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.

Park is nice! But trails are dirty and need to be cleaned up!…read moreYou can tell homeless set camp up here quite frequently. The memorial is nice but beware of needles and paraphernalia. Don't recommend once the sun starts going down either!

This park is a hidden gem on the outskirts of Anderson, Indiana. I'm not originally from Indiana,…read morebeing born in Denver, Colorado and living in multiple states all over the US, so I'm always a bit surprised when I find parks like ShadySide. There is a 2.25mile paved trail that wraps around a lake that offers visitors glimpses of giant herons and flocks of ducks and geese. I heard owls hooting in the trees and I swear I saw a bald eagle swoop overhead. I've heard there are also tons of songbirds that make this area home. There are several play areas for the littles and picnic tables and benches for us older folk. If you are nearby or just looking for a different place for a social distance hike I recommend you check it out!

I am torn between a 3 and 4 star rating on this one. I really love the idea that this man-made…read morepark was designed to create a functional wetland to catch runoff water from when the creek overflows AND provide a habitat for animals in an area that is seeing more and more development. I like that they have built an elevated boardwalk that allows the visitor to navigate one side of the wetlands from the parking lot to the gazebo on the north end without disturbing the area. They've even added informational plaques on the boardwalk that talk about how the wetlands work and the types of animal life they hope to attract. I think this would function much better if they had allowed more space. The limited size is less likely to attract animals like fox and muskrats when so close to a major highway on one side and housing on another. There are wooded areas behind some of the houses that from the air might seem to connect to Cool Creek Park, so I am hopeful that the space will succeed. The other problem is that building a space that is designed to flood suggests that the parking area should have been built up so that cars can park where there aren't puddles in the gravel. I was the only visitor while there and was able to find a spot that was dry, but it did take some navigation to work over to the elevated boardwalk. Review #766

One of two areas in Metro Indy specifically designed for mountain bikers, Town Run Trail Park is…read more127 acres of beginner and intermediate level of trails offering an approximate total of seven miles worth of trails. The first thing worth pointing out, though it has been said in other reviews, is that this trail system is truly devoted to bikers. While hikers and walkers are allowed here, the bikers have the right of way and the trail itself is truly developed with bikers in mind. I've done my share of wheeling, I'm a wheelchair user, on difficult trails but having visited again this afternoon I was again reminded that even the easiest spots here are truly not designed to be accessible. Even if you have off-road wheelchair tires, there are lots of twists, turns, inclines, places to fall, and places where you could easily get stuck. While there's a decent chance you'll run into someone on this trail, I think the vast majority of wheelchair users should steer clear of Town Run Trail Park. Town Run does offer the possibility of other activities including fishing, kayaking/canoeing, and observing of nature. Because it truly is more of a natural trail, nature is much more likely to be here. The Hoosier Mountain Bike Association is involved with the trail and assists with upkeep and installation. The beginner features include a bridge and subsequent single track, dirt rollers, and a rock garden. The advanced features include North Shore Ladder, shoots, bridges, table top jumps, and dirt jumps. If you can't jump, then you're going to have a hard time doing the entire trail. There is parking nearby and the area has been kept fairly natural even around it. This is a great area that's really right around Indy, Fishers, and Carmel but this actually falls within Indy Parks. I enjoy coming here to just hang out and observe, though I definitely don't venture too far into the park because there's simply too high of a risk of injury, getting stuck, or having a fall. This is especially true considering my last amputation. However, for its intended use it's quite the beautiful park and for mountain bikers I'll definitely give it a thumbs up. It's also, in my opinion, one of Indy's better maintained parks.

This 7ish mile trail is an oasis on Indy's North East Side. The trails are well maintained and…read moreeasy to navigate. It is setup so bikers of all skill levels can ride. For example, when there is a big drop, there is a sign posted stating a drop is coming and there is an easy to follow path around the drop so you don't have to soar 8 ft. in the air if you don't want to. I read a review about mountain bikers being elitist here. I find that preposterous. I started riding off road in September 2015. Brand new to it, I went out on my own. I found many bikers on the trail who were nothing but friendly and helpful. I have also been riding when there are runners on the trail. It has always been met with cooperation from both. Much of the trail is in the woods, but there is a big stretch that is out in the sun (so you may want sun screen). The entrance can be tricky to find, but it is on 96th street near Allisonville road, just east of the river. I love the place!

