Looking for a playground that grows with your kids? Check out West Park in Carmel! Padded ground throughout Multi-level playground designed for different ages and abilities Lower level features swings, one slide, a merry-go-round & a small climbing structure Climb the rocks or take the stairs to reach a metal slide that doesn't get too hot in the sun At the very top is a HUGE climbing structure leading to a giant clock slide--perfect for older, adventurous kids! Splash pad tucked into a rock valley with a beautiful waterfall feature Lots of walking trails and wildflowers to explore Bathrooms are close by Shade is limited, with most of it under the pavilion This is the perfect park for families with kids of different ages. Between the playground, splash pad, and scenic trails, it's easy to spend the whole day here read more

West Park - Parks Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

Wonderful park! As of 2020 I was no longer a full time resident of the great Indy area so I was not around when this park was built but now that I am coming home for months at a time to visit I am happy this park is not here and open. I was very impressed with the quality of the layout and planning of the park. The walking paths, bike riding paths, the natural plant growth areas are all amazing! The parking is excellent, there are a few great venue areas that I assume can be reserved, the playground looks wonderful and the outdoor activity oppportnies are just wonderful. I highly recommend this park to anyone in the area, it's great for all ages, all activities (even sitting around and reading or looking at the clouds). what a great park!! read more

Carmel has totally reimagined West Park with updated and unique features. The main draw for the kids is an amazing climbing structure with a super long slide.I must admit that my stomach goes in a knot when I see the kids disappear up the abyss of ropes and poles. But they seem to have a blast coming down the slide. The lower level playground had features for toddlers and a swing that is popular. The water feature, splash pad, is unique with a natural looking waterfall and spouts of water that the kids run through. My granddaughters had a blast and were kept occupied for close to an hour splashing. There is a really nice pavilion with tables and very clean restroom. I want to give a shout out to the staff that was cleaning all morning including power washing the sidewalks. They keep the park immaculate and are friendly and helpful. There is a second pavilion that is new and the sledding hill is close by. There are trails and the park connects with Jill Perlman facility. The marshy area between the two parks is good for birdwatching. The park is dedicated to Jim Engeldow, who helped support the building of the Carmel Parks program. There is plenty of parking. The park tends to get crowded. The park is accessible with ramps and handicapped parking. read more

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Awarding winning Carmel Clay Parks did not disappoint! West Park celebrates the growth of wild flowers and a sustainable ecosystem while still providing engaging play for children and families. My 16 year old and I went to add a bit of nuance to our running routine and enjoyed a maze of trails that zig zagged between forests, gardens, and playground, we crossed a bridge and observed lilly pads, and this was one of my favorite runs in a while. We will be back weekly. Also- despite the popularity of this park, we had the space to enjoy our visit without interruption. read more

For our girls' age, West Park was better in picture than in person. For one, various parts were closed off due to renovations. It surprised me because I thought the park was newly finished. I wish I discovered that during my research instead of finding out upon arrival. There are a lot of modern and cool features with extremely tall climbing structures and ropes. However, I do wonder why the slides are mostly metal. I would think hard plastic slides do not absorb as much heat in the hot, summery days, but I can't be certain. Our girls mostly spent their time in the "lower level" where there is a rubbery ground with modern play sets, swings, short slides, and what appears to be a bamboo forest. read more

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The perfect sized park for watching one kid or two! There's something here for both my 4 and 2 year old children. The park was very clean at 9:15am on a holiday (Labor Day). There's plenty of shaded picnic tables. Restrooms on site however I didn't need to use.... but it was nice to know that was an option. My daughter loved climbing the 'boulders' (basically a concrete wall cut into cubes of various heights) that leads up to the section of the park for older children. I really appreciate that the surface of the playground has some bounce to it and it is soft. My son's knees really appreciate it. We will return here. I didn't really understand if there is a splash pad there because the water just seemed to trickle. There appeared to be other water features kids could manipulate but weren't working. read more

West Park has been reimagined and redesigned as of October 2022, and it's an almost completely different park than it was when I left a review seven years ago. The playground has been redone and includes a huge slide for older kids with a large climbing structure, a playground for younger kids, swings, a merry-go-round, musical instruments and lots of other things to play on. The splash pad has a waterfall, although that won't be in use until after Memorial Day. There are two restroom structures now, and a picnic area, and an outdoor classroom, and lots of paths to walk around. One of the paths will take you to Jill Perelman Nature Park, on the west side of the grounds. West Park is one of the biggest parks in Carmel, and it has always been really fun, but now it has stepped up a couple notches! It's super impressive and a great place for all ages to play. read more

