With the new exercise equipment and color coded walking paths, exercise is now more user friendly…read more Of course, I miss the danger of falling from the top of the slide or banging the sides of the witch's hat on the pole, but I love this park.

This park reminds me of a kid's room: There is a little bit of everything of interest all thrown…read moretogether into one location. Like a lot of parks, they have shade trees, a large playground, basketball and tennis courts, and decent parking around the park. There is also a swimming pool and a community center on the north end. There are several paved walking loops around the park contained within the one way road that loops around the park. But here are some things you might be surprised by: A Girl Scout Cabin that is an authentic log cabin. A tank sitting near the entrance A miniature golf park by the highway (fee required) A Bandstand that can double as a shelter and from the back, looks like a castle turret An extended slide that sits on top of a hill with tunnels that run through it. The slide starts on the hill and finishes on the bottom for a long ride! An elevated sand box inside a stone castle, i.e. a sand castle! The park is filled with fun things to see and do. It seemed to be generally in good condition. It may not have been planned from scratch, but it makes the best of the odd assortment of pieces collected there. Review #2986

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.

The falls are amazing and in the summer they refresh you. The park has trails to fit every age…read moregroups. We Owen county residents enjoy our park and events they offer for our children as well as adults.

McCormick's Creek State Park is Indiana's first State park founded in 1916. They have several…read morehiking trails, camping, a State Park Inn, and an outdoor pool for cooling off in the summer. In the warmer months it is an excellent place for creek stomping with a small waterfall at the end. Both kids and adults love this attraction. It is hard to go wrong with any State Park in Indiana.

Shakamak State Park is considered one of Indiana's more rustic state parks with a strong focus on…read morecamping and fishing within the park. Shakamak includes three man-made lakes within its boundaries offering 400 acres of lakes along with an aquatic center for family activities. Shakamak was dedicated on Sept. 3, 1928 with land donated by the counties of Clay, Greene, and Sullivan. It's believed the name was chosen by the park's founders and is an Indigenous word meaning "river of the long fish" meant to describe the nearby Eel River. The word is believed to be either from the Delaware (Lenape) or Kickapoo Indians. The first lake was created by stopping up a 5-foot sewer. The other two lakes were added in following years including Lake Kickapoo (30 years later). Prior to these lakes being made, there were no lakes in the area. Richard Lieber stocked the lakes with bass and began what would really make this particular park noteworthy. The Civilian Conservation Corps also helped develop the park from 1933-42. Shakamak State Park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. In terms of camping, Shakamak has 8 sites with full hook-ups, 114 electric sites, 42 non-electric sites, and on Maple Loop there are 10 sites (2 are paved and accessible). There's group camping, a dumping station, and a camp store. There are also cabins - I generally find them not very accessible. Shakamak offers picnic areas w/shelters (must be reserved), a nature center, a boat launch ramp, fishing/ice fishing, hiking trails, paddleboat/rowboat/kayak rentals, a recreation building that can be rented, a tennis area, a basketball court, and a swimming pool/water slide area. Shakamak is about 3 miles southeast of Jasonville in Sullivan County. Shakamak has seven marked trails with five being labeled as moderate in difficulty. The other two, both under two miles, are considered easy, multi-use trails for hiking or biking - these two trails have no stairs and white-tailed deer have been known to be seen on them. The longest trail is just under four miles and will take you by Lake Shakamak. The multi-use trails are for the most part accessible, though you are out in nature and I generally recommend not going on trails alone. That said, I've been able to do just fine on both trails. This isn't a real touristy state park except for those who want to fish and hike. That's the real selling point here. For those needing accessibility, it's definitely possible but will involve pre-planning. As some have noted, upkeep here is somewhat hit-and-miss. It's a beautiful park, however, my experience has been it's fairly lightly staffed compared to some other parks. That said, my recent visit things were in good shape and I know DNR has been really working on our less popular parks. I tend to see Shakamak as a less appreciated park that is definitely worth a visit for nature lovers and for hikers who want a chance to see wildlife. I've never not seen wildlife on the trails here.

Shakamak is much bigger than I anticipated. My husband, dogs, and I got a lovely 4-mile hike in…read morewith great views of Lake Kickapoo, one of the three lakes. With two more lakes and six more trails to explore, it appears we'll have to make another trip in the future. I look forward to it!

It seems like there is a lot of construction around the area where 3rd Avenue crosses the Patoka…read moreRiver. The Riverwalk runs along the Patoka for quite a distance. I thought I would be able to find parking at the address assigned on Yelp, but that parking has signs posted that state the parking is for specific businesses only. Fortunately, I found a nice parking lot on the south side of the Patoka and one block west of 3rd Avenue. (Take Brucke Strasse west to Cemetery Drive and there will be shaded parking on both sides of the street.) This lot is really convenient for anyone who wants to check out the Jasper City Mill (when it is open) or the City's first handicap accessible playground (at least that is what the tombstone style marker claims.) Because of time constraints, I didn't try hiking the entire 2+ mile length, but was able to check out the downtown area. Next to the Mill, a bridge spans the Patoka with great views of the small dam/waterfall next to 3rd Avenue. It also offers views of the working side of the Mill. The trail goes east underneath 3rd Avenue to avoid the traffic and soon leads to an area called the Dave Buehler Plaza. Back near where I parked, the playground has equipment targeted towards smaller kids. There is also a fitness station with several pieces of workout equipment available. Note that during my visit, some construction cones were in the area, so be advised that at times, passage may be limited until the work is completed. Review #3190

