Night Hike on Vandalia Trail
2026-08-14 21:00 - 22:30 (America/Indiana/Indianapolis) | Vandalia Trail – Amo Trailhead, 5042 South Street, Amo, IN, 46103, United States
Join us for a night at one of our parks! You’ll get the rare chance to experience our trails in the evening with a naturalist to guide you. Each night hike, we will be looking for what the woods have to offer: bats, owls, fireflies, and more! This program will last about 1.5 hours and will trek easy to moderate trails. Our parks have a variety of paved, gravel, and grassy trails, so come prepared! Small flashlights will be available for use, but light usage will be minimized in order to get the best experience and to avoid disrupting wildlife. In the event of rain or severe weather, the event will be canceled.
APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AGESFEE: $5/PERSONADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED BY AUG. 12 AT: https://hcparks.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=995APPROXIMATE PROGRAM DURATION: 1.5 HOURS

Hendricks County SWCD Watershed Walk
2026-08-15 10:00 - 12:00 | McCloud Nature Park, 8518 Hughes Road, North Salem, IN, 46165, United States
Join us at McCloud Nature Park for this in-depth hike with Sydney Mrazik from the Hendricks County Soil & Water Conservation District. We’ll explore the banks of Big Walnut Creek and discuss how we can all do our part to protect our watersheds. Dress for a hike and bring water shoes. We’ll meet at the Ray & Mary Benson Nature Center.
APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AGESFREE TO ATTENDNO ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIREDAPPROXIMATE PROGRAM DURATION: 2 HOURS

ROOTED IN NATURE CLUB: Wildflower Walk
2026-08-20 16:00 - 17:30 | W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park, 4521 Gibbs Road, Danville, IN, 46122, United States
What better way to end the summer season than by saying farewell to our wonderful wildflowers? Take a walk around the park with our naturalists as we make our very own wildflower bouquets. We will identify and discuss the perennial blooms we find along the way. Participants are also welcome to create their very own flower “junk journal” to secure their new collection. Snacks provided.
NOTE: The collection of plants in our parks outside of permitted program use is prohibited without written permission from park management.
FOR AGES 13-18
FEE: $10/TEEN
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED BY AUG. 17 AT: https://hcparks.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=1016
APROXIMATE PROGRAM DURATION: 90 MINUTES

Nature Journaling at Gibbs
2026-08-21 14:00 - 15:30 | W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park, 4521 Gibbs Road, Danville, IN, 46122, United States
Tune in with your senses as we explore our parks, bringing our nature journals along for the adventure! Our naturalists will take you on a guided walk where our goal is to absorb all nature has to offer and learn how to make observations and record them in your own way. Small, simple journals will be offered, but you may bring your own journal if you’d like!
RECOMMENDED FOR AGES 7 AND UPFEE: $3/PERSONADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED BY AUG. 19 AT: https://hcparks.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=1008APPROXIMATE PROGRAM DURATION: 1.5 HOURS

Wildflower Bouquets
2026-08-22 14:00 - 16:00 | W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park, 4521 Gibbs Road, Danville, IN, 46122, United States
Have you seen the beautiful buds of late summer in W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park? For this special program, the naturalists will guide participants on a short nature hike through the park to our Pollinator Plot. There, we will discuss the importance of pollinators, what colors attract which pollinators, and then make our own wildflower bouquets!
Note: The collection of plants in our parks outside of permitted program use is prohibited without written permission from our park management.
Meet at the Bluegill Pavilion.
APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AGES
FEE: $5/PERSON
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED BY AUG. 20 AT: https://hcparks.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=1003
APPROXIMATE PROGRAM DURATION: 2 HOURS

Plant ID Hike
2026-08-26 13:30 - 15:00 | McCloud Nature Park, 8518 Hughes Road, North Salem, IN, 46165, United States
Ever wondered, “What is that plant, flower or tree?” Our Plant ID Hike is just the activity for you! Our naturalists will lead you on a guided hike and point out plants of interest on the way. Though we will not cover every plant we see, we will try to discuss different plants each hike! We will also share historical uses of the plants, if any. Feel free to bring any supplies on your hike to make your experience better. We hope to see you there!
RECOMMENDED FOR AGES 8 AND UPFEE $3/PERSONADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED BY AUG. 25 AT: https://hcparks.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=1002APPROXIMATE PROGRAM DURATION: 1.5 HOURS

Nature Hike
2026-09-03 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-09-17 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-09-24 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-10-01 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-11-05 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-11-12 10:00 - 11:00 | McCloud Nature Park, 8518 Hughes Road, North Salem, IN, 46165, United States
Join us for a guided nature hike through the beautiful trails of McCloud Nature Park! This moderate hike is perfect for nature lovers of all ages and experience levels. Bring water, dress for the weather, and enjoy this peaceful adventure in the great outdoors!

APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AGES • FREE TO ATTENDNO ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIREDAPPROXIMATE PROGRAM DURATION: 1 HOUR

McCloud Prairie Maze
2026-09-05 - 2026-10-31 | McCloud Nature Park, 8518 Hughes Road, North Salem, IN, 46165, United States
2026 marks the United States’ 250th birthday! Our staff have been asking for a bald eagle prairie maze design for several years now, so 2026 seems the perfect time to do one! Come out to McCloud Nature Park during the months of September and October and explore our 2026 McCloud Prairie Maze celebrating bald eagles and our nation’s birthday!
The correct path through the maze is one (1) mile long. Be sure to explore the McCloud Prairie Maze by October 31! Bring the eaglets, too, as this maze is appropriate for all ages.
Admission to McCloud Nature Park and the prairie maze is absolutely FREE, and both are open from dawn to dusk daily. To access the prairie maze, park in the Ray & Mary Benson Nature Center parking lot. Maps to the maze are available in the kiosk outside of the Nature Center, as well as in the kiosk at the entrance to the maze, and on our McCloud Prairie Maze webpage.

Owl Prowl
2026-09-25 20:30 - 22:00 | McCloud Nature Park, 8518 Hughes Road, North Salem, IN, 46165, United States
Join us for a night at one of our parks! You’ll get the rare chance to experience our trails in the evening with a naturalist to guide you. These night hikes will focus on finding the owls of our park. This program will last about 1.5 hours and will trek easy to moderate trails. Our parks have a variety of paved, gravel, and grassy trails, so come prepared! Small flashlights will be available for use, but light usage will be minimized in order to get the best experience and to avoid disrupting wildlife. In the event of rain or severe weather, the event will be canceled.
APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AGES
FEE: $5/PERSONADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED AT: https://hcparks.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=1041APPROXIMATE PROGRAM DURATION: 90 MINUTES

Owl Prowl
2026-10-09 20:00 - 21:30 | McCloud Nature Park, 8518 Hughes Road, North Salem, IN, 46165, United States
Join us for a night at one of our parks! You’ll get the rare chance to experience our trails in the evening with a naturalist to guide you. These night hikes will focus on finding the owls of our park. This program will last about 1.5 hours and will trek easy to moderate trails. Our parks have a variety of paved, gravel, and grassy trails, so come prepared! Small flashlights will be available for use, but light usage will be minimized in order to get the best experience and to avoid disrupting wildlife. In the event of rain or severe weather, the event will be canceled.
APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AGES
FEE: $5/PERSONADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED AT: https://hcparks.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=1049APPROXIMATE PROGRAM DURATION: 90 MINUTES

Seed Gathering & Dispersal
2026-10-15 16:00 - 17:30 | McCloud Nature Park, 8518 Hughes Road, North Salem, IN, 46165, United States
Help us by volunteering to collect and disperse native seeds at McCloud Nature Park. We will visit our front prairies to collect native seeds and then walk through the prairie dropping seeds as we go. You’ll even get to collect some seeds to take home. No experience necessary! Note: Dry conditions are needed for this activity, otherwise this program may be rescheduled or canceled. Seed collecting is not permitted outside of programming.
Space is limited, so please RSVP at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080A44A4A72FA1F94-64661864-seed
APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AGES
FREE TO ATTEND
ADVANCED RSVP REQUIRED
APPROXIMATE PROGRAM DURATION: 90 MINUTES

Halloween Night Hike
2026-10-30 19:00 - 20:00 | McCloud Nature Park, 8518 Hughes Road, North Salem, IN, 46165, United States
Join us for a hike full of history and haunts at McCloud Nature Park! We’ll reign in the spooky season by offering a guided night hike through our park with our naturalists. Guided by the moon, we’ll follow the trails of the park as we discuss nature’s nightlife and the history of McCloud. Beware: This hike is intended to be spooky!
RECOMMENDED FOR AGES 10 AND UPFEE: $5/PERSONADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED AT: https://hcparks.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=1053APPROXIMATE PROGRAM DURATION: 1 HOUR
