Enjoy nature among the trees and, forests and wooded areas in Tippecanoe County. Trees relieve stress, improve physical and mental health, and provide relaxation. The areas can be used for exercise and fresh air. Many of the locations have trails. Practice forest bathing. Please enjoy what is available in the Greater Lafayette area in Tippecanoe County, Indiana.
Tippecanoe County Parks
There are several wooded parks that are maintained by the Tippecanoe County Parks Department.
https://www.tippecanoe.in.gov/187/Parks-Recreation-Department
West Lafayette Parks
Michaud-Sinninger Woods Nature Preserve in Cumberland Park
www.westlafayette.in.gov/egov/apps/locations/facilities.egov?view=detail&id=6
3065 North Salisbury Street, West Lafayette, IN 47906
Approximately 62 acres in size with 16 acres in Michaud-Sinninger Woods Nature Preserve and 14 acres of open turf/soccer area. Cumberland Park contains a 1/2 mile footpath, 2 lighted Arni Cohen Memorial softball fields, 2 lighted basketball courts and the Pony League Baseball field. There are also two shelters that may be rented. In addition to the soccer fields, basketball courts, picnic shelters, volleyball court, ball fields and community vegetable gardens, the Michaud-Sinninger Woods provide an important natural feature in the park. The wooded area includes a buttonbush swamp and has a retention pond on the northern edge. Amenities: Playground, Basketball Court, Electricity, Footpath, Grill, Nature Preserve, Picnic Tables, Play Field, Restrooms, Shelter, Softball Field, Trails, Volleyball Court, Water, home of the West Lafayette Farmers Market, runs May—October on Wednesday afternoons.
Celery Bog Nature Area
www.westlafayette.in.gov/egov/apps/locations/facilities.egov?view=detail&id=4
1620 Lindberg Road, West Lafayette, IN 47906
Contains four miles of trails through woods along a marsh. It is approximately 195 acres, with 7 acres in Scifres-Maier Woods Nature Preserve. The Celery Bog Nature Area is home to the Lilly Nature Center and contains 4.3 miles of paved Cattail Trail and a 1.5 mile footpath with interpretive signs and two viewing decks. Amenities: Footpaths, Nature Preserve, Trails. more info >
Happy Hollow Park
www.westlafayette.in.gov/egov/apps/locations/facilities.egov?view=detail&id=9
1301 Happy Hollow Road, West Lafayette, IN 47906
Approximately 81 acres in size with 1 mile of paved Trolley Line Trail (hiking) and approximately 1 mile of Footpaths (Salisbury Street, Garden, and Rose Street Trails). The park contains 2 accessible playgrounds for ages 2-5 and 5-12 (ramped), a small softball field/open turf area and 4 picnic shelters which may be reserved. The park also opens the Tube Run for the winter only. Amenities: Electricity, Footpath, Grill, Picnic Tables, Play Field, Playground, Restrooms, Shelter, Softball Field, Trails, Volleyball Court, Water.
Tapawingo Park
www.westlafayette.in.gov/egov/apps/locations/facilities.egov?view=detail&id=15
100 Tapawingo Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47906
Tapawingo Park is approximately 20 acres in size and contains the 1-1/4 mile paved Wabash Heritage Trail and an accessible playground for ages 2-12. It is also home to the Myers Bridge Plaza, Brown Street Overlook and the Riverside Skating Center. Tapawingo means 'Place of Joy'. Facilities at this Location: Riverside Skating Rink, Brown Street Overlook. Amenities: Footpath, Picnic Tables. Playground, Shelter, Trails, Water.
Lafayette Parks
McAllister Park
lafayette.in.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/McAllister-Park-35
2400 N. 9th Street, Lafayette, IN 47904
The scenic 350-acre park is located along the banks of the Wabash River. A bike path along North 9th Street connects the city to the park. Fishing is permitted in the Wabash River; all state regulations apply. McAllister Park Features: Portions of the Wabash Heritage Trail, open green space, model airplane strip.
Murdock Park
http://www.lafayette.in.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Murdock-Park-5
300 N. 18th Street, Lafayette, IN 47901
Conveniently located in the middle of the city, Murdock Park occupies 39 acres of urban forest. The park features a 0.9-mile interpretive trail that allows visitors to identify the nearly 40 varieties of trees located within the park. The sled run is a favorite wintertime attraction in Lafayette, entertaining kids and parents alike. A snow machine ensures that the perfect amount of white powder is available when cold temperatures prevail. Murdock Park Features: Playgrounds, disc golf course, sled run, basketball court, lighted softball field, 0.9 mile interpretive trail, picnic areas, grills and 2 picnic shelters with 50-seats each available for rent.
