West Side Hiking Trails

WEST SIDE HIKING TRAILS

Members on West Side Hiking Trail

TRAILHEAD ACCESS

Eagle’s Crest

7201 Fishback Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46278

Scott Starling Nature Sanctuary

8245 Wilson Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46278

Bear Overlook

8600 W. 56th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46234

 

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INDY PARKS

For Eagle Creek programs, please visit this Indy Parks page.

About the West Side Hiking Trail

Eagle Creek Park’s west side, a hidden gem since its 1972 opening, gained prominence during the 1987 Pan Am Games, where archery was hosted near Eagle’s Crest.

Today, visitors can explore three ADA-accessible trails, two nature preserves (Eagle’s Crest and Starling), and the scenic 5-mile trunk trail that stretches from north to south.

The main trail provides a peaceful escape under a lush canopy, offering a serene retreat from everyday life.

We hope park goers find time and space on Eagle Creek’s West Side Hiking Trails to relax, unwind, and connect with nature.

Read more about the trail

The West Side Hiking Trail project, first envisioned by John Pankhurst in the 1980s, was included in the 1997 Eagle Creek Park strategic plan. In 2014, the Eagle Creek Park Foundation voted to move forward with securing funding for the trails. After years of planning and fundraising, a $2.6 million Lilly Endowment grant in 2018 brought the vision to life. Trail construction began in 2019 and continued through the COVID-19 pandemic, with completion of the trunk trail and the ADA loops by 2022. By 2024, final additions, including automatic gates, signage, and a dedicated podcast, were introduced.

Wander on the West Side



ADA TRAILS

The West Side Trail Complex features 3 ADA-compliant trails.

Scott Starling Nature Preserve

Explore this gallery of images taken of the scenery and migratory birds from the nature preserve – via the ADA Starling Trail.

Exploring the West Side Hiking Trail

Foundation Members stop in a massive tulip grove in the northwest portion of the West Side Hiking trail. Marty Risch, former park ranger, environmental scientist, and life-long lover of Eagle Creek Park teaches members about the amazing ecology through which the trail cuts.



Listen to the Trailer Episode

John Pankhurst lays out the scope of Season one of Nature Notes. He’s the Director Emerita of the Eagle Creek Park Foundation and self-proclaimed “Chief Sheepdog”. John is one of central figures behind the entire West Side trail project.

Foundation Podcast


Eagle Creek Nature Notes
The podcast helps you plan your next adventure to Eagle Creek Park.

Season One of our podcast, Eagle Creek Nature Notes, is now available! This season is dedicated to the West Side of Eagle Creek Park and was made possible by funding from the West Side Trail grant.

DOWNLOAD TRAIL MAPS

PARK TRAIL MAP

RUNNING COURSE MAP

WEST SIDE HIKING TRAILS

ORNITHOLOGY CENTER TREE MAP

EARTH DISCOVERY CENTER TRAILS

FISHING MAP

STATE NATURE PRESERVES

GREENWAYS MAP

Member Hike July 2024

Member Events

Moth Expert June 2024

Member Event with Moth Expert Jeanette Jaskula

Member Event: Return of Moth Expert

For the second summer in a row, Eagle Creek Park Foundation has been lucky to host Indiana moth expert Jeanette Jaskula for a presentation and night of moth hunting. In her presentation “Welcome to the Dark Side,” Jeanette took a captivated crowd through everything from identification, taxonomy, moths as pollinators, and moths in pop culture. After an exciting round of Q&A with Jeanette, our members were invited to watch for moths at the baited trees and near the light setups. By the end of the evening we saw a couple dozen moth species represented, including the Dead-Wood Borer Moth and the beautiful Glossy Black Idia Moth.

 

About the guest

Jeanette Jaskula is an Indiana-based moth expert and President of Friends of the Sands, the non-profit friends group for the Kankakee Sands region in Northwest Indiana. 

Check out Jeanette’s iNaturalist profile >

 

Date
June 24, 2024
Location
Earth Discovery Center

 

ENHANCE

Approximately 40 Eagle Creek Park Foundation Members, friends, and staff learned about moths. Then they attracted moths with two different kinds of lights and a secret recipe from our guest expert, Jeanette. What an amazing hands-on opportunity to learn about our night-time friends – the moths!

 

Return of the Moth Expert - Gallery

Membership means more than park access

 

At the Moth Event

Members went deep on moths with our favorite local expert, Jeanette Jaskula. We learned about the fancy colors and important role moths play in our delicate ecosystems. Check out out or gallery of images from the night.

 

This event was member-only. Members receive invites to roughly monthly member events.

To find out more about Memberships and Passes click here >