The highly anticipated opening of Carey Grove Park is here! After months of being closed for the construction of the brand new park and equipment, Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation opened the park back up to the public and it is just amazing!
Written by Lisa Viaches
Located on the east side of Carey Road just south of 146th street in Carmel, Carey Grove Park has been fully reimagined and modernized. The five acre park features two playground areas, adult exercise equipment, year-round bathrooms, a parking lot, paved walking trail loop, half basketball court, grassy field, and two covered picnic shelters.
Playgrounds
Like the redesigned Cool Creek Park, there is a playground area geared towards little kids aged 2-5 and a big kids area for kids aged 5-12. The little kids area has short slides, baby swings, and many unique toddler friendly activities. The big kids area has a large climbing structure with tall and twisty slides and lots of things to climb on. There are so many modern pieces of equipment in the park like a huge orb shaped merry go round that you can climb up and into, a disc-type merry go round that you could put babies in, partner swings, see saws, a mini rock climbing wall, and so much more.
Everything is made of soft, safe plàstic and rubber, including the ground. The whole park just feels very safe. Although the jungle gym in the big kids area goes up four (mini) flights of stairs, it is all enclosed. It seems that the engineers and park designers (Kompan, in this case) keep making parks more exciting yet much safer at the same time.
In addition, the whole park is pretty flat and handicap accessible from the parking lot to the playground to the trail. There are also many manipulatives and instruments that can be reached from a lower height, as well.
Musical Playland
Do you have a child that loves all things music? This park has so many neat musical features for children of all ages.
At the entrance to the park are several percussive instruments with mallets to bang on the different notes. Some are low to the ground for the toddlers which is great. One even has a song book for kids who can read sheet music!
At the back of the park in the big kids area is an electronic music game, similar to the one at the Monon park. The kids follow the sounds and tap the notes that light up, sending them running back and forth on their mission.
Basketball Court & Playing Field
To the south of the parking lot is a half basketball court. The open green space between the basketball court, parking lot, and playground is a grassy field which would be perfect for playing games, soccer, tag, or spreading out a blanket for a picnic.
Adult Exercise Equipment
A fabulous addition to the park is adult exercise equipment that can be used year-round as they are under a covering. There are two adjustable bikes and an elliptical on each side of the park, so six machines total. They all face the playground so you can keep an eye on the kids while you work out.
Walking Trail
A wonderful feature of the park is the paved and stroller friendly ¼ mile walking trail that circles the park. Sometimes I get to a playdate early so I can do a loop around the trail (for my dog’s exercise and my own) before setting the kids loose on the playground. If you have older kids, you could even do a few laps while they play as the playground is visible from the entire trail.
Picnic Shelters
There are two covered picnic shelters between the parking lot and the playground. There are no picnic tables under the shelters yet, but I’m sure they are coming soon.
The north shelter has two bbq grills so you can plan an evening cookout once the weather warms up! The shelters flank the restrooms at the entrance to the park so the locations will be very convenient to the parking lot and the rest of the park. There are also three small square picnic tables in the middle of the park.
Restrooms & Parking
With little kids in tow, bathrooms and parking are important factors when planning an outing. Some parks have the play areas quite far from the restrooms or parking lot.
At Carey Grove Park, the bathrooms and parking lot are all right next to the park. If you leave something in the car, you do not have to lug everything and everyone back to get it. It’s just steps away. You can help one child into the bathroom while still having full view of the entire park and your other kids and belongings. In between the two single restrooms are two water fountains and a bottle refill station.
Carey Grove Park is open from sunrise to sunset. It is operated by Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation. It is located at 14001 Carey Road, Carmel, IN 46032.
Address
14001 Carey Road
Carmel
IN
46032
Visit Carey Grove Park | Updated Neighborhood Park in Carmel