West Park - Mask requirements at West Park and for all Carmel Clay parks - Parks Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

I'm very mixed on how I feel about West Park. This park would be a tough one if you have multiple children with you under the age of five. There are a lot of concrete blocks and places that a kid could potentially fall from a high spot on to more concrete. There is also a lower and higher area with concrete block "steps" connecting the two making it hard for parents to supervise multiple children. While some areas that look extra dangerous are blocked off with fencing, it wouldn't be hard for a kid to go around. The lower area has a few swings and a merry-go-round type item that spins and a small climber. There are strange, looking poles that look like asparagus stocks. Not sure what their purpose is but bigger kids want to try and scale them, but have nowhere to go once up. The area would've been better. Spent putting more items for kids to play on. We are here on a cool windy day, but if it were hot and sunny, the only shade on the playground area is a couple trees that are maybe 8 feet tall and mostly twigs. There is a splash pad area available in the summer. There is a nice large covered pavilion with lots of picnic tables. Bathrooms are new and clean. There is a water fountain with a water bottle filler. There is also a heart AED machine available for emergencies. There are walking paths and some wide-open areas that might be nice for sledding or using a kite. There is a large parking lot available. read more

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My 90 year-old dad was staying with me and I wanted to get him out and about, so we took him to West Park. The sidewalks are perfectly flat and very traversable with a walker. My dad had no trouble walking around and enjoying the scenery. We had lunch in one of the little huts and then wandered around the area. It was incredible and magical and he loved it! He kept saying, "We should definitely come back here." And so we will!! read more

West Park - Parks Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

When you have great weather in March- you have to go check out a new park. This park has it all. Swings, big slides, pavilions, paths (concrete and stone), Jill's hill and some small ponds/water feature. There are bathrooms and plenty of parking as well. When we arrived there was a man enjoying the windy day while flying three kites. It was a sight to see. We grabbed some sandwiches before we arrived and had a picnic. The park is also stroller friendly if you are chauffeuring around a newborn like us. Grab your sneakers and take a walk around this park. read more

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This playground was so great but then they renovated it and I'll forever be bitter. I'm all for all of the new playgrounds Carmel has done but this one is not great. We've been a few times since it was renovated and today we went again. My son is older now so I thought it'd be better. It's still just kind of annoying in design. There's no shade so all their metal slides are fiiiire. I read through some other parent's complaints and the park just said it's standard and they're covered to minimize heat. The bottoms are not covered. Its just sad because if you go and play around a little while it just seems like the architect isn't a parent or never had to watch children play on a playground. My son loved playing in the big silo and then we'd all go on a nature walk on their trails. Not anymore Womp womp read more

Excellent trails and environment. Very easy walk within the city limit. There is a pond near by with board walk.

This place is beautiful! I was looking for a place for our organization to host a picnic and saw the pictures online and decided this was the place to be. The shelters are reasonably priced for rental, but the online reservation system isn't user friendly and getting ahold of a human to help is even harder. With that being said the park is beautify with wide open green spaces, gardens, trails, restroom facilities, play ground, and an awesome splash pad for the kids! Bring your swimming suit, hiking boots, dogs, friends, family, picnic, sled, frisbee and get outside! read more

West Park - Parks Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

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The park's water feature is now complete and it is great. My kids have enjoyed it. The park still needs to add more features than one tall slide and a splash park though. Gone are the tunnels, climbing pyramid, multiple slides, and river splash area. Now everyone crowds onto the giant slide and for having so much area they don't maximize the potential. The wooden posts with no purpose don't make sense. Only a few swings is not enough for the amount of people that want to use the park. read more

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I used to love West Park and was so excited that it was going to be updated, but I'm not confident that is what happened. Not only did the renovations take a very long time, I'm having a hard time understanding the thought process behind the decisions here. Other than the one tower, which seems hard to climb, what else is there to "do"? The swings are in a separate area, which could make it hard to watch multiple kids. The park also opened before everything was done, as there was still construction fencing up. Maybe the value will be better seen when it's hot and the splash pad is on, but it took one visit to decide we didn't need to return. read more

Nice structures but needs more shade trees. Good parking, and lots of open fields too much in my opinion

Very nice park for a relaxing walk or bring your kids to play outside. Trails are clean and the park is very well maintained. Walking around the little pond is probably the highlight of this park. Rest rooms are also clean. read more

