Adventure Details

Activity:
Walking, Meandering
Trail:
Eagle Creek Greenway
Interest:
Parks & Nature, Health & Fitness, Kids & Family
Region:
West

Set out on a peaceful birding walk through one of Indy’s most scenic parks. Whether you’re a seasoned birder or just curious, this trail offers quiet paths, diverse habitats, and the chance to spot everything from songbirds to soaring raptors at Eagle Creek Park. You’ll begin your day surrounded by stillness and birdsong at Eagle Creek Park, one of the Midwest’s premier birding destinations. With over 260 bird species recorded throughout the year, this expansive urban nature preserve is a haven for both casual and expert birders.

Stops on this adventure

This map highlights the stops along the itinerary and their proximity to the Trailways.

  1. 56th Street Gatehouse

    Website
    Begin along the Eagle Creek Trail, accessible from several spots throughout the park. The main entrance sits near West 56th Street, where the paved greenway winds into the woods by Eagle Creek Reservoir.
    • Parking Lot

  2. Eagle Creek Ornithology Center

    Website
    The Eagle Creek Ornithology Center is a nature facility within Eagle Creek Park that offers interactive exhibits, birdwatching opportunities, and educational programs focused on Indiana’s native and migratory birds.
    • Bench
    • Parking Lot
    • Trash Can
    • Water Fountain

  3. 71st St Gatehouse

    Website
    A picturesque northern link begins near West 71st Street, where Eagle Creek Trail skirts Intech Boulevard and a nearby corporate campus before winding back into the woods.

Start your journey on the Eagle Creek Greenway, which offers multiple entry points into the park. The most prominent access is the trailhead just off West 56th Street, where the paved greenway enters the woods of Eagle Creek Park. A shorter but scenic connection exists further north near West 71st Street, where the Greenway transitions into the Northtown Trail along 71st Street. The Greenway exists between these two entrance points as an access path on a wide shoulder of the main park road. Both of these trailheads offer convenient access into the park’s extensive unpaved nature trail network.

Note there is an admission fee to enter the park, and trail maps are available at gatehouses. You’ll find water options at various buildings throughout the park, but we recommend you bring plenty of water for your hike.

Bird's view of the 56th Street Causeway crossing the Eagle Creek Reservoir
Heading east on 56th Street to the Gatehouse entrance to Eagle Creek Park.
Exterior of the Eagle Creek Ornithology Center building with trees
The Eagle Creek Ornithology Center offers a unique view into the ecosystem of Eagle Creek Park.
a heron in the water
Herons wading in marshlands along the Red and Blue Trails within Eagle Creek Park.
a woman and child walking down a path
Paved roads are available along the east side of Eagle Creek Park and along the roads in the main park campus.

Eagle Creek Park is a designated Audubon Important Bird Area and part of the Indiana Birding Trail. With 1,400 acres of water and 3,900 acres of forest, Eagle Creek park is one of the largest city parks in the nation and home to more than 280 species of birds. As you walk beneath the canopy of mature oaks and sycamores, you’ll be serenaded by the fluting calls of wood thrush and the chatter of chickadees. These unpaved trail segments serve as peaceful corridors into the heart of the park, leading you toward its most vibrant natural areas.

Once inside, make your way to the Eagle Creek Ornithology Center, a hub for birdwatching and nature education. From here, follow the unpaved Red Trail, which winds through old-growth forest and skirts the edge of the reservoir. Watch for bald eagles soaring overhead, herons wading in the shallows, and warblers darting through understory branches. The trail offers multiple scenic overlooks, perfect for a quiet moment with binoculars in hand.

While not bird-focused, nature enthusiasts might also be interested in the park’s Earth Discover Center, which showcases some reptile, amphibian, and invertebrate friends and offers educational programming.

If you’re ready for more exploration, venture onto the Blue Trail, which adds variety with upland forests and marshy wetlands. Keep an eye out for migratory species, as this area serves as an important stopover point in spring and fall.

To extend your outing, you can reconnect with the Eagle Creek Greenway system and head south as the trail links with nearby neighborhoods and other connector trails. This offers a seamless route back to your starting point and a final opportunity to take in the park’s thriving avian life from melodious songbirds to majestic raptors.

By the end of the day, you’ll have experienced a rich spectrum of Indiana birdlife, all within the wooded ridges, tranquil coves, and winding trails of Eagle Creek Park.