There is nothing that I don't love about this part of Jasper! This riverwalk is absolutely…read moregorgeous and a perfect way to get out and get some running, walking, jogging or biking in after all and the meat and potatoes you consume! I wish this trail was closer to where I live because I would be on it every day! The Riverwalk "stretches 2.1 miles from the Ruxer Golf Course on South Clay Street, to 15th Street. It follows the Patoka River through scenic wooded areas and along farm fields." As you pass through the 2.1 mile route you take in the Jasper City Mill and bridge, a deeply wooded area where you'll find some fisherman throwing lines and some squirrels that aren't afraid to stay on the trail and eat the corn that passers-by leave for them. It makes for great photo ops! The trail can obviously get a bit hot and sweaty in the summer months in the unshaded, sunny portions but it's well worth the time! There's even an ice cream shack you can stop by to cool you off a bit and if the river is high enough, it's fun to just sit and listen to the running water. A truly beautiful place! Know before you go: No restrooms! However, the owner of the Mill lets me use his but I ALWAYS buy a little something when I do. Their old candies and cornmeal are my top favorites! A perfect place for my 300th review!!

If you've ever looked at a rock and thought, "Wow, that looks like a giant ceramic moonshine jug,"…read morethen congratulations--you may be spiritually connected to Jug Rock. Nestled in the scenic hills of Martin County, Jug Rock is exactly what it sounds like: a big ol' rock that somehow defied gravity, erosion, and logic to become Indiana's most charming geological oddity. It's nature's version of a middle finger to physics and a beautiful one at that. Getting there feels like a mini adventure--you'll drive through a peaceful little town, maybe wave to a few cows, and then boom: there it is, standing tall like it's just waiting to be Instagrammed. You don't climb it (please don't climb it), but you do stand in front of it and try to make serious faces in photos next to something that looks like it belongs in a Looney Tunes desert scene. Is it just a rock? Technically yes. Is it also a hilarious and majestic reminder that nature sometimes gets weird? Absolutely. Bring a camera, bring your sense of humor, and prepare to be humbled by Indiana's finest jug that isn't full of cider. 10/10 would rock again.

Tony and I was driving the back roads of Indiana and we saw the sign for Jug Rock Preserve and we…read morehad to stop to check it out. The rock formations was amazing! It's Free to check out and close to the road. I definitely recommend you to check it out so stop!!!! There's also a great diner near by...Velma's!

Being someone who grew up here this park was a staple of my childhood. Its changed some but overall…read morenot much. They have pickleball courts, basketball courts, a city pool with splash pad, multiple shelters you can rent for get togethers, trails to hike, disc golf course, playground for the kids, and the greatest sledding hill in Indiana come winter time. For the 4th of July, they always shoot off fireworks off the top of the hill for the whole town to see. Arguably one of the best city parks in all of Indiana given the hilly terrain and all the activities.

This public park for Martinsville is comparable to Pioneer Park in Moorseville. There are four…read moretennis courts and two full size basketball courts or they can be used as four half courts. They have a full size pool with a water slide, a splash pad and a good size facilities building to accommodate their water park. Both parks are very similar in that respect. This park might have better shelters depending on your point of view but definitely a couple more with a total of nine. Most are fully enclosed and most have fireplaces. Most have some sort of playground equipment at each shelter location. These shelters can be more accomdodating in inclement weather or during colder weather. But enclosed ones have ways to open them up for summer weather such as one or more garage doors. Parking is plentiful at most shelters and all have access to a paved road. There are trails for hiking, a large fishing pond and a dedicated playground with a huge spaceship structure at its core. A dog park is available. My only complaint is there is no sign that I saw directing you to the restrooms. The obvious boy & girl restrooms at the rear dog park were locked.

This is a wonderful gem of nature. The preserve has about six miles worth of trails that snake…read morethrough the trees and plains, over creeks and ponds. There are benches to sit on surrounding the small lake, a little pier for fishing. I've only visited in mid-May so far but there were plenty of beautiful wildflowers on the grounds. They've got a big old gravel parking lot with plenty of parking. When I visited last May I sat on one of the benches along side the huge pond for at least two hours, listening to all the different birds, watching for turtles, snakes (yeah, they've got water snakes), and frogs/toads. The little bench was partially shaded and the fresh air and gentle breeze lulled me into such peace. I can't wait to stop by again when I'm in town!!

We were in Bloomington for a wedding and had a few hours to kill. this park had everything…read moreincluding a waterfall, caves and scenic shaded trails. Parking lot was small, we came early and no one else was here, 2 cars when we left.

Beautiful, untapped, natural gem…read more Came here for lunch today and got in a couple miles my advice to senior or maybe not so experience climbers would be to take the stair steps down that are just down the trail about 100 yards

Sandborn has a fun park for this small community. For a town of just over 400 people, I was…read moresurprised by how extensive their playground was! It had so many pieces that were in pretty good condition (though some could use a coat of touch up paint.) The park has lots of shade, some benches, and a shelter. Parking is along the main entrance into the park that extends back to the horse shoe pits, basketball court, and baseball field. The park also has space for volleyball, but it needed a bit of attention. If you like old school playground equipment, this place has a lot mixed in with some more modern style pieces. It was fun roaming around the park to check it out. Some patches of ground were a bit worn due to kids and shade, so be aware that on rainy days it could get a bit muddy. Review #2984