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Often times, a park either caters just to kids with playgrounds and swings galore, or it's "boring" and is more popular with adults (trees, trails, nature, etc.) I think anyone can find enjoyment at West Park! For the kids (and kids at heart), there's a waterfall/splash area to cool off in the summer, a silo-style slide, and a bungee cord climbing web. With a shelter, restrooms, and picnic benches, you can easily make an afternoon of it. Not to mention they host camping nights, food trucks, and more summer festivities. In the winter months, climb to the top of the giant hill for some serious sledding fun. I find the large manmade lake to be quite peaceful. With a sturdy boardwalk, you can view the ducks, geese, and other creatures that call the lily pads home from a number of vantage points. A great place to feed the ducks and fish, too! One of my favorite past times as a kid. read more

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This park is AWESOME! I've been checking around for a safe place to walk my dog and I think I have finally found it! This cute little park has a children's play area in the center, with walking paths all around (up and down hills) that connect to the pond in the front of the park. My husband and I enjoyed taking a luxurious stroll with our dog along the crisscrossing paths, saying hello to people and looking at the scenery! When we came upon the pond, we were excited to see a variety of wildlife/plants within its waters. The whole vibe of the park is very laid back and friendly (very dog-friendly). I plan to come back often this spring and summer to give my pooch (and myself) a little exercise! read more

West Park - On top of the mound in the middle of the park! - Parks Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

I have been searching for the perfect outdoor park with good scenery and amenities to walk my dog and I've finally found that spot. West Park is located on the west side of Carmel and truly offers a little bit of everything! There are several walking trails overlooking scenery, stocked with stations for pet cleanup, a playground for children, pavilion space for gatherings, indoor restrooms, splash pad and much more. The park is very well kept and certainly dog friendly! Even with it being a particularly busy day, there was plenty of parking available. Throughout the park there is sufficient seating to take a moment and enjoy the view - which you'll certainly want to do. So happy I found this place and can't wait to enjoy it more when the weather warms up again! read more

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Super cool park! Had a cite areas of kids in the kids garden. They built like a mini town and I must say the child in me was like omg this is sooo neat! The park is very picturesque! I saw multiple people out taking family photos and other photo shoots. I just enjoyed walking the grounds the grounds with my dog. I def be back but not on super hot days cause there is like no shade. read more

What can I say, I'm a 24 year old who loves the playground here. It has very inventive swings, shooting water, a balancing/interactive swing, a great running path and.... the BEST sledding hill (man-made and built entirely for sledding). How fun! read more

We really enjoyed this park. We drove quite a way to come here because my son is obsessed with tractors. I thought the farm theme was well done and the equipment was creative and sparked great creativity in my little ones. I will say the flooring is in need of some maintenance, but aside from that, it's in great shape for an older park. We really enjoyed walking up the big hill with all the stones for climbing. We'd love to come back in warm weather when the splash portion is running. Bathrooms were great, variety of activities for different age levels was great, and it wasn't very crowded. The colors of fall were amazing the day we went!! We will definitely be back! read more

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This park was not designed by parents of younger (under age 8/9) children. There are too many blind spots and if you have multiple kids this becomes too stressful to have a good time. Aesthetically this park is very pleasing to the eye. Love the way the concrete blocks were integrated into the landscape and used for functional stairs; however, this also is just dangerous the more wet and muddy they get. The slides catapult wet children into the play area and if people are walking there is a collision. Once the children make it to the top play structure there is no visibility into the structure and if a parent is sitting in the pavilion or in the splash area there is no way to see up into the structure. If standing at the top there is no way to see down to the bottom and keep an eye on the splash area. Overall not a fan of the design. The cove of the splash area doesn't "trap" kids in and instead has a walking path to the top. Overall be prepared to chase younger kids. There is also a small retention pond (not deep at all and where the splash pad runoff goes) but isn't fully fenced in and parents had to keep redirecting their younger kids from that as well. Older kids (8-12 range) seem to be underwhelmed by the play structure. I had very high hopes for this park. Honestly, I appreciated the old park design better from a parent's standpoint. read more

