I gotta agree with my buddy Ken N. (RIP) about Miller Park: It's a solid three stars. It is fine,…read moreand I'm glad it exists, but this is definitely not a destination park. But if you're in the area and need a space to enjoy nature and some old-school playground equipment, Miller Park is your place. This park is located just off a main street in downtown Clermont. It's kind of small and tucked away. There are five parking spaces perpendicular to the street, right in front of the park entrance. And if there are six cars that want to park at Miller Park? The sixth car will be S.O.L., because there are only five parking spaces, like I said. I didn't see any other parking. I visited the park during the late spring, when the plants and greenery were poppin' but before the maintenance crew had a chance to come by and tame it all. The grass and weeds were tall and scratchy. Is there a maintenance crew that comes by and tames this park? Who knows. This might be the way Miller Park is all year round. It has that vibe. The playground is all vintage playground equipment: there's a vintage merry-go-round, vintage riding toys, vintage concrete turtle. The swings are the most modern part of this park: Among the vintage swings, there's a single, red plastic baby swing. This park also has a shaded picnic area with four picnic tables, a walking path that leads to a bridge, a creek that actually looks perfect for creek stomping, and lots of greenery and nature everywhere. This park does not have a restroom or water fountain. However, this was a very peaceful place to hang out. There were birds everywhere, chirping. This is a nice, little old-school park, just don't expect lots of modern amenities and entertainment.

Tucked away just north of US 136 on Tansel Road is a small, densely wooded park. It conveniently…read morehas "nose in" parking along the street and a bench seat along the sidewalk near the entrance. The majority of the park is below street level with a creek running through the middle. On the south western edge is a shelter with picnic tables and a fire pit. Just north of that is an old school playground with swings and a spinning ride. There is also a pair of rocking horses. No towers or slides are present. A trail starts on the south side beyond the shelter and leads down to a small foot bridge that crosses the creek. The trail loops back to the street on the north side. This part of the trail is wide and is mulched. However, if you turn east beyond the bridge, the trail becomes narrow and somewhat overgrown with ground cover so that it looks like it stops. You can negotiate through the vinca, but I didn't find anything unusual worth traipsing along farther, so I returned to the lot. If you like shade and some old school equipment, then you will enjoy htis park. Otherwise, there are a lot more parks in the area to check out. Review #2768

Although the park is rustic, it does have a surprising amount of facilities for visitors. On the…read morewest side of the street, there is a small gravel parking lot next to the basketball and tennis courts. To the north, there is a playground, a shelter with a grill, and some more open space. Across the street, there is a baseball field as well. It's not the most up to date park, but the equipment seemed to be in fairly good condition and the park was generally clean. Review #2436

This park is located along the one way street River Road on the north end of Shelbyville. It has a…read morecentral shelter with restrooms, picnic tables, and a grill. A playground is located near the shelter and benches and swings are found elsewhere in the park too. There appears to be some paved trails in the park, but some are incomplete and stop randomly. An unpaved trail has been worn from the lawn area to the nearby river. When the water level is down like during my visit, it is possible to walk along the shore, though there may still be some water standing along the way. There were some narrow footpaths through the undergrowth as well, but I did not follow those. The park seems to be suited for relaxing under the shade trees or for strolling about. Not many other activities appear to be established here. Review #860

It's still hard for me to do park reviews without thinking of the late Yelper Ken N., a Yelp Elite…read morewho had a passion for documenting Indiana's parks and public art. Chatham Commons is a small yet attractive pocket park with land donated by long-time area residents Tom Jones (not the singer!) and Paul Atkinson in 2011. In addition to the land, there's a sculpture, Boy and Dog by Tom Otterness, that was also donated. This is really a gathering space for adults. There's no real kid-friendly features. There's very short walking paths, a pergola, benches, and ottoman chairs. The park is maintained well with the help of the Chatham Arch Neighborhood Foundation, though anyone familiar with Indy knows that the Chatham area folks take pride in their neighborhood and really do a nice job of taking care of this space. As a wheelchair user, I always have to look at a public space through an accessibility lens. Everything is really pretty fine here, though visiting the park really comes down to street parking. It's a relatively quiet area and not that hard to find a space that works with a wheelchair. Curb-cuts are appropriate and I can easily access all the features. The benches obviously don't have grab rails, however, I'm typically pretty happy if I can simply move around independently in a park and I can definitely do that here. Is this a destination park? Oh heavens no. However, it serves this neighborhood really well and is nicely utilized - especially during the summer and fall months I've noticed. There's only mild protection from elements - so during inclement weather this isn't the place you want to go.

This is a cute little pocket park. I am surprised that I am only the 3rd person to review it. It…read moreis very beautiful park that may be small, but has some really neat stuff like paved walking paths, a pergola, colorful ottaman style chairs and benches. You will also find a sculpture titled Boy and Dog by Tom Otterness right in the center of the park. There is a lot of free street parking available in front of the park as well as on the side. The park is well maintained, even during the off season and has a trendy, but peaceful vibe. The park is accesible and has a long ramp leading into it. The park and sculpture was donated by long time residents Tom Jones and Paul Atkinson. It was dedicated in their memory in 2011 as a gathering place for residents of the neighborhood that they so loved. I like this park and it is one that even if you are not a resident, you still would enjoy. It is however, very convenient for those people living close by. This is definitely worth a stop if you are in the are and have some time to kill or just want to relax and kick back for a bit.

