I've secretly held off on reviewing this place to not make it as known to keep it quiet and less…read morecrowded like most of the other parks are around Indy nowadays. As of April 21, 2025, they'll be charging for entrance, so might as well review it! I've been coming here for years now. It's an amazing spot with one major trail (2.85 miles) and then a shorter out-and-back trail that leads to the water overlook. I frequented this place cause it's not as known, which means less people! One of my go-to places to hike in the city given its ease of access off of the interstate and free admission. Womp. Thanks for providing the free space while it lasted!

The Starling Nature Sanctuary is an 11-acre nature sanctuary within the boundaries of Eagle Creek…read morePark. The sanctuary is named after Scott Starling and is located at the north end of Eagle Creek Reservoir (Pike Township). Starling passed away at the age of 29 after being struck by lightning during a storm. He was a 1977 Pike High School graduate and a Purdue University graduate. At the time of his death, he was working toward a doctorate in marine aquaculture and had served in the Peace Corps. The area was purchased by Indianapolis in 1966 and was officially designated the Scott Starling Nature Sanctuary in 1992. It's managed by Indy Parks. The sanctuary is the setting for a wetlands restoration project led by the Center for Earth and Environmental Science along with Indy Parks, wetland restoration professionals from Spence Restoration Nursery, and IUPUI (now IU-I) students and faculty. The sanctuary has done a great job of maintaining its natural state while also becoming more accessible. The core of the sanctuary is a 2.4-mile trail that is moderately challenging. Initially not very accessible (and trails that branch off can be far less accessible), there's been much done to improve it. The boardwalk section, in particular, is kid-friendly and is a popular yet fairly isolated spot for hiking, walking, and running. In terms of wheelchair users, this is really only a trail for more experienced, independent wheelchair users. I grew up in Pike Township and visited this area a lot in my young adult years, however, now that I live in Lawrence Township I don't get over here as much as I should. Today's visit was a reminder of how much I enjoy it even though there were a couple spots that were pretty difficult to pass in the wheelchair. It's worth the extra effort for sure.

Rev. Charles R. Williams Park is Indy's latest public park. Named after the late Indiana Black Expo…read morepresident and the founder of Indy's Circle City Classic, Rev. Charles R. Williams Park resulted from an over $2 million partnership between a Land and Water Conservation Funds Grant matched by Indy Parks. The park features horseshoe courts, new playground equipment, a picnic shelter, an open lawn area, a perimeter loop trail, and a connection to the Monon Trail. The space also offers a universal expression swing, rubberized surfaces in a variety of colors and patterns, an arch basket swing, a sensory cove, musical equipment, and more. The park is located within a residential area and is relatively small at about 7 acres. Parking is clearly defined, though this is very much a neighborhood park rather than a destination park. Rev. Charles R. Williams Park was officially named in 2015, though it's actual development has taken several years. The resulting park may not be Indy's fanciest park, however, it is a fine legacy for Rev. Williams's long history of community work in Indianapolis. With an official ribbon-cutting on 9/20/23, Rev. Charles R. Williams Park honors a man who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of Indy's African-American residents. He became Black Expo president in 1980, initially as a volunteer before a Lilly Grant began funding staff in 1983. Rev. Williams served as Special Assistant under Mayors Lugar and Hudnut and was instrumental in the city's first observance of Black History Month. He also organized the first Indy Jazz Fest in 1989. An ordained minister, he provided leadership for several organizations and received a myriad of community awards. He passed away from cancer in 2004. If you get a chance, I'd definitely check out this latest addition to the Indy Parks network of neighborhood parks.

A great place for a nice leisurely walk. A lot of foliage, alongside a creek, a loop trail, and…read morequiet on a weekend afternoon. It connects to Lion's park.

If you want to get up close to nature and the sycamore trees and not travel too far from home then…read moreCreekside Park is the place to be. This little Zionsville park is located in a former floodplain. Nice trails throughout the park and along the creek now bring you so close to nature that you instantly relax. The park is an excellent place to watch birds or look for native wildflowers. Today we saw a Canadian goose sitting on her nest. There were many people out walking their dogs today. The park offers cleanup bags for your pooch at the entrance. The park also connects to Lions Park through a bridge that goes beneath the highway. There are three picnic tables in the park. The park offers limited parking with only five spaces and one handicap space. The park is totally accessible with nice wide smooth trails.

