Nice little park with a fishing pond, basketball, volleyball, and playgrounds for kids. Camping is…read moreavailable at well, and campsites are right along the river.

One of the Bartholomew County parks/campgrounds is located just northwest of the Edinburgh exit 76…read more If you use the frontage road and follow the signs, you will be able to locate the entrance of the park. (Note that the park is not open all the time, so contact the county parks department ahead of time to avoid a problem.) There is a paved road that leads down along the Flatrock River and then over towards an area where 30 campsites can be used. Note that no camping off the approved sites is allowed. They do have running water, a playground, a couple shelters, but I wasn't able to determine if there are electrical hookups. The park does not have a beach or pool. There are some remote picnic tables, but because of flooding, access to those areas can be restricted. It's best to contact the park officials ahead of time to avoid risk and frustration. The park has lots of wooded land and is hilly. Also, the river can be flowing quite rapidly at times. Review #2064

We enjoyed fresh air and a long relaxing hike along the creek. There was a nice little Sandy Beach…read morewhere the kids played and built castles. Can't wait to come back in the Spring.

This is more surprising than that scene in Garden State. Yeah, that one! Gasp! Takes your breath…read moreaway. Get a local to walk you there from parking at the commune lake. That's the top view. Needmore Commune was started by Kathy Canada, the grand daughter of Eli Lilly. Yeah, that Eli Lilly. It's not a tourist attraction. Locals don't bite. Ask and you'll find it. Bring wampum and trade beads. Flashbacks to 1969 are common in these-here-parts. Aaron Levy Property infamously reverted to family and was later purchased by Sycamore Land Trust. Google 'Trevlac Bluffs Nature Preserve' on the Sycamore Land Trust Site, for two maps so hard to read they scare people away. Prepare to be alone. Not crowded, except when morels poke out.

Bloomington is so lucky to have IndiGo Birding here in this small town. David Rupp is not just…read moreextremely knowledgeable about birds. He also has an inescapable enthusiasm and wonderful sense of humor. Bird watching tours can be hikes or kayak rides. I did both, and David was a great instructor for my first time kayaking. You don't have to be a serious "birder" (I'm not) to enjoy David's events. This would be a great introduction for children or teenagers. If you don't see a tour on David's website that fits your schedule, contact him. David added two tours to his schedule just for us. And because others signed up once the new tours were posted, we did not have to pay the private tour rate. David took care of everything, providing binoculars, driving us to and from the hiking spot (which gave us a much appreciated chance to talk with him and learn about the area), and, for the kayaking trip, David brought the kayaks in and out. If you prefer a canoe, just ask for one. For what David provides, these tours are very reasonably priced. This would be ideal for visiting friends and family. My outings with David were by far the two most interesting things I did this summer!

David is AMAZING!!!! So knowledgeable, and he is so great with kids! Most of our group were bird…read morerookies but he taught us everything we needed to know, brought professional grade binoculars for all of us, as well as other professional telescopes for far away birds, AND was gentlemanly enough to let us put all our stuff in his back pack since we forgot to bring one (LOL). My son loves birds and is only 5, and David was so patient and wonderful with him, and our entire family had SO much fun! This is such a great activity to do for any age group, we got to hike in a beautiful area and check out animals we had never seen before!

As an adult with a disability, it can be super tricky trying to honestly review certain businesses,…read morelandmarks, and natural settings because there's a need to balance honesty with the awareness that after quite a few years of life I've accepted that certain places simply will never be accessible. A nature preserve is a great example. Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve is absolutely beautiful, but only a small portion of it really can be considered accessible. First off, this is a wetland preserve. That means, well, "wet" and "land." Part of the trail is dirt. Part of the trail is this sort of hard plastic boardwalk. It's rather narrow (I can't picture a large motorized chair handling it, though my smaller manual chair could for the most part). This nature preserve has 824 acres. It provides a home for the endangered Indiana bat, the Kirtland's snake, and there's reportedly an eagle's nest here (the bird, not the restaurant. Ha.). This is an Indiana State Nature Preserve, an "Important Bird Area" per the National Audubon Society, and a Wetland of Distinction by the Society of Wetland Scientists. The hiking trail comes in at about 2.5 miles. It's worth noting that accessibility is limited. There are eight parking spots, no restroom facilities, and the area is prone to flooding. The raised boardwalk has four observation decks. Kudos to the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust and Duke Energy Foundation for improving accessibility with the newest part of the boardwalk trail. The plastic deck is 36" wide with openings of less than 1/2". The maximum grade is 10% for 15'. The trail is for the most part what I'd consider flat. There are six places where you can pass/turn around. If you're prone to falls or unstable pushing your wheelchair, I wouldn't do this alone as if you go off the boardwalk, which is possible, you're in the water. In case you're wondering, the Kirtland's snake is non-venomous and pretty reclusive. I will note that the trail from the parking lot to the boardwalk is crushed gravel. Again, I found it manageable but many would not. This is not a recreation spot. There are no real "activities" here. It's a nature preserve, and that's exactly what it's about. Birders should also be happy here. You might see an eagle, an egret, woodpeckers, woodcocks, warblers, and more. There's also a frog pond (I confess. I love frogs.). Nature preserves are not "parks." This is a remarkable place preserving nature, and I was pretty in awe of it. Parks, at least to me, always feel relatively controlled. Nature Preserves have a bit of spontaneity to them, maybe even risk. I'm so glad I found this place. I never knew about it, but when I was in the Bean Blossom area I did a quick search of other places to check out and "Voila!" here it was!

