This is such a clean and lovely park. Absolutely clean, spotless restrooms, a beautiful shelter and…read morea big dog park. We needed to take our dogs and it was the right choice. There's a small 0.5 mile trail inside the park which is quite ok for a quick, run/walk but I still liked the peace and quiet. If you need more walking distance, just take a left from the park and walk a little farther where you will find Monon trail. Beautiful trail with trees on both sides, dotted now with beautiful fall colors. Central or Monon this park in the middle of Carmel is a win win!

We had a membership to the Central Park Dog Park for a few years, and our dog loved it. We loved it…read moretoo -- the grounds are spacious, there are plenty of trees surrounding the grassy area where dogs can explore, and there's a shaded picnic area for humans to sit and relax. We've never had anything but pleasant experiences with the dogs and their owners. I think that part of the reason is because this dog park is kind of exclusive: you need to apply, and you're usually on a wait list for a while. They keep the number of members manageable so that there's not lots of people visiting all the time, and everyone can enjoy the dog park when they're there. The only reason we don't have a membership to the dog park anymore is because our dog prefers the attention of humans, so he would just stand around at the dog park and not play. But we'd totally join again in a minute we got another dog who enjoyed the company of other dogs! This is a nice place for dogs to hang out.

If your canine needs a little exercise with ability to roam free and play with his buds, then try…read moreout the (relatively) new dog park at Heritage Park in Zionsville. The Park is operated by Zionsville Parks and Recreation. But wait, first you need to register your pooch, show proof of vaccines and pay the Zionsville resident fee of $75 (or $120 for non residents). If your pup is over 4 months old and meets the requirements, you receive a fob that allows access to the park. These requirements keep you and your dog safe. The park has a section for small dogs and a section for large dogs. There are watering stations, bone shaped benches, and small pavilions to get out of the sun. There are also a few exercise ramps for Rover. Poop bags are available. The Park is adjacent to a playground. There are a dozen or so parking spaces and a unisex port-o-let. But you cannot take young children into the dog park. The park was not busy during my visit. 3 big dogs playing and no small dogs.

While visiting Providence Home+Garden, I went to go check out Rusty's Ranch Dog Park to see what it…read morelooked like and it was a very nice dog park. There were no dogs in the park, but I was very impressed with the landscaping and the structure of the park. There was a very nice walking trail in the back of the park that you could walk on as well. There was a very nice flower garden with a bench near the dog park that you could just sit and relax and enjoy the weather and the flowers. The playground for the dogs was nice and had a lot of obstacles for the dogs to play around in. All in all, Rusty's Ranch Dog Park is very exclusive for dogs to enjoy playing around and having a good time in on a regular basis. It is a good addition to Providence Home+Garden, and I think it will definitely attract more visitors with their dogs to the dog park.

Even though they tried to open it for only the Fourth of July without any fanfare, umbrellas or…read moresnack bar it still was a hit! This very historical pool is still gorgeous and the fact they want to tear it down is unsettling. I have just never heard of putting a lazy river in front of a real river, but that's just me. Every time I go here I see somebody I know and it is such a great neighborhood area. It definitely is the best pool in town. The bathrooms need work as well as the concrete area but there's plenty of handicap parking and there is a dog park there as well. There's a nice walk along the river and many many playground activities available. They even have a soccer or rugby area as well as a tennis court. This truly is a jam in the city with White River and all its glory.

The pool pert if the park was very sad but the restrooms were cleaner than any other pool.read more

My family member's repast was held here and the cabin and lake was is absolutely beautiful! Grounds…read moreare in need of much repair but other than that, very nice

Louis J. Jenn Memorial Park is one of a dozen city parks within the City of Lawrence. Like most…read moreLawrence parks, sadly, it's more than a little run down but does offer an official leash-free bark park called "Waggin' Tails." The park includes picnicking, fishing, and a rental facility with a warming kitchen. The bark park includes obstacle training equipment, benches, and a double-bubbler fountain for both pets and people. Memberships in the bark park are limited to 500 people and cost $40 annually per dog for residents, $50 for non-residents. Proof of residency is required. You also pay a one-time key deposit of $25. The park's namesake is Louis J. Jenn, founder of Jenn-Air Corporation and a Central Indiana businessman who died in 1993. He had served on a variety of community boards and also owned former restaurants The Loft Inn and Chateau Normandy. The parking lot is private, yet largely separated from the park and while the rental facility is fairly accessible most of the park itself is unpaved and not what I'd call wheelchair friendly. Given the presence of a pond, this park has potential but really could use some updates.

