville area…read more Originally build in 1840 , it had to be restored after a fire. They did great work. While it looks somewhat small from afar, it seems to really grow once you are inside. Very photogenic by itself or as a backdrop for your selfies or even important photo shoots. Don't forget to enjoy the rest of the park as well.

This is a nice park. I do not think it gets many visitors due to its location. It is right off of a…read morebusy street. The park spans 127 acres and was previously owned by Cosco Products company, which hoped to create an employee recreational area, but it was never fully developed. The county received the property from the Cosco in 2007. The park's name, ECO, is an acronym derived from Employees of Cosco (ECO). The work "Lake" was added to the name to highlight the lake. The park runs along ECO Lake and has an ample amount of parking available. You will find a nice public boat launch that feeds right into the lake. There are also picnic tables and benches positioned in locations around the lake's perimeter. They provide very scenic views. The park has a sand volleyball court and a basketball court right next to each other. They are in fair to good shape. This park features a lot of green space, a moderate amount of shade, a picnic shelter with picnic tables under it, and a playground area. The playground area is not the most modern, but it is decent. It has a medium sized metal play structure with a bunch of slides, a net climber, and monkey bars. The playground also has a bank of traditional swings, monkey bars, and pull up bars. This is a very nice, low key park with lots of open pace. There is a gravel road that leads to the back of the park. That road will take you to camp sites and only registered campers are authorized to go past the gate. I like this park, but think it is just in a bad location. It could use a little bit of an upgrade such as a new shelter because the current one is in bad repair and maybe a restroom facility. They current have a port a potty there, that is located by the shelter and playground area. Definitely a nice place to visit and get access to the lake. Worth a visit if you are in the area.

Camped 1st time July 19th weekend. Absolutely loved it. Beautiful area. Quiet. Pond was great for…read morekayaking. Bathrooms are unbelievable clean. May be our 1st go to camp spot. Also so close to Columbus and I had good internet service. Great place.

Very clean park with updated playground equipment. There's a pool here, shelters, basketball…read morecourts, and a baseball field. I like that there's trash cans everywhere if you need them. This park definitely served it purpose to let my kids stretch their legs in between a road trip to see their grandparents.

This is the mega park of the Seymour area. It has a wide variety of activities for all types of…read moreinterests. There are basket, tennis, and baseball fields. There's an aquatic park and a skate park. There's a shelter and a fountain, and even a Gaga Ball pit. For a park this size, I was surprised I didn't see more picnic tables and grills and benches. And the playground equipment is rather limited to similarly sized parks. On my frequent trips to parks, I believe mothers with small kids make up the biggest number of visitors, so more playground for smaller kids would be a nice addition. Overall, it seems like a really nice park, especially for the kids in the upper elementary range and older. Review #2168

We was planning to go to the middle creek park, but GPS lead us to this park. Strange! There is one…read moretrail beside the parking lot. It's a loop and quite nice walk. The first half is mostly uphill, will be a little exhausting, but the 2nd half is much easier. There is an overlook area, but not much view.

I went looking for this site, and almost turned back when I saw a sign stating the road was Posted…read moreNo Trespassing. I stopped to ask a nearby homeowner, who promised the trailhead was just beyond the outdated sign. It was, all official with signage and a parking area. It's a nice trail, clearly marked and with several benches along the way. It's a loop of about a mile and a half, which ends by the creek. There's no real vista while the leaves are still on the trees, perhaps in winter? Maybe I'll make it back to find out!

Columbus knows how to do parks. The location of this park in downtown Columbus has historical…read moresignificance. Two rivers, East Fork White and Flatrock Rivers merge creating a flood plain. During the 1800's, water was diverted to create power for milling, called a "Mill Race". A number of mills operated here. There were tanneries, brick makers and woolen manufacturing to name a few. Various mills operated for decades but faced challenges of periodic flooding. The mills closed over time and only a few foundations remain. The site has been transformed into a beautiful park, complete with sculptures, trails, a historic covered bridge and more. We visited the park yesterday and spent several hours exploring the site. A notable observation Tower is prominent near the river. I climbed the 130 steps to the top to see panoramic views of the river and town of Columbus. Graffiti vandals have left "art" on the tower. There is an elevator, but it was non operational during my visit. Maybe it as just me, but it was a little creepy at the top. A modern colorful playground is located on the north side of the park. Climbing structures, slides, interactive toys and a wide variety of swings fill the area. The equipment is clean and pristine. Benches and picnic tables surround the playground for parents. I saw several pavilions around the park for picnics or meetings. The grounds of the park are tree covered and beautiful. There is a project underway to restore native plants. The New Brownsville Covered Bridge crosses a small duck pond and is a lovely backdrop for photos. The tress bridge is opened to auto traffic. I saw several sculptures including an artistic vine covered tunnel. The sculptures did look like they have endured annual flooding. Fisherman were fishing in small boats in the river. There is a small boat launch in the park. An amphitheater structure is also on the grounds. The setting is an ideal spot for summer concerts. A single basketball court is located on the west side of the park. I did see a set of modern restrooms in the park. Pathways are concrete making travel easy for strollers and wheelchairs. Parking is available at various locations throughout the park. There is no charge to visit the park. Warning: the mosquito population was pretty treacherous during my visit. I would recommend long sleeves, pants and spray. They will carry you away.

We LOVE Mill Race park. Just had my girls' birthday party there yesterday. We love the playground,…read morebut what really draws us in is the beach area where you can swim in the river! Just bring life jackets as there is a current. But if you stay close to the shore, it's no problem! This park is absolutely beautiful, clean and there's something for everyone to do

If you can find the water tower in downtown North Vernon, then you can eventually find this small…read morepark that lies along the northern end of the trail that runs from downtown to Muscatatuck Park. A trailhead for the trail leads down to the trail and allows you to park your car safely on the blacktopped lot. As far as the park goes, it is on the other side of the water tower from the trail head. The park doesn't have much as far as amenities go. There is a single basketball court, a slide, and a swingset. Sadly, the park tends to have standing water after rains...right under the swings. The park has the basics to become a nice place. With a little funding, the park could easily be a nice place to stop if they added some picnic tables and could get the water drain to the dropoff area along the trail. Review #2172