Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    DePauw Nature Park

    4.2 (10 reviews)

    DePauw Nature Park Photos

    Recommended Reviews - DePauw Nature Park

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Richard P.

    Between 1917 and 1977, what is now the DePauw Nature Park was a limestone quarry owned by Hanson Aggregates. Having been inactive for years, Hanson Aggregates donated 280 acres of land to DePauw University while leasing the remaining 178 acres at $1 per year for 99 years. DePauw was able to acquire additional adjacent land for a total of 520 acres that opened in its initial phase in 2004, second phase in 2005, and the additional of the LEED certified Prindle Institute of Ethics in 2007 and also LEED certified Bartlett Reflection Center in 2009. With a total of 10.1 miles in nature trails, the DePauw Nature Park is a favorite spot for are students and residents along with members of DePauw's athletic teams including members of the cross country team joined me as I'd included the DePauw Nature Trails, specifically the Prindle 1 Trail and the Creekside Trail, on my recent Tenderness Tour event covering trails from Terre Haute to Indy. Now then, I must first confess that my 3-star rating may be a tad unfair. The DePauw Nature Park is a stunningly beautiful nature park, raw in its beauty and presentation with an obvious attempt made to make it both accessible for public enjoyment while maintaining, as close as possible, its natural state. The trails, without exception, are varying degrees of gravel travels with certain trails even off limits to bicycles due to their rough terrain. The park offers limited, primitive camping primarily to DePauw connected persons within its grounds and because of its origins is available for research projects and the two buildings, Prindle Institute and Bartlett Reflection Center, are stunningly beautiful along with a somewhat primitive amphitheater where I finally made my way after what proved to be my most challenging day on tour. Now then, if you happen to be from DePauw and are reading this review you're likely either cringing or thinking to yourself, with a few expletives tossed in, "Um, those trails are not made for bikes. They're certainly not made for wheelchairs." Kind of my point. As I researched for my trails prior to leaving Indy, I knew that the Nature Park would likely be my most challenging day. While the gravel appears in photos to be rather smooth, when you're out in nature there's always that unpredictable element of nature and wind and rain, etc. However, as I planned to stick with two trails without any particular cautions and I had made plans to meet up with a couple DePauw runners I wasn't particularly concerned given that the trails were relatively short and I've spent most of the past 25+ years wheeling long distances on all kinds of terrain in all kinds of weather. Utilizing mostly printed maps available in town along with my advanced research, I set out on what I believed to be Prindle 1 (it was Prindle 2) and made a bad turn rather quickly as it wasn't clearly marked. The trails are, for the most part, pretty well marked but there's spots where the trail differs from the map. As a result, rather than traveling 1.3 miles along Prindle 1 I found myself hitting the 1.2 mile Quarry Trail followed by the 1.9 mile Rim Trail, which is off limits to bicycles, and pieces of the 1.6 mile Woodland Trail described as "steep and rugged" and, again, off limits to bicycles. The good news? The trails are beautiful with imagery I never knew existed in Greencastle and wildlife that I found captivating even as I became more and more lost. Eventually, I was able to get in touch with my road support person and after yet another detour found my way out near the amphitheater. My conclusion? The DePauw Nature Park is truly the definition of a hiking trail - certain trails are safe for bikes, but follow the guides available online. The guides do not mention wheelchair utilization, but rest assured use by anyone in a wheelchair is extremely ill-advised and a majorly risky proposition on the Rim, Quarry and Woodland Trails given the high risk of loose rocks and the severely steep trails that occasionally tossed me out of my chair. I ended my day with bloodied pants, but otherwise surprisingly well and actually pretty impressed with myself for finishing. That said, unless specific accessible trails would be added I most definitely will not go back.

    Ground level in the quarry

    See all

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Peter P.
    257
    2345
    5556

    6 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jim L.
    0
    14
    8

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - DePauw Nature Park

    Review Highlights - DePauw Nature Park

    After reaching the top and taking some photos we headed back down and then headed further down to the inside of the quarry.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Parks 110 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Robe-Ann Park - the Emerald Palace

    Robe-Ann Park

    4.5(2 reviews)
    1.6 mi

    I've always loved this park! I took my daughter here as a kid & now my grandkids. The updates…read morethey've done are phenomenal! My grandkids are 2 & 4, their favorite playground at the moment is by the skatepark. Nice & small but fun for them to run & play while I can relax at a picnic table nearby. Their bigger more advanced playground called Emerald palace is now being rebuilt after 23 years & we are anticipating the re-opening! Love this park!

