This is Mooresville's main public park and home to many sporting fields, athletic facilities and…read moreactivities. There are a multitude of hiking and walking paths; some paved others more rustic trails. There is a large public pool and splash pad, with restrooms, showers and changing facilities. The pool area has a large multi story water slide as well as two smaller straight slides for younger children. Next door to the pool is a Zip line with a chair for two people to ride together for only five dollars. It is only open during the warmer seasons. There are seven shelters of various sizes and well as playground equipment near some of them. There are two full size basketball courts or four half courts depending on how you visualize them. There are four complete and fenced in baseball diamonds each equipped with full size backstops to protect spectators and they are well maintained. There are at least five, probably more, soccer fields with goals for community practicing and leagues. Shelter No. 1 is located just to the right of the main entrance and has a permanent volleyball net plus horseshoe pits and some swings. The basketball courts are nearest this shelter and a short walk. Shelter No. 2 is the largest with a large parking lot and is located just to the left of the main entrance. It features the largest and main playground. Shelter No. 4 is on the other side of this huge playground and is located very near the equipment. Shelter No. 3 is also located towards the front of the park, but smaller and has a small single piece of playground equipment with a slide next to the shelter. Shelter No. 6 has its own playground equipment but is within a short walk to the main playground visible across an internal road. There is parking for a half dozen vehicles. Shelter No. 5 looks like a gazebo and is the smallest of the seven but a bit more secluded from all the shelters towards the front of the park. There is parking here for a half dozen vehicles. Shelter No. 7 is double the size of an ordinary shelter and located in the back next to the soccer fields. You can see the wooden bridge leading to the rustic hiking trails in the woods. There are permanent restroom facilities located adjacent to this shelter. There is plenty of marked parking spaces here along the road as well as a small parking lot in front of the wooden bridge. If you like to walk or hike, I recommend parking in the lot by the bridge in the back and starting from there. There is also another open soccer field beyond the trails I have used for kite flying.

I have been to this park a few times and it is a mega-park. It is massive, spanning 150 acres. I…read morelove this park It has everything you could want in a park. There is tons of parking available here spread out between a few different lots depending on what area of the park you are visiting. In the front of the park you will find a 4 shelters that are spaced out. Each shelter has picnic tables under them and grills next to them. The largest of the shelters is by the biggest of the parks playgrounds that has nice equipment that includes a huge jungle gym with slides, animals to climb on, and swings. The ground is lined with rubber matting. Also in the front of the park, you will find two decent full basketballs court that are in good repair. Of in the distance, in the corner close to the main road, you will find three horseshoe pits. The pits are not the best, but will do. You will find a gazebo off by itself and a restroom facility up there in the front of the park too. a little deeper into the park, is another playground area by one of the 4 shelters. It consists of a traditional bank os swings and a jungle gym with climbing equipment and slides. You can take the road further to the back and you will pass a gazebo with seating, picnic tables, and a small shelter on your way to the soccer fields. This is a huge green space that has some small bleacher seating and in addition to soccer can be used for other stuff like playing catch, football or frisbees. Back there you will find another shelter with picnic tables under it and grills nearby and a restroom facility. A little further past that you will find a picturesque bridge. If you cross the bridge, it will lead you to another area of muliti-use soccer fields. The bread and butter of this park is its trails. It has miles of very nice paved trails that go all through the park. There is also a storybook trail and a fitness trail that is just to the side of the bridge. The parks has some very nice trails and are very peaceful as well. I love walking the trails and have done a couple of 5K races there. The park has about 4 baseball fields that are decent. They could use some maintenance though. It is primary used by the Mooresville Baseball League. They have a batting cage, and a snack bar over there as well. There is a zip-line in the park somewhere, but it was closed for the season when I was there. The waterpark look decent, but was also closed. In front of the waterpark and right by the park's maintenance office is another small playground area with a medium jungle gym with slides and another shelter with picnic tables under it. This is a first class park that has everything including horse shoes, shelters that you can rent, green space for days, trails for miles, a water park, zip line, multiple playgrounds, a fitness trail, gazebos, and tons of parking. It is well maintained and very clean. This is one of the best parks in the area and it has something for everyone. I highly recommend this park.

Indy is truly so lucky to be able to have as much outdoor space as we do through Fort Harrison…read moreState Park. There are trails galore, and that's mainly why I go, so I'll focus on that. There are a lot of different trailheads that have different difficulty, but I'd say they're mostly moderate on average. Each trailhead has its own parking lot. There is also a $7 entry fee per car. The trails aren't too busy most of the time but it's not uncommon to pass by others. The trails are also very clean and kept under good shade covered. There's nice views here with all the trees and the historical sites from when Fort Harrison was, well, a fort. I'm mostly a hiker by way of my outdoor adventures, so I'd love to check out some of the other resources at the park sometime!

Back at Fort Harrison with my best fur-iend Bentley. There are lots of trails here, but when this…read morelittle guy is with me we stick to the paved paths. He's got a huge adventure spirit, just little legs, so we switch things up with chauffeur service, aka me pushing his stroller :D This is one of our favorite easy outings together.

