It is an awesome lil trail for a quick nature reset. Even though it isn't more than a mile long it…read moreis Beautiful!

Located right near the Hendricks and Boone Count Line on US 136, I was pleasantly surprised at the…read moreaccessibility of this nature park. The trails are limited to hikers and are paved with blacktop. The park offers a perimeter hike or a diagonal path along the sides of the creek that flows towards the Big Walnut Creek to the east. For visitors who like to know what they are looking at, the park has numerous stands with information as well as location indicators on the park maps. There are also labels for types of trees that blend well with the surrounding scenery. I also noticed some small stands with words of positivity like Kindness, Faith, Peace. I don't know the story behind those but they are low to the ground so as to not interfere with those hikers who simply want to see nature. My only knock on the park is that due to erosion along the creek, there were a lot of trees falling over into the creek. The branches were clogging the flow of water, trapping debris and leaves so that some areas of the creek were stagnating. A bit of maintenance to clean up the clogs and maybe some assistance on reducing the erosion would preserve some of the trees fighting to hang on. The park is just over 20 years old and could use a good cleaning to restore its condition. There is a lone shelter outside the wooded part of the park near the parking lot which looked to be in pretty good shape. Review #730

Lots of different equipment to climb on and spin or swing on! Several different slides. A large…read morearea for kids to run about and burn off their steam. The 'tall slide' was a favorite of the day!

Hidden gym, my grandkids just love everything about this park, will visit again. The ages were 9-11.read more

My husband and I took our grandchildren here for a picnic and hiking/exploring. The nature center…read morewas closed (I had not checked their hours), but we had a great time before incoming rain/storm sent us home. We'll return! The creek is beautiful and the kids enjoyed the bridge. We found deer and raccoon tracks, and some shells. Nature is wonderful

I don't get to this part of Central Indiana often, however, I had the chance to accompany a friend…read moreand we decided to do a bit of a detour and visit McCloud Nature Park in North Salem (Hendricks County). McCloud Nature Park is a 232-acre nature park established in 2003. It has over six miles of hiking trails, easy access to Big Walnut Creek, a nature center with year-round programs, and a pretty good chance you're going to see wildlife while here. The nature center has live reptiles, amphibians, insects, a bird-viewing room, a resource library, and interactive exhibits. In the late spring, summer, and early fall, you can observe live honeybee hives. There's a park pavilion available for rent (I believe it's only $50 a day). For a nature park, it's obvious much effort has been made to offer some contemporary amenities (modern restrooms/picnic facilities) and a surprising degree of accessibility including the availability of a GRIT Freedom Chair to borrow for two-hour increments (no charge). You can also rent a picnic pavilion with tables/grills. For those who don't know, GRIT chairs are capable of handling basic off-roading quite easily. They are manual chairs, but they have levers instead of the traditional wheel-push function. They're quite cool and ideal for hiking trails. While I was able to handle most of the ground here in my chair, a GRIT chair makes it MUCH easier. The trails are both gravel and natural surfaced trails - they are well marked. You can fish, wade, canoe, and kayak in Big Walnut Creek. The creek is known to have smallmouth bass, panfish, catfish, suckers, and carp (you do have to follow Indiana fishing laws and have an Indiana fishing license). As someone who loves bridges, I was in love with a restored iron truss bridge that is over 100 years old. There's also a swing set with belt, tire, infant, and ADA swings. The wetland habitat has a boardwalk and observation decks. While I'm impressed with how accessible Hendricks County has made this nature park, I'm also impressed with how much accessibility was actually just built into it. There was some clear thought. I sure wouldn't call all the trails accessible, though more advanced wheelchair users like myself can definitely have some fun here (and I did). The nature center admission is free. Hours for the nature center: November through March: Friday & Saturday only, 10am-4pm (closed noon to 1pm). April through October: Wednesday - Saturday, 10am - 4pm (closed noon to 1pm); Sundays, 1-5pm. This is definitely worth a visit to the westside to check out. I'd actually call it a destination nature park with enough features to keep folks happy. There's enough accessibility offerings to allow for all members of the family to enjoy the park. This is an absolute gem and I definitely recommend a visit.

Reasons we LOVE Finch Creek Park…read more The park feels safely contained thanks to the hill banks--less worry about little ones wandering off Separate areas for everyone: toddler section, big kid playground, music zone & splash pad So many slides! Open, closed, straight, curved, and different thrill levels Soft padded turf instead of mulch Plenty of seating for parents--swinging benches and picnic tables Swings for all ages: mommy & baby, big kid, chair swings & a swaying bench A walking path all around if mom wants to get her steps in Bathrooms are actually pretty clean (which matters ) This park checks ALL the boxes for an easy, fun outing!

Very mediocre park, lots of things are broken or just dirty.. looks nice from the outside but not…read moreso great. Lots of better parks near by!