Turkey Foot Nature Park is notable for the spectacular virgin sycamore trees that line Eagle Creek…read more A 335 year old downed tree is featured on display in the park. The display marks the rings on the tree trunk with significant events dating back to 1679! The 23 acre park was built along a section of the Eagle Creek just north of Zionsville that was never developed. Today, the park is hidden between housing developments and a Pete Dye golf course. The town of Zionsville maintains the park. On the south end of the park is a paved parking lot which holds 15 cars. The 1.3 mile of trails are also nicely paved making the hike suitable for a stroller or wheelchair. Small unpaved paths along the trail lead down to Eagle Creek where you can get great views of birds and other wildlife including an occasional bald eagle. Along the sycamore-lined trail, native wild flowers bloom throughout the season. There is a lovely footbridge that crosses Eagle Creek. I find the walk tranquil and refreshing. The park is used for running, biking or walking the dog. There is also entry points for canoe/kayak and fishing is allowed in the Creek. There is no charge to use the park.

Turkey Foot Nature Park is a hidden gem! We discovered it via a tip from a friend who likes to take…read moreher kids creek stomping. This is a great park to do that. There is a shallow creek here that's perfect for wading with young kids, and a short hiking trail, and beautiful nature all around. On the bank of the creek, you'll find little shells all around. When we visited, there wasn't anyone else there, so it was very peaceful and quiet. The parking lot is small, so I imagine that Turkey Foot doesn't get too many visitors at one time anyway. There is a pedestrian bridge that was being repaired when we visited, so we couldn't access it, but we were able to see it from the creek.

This is the spot for indoor and outdoor kid friendly fun. The interior is small, hosting many…read morerescued reptiles, amphibians, and other exotic animals. There's a small play area with lots of opportunities for hands on learning. Outside there's chickens, walking trails, a play set, and giant chess board for good weather fun. This park is free to explore. Staff is knowledge and passionate about caring for the animals. Looking forward to coming back to check out some of the programs.

I finally stopped by Helen Pecar Park this past weekend on my way through Hendricks County to my…read moreparents' home. Pecar Park & Nature Center is a fairly new Avon Park that is a unique balance of primitive meets contemporary. The park has its own naturalist and the nature center offers turtles, tortoises, bearded dragons, and other animals. There's an amphitheater that is primarily used as an outdoor education space. The Nature Center can be rented by the hour or by the day (only between the hours of 10am-9pm). Pecar Park offers 9 primitive campsites, though there is an indoor bathroom and shower to make everything a little less primitive. Rental of a campsite is $15 for township residents, $25 for non-residents. The park also offers a playground, community fire pit, pod, greenspace, GLOW lab, and geocachers should know geocaching is available at this park (and encouraged). Pecar Park still feels like a work in progress. It's one of those parks that's always a dilemma for me - technically, it's accessible. Yet, it's really not. The way Yelp's accessibility questions are phrased, technically this park meets them. However, this park tends to be a place where it's best to have a companion with you, especially if you have mobility issues, as there are places where paths are a bit more rustic and even the playground is a bit more natural in setting. Pecar Park is off the main drag in Hendricks County and seems to be a still underutilized park. It seems to be more about natural activities than just "fun." There's also a bird aviary and a low ropes challenge. Again, this feels like a work in progress but a cool work in progress. It seems like this park has grown a bit since its 2019 opening, however, it remains one of Avon, Indiana's more underrated gems. While accessibility is definitely a bit of an issue here, with a little assistance it's likely one can really appreciate this more natural and relaxed setting. As near as I could tell, the nature center itself was solid in terms of accessibility. I got everywhere I wanted to go here - it just took a little effort.

Found this little park and went for a walk. Has a paved trail (with an incline at the beginning)…read moreand tiny offshoot trails that loop thru the woods. Its a nice little spot for that area and would go again if convenient but probably wouldn't go out of my way to go back. Overall we did have a pleasant experience

What I like about this park is the variety of trails within a small area. The main trail is paved…read moreand has information signs along it about species in the area. But there's also wooded dirt trails off to the sides and a prairie trail to the north. The north part of the park is pretty flat while the south has a big elevation decrease. The other bonus of this park is that it connects to the Fall Creek trail. You can park at either trail head and enjoy the short connector trail between them.

