INDY'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTING ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Think summer, think outdoor fun
by Editors
Biking
Monon Greenway — Carmel. One of the Midwest’s most highly acclaimed rail-trails, it spans 15.7 miles of quiet, wooded/tree-lined asphalt trail with facilities, restaurants and attractions along the way.
Cardinal Greenway — Muncie. The 27-mile section is the longest contiguous rail-trail in Indiana. It has a distinctly rural character for a long, undisturbed ride.
Indian Trails Riverwalk, Shadyside/Killbuck Trails — Anderson. The 6.5-mile trail follows the White River and features extensive boardwalks, pleasant river views and shady spots. It connects to trails around Shadyside Lake, to Killbuck Wetlands and to beautiful Shadyside Park.
Cattail Trail and Northwest Greenway Trail — West Lafayette. One of the most extensive and innovative in the state, the West Lafayette Trail system is designated as National Recreation Trails.
Nancy Burton Memorial Trail — Zionsville. The south entrance, from Starkey Nature Park, features a dramatic ascent up a mammoth boardwalk and connects the park’s extensive nature trails in the Eagle Creek floodplain to the rail-trail. Part asphalt, part limestone.
White River Wapahani Trail — Indianapolis. At 5 miles, White River is the longest “greenway” in Marion County, taking a winding path through the city, linking with the canal.
Vandalia Trail — Amo to Coatesville. This natural terrain canopied trail offers impressive views from the elevated railbed leading up to the trestle 30 feet above Crittenden Creek. No facilities.
Prairie Duneland Trail — Lake County. One of Indiana’s “crown jewel” trails, it traverses 10.4 miles on asphalt through some of the most beautiful natural areas in the state, enabling views of a unique ecosystem.
For more information about trails, rides and events, contact the Indiana Bicycle Coalition: 800-BIKE-110 or www.bicycleindiana.org.
Hiking
Knobstone Trail, at 58 miles, is Indiana’s longest footpath, passing through Clark State Forest, Elk Creek Public Fishing Area and Jackson-Washington State Forest.
Tecumseh Trail, situated in Morgan-Monroe and Yellowwood State Forests, links to the north end of Knobstone Trail for a 50-mile extension.
Charles C. Deam Wilderness, on the southeast shore of Lake Monroe, is part of the Hoosier National Forest and is the only true nationally designated wilderness. In addition to aquatic activities, Deam Wilderness offers a series of loops and interconnected rugged trails for hiking, biking and horse riding. The Hoosier National Forest also affords ample opportunity for multiday hiking.
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. On the southern tip of Lake Michigan in northern Indiana, it offers 15,000 acres of beaches, sand dunes, bog, wetlands and woodland forests.
Clifty Falls State Park, near Madison, is popular for its scenic waterfalls. It’s cool and rugged.
Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge, near Seymour on I-65, features 9 miles of trails. Accessible by people with limited physical ability.
Brown County State Park is Indiana’s crown jewel, with separate mountain bike trails, hiking trails and horse trails.
Brookville Reservoir in Brookville offers some hilly hiking in Eastern Indiana.
Pine Hill Nature Preserve near Shades State Park in the western part of the state provides an alternative to the more familiar Turkey Run.
Formed in 1957, the Indianapolis Hiking Club offers more than 1,200 hikes annually. As one of the nation’s largest hiking organizations, the group hosts social events and both urban and rural hikes. Visit www.indyhike.org for more information.
Camping
Hoosier National Forest — Charles C. Deam Wilderness — Sycamore Loop Trail, www.fs.fed.us/r9/hoosier/. The Sycamore Loop trail can be joined to three other trails (Axsom, Grubb and Cope loops) to form an impressive four- to five-day hike.
Morgan-Monroe State Forest — Low Gap Trail, www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/index.html?http://www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/stateforests/morgmonr.htm&2. Highlights include a rock “cave” carved out of the limestone near the creek bed, with a challenging climb out. Tent set-up is only in the backcountry section.
Harrison-Crawford State Forest — Adventure Hiking Trail, www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/
index.html?http://www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/stateforests/harcraw.htm&2. Near Wyandotte Caves, a small feeder trail off the 27-mile Adventure Hiking Trail leads to a campground.
Brown County State Park, www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/properties/park_browncounty.html. With Nashville nearby and an easy commute from Indianapolis, Bloomington and Columbus, Brown County is a natural choice.
Spring Mill State Park, www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/properties/park_springmill.html. Located east of Mitchell, Ind., Spring Mill offers bountiful beauty. In addition to trails and a pioneer village, Spring Mill features a memorial to American astronaut Gus Grissom.
Chain O’ Lakes State Park, www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/properties/park_chainolakes.html. Northwest of Fort Wayne, the large RV park features a centrally located grass play area, with hiking trails, a beach and canoe, paddle boat and row boat rentals.
