The Complete Beginner's Guide to W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park
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Opened to the public on July 21, 2021, W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park is one of Hendricks County, Indiana's youngest parks, and as such, its development is in full throttle with new amenities being added regularly.
I work for Hendricks County Parks & Recreation, and we operate W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park in Avon, so allow me to take you on a quick tour before you go explore the park for yourself!
(Insider tip: Hendricks County Parks & Recreation also operates McCloud Nature Park outside of North Salem. Click here for the complete beginner's guide to McCloud.)
Land & Water Features
Currently about 80 acres in size -- with plenty of room to expand -- W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park boasts two ponds totaling 5.5 acres, a 30-foot-tall hill, wooded areas, reforestation areas and prairie and turf grasses.
The hill, which was created using the soil excavated from the ponds, has benches and young trees awaiting those who hike to the top of it, either for the view or as part of the disc golf course. When it snows, the hill becomes one of the premier sledding locations in Hendricks County.
Shelters
Two large rentable shelters at the park provide ideal spots to hold gatherings. Bluegill Shelter sits next to the ponds and can hold up to 100 people while Firefly Shelter is on the north side of the park and can hold up to 48 people.
Both shelters sit on ADA-accessible concrete pads near paved parking lots and are equipped with built-in wheelchair-friendly charcoal grills, electrical outlets and ADA-accessible picnic tables.
(Insider tip: for even more shelter and pavilion rental options in Hendricks County, click here.)
Playgrounds
There is a nature-themed playground on the north side of the park near Firefly Shelter that has two sets of playground equipment -- one for 2-to-5-year-olds and the other for bigger kids. There are also swings in the playground, and all of it sits on engineered wood fiber mulch that compacts well for wheelchairs but also provides a softer surface and no splinters in the event a child falls down.
Behind the playground is a nature play area where kids can use natural materials like branches and logs to create and play. Our naturalists host family programming and special events on a regular basis at the playgrounds and in various other locations around the park.
Disc Golf Course
W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park is home to a Par 60, 18-hole disc golf course. It is open from dawn to dusk daily, is available to all members of the public and is free to play. The highly-rated course has white (beginners / recreational) and blue (intermediate) tee boxes, and it navigates through native prairie grasses, wooded areas and the 30-foot-tall hill.
Hendricks County Parks & Recreation worked closely with the Hendricks County Disc Golf Club to design and construct the course, and we continue to work with the club to develop and maintain it. The club regularly hosts disc golf tournaments at Gibbs, and they provide disc golf programs through the parks department for people who want to learn about the sport.
Fishing
In the fall of 2021, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife stocked the ponds at Gibbs with thousands of bass, bluegill, redear, and channel catfish. Fishing is permitted at Gibbs at no charge with fishing licenses and all other Indiana fishing laws enforced by Indiana DNR conservation officers.
ADA-accessible docks sit on both ponds and include a couple of picnic tables where people can fish, sit, relax and enjoy the view, and both docks are accessible from the paved parking lots by paved and concrete trails. Anglers are also welcome to fish from along the banks of the ponds.
Trails
W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park offers about 3 miles of trails comprised of natural surfaces, crushed stone, concrete and pavement. A paved loop traverses around both ponds, and there is an ADA-accessible concrete switchback trail to the top of the hill inside the park.
Some trails, like Walnut Walkway and Woodland Passage, take walkers and runners through wooded areas, while others like Bluestem Bend and Monarch Way are through open spaces and prairie. Pollinator Pathway takes park guests to an 8-acre pollinator garden.
ADA Accessibility
A great deal of emphasis has been placed on accessibility at W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park. The docks, trails, shelters, grills, some picnic tables, playground (including a swing) and parking lots are all ADA-accessible.
Additionally, there is a GRIT Freedom 3.0 Mobility Wheelchair that is available to borrow at Gibbs at no charge. The chair can be self-powered or pushed by someone else, and it can navigate the natural surface and crushed stone trails in addition to the concrete and paved trails in the park.
(Insider tip: Hendricks County Parks & Recreation has another GRIT Freedom Chair that is available to borrow at McCloud Nature Park at no charge.)
Future Plans
In 2025, there will be two major additions to W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park: a Bicentennial Tree Trail and modern restrooms. The Bicentennial Tree Trail will feature nearly every species of tree that is native to Indiana, making it only the second such trail in Indiana, while the modern restrooms will be a welcomed upgrade from the portable options currently in the park.
A longer-term -- and still very tentative -- plan is to construct a welcome center that would include office space for administrative staff and naturalists, exhibits and rentable space for large gatherings, including weddings.
W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park
- 4521 Gibbs Road, Danville, Ind.
- (317) 718-6188 (Parks main office)
- Website
- Open dawn to dusk daily
- Free admission
- Leashed dogs welcome
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