I love a walk in the woods, hiking a trail under a shady canopy of trees, the sun peeking through where it can, butterflies fluttering around wildflowers, twigs and dried leaves snapping and crunching beneath my feet.  Sodalis Nature Park and McCloud Nature Park, both in Hendricks County, Indiana, offer several miles of trails perfect for a morning or afternoon hike.

Sodalis Nature Park

Five trails make up the 3.5 miles of hiking opportunity in Sodalis Park.  One of the trails is named Bat Haven after the Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalis), an endangered species.  In fact, the 210 acre park is within a U.S. Fish and Wildlife conservation area created to protect the bat.

A 5.5 acre pond is popular with those who like to fish, and picnic facilities are available, too.

And you can’t help but stop and admire the wildflowers along the path to the trails

McCloud Nature Park

McCloud Nature Park’s 232 acres includes 6.5 miles of hiking trails through woods and grasslands.  You can fish in Big Walnut Creek or cross over the creek on the restored old iron truss bridge, over 100 years old.

Be sure to stop in to the nature center, where you can sit in the bird viewing area and watch as our feathered friends are drawn to the feeders.

Now and then our non-feathered friends visit, too.

If you go

Sodalis Nature Park is located in the southeast section of Hendricks County in Plainfield, Indiana.  McCloud Nature Park is located in North Salem in the northwest part of the county.  Both are open dawn to dusk daily.  Visit their web sites for directions.

Accommodations

Although there are accommodations throughout Hendricks County, Plainfield, on the southeast side of the county, has the largest selection. Find the best hotel deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say at TripAdvisor.

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Disclosure: Our visit to Hendricks County was hosted by Visit Hendricks County. However, any opinions in this article are my own.

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