Parks and Recreation in Richmond

The Cardinal Greenway and the Whitewater Gorge Trail

Located just northwest of uptown Richmond, this trail meanders along the Whitewater River Gorge on the former CSX railroad route then winds through wooded areas and fields. Many hikers, joggers, cyclists, skaters and outdoor enthusiasts enjoy the gentle terrain. The 2.5 mile trail takes you northwest from North 3rd Street to Industries Road. When the entire Cardinal Greenway Trail is completed, the 60-mile track will extend from Richmond north through Muncie to Marion, Indiana.

•   Cardinal Greenways Web site

Cope Environmental Center

The Cope Environmental Center in nearby Centerville was created by Jim Cope, late emeritus professor of biology, his wife Helen, and Fran Parks, former Earlham horticulturist, as a sanctuary and study site for wildlife and environmental systems. Just a few miles west of Earlham's campus, this Center offers many different workshops and experiences related to self-wellness, environmental consciousness, and harmony with nature. You can participate in simplicity circles, guided nature walks, Earth Day Fairs or Family Days. Earlham students often use this resource for research and internships.

•   Cope Environmental Center Web site

Glen Miller Park

This 194-acre site offers a setting for many wonderful recreational activities. They include a nine-hole golf course, a skate park, a small brook stocked for fishing, six tennis courts, a sledding area, a playground, a rose garden, a freshwater spring, a picnic area and 10 shelter houses. Rental fees are required for some facilities. Glen Miller Park is located at 2200 East Main Street. For more information, call 765/983-7275.

Hayes Arboretum

The 500-acre Arboretum is a repository for native wild plants indigenous to Wayne County and the counties of the Whitewater Valley Drainage Basin. The Arboretum is open to the public.

The Arboretum is both an educational facility and a managed nature preserve.

As an educational institution, its goals are to provide the public with the best quality resource information available in the area about natural history; especially plants, their disease, care, proper placement and growth.

As a nature preserve, it serves as a permanent habitat for the native flora and fauna of this region.

•   Hayes Arboretum Web site

Middlefork Reservoir Park

The Middlefork Reservoir Park is a 405-acre facility with a stream and spring-fed lake. In addition to fishing and boating, the park also provides indoor and outdoor picnic areas and hiking trails.

•   Middlefork Reservoir Park — WayNet.org

Whitewater Gorge Park

Three branches of the Whitewater River converge in a spectacular geological gorge formed during the last ice age. The gorge provides miles of hiking trails with scenic vistas, picnic areas, vertical cliffs and the beauty of Thistlethwaite Falls.

•   Whitewater Gorge Park — WayNet.org