Please be careful my friends... I came here to walk my dog with my boyfriend and my walk ended very…read morequickly. The trail is pretty short but what looks like a the rest of trail is cut off. There was this very tall person with a mask and a hat behind me, once the trail ended I turned around and they also turned around and started to walk very quickly. They seemed to have different intentions if I had gone beyond the path... please don't go to parks by yourself. please be cautious of your surroundings. I'm not sure what would have happened if i wasnt walking with my boyfriend. this happened a couple of years ago but it still crosses my mind. I wonder if this has only happened to me or if someone else has experienced this.

I found myself with some time to kill and stumbled across this park. This is a small pocket park…read morelocated behind LA Fitness. being that it is behind LA Fitness, it shares it huge parking lot, so their are more than ample spots to park. The park is relatively small and is purely a nature park. You will find a pond and a nature trail that runs along Little Buck Creek. There are also some benches, some having a more scenic view than others. A few are along the creek and one overlooks the pond, and another has a nice view of the parking lot. Talk about the short end of the stick. There are no restrooms, playground equipment or shelters here. There was a bunch of trash on the ground in the front of the park. I visited the park after a snow. It was nice because I could see all of the animal trails. The trails are not very long and either loop or end in a dead end. The trails are pretty well defined, at least during my visit. It may be a little different with spring blooms. The park is not very far off of busy Southport Road, but it still finds a way to provide a level of peace and tranquility. This is an interesting park that does not have much to offer outside of nature. I still found this a nice place to walk around and kill some time.

This is a very nice traditional park located near the Masonic House and the Franklin Park and Recs…read moreoffice. It is huge, spanning 50 acres and has a lot to offer. First, there is an awesome water park located right outside of it. It is classified as a nature park and has many shady trees. The park has two playgrounds, one near the entrance and one near the exit. The one near the entrance is newer and consists primarily of a large green and brown jungle gym with slides, monkey bars, hanging spinners and bridges. There is a bank of expression swings and a bank of traditional/toddler swings over there. This playground area is on a bed of wood chips and has benches on the perimeter for parents to sit while their littles play. You will see a few picnic tables spread out in this area and a set of nice outdoor corn hole boards. The shelter nearest that area doubles as a rest room facility. The park has a few nice shelters with picnic tables under them and grills just outside of them. I counted at least four of them. The other playground area is fenced in and a little older. It has a jungle gym with slides, monkey bars, and bridges. There is a bench under a canopy for parents to sit and the area is on a bed of wood chips. Like the other playground area, there is a bank of expression swings and a bank of traditional/toddler swings. Other park amenities include a gazebo, a small creek for fishing, and an old graveyard, yes a graveyard. The park is home to a nice paved trail, the Franklin Greenway, that runs right through it. The park is pretty spread out and I like it. There is lots of space to roam. There is not much open green space for field activities such as soccer and football though. This is a very nice option for a nature park in the Franklin area. It is a diamond and the rough and can keep you busy. It does have a somewhat peaceful vibe with it. This could possibly be a destination park and I recomend checking it out.

This park is a true gem. Located just a short walk from downtown Franklin, it features several…read morepicnic shelters, multiple playgrounds, and beautiful views. It's a fun place to explore with your pet or family, and easy to connect with a creek side trail if you want to get in a good walk or run. This park is well maintained and great to visit any time of year, but it particularly shines in spring thanks to flowering trees and colorful flowers!

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.

Beautiful place, my granddaughter took her senior photos here. There were lots of options and she…read moregot a beautiful collection of pictures!

This is one of my favorite places for a leisurely stroll, run or identifying plants and animals…read more There are such cool sculptures throughout the park and the pollinator flower gardens are so wonderful to walk through when in bloom. There is plenty of parking and it is free. You should check it out for a nice walk, run, birding or picnic.

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.

We had never been to this park before, I was looking for a trail to walk and this was perfect!…read morePerfect location, has so much to offer. Playground, creek, bridges, basketball court and walking trail. It was beautiful!

Sarah T. Bolton Park is named after the woman largely considered the first lady of Hoosier poetry…read more(I bet you can guess what her name was!). Originally known as Beech Bank, the park was purchased by the city from the Bolton family 1930 and is a nearly 32-acre park that includes picnic areas, a one-acre dog park, play equipment, shelters, restroom facilities, athletic facilities/courts, a creek, and it has a sort of winding topography that makes it Beech Grove's most popular park. It is also recognized as a certified wildlife habitat. In 2012, the baseball diamond was named after Richard "Dick" Templin, a lifelong Beech Grove resident and longtime city council member who managed Beech Grove's American Legion Baseball Team for over 35 years and had scouted for the Philadelphia Phillies. He's a member of the Beech Grove Little League Hall of Fame. I bet you didn't even know that Beech Grove Little League has a Hall of Fame, did you? The park has ample parking and is paved throughout. Generally, it's wheelchair friendly. The paths/sidewalks do have gentle inclines, though I've never had any difficulty navigating. Bolton herself was a poet and women's rights activist whose most known poems were "Indiana" and "Paddle Your Own Canoe." She wasn't well known outside Indiana, though she was quite popular in Indiana. She is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery. There is also a veterans war memorial in Bolton Park that is also wheelchair friendly, though it also has a bit of an uneven surface. Geocachers should also note that Bolton Park has a couple of geocaches within its boundaries, though one, in particular, is definitely a bit tricky to access due to the park's popularity!