Indianapolis' Largest Park Is A Massive Lakeside Escape With 30 Miles Of Trails

It's easy to take nature for granted when you're lucky enough to be surrounded by it. But for those living in the big city, green spaces aren't always so easy to find. Even when you make it to the local park, it seems like half the city had the same idea, and dreams of a peaceful escape soon disappear. Not the case with Eagle Creek Park in the popular midwestern city of Indianapolis, which, at 3,900 acres, has more than enough room for everyone. As one of the country's biggest city parks, Eagle Creek also has a 1,400-acre lake that often hosts the U.S. Rowing National Championships.

Around 30 miles of hiking trails wind through mature woodland filled with beech, ash, and black cherry, providing an inner-city sanctuary for hundreds of birds. In fact, birds are so important to the park that it has its own Ornithology Center plus the Earth Discovery Center, together opening up a world of wildlife to visitors of all ages. The space also includes five playgrounds to keep the kids happy, plenty of picnic shelters for rent, an award-winning golf club, and, most importantly from a dog's point of view, a bark park. And that's all before you head out on the water. 

Eagle Creek Reservoir was completed in 1969, when Eagle Creek was dammed to prevent flooding. People come to swim from its beach, canoe, kayak, and paddleboard, or head out to sail or fish. Well-equipped with a boat ramp, marina, and sailing club, even the birds have their own space in the waterfowl sanctuary. Open from dawn until dusk, Eagle Creek Park is on the northwest side of Indianapolis, just off I-65.

There are two main entrances to Eagle Creek Park and several parking lots. It costs $1 to enter if arriving on foot, $6 per resident vehicle, or $8 for non-resident vehicles. Much like Fort Harrison, another Indianapolis state park, there's an assortment of trails for hikers of all levels that form a network of gravel and dirt paths on both sides of the reservoir. Choose from the color-marked trails on the east side, where the majority of the amenities are situated, or the newer trails on the west side, which has some ADA-accessible loops.

The 5-mile West Side Trail is a quiet stroll through the less developed west side of the park. Walk under dense forest canopy and over wetland boardwalks, passing through Eagles Crest and Scott Starling Nature Preserves. It runs along the edge of Eagle Creek Golf Course, so you could go and practise your swing on the picturesque parkland. An 18-hole game costs $44 per person, and you can book a tee time on the website.

The Red Trail Loop is the longest at 6.75 miles and follows the shoreline, skirting around the tranquil bird sanctuary. Keen birders should pop into the Ornithology Center and watch from the observation decks. Look for great blue herons, American white pelicans, bald eagles, and hundreds of other species. Lying on the Mississippi Flyway, Eagle Creek is particularly good for birding during spring migration. For more great birdwatching in Indiana, visit Indiana Dunes, an underrated lakeside national park. Families with kids may want to stop off at GoApe for some treetop adventures along the route, voted one of the best ziplines in the country by USA Today. Open from March to November, activities start at $29.99 and should be booked through the website.

When Eagle Creek Reservoir isn't being used for rowing competitions, take your pick from a selection of other water activities. Equipment is available through Eagle Creek Outfitters, which also organizes guided tours and group programs. A selection of paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, and pontoon boats are available to hire with prices ranging from around $20 per hour for a kayak to $175 for two hours in a pontoon boat. To get to know the park a little better, the guided sunset paddle tour is a pleasantly lazy way to spend three hours, although only available in the warmer months. If you time your visit in August, you could participate in the Iron Eagle Paddle & Run, a fundraising event that combines two 2.6-mile trail runs on either side of a 1.5-mile paddle. E-bikes are also available to hire for those who prefer dry ground.

Eagle Lake Reservoir isn't the only lake in the park. If you head into the woods via the Red or Blue Trail, the 5-acre Lilly Lake makes a quiet retreat for bank fishing. Largemouth bass, carp, channel catfish, and crappie are among the catches. Fishing and boating are allowed on the reservoir, but you'll need a license, available from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

There's no camping at the park, and although picnic shelters are available if you bring your own food, there are no restaurants or cafés, either. One of the most convenient places to eat is on the reservoir's southern shore, where you can enjoy seafood with a view at Rick's Café Boatyard. If you're spending the night, you'll find a variety of hotels a short drive away on 71st Street.