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

Although there isn't much to look at yet, this park has a lot of potential and should be a place of…read moregreat benefit to Franklin as years go by. South of downtown (in a space across South Street from the cemetery), three blocks of lawn with a few mature trees have been planted with numerous trees and had trails put in to wander through. Though most of the trees are relatively small now, I can see this being a tremendous wooded area with room for each tree to grow while offering shaded paths for visitors to wander. Currently, there are just a few parallel parking places on the north end of the park along South St. One of the amenities that has been added is the addition of a Story Walk along one of the looping trails in the middle block. As you walk along the trail, there are numbered stands that feature the pages of a story. I am not sure how often the story is changed. To add a bit of color, islands of flowers have been planted along the trails to break up the green lawn. I hope I live long enough to see this park reach maturity and take advantage of the clever idea of this park. Review #1004

This is a cute little pocket park that is located along an active railroad track. There is a small…read morewhite gazebo and a couple of picnic tables in the grass. The park features a train car that is in pretty good shape. The car has painted silhouettes in the window and even though you cannot go into the car, you can climb on it. It is a very clean park and there is free street and lot parking within a reasonable walking distance. I had my little with me and he badly wanted to see a train go through. Unfortunately, on weekends there may be two trains to go through at the most. Weekdays may give you a better opportunity to see a train roll through. As I mentioned, this is a very small park. I would say about a quarter of an acre. You also probably wont spend a lot of time here, but I still like it. It is a very nice place to take a load off while in Franklin's business district or if you want to see a train go by, up close and personal.

This charming little park is not a destination location but definitely worthy of a visit. There is…read morestreet parking along the side streets and further down Jefferson Street plus a lot across the street. It is a nice resting point if you're walking to the various shops along Jefferson Street. The park lawn and landscaping is well maintained with hostas, flowering plants and grasses, a cute white gazebo and a locked caboose to visit. Fun photo op for kids or adults. The caboose has fun silhouettes of passengers in the windows. If you'd like to enjoy a beverage while you rest there is a convenient shop right next door across the tracks to grab a beverage and snack. A perfect small town park to take a break at or entertain the kids for a few minutes.

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

I take kids to playground parks for about the last 10 years. This park is laid out very nice…read more Having the security fence and gate for ingress and egress is very nice to keep the children safe from wandering out in front of traffic. Very safe and updated pieces of play equipment for them to play on.

On the east side of Greensburg is a really nice 15 acre park. It features a playground, shelters…read moreand restrooms, and there is a well maintained dog park (Tree City DP) on the south end. The park is filled with mature trees for shade and the playground is located near the paved parking area along with the primary shelter. Adults can easily view the playground from the comfortable seating at the shelter. The playground has lots of pieces including swings, slides, tubes, and a fort. Lots of things to climb on too. Overall, the park was well maintained and clean and seems like the kids who were enjoying the warm weather were having a blast. Review #2445

This park is part of Franklin College and was built through the generosity of public donations. It…read morewas dedicated in October 2011 and spans 78 acres. The park was created to provide outstanding venues for Grizzly intercollegiate athletic programs for NCAA Division III competition and to encourage health and wellness in the campus community and Johnson County. The park is open to the public and has a very nice 10-court tennis complex. They are very well maintained. There is also a decent Track and Field Complex on the property. It has a quarter mile track and the other equipment need for field events. The park's softball/baseball complex consists of 3 very nice and well-maintained fields. The park also features a huge and nice paved walking path that goes around its perimeter. I saw people out walking their dogs on while I was there. The park borders the college and a neighborhood who has a direct path to enter the park through. The park is not short on green space. There is a huge field with moveable soccer goals. The field can be used for field sports such as football, soccer, field hockey, flying a kite, or just hanging out. The park's parking lot is huge which would be suitable for a big softball tournament. You will find a decent sized shelter/pavilion with picnic tables under it near the main ball field. This is a nice low-key park that is primarily used for walking around the trail, walking a dog, or doing field activities. Outside of sporting events, the park does not get a lot of traffic, so if you are looking for a low-key place to hang out and do some fitness activities this could possibly be your place.

Cute and charming!…read more Lots of interesting architecture for such a small town, but with an interesting history. My fave brewery in on the outskirts of town so I come through regularly. Worth a visit, a little day trip.

This is the first dog park in Whiteland. It is very small and was originally named Whiteland Dog…read morePark. It has since been dedicated to a Whiteland Police Department K-9 named Vader, who just recently passed away in early 2022. It is on an acre of land, but much of the land is green space. They have a small private parking lot that is more than ample to handle the traffic that comes through here. They do not have much equipment there. It consists of a fenced in area with a fake fire hydrant, a bridge climb that goes over a tunnel, and utility hole covers. There are also a couple of benches for the dog's owners to sit while their dogs frolic with the fence's confines. You are required to have a membership for your dog to use the park. I think it costs about $20/year, per dog. The dog must have the tag on while in the park. There is no attendant, card access, or locks on the gate. Visitors are on the honor system. Outside of the fence you will find a wooden gazebo with a sharing library just outside of it. There is also a stone bench with a small plaque with the names of the Whiteland PD's K-9s on the back. The park is also home to a small veteran's memorial that was completed as part of an Eagle Scout project. It consists a stone that has an inscription that dedicates the area to the veterans of all services and flag poles with flags of each of the service flying high. The stone and flags are illuminated, so they are somewhat visible at night. The park was opened in 2020 and the land that it donated to the town by Arbor Homes. You can see the Arbor Homes development (Millstone) in the background and there is a nice paved walking path between the development and the park. The park seems to be in decent shape, probably to the combination of not getting much usage and a good maintenance schedule. This is a nice dog park and is a work in progress. They city has plans on expanding it. I would not call it a destination pooch park, but is a good option if you are nearby.