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This is a great spot! On our last day in Indy we decided to just get outside and get all the noise and wiggles out of our systems. My son's memory of this park is that 5 minutes into the trail he was running, went airborne, and biffed his knee on the pavement. Blood. Tears. Dramatic limping. He keeps telling everyone about it. We loved climbing the hill. My son took his time rolling his cars on the giant stones while I sat and soaked in the sun along our way up. I could hear crickets as we made our way to the top, and once we crested the top the volume dramatically increased. It was pretty cool. The view from the top was gorgeous. I wish we could've done the trail but my son wanted to go to the playground. Plus, while this seems like a great area I've seen too much investigation discovery and SVU to know that lone woman plus toddler in unfamiliar recreational area is a set up for an episode. Not a ding on the area (it's beautiful!) but my over active imagination reminding you to always be safe. We missed out on the splash pad being on. It is on from Memorial Day to Labor Day. My kid loved climbing the rocks and in the tunnels and the tractor. His jam is slides right now so we didn't spend a lot of time with the swings (even though I love swings and I stared longingly at them). As we were leaving we noticed some costumed dogs walking towards a pavilion. Driving past a sign on the way out it looked like some sort of doggie fashion show was going to happen. It was nice to see so many people from the community taking part in that. People in the park were very friendly. read more

Thank you Yelp for seriously helping me find shoot locations. This is a truly beautiful park. My time there this morning had two parts. A shoot and play time with my (nearly) three year old nephew. So it is definitely in Carmel. Not the border, but deep in. So it took longer to get there than I anticipated. I got there at like7:45am. There were people exercising including someone with a personal trainer who was utilizing the hill. I stayed away from that person accordingly, because I was not going to interrupt what someone was paying - no doubt - good money for. The park has multiple areas. The hill, the swings, the trails, the flower trails/fields, the Splash area, the gazebos/meeting areas, and the main kid area The splash area spritzers are on a timer. I was standing under one talking to my sister - asking what her ETA was - and they went off on me. Whoopsies! The trails I went by were super nice. I love the bridges over the water and appreciate they aren't straight, but curve. They might err on the side of being boardwalks versus bridges. Lots of dogs and I would agree the trails are dog friendly. There's the trails that go by the water. Some trails by the swings that go through flowers. And more woodsy trails too. Great for photos. My nephew is terrified of getting wet (idk...) so we avoided the splash area. So all I can say is that it's on a timer and you can jump over the stream. There are rocking horsey things that are the perfect size for toddlers. The giant rope thing? Is huge. I don't think very many little kids could fully appreciate that. But there are little kid friendly things besides the horses and splash pad (for those who aren't afraid) such as the cool tractor toy. It has a wheel, "brake", tunnels through the wheels, a seat, gears to play with, and a double slide - for those of us who like to hold hands going down. The silo slide was a bit of a let down... It doesn't slide well... You kind of stick to it. I had to pick my feet up and allow my silk and sequin dress to slide me down instead. What else? The free library had stuff in it. Didn't look, but that was cool. I think that's about it. read more

West Park - Parks Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

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I love that Carmel has set aside so much land on 116th Street, especially on the west side of town, as large parks. Less than a half mile from the 125 acre Coxhall Gardens, this 121 acre park offers lots of natural habitats in the outlying areas of the park. Yet near the entrance, there are lots of activities for little ones in the splash park and playground. One of the eye-catching attributes is the large hill in the middle of the park. On the south side facing the parking lot, a paved path zigzags across the face of the hill to gradually lead you to the top (It's a nice alternative to having to run up the steep slope!) Once on top, you can see how the park is divided roughly into quadrants. The south east is open field which lies beyond the playground and shelter area by the entrance. The north east side is mostly wooded. The north west side is a prairie meadow area that is left pretty natural, but does have a trail that goes by it. The south west side is where the pond and marsh area is located. Most of the state's natural marsh land has disappeared, so it is great that this area has been designated for that purpose. To reduce disturbance, an elevated boardwalk allows for nice strolls and some fishing in that section, but far enough from the marsh to avoid problems. In between the marsh and prairie areas, there are three shelters for those who like to reserve those for events. They are smaller than the larger shelter by the playground which also has the bathrooms and water fountains. The park is easy to find and was well maintained. I can see the park being a destination for sledding on snowy days and the long trail around the park would be great location for exercising yourself or you dog. With all the demands for prime real estate in the area, I hope the park stays intact for a very long time. It truly is an asset to the community! Review #744 read more

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I recently moved to Carmel and I have got to say one of my favorite things about it is this park. It's such a nice area to go on walks and explore a little. My boyfriend likes that it has a pond for fishing too. Pretty sure my dogs favorite part of the week is Saturday mornings spent here! read more

West Park - Saturday adventures - Parks Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