The Trees Are Fresh The Bugs Are Kinda Annoying At Times…read moreAnd The Nature In This Park As Really Good I Recommend You Take A Walk Here If You Wanna Get Vitamin D

If you like hiking in natural settings where you can get a fair amount of distance (around 2 miles…read moreper loop) and without much elevation change (about 60 feet), this may become a new favorite park for you. As part of the Sycamore Land Trust, the properties here total 98 acres and were acquired in 1995 & 1998, so just over 20 years of naturally converting from farm land. There are wooded areas and prairies. There is a small lake hidden from view on the trail but just at the beginning of the Shawnee Trail loop. On the east side of the Shawnee Trail is a small observation deck that lets you overlook a prairie. Not a much better view, but it does held see over some of the grasses that obstruct your view. I will mention that if you are going here, wear clothing that you won't mind getting muddy. Also, be aware that the natural trails are mowed without any gravel or grit for traction, so even if it hasn't rained recently, the trail does hold some moisture which can make it slippery and muddy. I was surprised a couple times with all the fallen leaves and if not for a bit of luck, I may have slipped to the ground. There is a map of the trail paths at the parking lot. I suggest taking a photo with your phone so that you can check progress. The basic layout is the Lenape Trail heads east from the parking lot. If you take the short cut, the trail is only 0.7 miles long through a lightly wooded area. If you push on to the eastern edge of the trail, you add another 0.6 miles and will get more elevation change and pass through some areas where wooden bridges cross over the creek several times. If you want to explore some area where the observation deck and more meadows are visible, take the path that leads to the Shawnee Trail to the north. After following a 0.1 mile path to the north, you can work your way around the loop which is another 0.5 miles. Note that there are random placements of benches along the trails. No restroom facilities exist. The parking lot is gravel and is located about a half mile south of SR 46. I look forward to returning in the spring/summer months when the wildlife is more active and the fields are more colorful. Review #2061

Great amount of activities and different trails and great area to bring the kids. Wish they would…read moreopen the obstacle course

Great customer service...we called this morn for directions (because our navigation was having…read moretrouble finding the location) and Gwen answered and gave us SPECIFIC directions...we found it easily..when we pulled into space 55 we realised we were in an old parking lot..all cement..not happy..BUT..at that moment (Mike the Camp Host) drove by on his golf cart and I told him we weren't really happy with the setting..he took Bryan (my partner) in his cart to look at three other sites ..Bryan picked #21..we were PLEASED...Mike was quite accommodating..then we went to check out the rest rooms...clean ..very nice..well lit..I do like paper toweling and there wasn't any but that was ok..we're leaving early in the morn and sorry we can't get to the museum..the general facility looks quite interesting

I've lived in this area for several years and just discovered this local hidden gem. As others have…read moresaid, the gravel/dirt road to gain entrance is VERY steep and has some serious pot holes. My small Mazda SUV handled it just fine, going slowly, but I did get a little nervous going back down. Slow and steady, as long as you've got good brakes, and you should be fine. Just like the short driveway up to the small parking area, the paths are quite steep. When you enter the trail area, take the trail to your right. The trail loops around, returning you to the entrance. If you go the opposite direction, you'll be left to go up the steepest part of the hike. I made that mistake the first time, and let's just say it really tested my ticker. The whole trail takes you about 20 minutes if you don't make any stops. You certainly get the feel of being out in the wilderness, minus being able to hear the nearby highway and airplanes coming and going from the airport.

This is a small land trust tucked on 67 near Martinsville that is a fun moderate hike. The gravel…read moredrove into the small parking area is a steep curving uphill road so make sure you either bring the appropriate vehicle or plan to park a bit away and walk in. It is off of a nice wooded road with private residences, so is mostly quiet with the feel of deep woods. You can hear a bit of the road from later in the trail but it isn't too overwhelming. The trail is marked with some signs but can get confusing if you don't prepare and download a map given online. It helps to have also read a few blog posts about the land trust so as to get a feel for the trail and types of wildlife you might encounter. There are no benches along the way or any facilities in this spot, but there are plenty of fallen trees on which to sit if you want to stop and take a break or listen to the sounds of the woods. It is a lovely hike which has some hills and uphill depending on which way you go on the trail, and some wonderful vistas of the woods ahead. We throughly enjoyed our hike and we took breaks to look around so it took us a bit longer. I'd say it is a good 1 1/2 hour path at a slower walking pace. We did get a bit confused and did one extra loop twice as the marker isn't really well defined, so next time I will use the map or use Alltrails to calculate our path. A wonderful outing though and then we headed to Martinsville for some local BBQ which made the day that much more fun! Highly recommend this spot!

Great place for kids and adults to and be in the middle of nature. A lot to offer, swimming,…read morecanoeing, zip lining and camp programs. Family reunions are also a big hit .

Beautiful. I have been here many times for Indiana University retreats, boot camps, and seminars…read more It is so nice to unplug from work and to get to know your co-workers and our leadership. I would like to spend more time here! It's so nice.