This is a nice nature park with a vast amount of green space. It is located well off of the main…read moreroad which gives it a bit of calmness. It spans 82 acres and dates back to 1970. The park has a shelter with picnic tables under it and a few tables and a grill just outside of it. A large portion of the park is a dog park area. They have 2 large fenced in areas with benches and dog ramps and jump bars. It is a nice dog park and requires a permit where dog owners can purchase a day or annual pass. There is a decent sized parking lot to park in and just off of the parking lot is the entrance to the park's nature trail. It is a very nice trail that is well defined and wide. You are never too deep in the woods being that it borders a neighborhood. The green space is vast and well maintained. You can do just about any field activity here including flying a kite, playing soccer, playing football, throwing a frisbee, having a picnic, batting practice or playing catch. There is a huge hill in the midst of all the green space that would be awesome for hanging out, working out and sledding after a snow. Some people use the green space, instead of paying to use the dog park to walk their dogs. I think that is acceptable by the park, as long as you clean up after it and keep it on a leash. The park's playground is ok. It has a bank of traditional swings, a bank of toddler swings, a geo dome, a see-saw, a spiral slide, and a large accesible jungle gym with a bunch of slides, monkey rings, pull up bars, and track ride. The area is on a bed of saw dust and the equipment is in fair condition and you can see signs of weather and wear. I know that money does not grow on trees, but it would be nice to upgrade this area. I will caution you that the park can get muddy after some precipitation, so dress your feet accordingly. This is a nice nature park that has a dog park, hiking trails, green space, a playground, and picnic area. There is no restroom facility, but they do have a porta-potty available by the parking lot near the dog park area. Definitely worth a visit if you are looking for a park and are in the area. I enjoyed my time there.

Paul Ruster Park is an 82-acre park that sort of rides the South and East corridors of Indy. It's a…read morelittle gem, though not particularly a wheelchair friendly one given it maintains a lot of its natural setting rather than having a lot of actual "features." The park was acquired in 1970 and is part of Indy Parks. It has beautiful, winding trails, a small fishing pond, and a playground that has some nice equipment but I sure wouldn't consider it to be top-notch in that area. I sort of stumbled by Paul Ruster Park. I was on a therapeutic drive after work and happened to make a turn and instantly saw the park sign. As I knew this was not a park I'd ever visited before, I had to stop and check it out. As I was driving in on a winding road, I saw one guy pulling out his fishing equipment. I love that. Paul Ruster Park does feature a bark park. You can buy a pass for it at the Post Road park. There's also a 1.5 mile trail in the park that I tried out - it's relatively gentle with some inclines and has some lakeside features. Dogs can go on the trail, though they must be leashed. The trail is pretty good for wheelchairs and is certainly paved. Paul Ruster has a really good sledding hill, though that's obviously not wheelchair friendly. It might be interesting, though! There is a path that leads to the playground equipment, though I certainly would not call the playground area an accessible area. I'm always curious about how parks get their names. So, I did some research since Paul Ruster doesn't really ring a bell. Ruster was a 1964 graduate of Warren Central High School who died on December 10, 1978 of Hodgkin's Disease. He was a longtime Eastside presence and had a brother who had been a Warren Central baseball star and would become a P.E. teacher. Paul Ruster himself went to Ball State and returned to Warren Township where he taught for 10 years before his death. He was a beloved child advocate and the park was named after him in 1979. Another fun fact about the park - it's reportedly haunted by the ghost of John Kitley, a 12-year-old harmonica playing boy who was killed along train tracks in 1864. The park is close to the Washington Square area and yet is nicely set apart from both the retail and residential areas that are within minutes.