Whitestown knows how to build parks. This is another great little park that serves the community…read more I'm guessing that the park is about 5 acres of mostly green space with a charming upscale small playground in the center. The green space has a cement walking trail that goes around perimeter to walk dogs or push strollers or wheel chairs. There were numerous birds out during our morning visit with our granddaughter. Nice benches line the walkway. There are dog stations for pet owners to clean up after their dogs. The green space can probably be used for soccer or football practice. The playground is really nice with a climbing and play structures that are ideal for 3-7 year olds. There is a really nice little "zip" line for the kids as well. The swing sets have infant seats and special needs seats that are covered by a shaded awning. There is a soft astroturf under the structures to cushion the kid's falls. There are three covered benches to watch the kids on the playground, but they could use a few more for us grandparents. Parking is a little unusual with a single one-way parallel parking lot on the east side of the park. There is bike parking as well. There are no restroom facilities (as the other parks have in Whitestown). My granddaughter had a blast and played for over an hour. Bring some water snacks and sunscreen for the kids.

There's a dog park under construction on the west side. There's a restroom coming tooread more

This review is based just on the surprise of finding a clean playground in the middle of no-where…read moreto help give the kids a chance to stretch legs during a long road trip.... Surrounded by corn fields, this small-town community park is a very quaint little picnic area and playground, complete with a baseball field flanked by a tattered American flag waving in the late summer breeze. This was such a picturesque classic place of americana, reminiscent of that "field of dreams" magic. This was a great place to bring the littles (ages 6 and under). Don't forget to stop by the Lizton Dairy Bar at the corner to bring a delicious ice cream shake for that perfect touch. We didn't go into any buildings, as everything was closed/locked at 6 pm on a Saturday. It would likely be a good place for a summertime family gathering or birthday party. My husband said this location is also a Hendricks County voting precinct location.

This park is situated between the the high school and middle school for Tri-West and is supported…read moreby the local Lions Club. The park has multiple baseball diamonds with gravel parking lots where some folks stay in their cars to watch the game with better comfort than those braving the seating around the fields. Beyond the outfield of the southwestern field is a small playground, hopefully out of range of any homers headed that way. There are a variety of pieces for kids to play on, but it seems a bit odd that they are stretched out instead of clustered for easy transitions between pieces. There is also a basketball court that doubles as a parking surface during morning games where finding a spot to park is a challenge. Review #822

Always great to walk in this space as close to home but like being in a forest. It gets pretty busy…read moreand the path is narrow so have to often step off or into the underbrush. It is a friendly group though so usually not an issue. We took our rescue dog and it was a bit of an issue when someone walking had two dogs off leash. They were calm but to prevent a scuffle I had pick up our dog. Not great but it helps to be mindful of others as this is a city/urban park. The picnic areas are few but nice and there is a lot of space to wander. A fun spot!

This "park" is pretty nice for being in town! It had rained so it was slightly muddy and the…read moreinclines could be a bit slippery but the trail is well kept and easily marked. It's nicely tree covered and I've even seen a few owls and wood peckers the Bochum always make for a good walk! Quiet and peaceful with little rises to get the blood flowing - go for a walk!

Unless you are a skilled hiker, I recommend going to this beautiful nature preserve when the…read moreweather has been dry. There is about 90 feet of elevation change on the 0.8 mile loop that can be a bit slippery if you pick a time when mud/rain can be a problem. I only explored the north end trail during my visit. After parking in a shaded lot, I went into the park where I had a choice of left or right. The right side has a steeper descent than the left. Fortunately, there is a hand rail for stability. I figured it easier to go down the steep side than up, so I stayed on the right hand path. There is a fairly level area before you reach the "stairs". The stairs are mostly natural, so they aren't evenly spaced. Just keep focused and you should be alright. Once the trail reaches the bottom of the gorge, there are places where elevated paths keep your feet from trekking through the mud. Depending upon how much rain has fallen, you may get some mud, but my feet stayed dry the entire loop. At the base, there are deep ravines where the trees catch the sunlight and light up in brilliant yellow greens. The rocks are layered and take on a rusty color that can make for some great photos. The highlight of the loop is finding the "arch" through the ridge of rock. It was just a bit taller than my head (I would say most folks won't need to duck going through.) After that, you will start working your way back. Although I traveled the same distance up, it was gradual and not nearly as challenging as climbing steps. I didn't see much wildlife there, but there were squirrels and butterflies that showed themselves. I like a short hike that features a destination and great scenes along the way. If you like that too, then seek out this park. Review #2840

Great trail among beautiful landforms. It's a nice hike that makes for a good day trip along with…read moreWilliamsport Falls, Attica, and the courthouse murals on Covington.

This park is probably better understood by the locals than by me. The sign for the entrance is…read morelocated just off SR 236 though the address is for the second entrance which doesn't have a sign, and other than a gravel drive, no indication it is for a park. The south entrance has a large shelter, but it was filled with farm equipment instead of tables. There is a basketball court and a small playground in the middle of the park near a normal shelter with tables. There is an antique tractor parked along the gravel drive as well. Off to the east appears to be a grandstand of some sort, but with a green lawn in front of the seating and guardrails in front, I'm not sure what type of event takes place here. I didn't see anything posted on a kiosk identifying upcoming events either. North of the grandstand was a large barn/outbuilding that appeared to have more farm equipment. Beyond the barn, there were green fields. No indication what they were for, just open space. So, unless you are passing through and have kids dying to get out and play, I'm not sure I would recommend making a trip here to visit. Review #821

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.