Whether you are looking for an inexpensive and healthy way to entertain the kids or you want to keep yourself in shape, Emerson Heights has several top-notch parks and recreational trails nearby. So dust off the bike, get out the roller blades, find Fido’s leash, or lace up the walking shoes. It’s time to get out there and explore.

While most of us associate the Monon Trail (map) with Broad Ripple, the trail actually starts on 10th Street and Mass. Avenue near the Cottage Home neighborhood. Parking is available off Doorman Street and the adventurous can ride their bicycle all the way to Carmel. Or you can take the Monon trail to Broad Ripple, grab lunch, and then loop back along the Canal Towpath to the White River Trail, to the downtown Canal, and then back New York Street to your car. This path allows you to explore many different neighborhoods, parks and greenways.


It only takes seven minutes to get downtown from Emerson Heights by car, and soon it will be just as easy to get downtown by bicycle. The City of Indianapolis recently received a federal Transportation Enhancement grant to create bike paths along Michigan and New York Streets. The paths will go from White River Parkway on the west to Pleasant Run Parkway on the east. As part of the plan, there will be bicycle racks and BikePorts installed downtown. Bicycles can also be mounted on the front of an IndyGo bus if you decide to take the bus to a nearby stop and then bike the rest of the way.


If you are looking for a trail a little closer to home, there is the Pleasant Run Greenway and Trail (map), which is part of the Indy Park and Boulevard National Register Historic District. The trail starts in Ellenberger Park and goes southwest to Garfield Park. The Garfield Conservatory and Sunken Gardens make the park a destination worth seeing. The trail crosses near our neighborhood at Emerson and New York Streets. Ellenberger Park is just east of our neighborhood about half a mile on St. Clair Street. It is an easy walk, with Emerson Avenue being the only busy street to cross to get there.


In addition to being the trailhead for the Pleasant Run Trail, Ellenberger Park (map) has many facilities for family fun including a swimming pool, ice rink, tennis courts, play grounds, baseball diamonds and a 1.2 mile trail around the park. And even though it is not an official “Bark Park”, you are sure to meet lots of dogs that bring their owners out to the park in the evening. Ellenberger Park is also the location for some special events such as the recent Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Pops Concert, sponsored by Community Hospitals Foundation, where approximately three thousand people enjoyed the music in an informal setting—many of them with a picnic basket.



A relatively new park and trail in the neighborhood is the Pogues Run Basin Trail and Art Park (map) near I-70 and Emerson Ave. The park is accessible by following Dequincy Street north of 21st street until it dead-ends at a trailhead. The 40-acre park is a flood control basin for Pogues Run and creates a wetland habitat. There is a 1.5-mile trail around the park. Future development of the trail will have it linking up through Brookside Park to the Monon Trail. Plans also include public art, some of which may be visible from I-70 to help create a landmark and a sense of place for the neighborhoods south of the interstate.



Another exciting future development is the Pennsy Trail. This trail is located just south of Washington Street (the Historic National Road) and sections are being developed now in Greenfield, and from Cumberland to Ritter Ave. Future development of the trail will link it with the Cultural Trail downtown. The Pennsy Trail is part of the National Road Heritage Trail that will be the first trail to traverse the state and is part of a larger statewide trail initiative announced by Governor Daniels in April of this year. Imagine being able to jump on the trail near our neighborhood and go downtown or pedal to all the way to Richmond or Terre Haute!





Intersecting many of these trails and park facilities is Emerson Avenue. The Emerson Avenue Corridor Gateway Project will extend from the I-70 interchange on the north to south of Washington Street and will create a sense of entry to neighborhoods south of I-70 on Emerson Avenue. One of the goals of the Emerson Avenue Corridor Gateway Project will be to make these trails and facilities easy to find and access. Besides being good for recreation and fitness, these trails and parks boost property values and promote economic development.


So whether you just want a quiet place to walk the dog or are looking for something much more adventurous and physically challenging, Emerson Heights has convenient access to some great parks and trails now, with more planned in the future.