Just west of Coxhall is another great park on the north side, West Park. This park belongs to Carmel-Clay Parks & Recreation and as such, more oriented toward family outings. West has a preserved wetlands area with wood walkways along the perimeter, plenty of walking trails (2.5 miles), a sledding hill, water feature/spray park for the kiddos, playground, picnic shelters and lots of wide open spaces. My favorite feature here, though, is the ground level canine water fountain. read more

Bright & new! This playground has a small area for littler ones to play, although my daughter wanted to be on the "fun side". Lots of climbing to do here, interactive music game, inclusive swings, and a sway boat. Every time I visit the splash pad is closed, but hopefully it's open this summer to cool off. read more

Another great Green place with pathways that are ideal for dog walking or running. The trails wind through the park around hills and large grass fields back through the back woods and around a small pond that is gorgeous for observing the geese and fish. The sledding hill is great in the winter but expcect long lines as it is a popular park! read more

This is our go-to park. My stepdaughters absolutely LOVE it here! The playground is thoughtfully designed to accommodate the littlest toddler to the largest family. Plenty of room for everyone! In summer, it has a waterpark-style waterfall and a imitation creek for children to get their feet wet. The playground includes a bungee cord climbing web, see-saw, slides, swings, tire swings, and lots of green grass! We have flown kites and went on nature walks with the kids. In winter, there's a large hill that's great for sledding. I can't wait for snow so we can get the sleds out of storage! Bathrooms are clean and close by. Covered picnic tables for a party of cookout. So get outta the house and head on over for a stroll! read more

It's a great place for whole family and it's perfect for activities like biking ,jogging ,walking or just hanging out. There is small hill where kids would love to climb. I enjoy huge clear and open space. read more

Past through this place and thought why not go for a nice walk at the park. It was a beautiful Sunday and the park was filled with bbq parties and happy children. This park is huge and so clean! My bubs enjoyed rolling all over the majestic green grasses and duck watching. The playground here is awesome looking. The slides look so fun and they have a little water fountain that shoots out for the kids to get and cool off. This place is filled with lots of nature trails and enjoyed climbing on some rock boulders to get to the top and give a nice 360 view of all the nature that Carmel has to offer. By far one of the nicest parks I ever been too. I think I want to move to Carmel because of this park lol I totally can picture bringing my future non existing children to this park every week! read more

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I was babysitting for a friend and someone had recommended this park as a great place to take children. When we first arrived my initial thoughts were there's not much here. But once you actually get into the park there are different trails and neat playground equipment for children. They have a water area for kids that looks like a creek and three large slides that come out of a miniature silo. The child I was with is only 2 so those slides were a little too big for him since you have to climb to get to the top and the area is too small for an adult to help. So we spent the majority of our time on another piece of playground equipment shaped like a tracker that is better for smaller children. All in all he had a great time and it's definitely a park I would visit again...this time more prepared to play in the water. read more

I love this park! It's got a great mix of walking trails - through trees, around a nice pond, through a meadow, and around a marshy area - covered shelters for events, and a great little playground and splash pad for kids. read more

Great in all seasons. Perfect hill for sledding in the winter or running up and down for exercise. They water creek is perfect for kids to explore and the updated play structures are actually great for any age. So much room for parties and anything you would want to do. Love when food trucks show up and there is tons of parking. read more

West park is one of those places that works really well for all age groups. From taking the kids to the playground for a fun afternoon, or getting together with to friends and playing football and ultimate frisbee in the huge field areas, or taking an evening walk; West Park is somehow able to accommodate all of these activities. I often brave the cold temperatures with my friends in the winter for some high octane sledding before we go back to someone's house for hot chocolate (or in my case coffee) and good times. I highly recommend giving this park a visit to anyone in the Carmel or Zionsville areas. read more

Great family park. Fun and different playground equipment, duck ponds and fishing, trails. It has something for all ages. We even had family pictures taken here. Just wish we were able to get to it by bike from the west. It's only accessible from the east read more

I love west park! When we moved to the west side in elementary school, we asked to go all the time. The playground equipment is suitable for older kids as well as the young ones which made our mom happy! It is spread out nicely too so there is plenty of room to play but it's kept in one area. There is a nice path that goes around too and there is a boardwalk on the big pond which is fun to stroll along. My favorite thing to do here is climb up the big, central hill and watch the sunset! It's beautiful and you are higher up than most other places in west Carmel! They also have a covered picnic area which restrooms. A fun time for all! read more