Shakamak State Park, www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/properties/park_shakamak.html. Located south of Terre Haute, Shakamak sits on a huge manmade lake.
For additional camping information, log on to www.indiana.reserveworld.com, Indiana’s camping reservations Web site, or www.in.gov/dnr/destinations/list.html for the DNR’s list of destinations they oversee.
Canoeing/kayaking
Eagle Creek, River and Reservoir
Geist Reservoir. Access via Florida Road.
White River. Access points: Broad Ripple, 16th Street, 30th Street at the Navy Armory, 106th Street and Hazeldell Road.
Fall Creek
Lake Monroe
Brookville Dam
Lake Michigan
Golf
Prairie View Golf Club, Carmel: Along the White River, ranked by Golf Digest with four and a half stars.
Forest Park Golf Course, Noblesville: Built in 1927 and designed by Tom Bendelow, Forest Park is a throwback to an earlier era.
Winding River Golf Club, Indianapolis: Located in the southernmost part of the city, the golf course flows over beautiful rolling land and through mature trees.
Bear Slide Golf Club, Cicero: Ranked by Golf Digest as one of the most affordable courses, the front nine is designed Scottish links-style and the back nine has a traditional, rolling, wooded layout with three lakes.
West Chase Golf Club, Brownsburg
Purgatory Golf Club, Noblesville: Offers six sets of tees at every hole, with the championship tees making it the longest par-72 course east of the Mississippi.
Royal Highlands Golf Club, Knightstown
Brickyard Crossing, Indianapolis: Designed by Pete Dye, it offers a unique setting and a great course.
Sarah Shank Golf Course, Indianapolis
Pleasant Run Golf Course, Indianapolis
The Fort Golf Resort, Indianapolis: A challenging 18-hole championship course for all levels.
Tomahawk Hills Golf Course, Jamestown
Bent Tree Golf, Westfield
Plum Creek Country Club, Carmel: Multiple water features and tees with varying degrees of difficulty add to the challenge.
River Glen Country Club, Fishers: Its signature par-3 over water and extended par-4 on 17 make it a memorable course.
Turkey Run Golf Club, Waveland
Crawfordsville Country Club, Crawfordsville
Otis Park Golf Course, Bedford
Skateboarding
Lawrenceburg, Ind. Quarter-pipes keep the flow going at the scenic, riverside park.
Lawton Skatepark, Fort Wayne, Ind. The 20,000-square-foot park at Clinton and Fourth streets is already considered one of the top 10 skateparks in the country, with lights for nighttime skating, bowls, ramps and “fun boxes” that imitate cityscapes. Admittance is free at the large park with three skill levels.
DK’s MainStreet Skate Park, Kokomo, Ind. The two-story indoor park at 1016 S. Main features a mini-ramp with extensions, a street-type setup with adjustable height grind bar on a flat bank, wedges, wall rides, moveable funbox, moveable grindbar and full pipe. Open from noon to 7 p.m. seven days a week, DK’s also allows bikes, inline and roller skates, and features contests, private sessions and bands. 765-868-8090.
Louisville Extreme Park, Louisville, Ky. Featuring 40,000 square feet of outdoor skating surface with rhythm sections, bowls, a 24-foot full pipe and 12-foot wooden vertical ramp, Louisville also includes a 20,000-square-foot facility with indoor skating areas. The “X-park” is lighted, open 24 hours, free and centrally located at Witherspoon and Clay streets downtown. 502-456-8100.
Greencastle Skatepark, Greencastle, Ind. The outdoor park features a bowl and a street course. Free to the public; bikers are also welcome.
Ollie’s Skate Park, Florence, Ky. Located at 8171 Dixie Highway in Florence, the 60,000-square-foot facility is strictly for skaters. With ultra-smooth ramps in Finnish birch, concrete, steel and Skatelite, Ollie’s features a 13-foot vertical ramp with an over-Vert section unlike any other in the Midwest. Check hours and prices at www.skateollies.com.
Glenn Miller Skatepark, Richmond, Ind. The free skatepark features a bowl, kink, rail, stairs and more. Check www.concretedisciples.com/skateparksdb/skateparks_display.php?id=809 for more information.
Major Taylor Skate Park, Indianapolis, Ind. The outdoor, 15,300-square-foot all-concrete street-oriented course at 3649 Cold Spring Road features a five-sided transition pyramid, a half bowl, lots of bank, ledges, walls and rails. Lighted for night skating, it shares scenic Lake Sullivan Park with the Major Taylor Velodrome and Lake Sullivan BMX track. Free to skateboarders, bikers and inline skaters. 317-327-3547.
Swonder Ice Arena and SK8 Park, Evansville, Ind., next to Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve. The ice arena features two regulation-size rinks for hockey and figure skating. Inliners and skateboarders enjoy two skate parks — indoor and outdoor. Call 812-479-0989.
For more: www.skateboardpark.com.