White River State Park
Park
219 acres3.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Evking22 · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Center Township
Center Township has 29 miles of mapped trails, 0.7 for every square mile of land
93% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: White River State Park (3.6 mi), Garfield Park (2.9 mi), Lilly Recreation Park (1.9 mi). 7% of Center Township’s land is conserved, about 1,956 acres.
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns · #37 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
1,956 acres · of 42.0 sq mi of land
Trails
29 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,336 ac
15 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
93%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
102 mi
25 mi lanes · 69 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
12
What kind of outdoors town is Center Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Center Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Center Township is ahead of 80% of U.S. towns, #37 of 593 in Indiana. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Center Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical IN town 2% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (29 mi) · IN 0.1 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land15 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,336 acres) · IN 10 · U.S. 13BParks close to home93% of residents within a half mile of a park · IN 51% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 80%
LessMore
Indiana towns of 2,500+ (593)Ahead of 94%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Center Township ranks #193 on Outdoors.
Few Indiana towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Center Township’s 7% is ahead of 88% of Indiana towns, while its trails per square mile lead 89% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A−. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is White River State Park, with 3.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Garfield Park
Park
120 acres2.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Lilly Recreation Park
Park
273 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Riverside Adventure Park
Managed by Indy Parks and Recreation
72 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Rotary Park Space at IUPUI
Park
10 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 82 parks & preserves
White River State Park219 acres · 3.6 mi of trail
DirectionsGarfield Park120 acres · 2.9 mi of trail
DirectionsLilly Recreation Park273 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverside Adventure Park72 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Indy Parks and Recreation
DirectionsRhodius Park23 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsRotary Park Space at IUPUI10 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsChristian Park74 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWillard Park11 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsSouth Street Square Park5 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Indianapolis Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsBrookside Park103 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Indy Parks
DirectionsOscar Charleston Park21 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsMartin Luther King Memorial Park13 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsHighland Park3 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Indy Parks
DirectionsBeckwith Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsTaggart Riverside Park92 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsDouglass Park66 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsEdna Balz Lacy Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGeorge Washington Park130 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsReverend Mozel Sanders Park24 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMilitary Park13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSpades Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Indy Parks
DirectionsLentz Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCummins Meadow2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsParamount School of Excellence Greenspace2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMonument Circle2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCottage Home Community Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMcCord Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Indy Parks
Ensign Graham Edward Martin Park66 acres · Indy Parks
DirectionsPogue's Run Art and Nature Park49 acres
DirectionsIndiana World War Memorial Plaza24 acres
DirectionsBethel Park20 acres
DirectionsWatkins Park16 acres
DirectionsBertha Ross Park15 acres
DirectionsForest Manor Park15 acres
DirectionsColumbia Park14 acres
DirectionsO'Bannon Old Northside Soccer Park11 acres
DirectionsJames T.V. Hill Park10 acres
DirectionsColorado and 29th Park9 acres · Indy Parks
DirectionsAmerican Legion Mall8 acres
DirectionsSandorf Park7 acres
DirectionsRiley Park6 acres
DirectionsCanal Walk5 acres
DirectionsBarton Park4 acres
University Park4 acres
DirectionsWatson Road Bird Preserve4 acres
DirectionsClayton And LaSalle Park3 acres
DirectionsLord Street Common3 acres
DirectionsBrown's Corner Park3 acres
DirectionsKelly Park3 acres
DirectionsRev. Charles R. Williams Park3 acres · Indy Parks
DirectionsJohn Ed Park3 acres
DirectionsEmhardt Park3 acres · Indy Parks
DirectionsHendricks Park3 acres · Indy Parks
DirectionsFall Creek and 30th Park2 acres
DirectionsHudnut Commons2 acres
DirectionsMid-North Greenspace2 acres
DirectionsRichard G. Lugar Plaza2 acres · Indy Parks
DirectionsIndianola Park2 acres
DirectionsStringtown Park2 acres · Indy Parks and Recreation
DirectionsAl Polin Park2 acres
DirectionsFall Creek Greenway2 acres · Indy Parks
