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.

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.

I was out driving in Fishers yesterday as I needed a different view and wanted to grab a meal at a…read moredifferent restaurant than usual. After grabbing dinner at nearby Mashcraft Brewing, I was headed home and thought to myself "Hey, I've never actually driven down 106th Street." So, I did. When you get my age, that's about as close as you get to impulsive. Seriously, I have to admit that I'd never even heard of Heritage Park at White River before yesterday. I started to drive in and completely fell in love with it. As Ken N. notes, it's mostly a park for adults and/or adults with families. It's a calmer, more serene space geared toward more peaceful activities. There's nary a playground to be found and the entire 33 acres of the park scream out "event" rather than social gathering. The centerpiece of the park is the historic Ambassador House. The perfect description of this park is, indeed, "charming." Originally built in 1826 at the corner of 96th & Allisonville Road, the Ambassador House is a Greek Revival-style home that served as the summer home of Indianapolis attorney Addison Harris. Harris served as the U.S. Ambassador to Austria-Hungary from 1899-1901. The Ambassador House and Heritage Gardens can both be rented for special events - in fact, they were in use when I arrived yesterday. You can still visit the park during these times (there's a separate parking area), but access to the house itself is limited. The outdoor event area, complete with a European-style terrace, can accommodate up to 250 including in the Garden Tent. The outdoor area is only available from April - October. The indoor area, which can accommodate up to 60, is available year-round. Heritage Park offers greenways, multi-use trails, nature trails, picnic areas, a shelter, a nice-sized sledding hill, tables, and trails. There's also a public restroom. You will not, however, get a playground or sports equipment. For some, this is a negative but I'll confess I see it as a plus because even adults deserve a park and this is a nice, well kept one. Considering the use as an event space, the lack of "playing" is consistent with the charm and natural ambience of the setting. Heritage Park also hosts some of Fishers more powerful events such as Yappy Hour and Wine Down Wednesday. Because the natural setting has been largely maintained (though it's fair to say the residential surroundings are at times viewable even on the trails), it's not uncommon to see a variety of flower and animal life. Birdwatching is especially popular here. I noticed a wheelchair ramp into the Ambassador House, an obvious add-on to increase accessibility. Fishers has a strong history of addressing accessibility and this park is consistent with that vision. There's a half-mile paged loop that serves as the entryway to the larger White River Greenway. There are benches around it. You can also find benches at the more nature-centered trail. The park also hosts the Angel of Hope! I'm going 5 stars with this park - while it may not have all the features of traditional parks, it's a wonderful park for adults and families allowing for special events and an atmosphere that will make those events special. This was my first visit - it won't be my last.

Heritage Park is a 33 acre park that sits back hidden from the road. The entrance is located at the…read morecorner of 106th street and Eller road. It is known for its wooded trails, one of Fishers best sledding hills and the historic Ambassador House and Heritage Gardens. The Ambassador House and gardens can be rented year round for special events and weddings. In addition to the house and gardens, there are nature trails home to a variety of birds and plants making it ideal for birdwatching and nature study. There is also a paved half-mile loop trail that serves as the first segment of the White River Greenway. The park is open year round daily from dawn to dusk.

The park looks better than ever. The Sea shore water park is amazing. Something for everyone to…read moreenjoy and cool off.

I love that there is a gated/fenced toddler and preschool area with benches that is near the 'big…read morekid' playground! Be sure to bring sunblock because unfortunately the toddler area is in the sun whereas the older kid area has lots of shaded areas. If you get hot, the water park is nearby. There needs to be a couple extra trash cans dispersed throughout the area. There are adult exercise apparatus near one of the parking lots. Enjoy watching as your littles play the musical instruments or as they pick ent size of slide they prefer.

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.

Always great to walk in this space as close to home but like being in a forest. It gets pretty busy…read moreand the path is narrow so have to often step off or into the underbrush. It is a friendly group though so usually not an issue. We took our rescue dog and it was a bit of an issue when someone walking had two dogs off leash. They were calm but to prevent a scuffle I had pick up our dog. Not great but it helps to be mindful of others as this is a city/urban park. The picnic areas are few but nice and there is a lot of space to wander. A fun spot!

This "park" is pretty nice for being in town! It had rained so it was slightly muddy and the…read moreinclines could be a bit slippery but the trail is well kept and easily marked. It's nicely tree covered and I've even seen a few owls and wood peckers the Bochum always make for a good walk! Quiet and peaceful with little rises to get the blood flowing - go for a walk!

Very short trail. If you're going for walking I don't recommend but if you just want to be outdoors…read morein the shade and near the creek it would be fine. I went with my dog hoping to get a decent walk in and I was disappointed.

I'll openly admit that I'd never heard of Hague Road Nature Haven until I decided to do some…read moreHamilton County exploring today following church. Hague Road Nature Haven is a relatively small spot at 43 acres. It's located at the Southeast corner of Hague Road and SR 38. The master plan calls for an outdoor education center, though for the most part the current status of Hague Road Nature Haven is as a fairly rough, immersive, and absolutely peaceful place that makes up for its accessibility issues with being a bit of natural wonder right here in Central Indiana. Hague Road Nature Haven is surrounded by Cicero Creek. There's a small parking lot. It's cleared but still natural in presentation. Plans eventually call for campsites, a natural playground, a nature center, study areas, and I believe I even saw plans for a small, natural amphitheatre. There are no plans, necessarily, to turn this into anything resembling a recreation area and we should be grateful for that. For now, you've got lots of greenery, hiking trails, creekside spots for stomping or wheeling or just watching. There's one absolutely delightful spot with a sort of swing bench. It's an inspired touch for an inspiring location in Noblesville. You can fish here, of course, and I was honestly surprised at just how much of this nature haven I could handle by wheelchair (though certainly not all). The creek itself stays relatively shallow. However, obviously, children should be supervised and care should be taken to ensure safety. This is nature, after all, and things can happen easily. Animals may very well be here, as well. This haven is still relatively light in terms of attendance and in one afternoon I saw fish, tadpoles, lots of birds and, yes, even deer. I wouldn't be surprised if turtles are around here and maybe even a snake or two (I like snakes...for me, that's a good thing). There's a relatively light "nature walk" trail here. It runs just under a mile. The path is natural, though I found it cleared enough that I could manage it. In adverse weather, I probably could not. It's not technically "accessible," but it's wide enough, mostly smooth ground/crushed stone, and almost completely flat. Plus, it's right by the creek. This also means mosquitoes in season, but that's easily handled. Absolutely heaven. This is a relatively secluded area - this can be an amazing thing, but it's also worth noting in terms of taking appropriate precautions. You're really not that far from residential areas here, though this truly is a set-apart haven and a magnificent slice of nature almost smack dab where you least expect it. There's no question I'll be back.

Hohlt Park is sort of the unofficial park of the Rocky Ripple area of Indianapolis. Bordered by…read moreWhite River and the Canal just north of Butler, Hohlt Park is located 8 blocks west of 52nd and Meridian. Sadly, I'll admit I didn't even really know about it until friends played a concert here. With space donated by the Hohlt Family, this is a pretty simple neighborhood park with playground equipment, a dome climber, a merry-go-round, and a field that often plays host to small concerts/musical events. Additionally, of course, Hohlt Park hosts the Rocky Ripple Festival. Additional facilities include sports fields, a shelter with picnic tables, and lots of greenery. This is by no means a high-end park and it's certainly not one I'd go out of the way to experience, however, if you're in the area it's a great place to stop, rest, play, or enjoy a picnic. Overall, I'd probably lean more toward a 3.5 here, however, I do think this park serves the Rocky Ripple area well and it's reasonably well maintained - so, I'm going with the 4-star. As a matter of note, this park does not fall under Indy Parks. When I was here, I encountered a handful of people who were friendly and the park was clean and felt safe to me.

This is a medium sized neighborhood park, spanning about 6 acres. It has a small amount of parking…read moreavailable in a grassy area and one odd thing that I noticed is that there are not any trash receptacles in the park. The park has been known to hold community special events such as the Rocky Ripple Festival. The park has a nice pavilion with picnic tables under it and there is also a decent sand volleyball court with bleachers next to it. You will find a lot of green space here that is suitable for field sports such as football and soccer, or having a picnic, playing catch, or flying a kite. The park's playground is on a bed of wood chips and has your traditional equipment such as a merry go round, toddler and traditional swings, a 4-way see-saw, and a medium sized jungle gym with slides (straight and spiral), climbing nets and monkey bars. The park just recently replace it old dome climber with a new crab trap play structure. It is very nice. I found the park's picnic tables very neat. It looks like the legs were made from small tree trucks. They are pretty cool if you ask me. The park seemed pretty well maintained, especially considering there was not a trash can to be found and the amount of grass that has to be maintained. This is a nice park, but I will be the first to admit that is not a destination park and finds most of its usage from people from the adjacent neighborhood that live within walking or biking distance. It is a very nice park if you live in the area or just visiting the area and looking for a playground or place to hang out.

Abner Langley is a hidden gem of a park. The 51 acre park has just about everything, including…read moremature shade trees. The kids loved the splash pad which was built in 2019. I loved the comfy lounge chairs under big umbrellas. We were the only family in the park so, the kids had the splash pad to themselves. There are pickleball courts, a basketball court, baseball field and lots of open space to play. There are several climbing structures and some vintage playground equipment as well. The equipment is surrounded by mulch which was a little muddy from recent rains. The single pavilion is equipped with a grill and picnic tables. A restroom facility is near one of the two parking lots. There is plenty of parking, including accessible spots. Most of the park is accessible including the splash pads. The grounds are well maintained. I saw lots of wildlife during our visit. Are you wondering who was Abner Langley? He is claimed to be the first resident of Lebanon, Indiana. This is a great little park in a natural setting.

extremely nice shelter for family gatherings, close to clean restrooms, great for kids with splash…read morepark and playground equipment.