    Located on the southeast side of Greencastle, this park has lots to offer. In addition to the…read moreaquatic park near the entrance, there are tennis courts, baseball diamonds, a skate park (I think that's what it was), and a small playground surrounded by sand on the south end. On the north end, a much larger playground complex has both standard playground climbing/sliding pieces as well as the large wooden complex, the Emerald Palace! The kids on hand seemed to be enjoying the wooden pieces and ignoring the standard equipment. Oh well, they have a choice! The park was undergoing it's spring preparation, which is great that they are doing it, but made it obvious that the park needed attention. Strangely, the mulch for the park was dumped on one of the exit roads which completely blocked any vehicles from passing. So, leaving the park necessitated patience since there is no traffic light on Tennessee to allow visitors to pull out into traffic on the busy SR 231. Review #866

    Photos
    Robe-Ann Park - Aquatic center and pool

    Aquatic center and pool

    Robe-Ann Park - The Emerald Palace

    The Emerald Palace

    Robe-Ann Park - The Emerald Palace

    See all

    The Emerald Palace

    Cataract Falls State Recreation Area

    Cataract Falls State Recreation Area

    4.4(47 reviews)
    14.4 mi

    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.

    Photos
    Cataract Falls State Recreation Area
    Cataract Falls State Recreation Area - Inside the bridge

    Inside the bridge

    Cataract Falls State Recreation Area - Info

    See all

    Info

    Friendship Gardens - scenic waterfall feature with commemorative pavers

    Friendship Gardens

    4.7(7 reviews)
    26.0 mi

    Here on Plainfield there are a series of very nice parks. I spent a few minutes in the afternoon…read morerelaxing at the friendship gardens. Technically, I took my son here to work on photos for his photography class. There are many interesting features to take picture of such as the waterfall and gazebo. You can walk in the park and it is connected to other parks and trails. Also good for bile riding too.

    This is a very tranquil park. It is one way in and one way out, with a designated entrance and…read moreexit. There are a lot of parking available between three separate areas. The park has a very nice and soothing waterfall near the entrance. The park also has a small area with some picnic tables and there is a lot of shaded areas here. I was surprised to see a bathroom facility here, but it is under renovation at the time of this review. The park is a large garden composed of many smaller gardens such as the Memorial Veterans Garden, and the Enabling Garden. The center piece of the park is a triple gazebo that is very picturesque and can be rented. Even though it is not park of the park, I found another picturesque spot right off of it, a historic iron truss bridge. It spans the White Lick Creek and runs into the White Lick Creek Trail. The park is home to a veterans memorial and a statue that depicts a man holding a child, with two older children playing with a dog at his feet.The sculpture titled "a Celebration of Family values", is meant to signify The Dura builders family dedication to the town of Plainfield. You will also find many dedications and memorials in this park by some of the trees and in areas like the small fountain near the exit and the sundial sculpture across from the gazebos. The park has nice paths that run through it and are connected to a larger network of trails such as the aforementioned White Lick Creek Trail. This is a nice refection park that has a calming peace about it and is very soothing, even though it is located right off of a main thoroughfare. It does not have a shortage of benches. It feeds into some nice trails and offers some nice backdrops for pictures.

    Photos
    Friendship Gardens
    Friendship Gardens
    Friendship Gardens

    See all

    Lieber State Recreation Area - Lake

    Lieber State Recreation Area

    3.8(13 reviews)
    10.2 mi

    Lieber state park was a great spot for camping. The online reservation system made it a little…read moredifficult to picture where our campsite was going to be in relation to shade and trees, but the one we ended up getting was just fine! They have a great camp store where we bought our firewood, nice beach, a really great shaded walking trail, and a lovely place to spend a morning- the Cataract falls! There was one incident of a camper next to us getting roudy, loud, and drunk, but the rangers came and talked him down. This made us feel safe. It was reasonably priced. On the drive to cataract falls (about a 20 minute drive) there is a lovely ice cream shop in an old school house- perfect for an afternoon treat after doing some hiking along the river. Bring bug spray, sunscreen, and your swimsuit as there is plenty to do outdoors! Your admission to Lieber state park also gets you into cataract falls for the entire duration of your stay, which is really helpful. There are out toilets but there are also nicer, regular toilets with sinks and showers. They were fairly clean, just a bit more of a walk from our campsite. But it was worth it!

    This is our second time being out here at Lieber park. The staff and other campers are really nice…read more The area is extremely beautiful and well kept. I can't wait to go back again. We definitely enjoyed taking a shower and not have to worry about a lot of bugs and such.

    Photos
    Lieber State Recreation Area - Lake

    Lake

    Lieber State Recreation Area
    Lieber State Recreation Area - Camping Area - Tons of Space for RV's and Tents  Enough space between camp sites to have privacy.

    See all

    Camping Area - Tons of Space for RV's and Tents Enough space between camp sites to have privacy.

    DePauw Nature Park - parks - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...