This park is a little outdated and seems to be neglected. The grounds are well maintained (the…read moregrass was cut). The park has a decent sized private lot and a large shelter with picnic tables under it and a couple of grills, one large and one regular sized, just outside of it. The park does not have a restroom facility, but there is a port-potty in the parking lot. You will find a small basketball court that is in decent shape. It just looks old though. There is also another small shelter located next to the basketball court, with picnic tables under it. The park's playground area is large and has a rock climbing wall, a track ride, a bank of traditional swings, a hold and spin, a jungle gym climber, a see-saw, a horse rocker, a four seat teeter totter, and a medium sized jungle gym with bridges, slides and a pebble bridge. The equipment is serviceable, but looks pretty worn and dated. There is a decent amount of green space here at the park, however the majority of it is on or down a steep hill. I can imagine that area is very susceptible to flooding after a heavy rain. This park is ok. It is definitely not a destination park and could surely use some renovations. It is not horrible though and does have some value. It just would not be my first park to go to. However, if I was in the area and just wanted a quick and easy playground then I would have no issue of going here.

This 5.4 acre park is very standard in its amenities having a playground, a shelter with picnic…read moretables, and a small hill of greenspace on the north side. The site was formerly where the Cartersburg Elementary School had been located. There is a small parking lot on the south side of the playground and shelter area. A half court basketball goal is also available for visitors to play with. The playground equipment is fairly standard with swings, and climbing/sliding. There are a few smaller pieces as well. Overall, it is a nice playground for the area, but nothing unique to draw in visitors. Review #807

This park can be accessed from two entrances. One send you through a neighborhood and the other…read morethrough an apartment complex. I came through the apartment complex. It is located in the shadow of Greenwood High School. the park has two decent sized parking lots, one at each entrance. It also has a poorly maintained sand volleyball court. The playground is not much better. It has a couple of swings and a small jungle gym with 3 slides. There is an adequate bathroom facility at the park, but they request that you be prepared and bring your own sanitizing and hand washing supplies. The park has a covered pavilion with picnic tables under it and grills nearby that can be rented for events. There are also picnic tables placed across the park grounds. The park's soccer field is huge and well maintained. It can be used for football, batting practice, playing catch, or just lounging. There is another field that has a chain-linked backdrop that can be used for kickball, t-ball or other similar activities. This seems like a cool park to bring your four legged friend. They provide poop bags, it is not very popular and very quiet. I enjoyed my visit to this park, but do not think that it will be one of my go-to parks. It has a lot of amenities to offer, but I did not see a jogging/walking trail. I see this park as more of one that you visit if you are in the area or live near by.

This park is mainly athletic fields with a small playground area for kids. There are volleyball…read morecourts (sandy), soccer, and baseball fields. There is a shelter with a grill available. There is even a permanent restroom open during the summer months. The park is located just west of US 31 at the end of a short road that leads south from Smith Valley Road. There are signs that warn about No Vehicles allowed, but if you slow down, you can see that they say No Vehicles allowed off road, so it is okay to drive back. One of the nice things that coincides with the park is a trail that leads to other parks in Greenwood if you like hiking or biking. You can catch the near the entrance to this park. Tip: Avoid going here during rush hour. Smith Valley gets a lot of traffic and turning left to head west when leaving could take a long while. Review #545

Alice Carter Place is a 1.36 acre green space that falls under the umbrella of Indy Parks…read more Established in 1922 by Albert Carter and named after his wife, Alice "Polly" Carter, Alice Carter Place has no actual park amenities other than relaxing greenery and benches upon which you can enjoy the scenery and the busy North Meridian Street traffic. Alice Carter Place is located at the corner of Meridian Street and Westfield Boulevard. If you're walking along this area by the canal or the Central Canal Towpath, you can easily stop here. Otherwise, it's not that easy as there's no parking around here (and strict signage indicating not to) and a pump station that slightly impacts the otherwise attractive space. As a fun fact, Albert and Alice once owned the home that is now Meridian Restaurant & Bar. At the time the park was developed, the area was mostly comprised of German immigrants who had grown up used to smaller "parks" like this one used primarily as gathering and social spaces. Alice Carter Place actually grew a bit in 1999 when the Winters family donated some land on the south end of the park. A bench honors their contribution. In recent years, it has seen improvements including more visible crosswalks, concrete paths, and some brick and concrete pavers that honor community members. This really is sort of your average pocket green space. While it was once a valued neighborhood gathering spot, these days it's primarily noteworthy as the trailhead for Central Canal and as a brief resting place for joggers and walkers.

If you were dining at Meridian (the restaurant) and they had a long wait, you might wander over…read morehere and think it a beautiful little park. It does have some mature pine trees which mostly hide the eyesore utility building with "no parking" signs threatening towing if you pull into the single parking spot for the park. There is no street parking on any of the sides, so you have to make this a destination by parking someplace else and walking here. However, what is here can be a really charming little place. Even in the browns of February, I could see the potential beauty of the park. The point (north) end has an inlaid brick circular plaza that is surrounded by planters that could be brimming with flowers in the right season. There are some nice shade trees too. There are paved paths and benches to relax upon. If I could visit here without risking being towed, I would definitely give it an extra star as a place for adults to relax and enjoy the murmur of traffic. Review #598

Gable Park is a relatively small 10-acre park in Avon located directly behind Ashley Furniture…read more It's also the site of Avon's salt barns and the town's semi-annual Heavy Trash Day. The park's primary feature is a 3-acre "catch and release" fishing pond. The pond requires a state fishing license. It's for fishing only - no swimming, wading, ice fishing, or ice skating are allowed at the location. While it's always nice to see green spaces in business areas, Gable Park is really a middling offering in the town and definitely on the lower-end of Avon's more nature-based offerings. You can easily park back here, however, unless you're here to walk your dog, do some fishing, or just take a breather there's not much reason to stop at this park. There are no other amenities here. I actually stumbled across it precisely for that reason - a desire to take a short breather during a visit to my parents' home in nearby Putnam County. A decent spot for that, Gable Park is not a destination park and isn't likely to appeal to families or children beyond the aforementioned fishing option.