DirectionsHighway Parcel 151 acres
DirectionsRed Maple Park1 acres
Belmont Beach1 acres
DirectionsMcCarty Triangle Park1 acres
DirectionsGeorge E. Kessler Park1 acres
DirectionsThe Arbor Garden at IUPUI1 acres
DirectionsBicentennial Unity Plaza1 acres · Indiana Pacers
DirectionsTaylor Courtyard1 acres
DirectionsFrank Young Park1 acres
DirectionsBabe Denny Park1 acres
DirectionsOrange Park1 acres
DirectionsRichard and Annette Bloch Cancer Survivors Park1 acres
DirectionsFletcher Park1 acres
Fall Creek Place HOA park1 acres
DirectionsLittle Valley Park1 acres
DirectionsCraig Kids Memorial Park1 acres
DirectionsFinch Park1 acres
DirectionsIdle Park1 acres
DirectionsPresidential Place Park1 acres
DirectionsSpringdale Community Park1 acres
Fall Creek Place Arboretum1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,956 conserved acres
7% of Center Township’s land. Who manages Center Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,714 ac
Other state land160 ac
Private owners54 ac
State parks25 ac
Local Park · 1,110 acState Recreation Area · 567 acState Other or Unknown · 83 acState Conservation Area · 66 acPrivate Park · 47 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Park Local Park | Town or city | 126 | Open |
| Garfield Park Local Park | Town or city | 123 | Open |
| Sarah Shank Golf Course State Recreation Area | Town or city | 118 | Open |
| South Grove Golf Course State Recreation Area | Town or city | 108 | Open |
| Brookside Park Local Park | Town or city | 97 | Open |
| Riverside Park Local Park | Town or city | 94 | Open |
| Greenway - Pleasant Run Local Park | Town or city | 83 | Open |
| Greenway - Fall Creek State Recreation Area | Town or city | 83 | Open |
| Christian Park Local Park | Town or city | 73 | Open |
| Riverside Golf Course State Recreation Area | Town or city | 71 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
173 places to go in Center Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Center Township
2 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Center Township
Colts Canal PlayspaceIn Canal Walk
DirectionsSENSE School Playground
DirectionsSchool 60 Playground
Directions150 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Center Township
Plus 3 dog parks without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Center Township
2 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Center Township
Riverfront PavilionHours: Mon–Sun 5 am – 11 pm · In White River State Park
DirectionsPlus 2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Center Township
Cottage Home Community Garden
DirectionsGrowing Places Indy
DirectionsPlus 8 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 12 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.4 miUnpaved · 2.2 mi
Pogue's Path0.2 mi
Biking & sports
102 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
25 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
69 mi
off-road bike paths
7.7 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
71Tennis
59Basketball
49Baseball
15Soccer
13Football
7Beach volleyball
3Pickleball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →190 places on the National Register, 6 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 29 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Military ParkDistrict · listed 1969
About itWoodruff PlaceDistrict · listed 1972
About itMorris-Butler HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itState Soldiers and Sailors MonumentBuilding · listed 1973
About itLockerbie Square Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1973
About itCrown Hill CemeteryDistrict · listed 1973
About it178 more on the History page.
When to get out
August is the best month for walking in Center Township
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 40 | 51 | 64 | 73 | 82 | 85 | 84 | 78 | 65 | 52 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 2.9 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 5.1 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.9 |
February is the driest month (2.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 5.1 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Center Township →
Next door
Center Township and its neighbors
Center Township has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Center Township29 miWashington Township25 miWayne Township20 miPerry Township19 miWarren Township8.3 miFranklin Township5.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center Township | 7% | 0.7 | 15 | 93% | A− |
| Wayne Township | 4% | 0.4 | 8 | 68% | B− |
| Washington Township | 5% | 0.5 | 8 | 57% | B− |
| Warren Township | 4% | 0.2 | 12 | 60% | B− |
| Perry Township | 1% | 0.4 | 4 | 43% | C |
| Franklin Township | 2% | 0.1 | 8 | 52% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Center Township
Where can I hike in Center Township?
The longest trail networks: White River State Park, 3.6 miles; Garfield Park, 2.9 miles; Lilly Recreation Park, 1.9 miles; Riverside Adventure Park, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Center Township is conserved land?
7% of its land, against a typical 2% for an Indiana town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Center Township’s trails?
White River State Park and Garfield Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Center Township?
102 miles of bike routes are on the map: 25 of painted or protected lanes, 69 of off-road paths and 7.7 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Center Township?
16,174 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Center Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,338 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Center Township have?
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #37 of 593 in Indiana. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Center Township neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →