I took my dog here for a trail walk. Unfortunately, there was construction going on so we mostly…read moreended up on the Nickel Plate trail instead. Despite the unforeseen detour we enjoyed visiting the creek and the parts of the trail we could. There are lots of bugs in the woods near the creek but other than this I recommend visiting. It's very peaceful.

Cheeney Creek is a nice nature area just south of downtown Fishers. This area features paved and…read morenature trails with tall trees to keep things cool in the summer. If you prefer to walk/hike in the shade, Cheeney Creek is a good place to visit. The trails aren't particularly long, clocking in at around two miles. There is more to see with the nature trails since they run adjacent to a large pond. There are several spots and a dock that are ideal for fishing. Cheeney Creek was moderately busy during a weekend visit. I ran into a few folks here or there and some bikers, but that's about it. Afterwards you can take a short walk or drive to 116th street for some refreshments.

It's a little bit rare that I discover a spot previously unknown to me, however, this was the case…read moretoday when I visited Oliver's Woods Nature Preserve. I was between tasks near Castleton and decided to do a Yelp search to see if I could snag a review or two during my free time. As is often the case for me, I searched for "parks" and Oliver's Woods popped up along with a review from the always dependable Nicole S. It's amazing to me that I've driven by this preserve many times without realizing its existence. In fact, even while looking for it today I drove by it a couple of times before realizing the place where I needed to turn. It's not particularly well marked from River Road. As it turns out, this is part of its charm. Oliver's Woods Nature Preserve is a 56-acre preserve owned by the Central Indiana Land Trust. It includes 16 acres of woods, 37 acres of prairie-savanna restoration, and a mile of White River frontage. As is true for most preserves under Central Indiana Land Trust, Oliver's Woods is fairly light in development but a fairly nice effort toward some ADA accessibility is noteworthy. It's not perfectly accessible but, let's be honest, nature seldom is perfectly accessible. As Nicole S. notes, this is a rather sublime weaving together of urban and nature. In fact, I really expected this to be more like a pocket park considering it's situated so close to an office park, apartments, and a nearby shopping center along with the highway. Remarkably, this is simply a well preserved area of nature amidst it all. In terms of accessibility, the accessible parking is by the Daugherty house. Oliver Daugherty, who passed away in 2009, donated the property to Central Indiana Land Trust and some unexpected funding received allowed for increased development of it in 2017. The accessible parking spot allowed for access to a .6 mile trail made of crushed gravel. I'm a wheelchair user and had no issues with it. However, it's worth noting that parking in the usual parking lot is more difficult because the gravel isn't quite as crushed. While the preserve is open daily, there are specific times when a volunteer docent is available to give a tour of the preserve. There is a canoe launch available for any craft legally allowed on the water in the city of Indianapolis that you can carry to/from the river from the drop-off area in front of the Daugherty House. The southern half of the Town Run Trail Park also runs through this property with an agreement that was made between Indy Parks and Daugherty himself. Volunteers have helped plant native trees and plants and to remove invasive species. "This special care is allowing native species like wild ginger, Virginia bluebells, waterleaf, wild hyacinth and trillium to flourish," according to the CILT website. Because this is so wooded and you are along White River, seeing wildlife is also a strong possibility. This is not a "recreational" preserve other than the ability to launch a canoe. This is a wonderful preserve for enjoying nature, appreciating White River, and enjoying a short but nicely done trail. There are signs around the preserve explaining the preserve (including at the Daugherty House). Quite honestly, I'd have loved living here. I saw one other vehicle while I was here, though I never saw the person associated with that vehicle. I did hear traffic and the highway, though on a warm and sunny Fall day it all felt really perfect. Now that I know this is here, there's no doubt I'll return!

Oliver's Woods Nature Preserve is truly an urban oasis. You can see and hear the vehicles roar by…read morefrom I-465, just a short distance away. You walk through tall grasses as you walk past billboard signs. I love the city and I tolerate nature, so this place is a great combination of both for me. There are hiking trails here, but they're not clearly marked, so as we were walking and enjoying nature, we encountered several mountain bikers who raced past us. There must have been some sort of mountain biking thing going on, because there were a lot of bikers at the park. We must have been on the biking trail, because we didn't see any other walkers, just bikers. The path is super slim, so we had to duck into the brush whenever we saw a bicycler, which was every three to five minutes. Eventually, we headed back and found an actual walking path. All this to say: If you find a dirt path that is jutted, it's probably not the walking path -- it's the biking path. Once we found the walking path, it was very pretty and peaceful. The hiking / walking path will take you to the boat launch, where you can take your boat out onto the White River. It will also take you to the Daugherty House, which is a house that belonged to the original owner of the property, Oliver Daugherty. You can't go inside the house, but you can look at the outside, and there are signs and QR codes that give you more information about it. We found a lot of native plants here, including wild raspberries that were ripe and ready for picking. We also saw a beaver (!) and trekked across a stream that fed into the White River. This is such a cool place, and it's a true Indianapolis hidden gem.

