5 Easy Winter Hikes Near Indianapolis That Look Prettier With Snow On The Ground

Indianapolis is probably not the first location you picture when you think of "hiking." And yet, while the Indiana state capital does bear a well-earned reputation for the Indiana Pacers NBA team, the NFL Scouting Combine, and more, it also has some of the best urban hikes in the Midwest. Many of the city's walking routes and cycling paths combine scenic routes with aspects of Indianapolis's surprisingly rich culture. 

For example, you can explore Indianapolis's vibrant art scene and urban gardens on the Indy Cultural Trail. Or, if you're into cycling, you can bike from downtown to the Indiana countryside on the lovely Monon Greenway rail trail. Indianapolis also has a striking network of community parks, state parks, and green spaces both within the city limits and the surrounding area, all perfect for a much-needed escape into nature. 

No matter which trail you choose, however, the common picture of all Indianapolis hiking routes sees them decked in the rich greens of spring, summer, and fall. Less commonly seen is what these trails look like in the cold winter months. And yet, despite the harsh reputation of Indiana's Midwest winters, many of its best trails are at their most beautiful when covered in a fresh layer of snow. From picturesque tours of Downtown Indianapolis in its snowy best to magical passages through quiet winter forests, these five easy Indianapolis-area trails are at their prettiest when the winter snow hits. 

One of the best ways to get acquainted with Indianapolis in all its wintery glory is a hike along the wonderful White River Canal Walk. Indianapolis sits along the banks of the White River. While the river's East Fork is best known for historical marvels like the Medora Covered Bridge (the longest historic covered bridge in the United States), the West Fork cuts through Downtown Indianapolis in one of the nation's loveliest riverside cityscapes, where it connects to the historic Indiana Central Canal. 

Indianapolis' Canal Walk offers an immersive tour of the White River, the canal, and many of the downtown area's top sights. Officially, the path is part of Indiana's White River State Park, though the route extends beyond the park's limits, covering a 3-mile loop that goes up to 11th St. As the trail covers mostly paved and flat terrain, the entire walk is quite easy for the average hiker, with most visitors able to complete the entire thing in about an hour and a half. 

During the walk, hikers will pass many Indianapolis landmarks, including the Indiana State Museum, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, and the NCAA Hall of Champions — not to mention views of the Indiana State Capitol Building. During the winter, the White River Canal Walk really lives up to its name, offering gorgeous glimpses of the Indianapolis skyline and the White River itself decked in pure white blankets of snow and ice.

The Marott Woods Nature Preserve is one of the more low-key green spaces in the Indianapolis metro area. Covering a cozy 102 acres north of downtown Indianapolis, Marott Woods watches over an ecosystem that thrived here before large-scale development took over the city. A small but rich treasure chest of natural splendor along a wilder section of the White River, this riverside setting blends perfectly with the park's second-growth forest and ample native wildlife. 

The 2.3-mile Marott Park and Nature Preserve Loop provides a comprehensive journey through the park's forests, complete with a bridge where you can get excellent shots of the river and its Williams Creek tributary. Williams Creek is a particularly beloved photography subject among Indianapolis residents, given its shallow, clear waters and eye-catching sandy banks. Thanks to the route's generally flat terrain, the loop is a relatively easy walk for most park visitors, taking about an hour to complete (excluding time spent taking pictures). 

Marott Woods and the Marott Park Loop are beautiful in every season, with scintillating wildflower displays in the spring and bright autumn colors in the fall. However, winter snows bring a distinct type of magic to the park's perennial beauty. The trail's comprehensive route offers extraordinary views of its waterways, covered in gem-like clusters of ice, and of canopies of snow-laden trees on all sides. Marott Woods' status as a nature preserve also makes it an excellent place to see some of the region's winter bird species while hiking.

Despite the extra "l" in its name, Holliday Park may be the perfect place in Indianapolis to manifest the holiday season and the magic of winter in general. As one of the oldest community parks in Indianapolis, Holliday Park is a perfect mixture of natural beauty and historical charm. It's home to one of Indianapolis's most striking attractions — a historic architectural marvel known as The Ruins. The Ruins is a collection of remarkable sculptures and a portion of a building facade salvaged from a New York skyscraper that was demolished in the 1950s.

Nature-wise, Holliday Park's 94 acres also sit along the famous White River (you may be sensing a pattern here), with plenty of eye-catching riverside views to spare. The park's forests contain natural springs, wetlands, and more than 400 plant species, making it one of the most ecologically diverse parks in Indianapolis. 

