Thankfully, the historic Cumberland Covered Bridge survived the floods of 2026. The single lane,…read moreHowe truss bridge was built in 1877 and crosses the Mississinewa River near Matthews, Indiana. William Parks of Marion built the bridge. The 181 foot bridge is gorgeous and neighbors have been lovingly taking care of it for 150 years. The bridge has a remarkable past. In 1913, the bridge was removed from its foundation by flood waters that carried it downstream one half mile. A contractor was hired to move the bridge back to its foundation, but raise it several feet higher. The bridge received new siding and roof. Since the flood of 1913, the bridge has survived floods in 1958 and 1980. A lovely little park surrounds the bridge. Plaques documenting the history of the bridge and a nearby gristmill stand in the small park. A historical marker also stands near the bridge. A nice walkway with overlook offers amazing views of the bridge and river. This bridge is maintained and fully functional to traffic crossing. A small parking lot holds about 3 cars sits at the south end of the bridge. Each September, a festival is held to honor the bridge. I absolutely love the incredible story of this bridge. The bridge is an amazing piece of Indiana history and a story of resilience.

Northeast of Matthews, Indiana is a covered bridge and affiliated park that shares the story of…read morethis National Historic Place. The Cumberland Bridge (also known as New Cumberland or as the Matthews Bridge) is on 3rd Street in Matthews where it crosses the Mississinewa River. The bridge was built in 1877 by William Parks and spans 181 feet. During the great flood of 1913, the bridge was lifted by the water and carried down river about a half mile. It was saved and hauled back on rollers by horses. The Matthews Covered Bridge Historical Society has created a nice park for visitors to park and rest near the bridge on the south east corner. The park has observation points to see the bridge and flowing river. There are also information kiosks that tell the story of the bridge's history. The bridge looks to be in good shape and is still used for light traffic. Review #2546

In downtown Upland, there is a well kept park that is filled with historical information and…read moreobjects from the days when the railroads made and broke towns. Upland was believed to be the highest point between Chicago and Columbus so a depot was erected here. The park has a curved wall that has plaques with information about Upland. There is also a gazebo on the west end, a caboose in the middle, and a wooden play train large enough for smaller kids to play in. Unfortunately, the depot and caboose don't allow visitors to go inside. That would be cool if they could be restored and allow tours at certain times. Review #2550

It's nice to see the city add a bit of diversity to the type of park it has available. While most…read moreof the city parks are standard playground type places, this one appeals with fitness, nature, and a dog (bark) park. On the south end of West Street, there is a baseball park next to the parking lot. When there isn't a game, that leaves lots of spaces for visitors to the other parts of the park. The Bark Park is located back from the parking lot in a shaded area cleared for the dogs to play without overheating. The Wilderness Park consists of a shelter, restrooms, and two trails: One for fitness with work stations to exercise; and a nature trail that goes for about 1.5 miles through the woods. Unfortunately, all the heavy rains have left the trail quite muddy and without a more artificial base for walking, I was unable to travel far if I wanted to keep from getting mud all over. Still, it may be a nice get away once the drier days of summer come along. Yes, it is nice to see a park dedicated to more adult endeavors since there seems to be plenty of places for kids to go. Review #2556

Hoover is the most centrally located park in Hartford City and has a very nice playground and…read moreprobably the best basketball court around. It also has a gazebo and a covered shelter house that is frequently rented. There is also a 6' basketball goal to let smaller kids play while the full court basketball area is used by older/more serious players. The park is well kept and has a mulch base for the playground. The park's elevated height helps keep it drier than a lot of flat parks after rains. Street parking is the only option for this location. Review #2559

On the west end of downtown Upland is a nice park that features baseball, basketball, a playground,…read morea shelter, and picnic tables. The courts and ballfield look like they are in good condition. The playground area has a mulch base and a variety of pieces to swing, climb, and slide on. There is also a gazebo and additional picnic tables in the mature shady tree area. My only negative was parking. I saw several vehicles pulled onto the grass to get out of the single lane drives through the park. If there is additional parking by the playground, it must be somewhere not obvious to most of the park visitors. Review #2552

Hartford City has its own skate park on the south side of town. The area is enclosed with fencing…read moreto keep non-participants from wandering into the way of serious skaters or bikers who want to take the challenge of negotiating the obstacles throughout the park. Although the park isn't geared towards pro-level stunts, it has pieces that are in good condition and will build the visitor's skill level with practice. The entrance to the park is found on Monroe Street only. Parking appears to be street parking only. I didn't see any lighting for practicing in the later hours. Review #2558

Highland Park is a huge community park in Kokomo with lots of green space, recreational spaces and…read morea historic covered bridge. What I like best about the park are the mature trees that provide lots of shade. Some of the trees are over 400 years old. There is a huge colorful playground with climbing structures, swings and slides. The base is a mix of mulch and soft matting. Benches line the area for parents to sit and watch kids . (The equipment could use a good cleaning from the trees.) There are two ball diamonds with bleachers within the park. A beautiful stream that meanders through the park attracts fisherman. Tree-covered picnic areas are scattered along the creek. The Vermont Covered Bridge spans the creek and is open to pedestrian traffic. There are restroom facilities near the playground. There are several parking areas throughout the park and you can drive along the creek. Highland Park is a great place to bring the family.

We rented the Rogers Pavilion at Highland Park for our family reunion in August. We booked it about…read morea year in advance since we have our family reunion every August, and we wanted to make sure we could get the date we needed. The pavilion was around $250 for pretty much the entire day, which I thought was a great price for the amount of time and space you get. We really like this park because there's plenty of space and lots of parking. There's also a playground directly across the street that's suitable for kids of different ages, along with a basketball court. The pavilion itself has plenty of tables and chairs, you just have to set them up yourself. There's also a small kitchen, which is very convenient, along with two gender neutral restrooms on each side of the kitchen. The only downside is that the grill provided with the pavilion is a little bit of a walk from the indoor area. There's also another covered pavilion with seating between the grill and the Rogers Pavilion. There happened to be another event going on there during our reunion. It didn't interfere with our event, but of course, having the entire area private would have been even better. I really like this pavilion and think it's a great place to host an event. There's plenty of space, lots of parking, and activities for all ages. I'd definitely consider renting it again for future family events!

Not taken care of, bees hives and ground bees everywhere we went. Tried to take some ute pictures…read morebut kept getting attacked by bees. So we left.

Great place to have a picnic. The sunken garden area is a little hidden gem in indiana. Areas to…read morewalk and eat. Disc golf course is nice too. Open pickle ball and tennis courts too. Wish there was something like this closer to Fort Wayne!

This park has a lot of nice features, but struggles to overcome being split into three pieces. The…read moresouth end features a playground with a nearby shelter and restrooms. There's even a bit of parking. On the north end (separated by a canal) there is a bit of greenspace and a decent basketball court. Although the website mentions tennis courts, I didn't see any. Parking for this is limited to parallel parking along Jefferson. Across the street from the north end is an area with multiple horseshoe pits and a water fountain. No crosswalks were marked for crossing. Likewise, no small bridge allows the south and north ends of the park to be connected. Visitors have to go to the streets to cross between sides. There seems to be plenty of space and still some large shade trees on the south end. A decent park, but a few design problems keep it from being more useful. Review #2557

Very nice city park. Well manicured and a great playground for the kids! Great place to run off…read moresome energy!

Wow, this is a beautiful park. I wish we had taken more pictures! Pet friendly, and easily…read moreaccessible. There's lots of parking. There is a Garfield statue here (one of the many in Grant county). This park was so nice, I was surprised it was free admission. Beautiful fountains, lots of educational information, and butterflies everywhere. In my opinion, the garden alone is worth a quick day trip.