This is a decent nature park. They have an adequate amount of parking available between its lot…read morenear the river inlet, the Pizza King lot, and parking along the park's long drives in the grass. You will find a restroom structure near the park's entrace, just off of the Pizza King parking lot, near the large playground. The first thing I notice about the park is its green space. There is tons of it and it is well maintained. there are a few metal square picnic tables scattered on the green space, as well as some benches that overlook the river. The park features a couple of decent playground areas. The one near the park's entrance is the largest and has a large jungle gym with monkey bars, bridges, slides, a pebble bridge, and a small canopy. There is also a bank of traditional swings, with an ADA swing over there as well. The second playground is by the parking lot and canoe launch. It has a smaller jungle gym with a slide, and a couple of traditional swings. Both playground areas are on a bed of wood chips. The equipment is not the most modern, but is well maintained. The park is home to a very nice, paved fitness trail. It is about a mile and has some very nice equipment stations along the circular route. The park has one very large shelter without any picnic tables under it. There are two smaller shelters at the park and they both have a few picnic tables under them. They are available to be rented. The most prominent feature of this park and probably the most used is its canoe launch. It has a very nice launch that feeds into the White River. In addition to launching some canoes, there are a few shallow spots near the launch that i saw some people splashing around in. It was like ankle deep water. All in all, this is a nice park. I will admit, there is not a lot to this park, but it is still a good option to spend a few hours.

They have free outdoor exercise equipment and a dog water fountain near the restroomsread more

I really enjoyed my visit to this park. First, I don't think many people know about it and so I…read morehad the entire park to myself. I was able to grab one of the limited street parking sites on Bunch Blvd near the north entrance to the park. Second, there was a small plaza with informational signs describing the park, the folks involved with getting it built, and general wetland information that was brief, but helpful. Next, most of the pathway for visitors is slightly elevated on a boardwalk. Even though there was disturbance in the area during the construction, the wetlands have now recovered and the elevated trail makes for easy walking without damaging the surrounding wildlife. The rest of the trail is equally broad and hopefully gives good enough views that visitors won't wander off into the prairie area of the park. Note that during my visit, the wetlands appeared mostly dry but green. About half way through the trail, a large wooden shelter was constructed with a slightly elevated observation deck that offers great views over the lowlands of the park. There are more benches available there and lots of shade in an otherwise open area of the park. I really appreciate that the area has been preserved as a beautiful green area that can accommodate both humans and nature. Review #1053

As I was exploring Hamilton County yesterday, I kept crossing paths with these nicely decorated…read moresigns indicating the Natalie Wheeler Trail. I'd never heard of it. This is extremely rare given my fondness for Indiana's trails. I finally decided to get out of my car to explore the trail. Once I arrived home, my research began. Who is Natalie Wheeler and why does she have her own trail? This 1 1/2-mile trail was created in memory of Natalie Wheeler, a 10-year-old Westfield resident who passed away in 1986. Her family continues to live in the area - Natalie was a member of Christ United Methodist Church and was a Hamilton County 4-H Champion while she enjoyed cheerleading, swimming, and soccer. At the time of her passing, Westfield was a much smaller and very close community. Natalie's death hit particularly hard. In some ways, it was the fact that she never knew a stranger that inspired creation of this trail and the hope that strangers will greet each other while on it. The trail is beautifully done. It's a short trail - only 1 1/2-miles long. It's paved and runs between 8-12' wide for the length of the trail. It runs at Cool Creek Park between 156th Street and 171st Street and is parallel to Union Street. You can connect to Grand Junction Trail or Cook Creek Trail from this trail. It's a trail with no real amenities other than a dog waste station and interpretive signage. However, it does give you access to the other trails and also downtown Westfield. You can walk, run, bicycle, or rollerblade on the trail. Of course, if you're like me you can also use your wheelchair! It didn't take me long to wheel the Natalie Wheeler Trail. In fact, I was more concerned that I hadn't wheeled the entire trail. However, upon researching at home I realized I had and that this trail just had a very neat story behind it. The trail is easily wheelchair friendly with appropriate curb cuts at streets and an asphalt surface. While there may be challenges during adverse weather, that's always true and warrants consideration. The Natalie Wheeler Trail is one of Westfield, Indiana's hidden gems for walkers, runners, and, well, Wheelers.

And now Hamilton County, Indiana, Westfield, and locals have allowed most of the area along the…read moretrail to be destroyed. The land just north of 161st was obliterated in hours. 640 acres of trees completely wiped from the site. Whomever Natalie was, she'd certainly be disappointed to see what Hoosiers are doing to what little remains of natural forested area. We keep talking about planting trees to help cool the planet. Meanwhile, others are literally knocking down older habitats at alarming rates. We have learned nothing. Unforgiveable.