About
Cool Creek Park is an approximately 90 acre site located in south-central Hamilton County. It is one of the properties managed by the Hamilton County Parks and Recreation Department. The park was dedicated in July of 1990. The site was once an operating farm which, most likely, raised livestock.
Approximately 80 percent of the park site is forested and the remaining 20 percent is maintained as turf grass. The forested area is primarily Beech-Maple with over 40 species of trees recorded to date. Cool Creek, a tributary of White River, runs through the park for approximately 1 mile. The riparian ecosystem supports various wildlife including 163 species of birds documented to date.
In 1994 the park department restored approximately 4 acres of prairie in the park. This now mature prairie is a focal point of the park.
The Cool Creek Nature Center was opened in 1997 and currently provides over 55,000 people a year with educational and interpretive information about Indiana wildlife, habitats, and ecosystems. Each year about 10,000 students visit the park for field trips centered around explorative learning and hands-on discovery. The park and nature center also host nature-themed day camps, programs, various hikes, and exhibits throughout the year.
There are approximately 3 miles of multi-use trails in the park, a playground, maintenance facility, greenhouse, and is home to the department's administration office.
One of the major threats to the ecology of Cool Creek Park are invasive species; namely Bush Honeysuckle. This shrub is extremely prevalent in the park. Over the last 10 years the plant has found its way into nearly every section of forested area of the park and is drastically effecting the ecological diversity. Several species of native shrubs and small trees including Spicebush, Elderberry, Dogwood, and Wahoo are beginning to decline due to this invasive. Efforts by park staff and volunteers have been underway for about 3 years to manage the issue.
Surrounded by suburban and commercial areas, Cool Creek Park provides a welcomed respite for central Indiana citizens and tourists of our area who appreciate learning and connecting with Indiana's wildlife and habitats.