Such a beautiful, scenic well maintained park 9 minutes away from the reservoir. We wanted to spend…read moretime at the reservoir but also spend some quite time with friends and Geist Park hit the spot! Clean park, well maintained shelter areas and a nice play area for kids. They also have restrooms which is always an added bonus. Decent size parking lot and pretty location!

This is a cute little neighborhood park in the Fishers / Geist / Fortville area. We originally…read morevisited because we wanted to check out the playground, but we soon discovered that this park has a beautiful nature trail that winds along the back of the park. The Geist Reservoir runs through the park, and when we visited, we saw people kayaking along the river. We had fun just throwing rocks into the water. Be advised that there are signs all around the park near the river that say that you shouldn't swim in the water because there is a strong undercurrent. So no swimming! The playground has a really neat play structure with lots of ropes, ramps and things to climb. My kids had a lot of fun here -- it's set up almost like an obstacle course. There are also slides, swings (including a swing for really young children), riding toys and tunnels. The ground is covered with wood chips, so it's nice and soft in case your kiddo falls. There are also benches all around so you can sit and see your kid play from whatever angle you happen to be in. There are restrooms just off of the playground, and they were relatively clean when we were there. Parking is plentiful and right by the playground.

This is a very interesting park. It is a nature/sports park. It spans 66 acres and has a decent…read moreamount of parking available. The is a restroom facility, and port-a-potty available if you need it. You will find a huge patch of green space that have a couple of pair of uprights that could be used for a football or soccer field. There are a few small bleachers that overlook the field. There are also 4 multi-purpose fields with backstops that can be used for baseball, kickball, or softball. However, a permit is required to use any of the fields at the park and the Carmel Dad's Club gets first dibs, from what I gathered. There is also a playground at the park, that is inspired by the area's archeological background. That is where you will find a tree trunk chopping play set, a sand pit, a small fort built on a hill with a slide, ropes and rock climbing, and a small play gym inspired by the rattlesnake effigy. There is a very nice interactive display in a small building over in that area as well. You press a button and the displays inside the building come to life, somewhat, and a narrator provides some details and background. I have never seen anything like this at a park. It is educational and very nice. The park also features a few trails. There are natural trails, near the playground area that wind through the prairies and a large paved trail that goes around the parks fields. That trail is a fitness trail and has a few pieces of equipment, with instructions place along the circular route. The park is very well maintained, especially considering its size. because of the tons of green space, this park is popular among people who want their dogs to free roam and run around. I really like this park. Even though, I did not see any picnic shelters, it still has a lot to offer. I just won't picnic there. It is emaculate and very well maintained. I highly recommend checking this park out.

After a long week at work, I decided I would spend some time today inside area parks. I focused…read moremost of my time in Fishers and Carmel and tried to visit some parks that I've either never actually visited or never actually really experienced. One such park is River Road Park. It's a park I've driven by many times, but I've never actually stopped and enjoyed it. River Road Park is a 62 acre park. Right off the bat, River Road Park presents a bit more uniquely as most area parks because in learning the history of the park we end up going way, way back. In fact, we go back to 8,000 to 6,000 B.C. when the park area is noted as having been inhabited by what we call the Moffitt Village. It was home to the Early Archaic and Early and Late Woodland people and then later occupied by other prehistoric and historic Native Americans. Woodland people were characterized by ceramics, food production and mound building. Hunting became less main stream and the use of plants for food became more popular. The park has really been developed as a way of acknowledging this history. Moving toward modern times, the park was purchased from Kosene & Kosene in 1992. The River Trail was constructed in 1998 as a joint project between Carmel Clay Parks and Hamilton County Parks. The park's ancient history is captured in an award-winning interpretive exhibit created in 2002 along with a complementary historic play area. The exhibit really covers pre-historic Native American culture from about 700 years ago. Today, the park includes paved trails, prairies, a White River overlook, wetlands, soccer and softball fields, and lots of green spaces. River Road also has one of Central Indiana's most unique playgrounds. The playground is equipped with slides and a handicap accessible sandbox with artifacts and rock climbing structures. River Road also features an interpretive building designed to educate visitors about Native American life hundreds of years ago and the historical significance of the local area. They are in the process of adding a canoe launch (signage is already up). There's a bike trail, nature trails, and the park does have public restrooms. While the park is certainly not one of Hamilton County's fanciest parks, River Road Park is unique in that it combines education and play quite beautifully. It also allows for children with disabilities to join in for some of the fun (not every feature of the playground is disability friendly). Being close to the river, the trails here do have some gentle inclines/declines, but they are for the most part quite manageable. There's also plenty of parking here, though a nice job has been done in balancing convenience with maintaining a certain rustic quality within the park's grounds. If you haven't been here, it's certainly worth your time. While smaller children may not stay busy for long, children who can really embrace the educational aspects of the park will have much to appreciate.

