This park has just about everything you look for in a park. Sure, there is the Donner Center which…read moreis a place for coordinated activities, but there is also an urban park with 32 acres that include an aquatic center, basketball, tennis, pickleball, lots of parking, a playground, and several shelters as well as a huge Shelterhouse/pavilion that could be reserved for a large event (up to 200 people!) Everything looked to be in good condition and though the park is over 100 years old, it is holding up well! The only thing that I can think of as a negative is beyond the park's control: There are one way streets that can be challenging to get to the park from downtown if you aren't familiar with the area. A fun place with mature trees and easy access to amenities throughout the park. Review #2062

Great playground for older and younger kids! Lots of picnic tables and a shelter. Clean restrooms…read moreavailable as well. Great place to play with your kids or relax on the grass.

This is one of the best parks in Columbus. There is a wide variety of amenities and activities for…read morefolks to engage in. Set on a sprawling 89 acres, there are baseball, basketball, and volleyball areas. There is a skate park on the northeast end. There is a playground and shelter with running water and restrooms. A paved walking path/trail winds around the park too! And on the north end, there is plentiful parking. Review #840

This seems like a good neighborhood park. It was clean and had a shelter with a grill, a picnic…read moretable, and trash can (but no restrooms). There was some open space for running and playing games in addition to the multiple playground pieces on the south end of the park. Those included lots of climbing, swinging, & sliding pieces, teeter totters, and a fort type piece. During my visit, there were flowers blooming near the sign too. It was obvious that this park was being maintained better than some of the other smaller town parks in the area. One detriment though is that there was no clear spot to park. I was able to pull along the street, but wasn't sure if that was the best option. Not a bad place, just a spot targeting families with smaller kids or in need of an outdoor space with a shelter. Review #2452

Out in the town of Burney, this county park not only has a playground for kids, but because it is…read morelocated next to the firehouse, there is a paved parking area and a basketball court that is available. The playground is mostly lawn based and I didn't notice any shelters or grills for visitors. In fact, I don't recall seeing any benches either. Behind (south) the playground is a grassy lane that has guard rails facing in like they are trying to keep whatever drives on the lane inside and away from the playground and the lawn area on the south side of the lane. It wasn't being used, so I can only guess what it might be for. Not sure if they do tractor pulls or some type of animal related events here, but it seems like a lot of cost if it's not being used for some form of entertainment. Review #2440

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

Wonderful design by Robert Trent Jones Senior (who also designed Spyglass Hill at Pebble Beach!)…read moreOtter Creek has bent grass fairways and greens, ample practice space, and large well placed bunkers. The course has been transformed the last two years into the gem it used to be - great work by the staff! I always enjoy a round there.

Used to play here in the late 80's when I lived in Columbus. First time back since...very…read moredisappointed in conditions of the fairways. Several times I had to move the ball to find grass. I counted 7-8 fairways that really need help. Not what I expected from a course with its heritage. The rough was too much as well...should lose balls in 2nd cut rough. Greens, however, were very true and I enjoyed them very much. Not worth the full price (which thankfully I didn't pay) until the fairways come back.

This is a nice little park in Batesville. The trails are short and easy to hike. They had a paved…read moreloop as well as some gravel trails through the woods. Two of the trails were closed, maybe due to the rain? There is a map right next to the parking lot, plenty of benches to enjoy the view or rest.

I decided to take a break from driving and stopped by Brum Woods in Batesville. There is a lot to…read morelove about this place: Whether its the contact with nature you get walking through this former farmland turned woods, or you like the beautifully maintained trails, or appreciate the total accessibility of Trail #1 with its wide paved path with practically no elevation change, this park is great! There is a small parking lot for guests on the east side of the park. From there you can check out the information board at the trailhead that lets you know how long each of the loops are. (They even tell the distance for the connection loops!) The park is divided by a road, so Trail #1 (Lena's Loop) is fully paved and wide enough for a vehicle to drive on, but of course, those are prohibited. The loop is 0.6 miles long and goes through the maturing forest and then opens up to a small prairie area on the west end by the division road. Along the way, you can read the story of Lena Brum who lived on the land and was quite a character who insisted the land not be developed when she left it to the city. Across the division road are three more trails (not sure why there isn't a Trail #3). Those trails are a bit longer, but are unpaved. For the sake of preservation, no hikers or bikers are allowed on these trails when they are wet, so you have to watch the sign at that trailhead to see if the trails are open or closed. Sadly for me, they were closed on my visit, so I can't give you much information about their condition / attributes. It would be nice if they let you know at the first trailhead that the other trails were closed before hiking over to the second. Since it was early spring, the trees weren't in their full foliage, so the views weren't as beautiful as I would have hoped, but the next time I am in the area, I will hope it is dry and that I can make a return visit to this park. Review #2454

An amazing nature trail. Some of the oldest trees in Indiana grow in this thicket! It is very…read morepeaceful and quiet.

We love hiking here. We bring our dog and she even loves it. The trees are beautiful! Can't wait…read morefor all of the paw paw trees to mature, so we can finally see what they look like when the fruit starts to grow.