Simon Moon Park got a MAKEOVER!…read more It's still the perfect toddler park, but now there are some upgrades for older toddlers and elementary-aged kids too! Start off learning to rock wall climb with the cutest metamorphosis-inspired climbing structures Meet Ichabod the Crane with more advanced rock wall climbing and even more climbing features Small toddler-friendly playground with a slide Rope climbing structure with a slide for older toddlers and elementary-aged kids 4 different types of swings Merry-go-round and other spinning equipment Soft turf throughout 2 pavilions Bathrooms nearby A few things to know: It's brand new, so some areas are still under construction There isn't much shade yet And there's SO much more coming! Sledding hill + warming shelter Amphitheater Kayak rentals + piers The trail around the lake is already open and currently includes a mix of gravel, paved paths, and boardwalks. This park is going to be AMAZING once everything is finished. Add it to your list now so you can watch it grow!

A really good park for nice weather days. There's a nice kids play area, a clean shelter spot, a…read morenice flat concrete hike by a little lake almost behind the park. There's a small parking area right at the park but a bigger spot about 20-30 steps away. Clean and well maintained, dogs are allowed. My family and friends had a lot of fun and enjoyed visiting Simon Moon park.

No playground! Let's just get that out of the way right now. My children believe that all places…read morethat call themselves "parks" should have a playground, otherwise it's false advertising. I don't agree, but you should know up front that this park doesn't have a playground, so you can set your child's expectations where they need to be. What Beckenholdt Family Park does have is lots of walking paths that meander around a beautiful pond. There's also a wooden deck and lookout tower, which when you make it to the top, you can see the whole park. (The lookout tower is also wheelchair accessible, which is cool.) The lookout is what actually caught my eye from the road. I saw it and slammed on my breaks, did a U-turn and headed toward this park that I had never heard of until today. A good portion of the park is dedicated to a fenced dog park called Rovers Run Bark Park. The dog park has a few obstacles, but mostly lots of grassy areas to run. There's also a gazebo-type sitting area for the humans. Next to the dog park is a rainbow bridge -- literally, a bridge that's painted rainbow colors -- called Baker's Rainbow Bridge, for people whose dogs have died. The owners can place their lost dogs' collars, ID tags, photos and other mementos all along the bridge. I have been in my head a lot lately, with my feelings heightened and right at the edges, so seeing this rainbow bridge, with all of the photos and collars attached to the bridge, made me cry. There was just so much love there. It's making me want to cry again just writing about it! What a nice gesture for the community. Luckily, a dog from the dog park sensed that I needed to snap out of it, and ran over to bark at me. I'm so glad I stopped at this park! It wasn't a planned part of my day, but sometimes the unplanned things are just what you need. It was nice to walk around and enjoy the sunshine at this beautiful place.

Sometimes you just need to take a freaking walk…read more I've been on a health journey for the past few years, and I am trying to change different habits and my default ways of dealing with stress, anxiety and all sorts of emotions. I used to stress eat. When the hamsters were running wild and free inside my brain, I would head straight to the fridge. Now, I go for a walk... and it's glorious. Today, I needed a walk. It was the end of my work day and I wanted to clear my head and burn some calories. I work less than 10 minutes from Beckenholdt Park, so I left work a few minutes early and headed to the park. I keep my ruck pack in my trunk, so I was all set. I arrived at the park around 4:00pm. It was cool and overcast, but a great day for a walk. I have been to this park multiple times over the years. I have taken my kids fishing in the small pond and have walked laps around its trails. Today, I threw on my ruck sack, put in my earbuds, and started walking. There is something special about moving your legs and listening to good music. Neutral Milk Hotel danced in my ears as I walked laps around the pond. While this band might not be for everyone, I feel like nature parks like Beckenholdt were made for folksy bands like Neutral Milk Hotel. Listening to folk music and walking in nature-- that's a great way to slow down those hamsters! Beckenholdt Park isn't the largest park. There are no playgrounds. But it is a great nature preserve to take your family and your dog. Or to simply go for a nice walk around the pond.