I was wheeling the Monon Trail from Indy to Carmel today and came across the Vera J. Hinshaw Park…read moreand Preserve. This is a 11.73 acre greenspace/undeveloped nature preserve just north of the Monon South Trailhead at East 96th Street. So, yes, this is part of Carmel's park system. The preserve includes several mature, high-quality trees - hickory, walnut, black cherry, and oak. There a definite effort for restoration in this area and more invasive species of plants have been removed. The park is a bit newer. It's next to the preserve and was recently acquired by the park system with joint management between Carmel-Clay parks and Sunrise on the Monon HOA. There's a small loop, a pond, and a shelter. There is, of course, also a path that allows for direct connection to the Monon Trail. The preserve is technically on Windpump Way (I'll confess that the 12-year-old in me giggles at this). However, it's easily and directly accessed from the Monon Trail. I'd remembered this area, however, it's much nicer and bigger than the last time I came this way on the trail. There's parking at the trailhead (along with public restrooms - thank you, Carmel). So, this is a definite easy spot. While I'd not call it a destination area, it's definitely worth a stop if on the trail. Carmel does a really nice job of caring for areas like this (unlike a certain city that I live in) and it's definitely quite nice. This area of the Monon is well paved, though there are some gentle inclines and declines worth noting. This preserve itself is completely flat and a great place to enjoy nature and get some exercise.

This preserve is located off the Monon Trail at the Indianapolis and Carmel border, just north of…read morethe 96th Street Monon Trail parking lot. (You know, that area that used to have the memorial to Pirate Cat! If you know, you know.) To access it, your best bet is to park at the parking lot at 96th Street (it's also called the Monon Greenway South Trailhead), then walk north up the Monon Trail about 200 to 300 or so steps. Walk through the tunnel, and you'll see a mailbox up ahead. That's where the Vera J. Hinshaw Preserve is located! It's a big, open space with lots of grass, a paved walking trail, a fountain and pond, and now they've recently built a shaded atrium area. It's a nice spot to take a break if you're walking on the Monon Trail in this area. There aren't any benches or even a trash can, but at the entrance of the preserve, there's a brick planter that you can sit on. I've also seen people fly kites in the grass. There's a neighborhood beyond the preserve. Surrounding the preserve are big, mature trees -- hickory, walnut, black cherry and oak. This is a nice little spot along the Monon Trail, and you can't miss it if you're in this area.

Zionsville, Indiana has about 20 miles of interconnected paths and trails. This includes the…read moreofficial Zionsville Rail Trail (which I've also heard referred to as the Big 4 Rail Trail). This is a 5+ mile paved trail that goes through the heart of Zionsville, a small suburb on the northwest side of Indy. Trail parking is available at American Legion Trail Crossing, Heritage Trail Park, Carter Station, Zionsville Town Hall and the Nancy Burton Corridor Parking, and just off of Starkey Road. Currently, the trail is being extended north toward Whitestown and south to Zionsville Road. The Zionsville Road trailhead is also currently being constructed. Thus, you will likely encounter some unfinished areas and some construction along the way. While the trail can get busy during good weather, it's a much quieter trail than Monon or Nickel Plate. Because it also weaves through Zionsville, there's also places to stop and it's typically pretty easy to find a public restroom. I know there's at least one on the trail that is clearly marked. Some of the entryways don't look like they would be wheelchair friendly, however, Zionsville has actually done really well to create accessibility along the path. I haven't down this trail during the winter - so I can't speak to maintenance during adverse weather. The paved trail is wide. The most significant inclines are at access points and all those that I experienced met ADA requirements. The trail feels safe and I've seen quite a few parents with strollers on the trail. While you get runners, everyone is considerate on this trail. The plan for the trail is that it will stretch 50+ miles across Boone County and will go from northern Indy to Lafayette. The Big 4 Railroad operated along this corridor from 1889-1930. Zionsville established this trail in the 1990s. The trail is a paved 12-foot wide path with a 3-foot soft shoulder on both sides for runners. It offers restrooms, water fountains, trail markers, picnic benches, and trash receptacles. Pets are to be leashed. If you turn right onto a short path when the trail intersects with Starkley Avenue, you can go directly into downtown Zionsville. Zionsville has a brick-paved Main Street that is quite cool. The trail utilizes nearly all underpasses to go through town. You don't really experience an at-grade crossing until you hit Zionsville's north side. I find this to be much nicer and safer. The trail passes by Mulberry Fields, Jennings Field, Carter Station, Heritage Trail Park, and Rail Trail Gardens Event Center. The trail's a definite winner and only getting better in the coming years!

I walked the Zionsville Rail Trail with a friend in September '23 and it appears it was either…read morestill undergoing construction (or some enhancements). We parked at Zionsville town hall since the map online indicated an access point here. There was one, but it was a gravel path for about a half mile until we realized we were walking through an unfinished part of the trail. The Rail Trail is a straight path through residential areas of Zionsville. It wasn't very busy on a fall afternoon, and I'm not sure if it will have commercial development like the Monon Trail in Carmel and the Nickel Plate Trail in Fishers, since it does back up to houses/neighborhoods.