This park is what it is. It has tons of parking available in a few different set at lots. To get…read moreto the park, you take a sort drive through a wooded area. At he front of the park you will find three shelters with picnic tabes under them and grills just out side of them. The entrance to the park ends at the Monon Community Center and the Waterpark. The park's bread and butter by far is its trails. It has mile and miles of trails that are interconnected, some paved, some gravel and some dirt. Some through the woods and in the open. There is a storybook trail near the front of the park by the shelters. The trails are awesome with a capital A. They are well maintained and go for miles. You can walk, bike or run them if you so chooses and if you don't have a bike, don't worry. They have a kiosk that you can rent bikes. near the walkway leading to the water park. There is also a restroom there. You will find another restroom structure at the front of the park by the shelter area. The park itself has 3 miles of trails that wind through a variety of ecosystems including native prairies, wetlands, and woodlands. Its trails also connect to the Monon Greenway (it runs through the center of it, and has pretty much adopted it), which gives you more room to roam. Additionally, this park is connected to one of the most futuristic and best all around playgrounds that I have been to. If that was not enough. it has a community center and waterpark located on its grounds pretty much. RIght behind the playground area is a very peaceful lagoon and a boardwalk. It is very nice and I really enjoyed walking it. It has ducks and fish and I found it very tranquil. If you are planning on bike riding, walking, walking the dog and running (why would you want to do that :-)), this is the park for you, even if you have to drive a bit. This park is beautiful year-round, but I find it especially beautiful this time of year, the fall. When the leaves are changing colors and the weather is nice.

2020 has certainly been a year of new park discoveries. This past weekend, my husband and I…read morecelebrated our anniversary by checking out two new parks and grabbing a snow cone. It's the simple pleasures, right? I had visited the Monon Community Center and Waterpark several times before but never the Central Park East Woods that you pass as you enter the overall park. Central Park East Woods features a handful of trails, picnic areas, bathrooms, a community bookshelf and fun themed trails like the Paw Paw Path. I'm always a sucker for boardwalk paths too (what is about the look of boardwalk paths that always gets me to show up?). You'll find this park on the left hand side noted as "picnic area" as you enter the long winding drive for the Monon Center. Everything is within walking distance of one another.

One of two areas in Metro Indy specifically designed for mountain bikers, Town Run Trail Park is…read more127 acres of beginner and intermediate level of trails offering an approximate total of seven miles worth of trails. The first thing worth pointing out, though it has been said in other reviews, is that this trail system is truly devoted to bikers. While hikers and walkers are allowed here, the bikers have the right of way and the trail itself is truly developed with bikers in mind. I've done my share of wheeling, I'm a wheelchair user, on difficult trails but having visited again this afternoon I was again reminded that even the easiest spots here are truly not designed to be accessible. Even if you have off-road wheelchair tires, there are lots of twists, turns, inclines, places to fall, and places where you could easily get stuck. While there's a decent chance you'll run into someone on this trail, I think the vast majority of wheelchair users should steer clear of Town Run Trail Park. Town Run does offer the possibility of other activities including fishing, kayaking/canoeing, and observing of nature. Because it truly is more of a natural trail, nature is much more likely to be here. The Hoosier Mountain Bike Association is involved with the trail and assists with upkeep and installation. The beginner features include a bridge and subsequent single track, dirt rollers, and a rock garden. The advanced features include North Shore Ladder, shoots, bridges, table top jumps, and dirt jumps. If you can't jump, then you're going to have a hard time doing the entire trail. There is parking nearby and the area has been kept fairly natural even around it. This is a great area that's really right around Indy, Fishers, and Carmel but this actually falls within Indy Parks. I enjoy coming here to just hang out and observe, though I definitely don't venture too far into the park because there's simply too high of a risk of injury, getting stuck, or having a fall. This is especially true considering my last amputation. However, for its intended use it's quite the beautiful park and for mountain bikers I'll definitely give it a thumbs up. It's also, in my opinion, one of Indy's better maintained parks.

This 7ish mile trail is an oasis on Indy's North East Side. The trails are well maintained and…read moreeasy to navigate. It is setup so bikers of all skill levels can ride. For example, when there is a big drop, there is a sign posted stating a drop is coming and there is an easy to follow path around the drop so you don't have to soar 8 ft. in the air if you don't want to. I read a review about mountain bikers being elitist here. I find that preposterous. I started riding off road in September 2015. Brand new to it, I went out on my own. I found many bikers on the trail who were nothing but friendly and helpful. I have also been riding when there are runners on the trail. It has always been met with cooperation from both. Much of the trail is in the woods, but there is a big stretch that is out in the sun (so you may want sun screen). The entrance can be tricky to find, but it is on 96th street near Allisonville road, just east of the river. I love the place!