Southeastway Regional Park

I’ve been lucky enough to grow up here. The park has changed so much over the years. It used to be the spot where people would fly their model airplanes, before drones existed. My brother and I used to chase our family dogs all over the fields. Now there are two playgrounds, a concrete trail circling the exterior, and more wooded trails. It’s becoming pretty busy too. I miss the days of its quietness, but I’m glad to see so many people enjoying it too.

What an undiscovered bit of paradise this place is! I have been introduced to this little slice of heaven through my dear friend and Unilocal Elite member, Stephanie. She often told me of a lovely park she took her dog running at and one day I finally caved in to her offer to join (let’s be honest, this was in part due to her absolutely adorably, goofy lab I simply cannot say no to).
Seriously folks, if you are looking for a park with a Brown-​county feel mixed with a little Turkey Run near the city, this is it! They have miles of well maintained paths cutting through some truly gorgeous woods that weave around a wide river.
I fell so much in love with this place, I went back again to go trail running with Stephanie and her goofy side-​kick. On this occasion she introduced me to the hillier section of the park and took me on a scenic route that wound our way toward a pristine pond. Nothing is more serene that padding your way up to a frozen pond in the middle of a huge park that is sheathed in a blanket of ice and snow. Absolutely stunning!
I think what I loved most about this place was we had the park pretty much to ourselves! Stephanie allows her dog to run off leash, as he is extremely well behaved and loves to go galloping through the woods at a break-​neck pace. We encountered one or two fellow joggers, but otherwise could enjoy the quite serenity of the woods. Did I mention this park is only 20 min from downtown??? Hollah!

I visited this park for the Angry Turkey trail run in November. The grounds seem to be well maintained and has a nice little shelter with a fireplace.
Seems to be a nice venue to have a family gathering or possibly a baby or bridal shower.

This is a large well kept park on the southeast side of Indy. Southeastway has it all — 3 miles of paved trail, over 6 natural woods walking trails, 2 sledding hills, meadows, two large playgrounds, open grass fields for frisbee or football, shelters, vending, bathrooms, fishing pond and pine forest area. It’s a great place to take the dog but there is no designated ‘dog park’. I also love to rollerblade here (I know 1994 called and wants its extreme sport back) but I love to blade and the paved trail is clear of debris and well maintained. This is a great place to work out, take family photos, meet for a picnic, let the kids play, or just relax on a blanket — I’ve done all of the above at this park! Location is just south of Brookville road off of Carroll rd on the right.

Man meets nature just outside the city. Twining oaks, winding trails and a plethora of cubby holes to play at are a good sign this park is a peaceful retreat.
Yep, it can seem as if the human race has descended into this haven. However, the park is accepting in it’s vast area for an ‘urban’ location.
Park in one of the designated areas and walk. Hit the trail, smell the earth, shut off the phone and listen to the nothing.
Possibly the best time to hit the trails here is in early spring just after the snow has melted and the spring rains come. Trees have fallen and limbs have crashed since winter began. Find the back trail that starts at the ‘head’ of the creek running through the park. As the snow has given up and the rains have run off, the creek has swollen to gurgle it’s way through the trees and rocks.
There are numerous shelters in the main park with grills available to cook a masterpiece.
Bonus! When the snow comes use the hills to sled or snowboard.
Squirrel!

Lots of beautifully-​landscaped open space with picnic tables for gatherings. Paved paths for walking or jogging. A playground for the kids. A visitor center that I have not made it into yet.
When I found out they had trails, I went here for the hiking. The trails are easy and flat, and usually end up taking one near the pretty creek at some point. I saw deer tracks and a deer skeleton, so there’s wildlife around. My only complaint, and maybe I’m spoiled, was the proximity to the freeway. The noise didn’t overtake the hike, but it was always present, making it a little hard to get «lost in nature.» (In fact I did get lost in the literal sense, but I’m sure you get my point).
The park is also quite near an orchard and a winery. I have yet to visit the winery but a stop at the orchard makes a visit to Southeastway a lovely day trip.