All of Holliday Park's top features are viewable along the roughly 2-mile Holliday Park Trail. As a convenient loop with well-maintained pathways (minus a few more precarious steps in places), the trail offers a peaceful, stress-free walking tour of The Ruins, the White River, and Holliday Park's wooded beauty. Winter is an especially magical time to meander here. While no sections of the White River can be considered "ugly" during the winter, Holliday Park's portion of the river is especially scenic during the winter months, with its wide expanse rimmed by an overhanging tree canopy providing a fabulous snowy frame. And if you want to indulge in even more winter-themed activities after your snowy hike, Holliday Park also features a family-friendly ice skating rink during the winter season.

Indianapolis's mighty Eagle Creek Park more than lives up to the lofty standards set by its avian namesake. With more than 3,900 acres of forests and 1,900 acres of water features, Eagle Creek Park is Indianapolis's largest municipal park, and one of the largest such parks in any American city. The park centers around the expansive Eagle Creek Reservoir, just 12 miles from Downtown Indianapolis. 

Though Eagle Creek is worth a visit 365 days a year, winter brings out a particularly exquisite quality in the park that may get lost during warmer months. For one, winter is an excellent time to escape the large crowds that often flock to the park during the summer (a consequence of Eagle Creek's status as one of the most popular parks in Indianapolis). Smaller crowds aside, the park is frequently described as a "winter wonderland" when colder weather hits, offering both abundant scenes of snow-draped forests and excellent winter activities (including cross-country skiing). 

Eagle Creek's 30 miles of trails all offer some of the region's best winter hiking experiences. However, the Eagle Creek Red Trail is likely the best synthesis of a comprehensive route and an easy level of difficulty. This nearly 7-mile hike circles many of the park's loveliest areas in one epic loop, with consistently maintained infrastructure and plenty of places to stop and relax (or look for wildlife). In winter, the trail's passage over the land bridge that spans the lake offers superb views of the snow-covered trees lining the lake's icy waters. Even when you're not on the lake, the Red Trail passes through plenty of quiet forest settings, where you can sit at one of the conveniently placed benches and enjoy the tranquil silence free of noisy summer crowds. 

Indiana's exceptional Fort Harrison State Park is one of the best parks within a short drive of Indianapolis. Located just 20 minutes from downtown, the park is a stunning blend of Indiana's unsung natural beauty and intriguing regional history. The "fort" referenced in the park's name is the former Fort Benjamin Harrison, a historic military installation that existed on the site from 1904 to 1997. After the base's closure, 70% of the base's land was reappropriated by the state of Indiana for the creation of a new state park. The result was an extraordinary public space with both amazing natural resources (including the largest forest in Central Indiana) and historic landmarks preserving remnants of the old military base. 

Fort Harrison State Park's 1,700 acres include fertile hills, colorful wildflower glens, and banks along the beautiful Fall Creek waterway (a major tributary of the famous White River). As with all parks on this list, Fort Harrison is worth a visit no matter the month. However, winter does bring a particularly fun twist to the park's beautiful landscape. In addition to pristine views of Fall Creek and the park's expansive forests adorned in a placid dressing of snow, Fort Harrison's hilly landscape hosts some of Indianapolis's best sledding spots when the snow hits.

All of Fort Harrison's trails make excellent winter hikes, but if you want the best combination of scenery and manageability, the park's highly-regarded Lawrence Creek Trail is your best bet. This scenic 4.3-mile loop circles through the park's many delightful hills, ravines, and woods. During the winter, the trail provides an intimate tour through the quiet, snow-covered woods (though note that excess snow may make the trail a bit muddy in places). 

Our process for determining the best winter hikes near Indianapolis came down to three criteria: the overall reputation of a trail, its difficulty level, and the quality of its features in winter conditions. We used a range of sources to review these criteria, and paid close attention to testimonials on platforms like Google, AllTrails, and Tripadvisor to get a feel for what these trails are really like on the ground in winter. 

Each park on this list ultimately has several features that receive particular acclaim for their beauty in wintery conditions, be it downtown Indianapolis on the White River Canal Walk, the forest-lined White River and its tributaries in Marott Woods and Holliday Park, the Eagle Creek Reservoir in Eagle Creek Park, or the broad woodlands and historic sites in Fort Harrison State Park. 

We also made sure to include a variety of Indianapolis-area parks to avoid listing multiple trails within any one park and flattening the overall fidelity of options in the area. In several sources, for example, Eagle Creek Park is disproportionately represented among all of the city's public parks.