Clegg Memorial Garden
www.nicheslandtrust.org
1782 N. 400 E., Lafayette, IN 47905
765-423-1605
Description: Clegg Memorial Garden overlooks Indiana’s scenic Wildcat Creek offering a beautiful nature filled setting. This includes prairie and oak savanna restorations, extensive beds of Spring wildflowers, plants native to Indiana, labelled trees, nature trails, and bridges. This property is owned and managed by a local non-profit organization known as NICHES Land Trust. The property is open dawn til dusk, year-round, and offers a different experience for every season. The NICHES Land Trust mission is to provide natural areas for the appreciation and education of the community, while also restoring and protecting native ecosystems forever. In 2018, NICHES constructed a natural playground, designed to inspire the community to enjoy the natural world around them. Visit the Niches Facebook page facebook.com/NICHES
Other Wooded Areas
Purdue Horticulture Park
hort.purdue.edu
300 McCormick Road, West Lafayette, IN 47906
Description: Purdue Horticulture Park "Hort Park" opened in 1967 and offers both wooded trails, meandering streams and open grassy areas to explore making it a wonderful retreat from the bustle of campus life. Home to more than 300 types of trees and plants, Hort Park provides relaxation, as well as academic experiences for horticulture and forestry classes. A Purdue professor of engineering and plant enthusiast, C.W. Beese donated the park's central parcel of land for the development. The Purdue Grounds Department upkeeps the maintenance including mowing, pruning trees, fertilizing, controlling weeds and cleaning up. The park is open during daylight hours year round. Large parking area provided. No public restrooms.
Purdue Arboretum
www.arboretum.purdue.edu
Purdue University West Lafayette campus
Description: the goal of the Purdue Arboretum is to collect and display woody landscape plants in a way that enhances the educational, research, and outreach mission of Purdue University, promotes environmental sustainability, and increases the beauty of the Purdue University campus. The Purdue Arboretum is an outdoor laboratory that preserves valuable woody plant materials and increases the number of plants in established campus collections for student learning, fosters development of public education programs, supports research, demonstrates sustainable land stewardship, and provides areas for passive recreation.
There are three walking tour trails available to explore. Each trail is designed to show the diversity of trees on Purdue’s campus. As you visit the trails you will notice that each tree is identified by a small wooden post and a QR code to give smartphone users additional educational information. https://www.arboretum.purdue.edu/
Prophetstown State Park
www.on.in.gov/prophetstown
5545 Swisher Road, West Lafayette, IN 47906
765-567-4919
Description: Indiana’s newest state park offers camping, swimming, hiking, biking, birding, wildlife observation, and more. An aquatic center opened in 2013 and offers a tube slide, lazy river, splash zones and zero-entry wading area. This park is unique because of its mix of habitats including tall grass and wildflower prairies, woodlands, wetlands, and rivers. Take a walk around the Native American village and attend one of the many public programs about nature or history. Several picnic areas can be found, each with its own handicap-accessible playground. Four shelter houses and a campground with 110 modern campsites are available for reservation. The park visitors center offers a chance to see live animals, touch interactive exhibits and read informative displays. And don’t forget to bring your fishing poles for some time down by the pond or river. Park is also home to The Farm at Prophetstown. Gate admission fees charged.
Wabash Heritage Trail
www.tippecanoe.in.gov/parks
765-463-2306
Description: Unique wildlife observation and unparalleled views can be found along this approximately 18 mile scenic trailway along Burnett Creek and the Wabash River. The northern trailhead begins at Tippecanoe Battlefield in Battle Ground and meanders along Burnett Creek to the Wabash River. It passes along the cities of Lafayette and West Lafayette and ends at Fort Ouiatenon. Trail maps and conditions are available at the Wah-ba-shik-a Nature Center, Tippecanoe Battlefield Park.
Please, no horses, bikes or motorized vehicles on the footpath in the rural sections of the trail. Bicycles are permitted on the 5 1/2 miles of paved trail in Lafayette and West Lafayette. Camping is prohibited along the trail.
Prophet's Rock
5910 Prophets Rock Rd.
Battle Ground, Indiana 47906
Phone (765) 567-2060
The large rock formation where the Shawnee prophet Tenskwatawa stood and encouraged his warriors during the Battle of Tippecanoe.
Today a hike through the woods and around the bluff is available to everyone. Though the bluffs and rock formations are steep, they can easily be climbed or viewed from the base of the bluff on Prophet's Rock Road. A stone marker was placed at the site in 1929 by the General de Lafayette Chapter. Trails meander through the woods, and sign posts provide direction and historical information. Stick to the trails, and they will take you directly to Prophet's Rock.
McCormick Woods
1422-1498 Cherry Ln.
West Lafayette, IN 47907
https://ag.purdue.edu/fnr/Pages/propmccormick.aspx
McCormick Woods is in the Central Till Plain natural region in Tippecanoe County. It contains a total of 40 acres all of it forest. The property is less than one mile from the Purdue University, West Lafayette campus. This forest provides a good variety of mature trees, but because of its location and the amount of public recreational use, no short term research projects are currently conducted on the property. It is also used as a teaching laboratory for FNR 353.
NICHES Land Trust natural areas
Founded in 1995 by a small group of citizens concerned with conservation of natural areas, NICHES actively seeks to protect a broad array of natural areas ranging from small green spaces to pristine nature preserves of high biological integrity. See a listing and details about the properties.
https://www.nicheslandtrust.org/properties/tippecanoe-county