Where You Can Enjoy Animals in Central Indiana
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Hendricks County, Indiana, has plenty to offer when it comes to getting outside, but if animals are what you really enjoy, you're in luck.
From horseback riding and alpacas to rescued farm animals, nature centers and even a trip to the zoo, there are plenty of places in and around Hendricks County where animal lovers of all ages can get an up-close look.
Some may already be familiar favorites, while others might surprise even longtime locals.
Natural Valley Ranch
Tucked away on 78 acres along the southern edge of Brownsburg, Natural Valley Ranch offers several ways to spend time around animals. Horseback trail rides take visitors through wooded trails along White Lick Creek and are available with advance reservations.
The ranch also offers riding lessons, pony rides, camps, field trips and and younger children will love the animal encounter area that's home to sheep, goats, rabbits and other farm animals. For more information, call (317) 509-3577 or visit their website.
Montrose Farms Alpaca Ranch
Get up close to the alpacas at Montrose Farms
If you've never been up close to an alpaca, Montrose Farms in Brownsburg gives you the chance. This small, family farm offers private guided tours where visitors can meet the alpacas, learn more about the animals and discover how their fleece becomes fiber.
Tours are available by appointment, so be sure to plan ahead before visiting. For more information, call (317) 456-4083 or visit their website.
Oinking Acres Farm & Animal Sanctuary
Olivia Head, The Owner of Oinking Acres
This isn't your typical farm attraction. It's a rescue and sanctuary dedicated to giving farm animals a second chance. What began with founder Olivia Head's love of pot-bellied pigs has grown into a home for pigs and other rescued farm animals.
Visitors can learn about the animals, hear their stories and see firsthand the work that goes into caring for them. You can take self-guided tours of Oinking Acres during public hours, which are offered most of the year, or by reservation. Check out their website for current hours, for more information and to schedule a tour.
Hendricks County 4-H Fair
Though it comes around only once a year, there’s truly no better place to see hundreds and hundreds of amazing animals than at the Hendricks County 4-H Fair. Join the audience for the event judging or simply stroll through the barns and discover an impressive variety of fine feathered fowl, goats, horses and so much more.
An entire array of animals are there for your education and entertainment. The 2027 4-H Fair will take place July 18-24, a week sure to be full of excitement!
Pecar Park Nature Center
Pecar Park (Photo Courtesy of Washington Township Parks Pecar Park)
Located in Avon, this animal oasis is just the place get an up-close look at turtles, tortoises and other animal ambassadors. Pecar also features an adventurous playground, a pond for fishing and kayaking, primitive campsites with indoor restrooms and showers and Pock Woods for a bit of nature exploration.
It's a lovely place to spend a few hours or a part of a long weekend. The nature center can be reserved for private events as well.
McCloud Nature Park
Enjoy a hay ride at the Fall Colors Festival at McCloud Nature Park!
This beautiful park features several workshops and events throughout the year that allow visitors to learn more about the natural world around them, including the critters who inhabit that world. Self-guided tours of the nature center will allow you to see reptiles up close and the bird-viewing room can turn even a casual watcher into a birder.
Visitors with mobility needs can also reserve a GRIT Freedom Chair at no cost, making McCloud's natural surface trails more accessible, where naturalists can take groups to see the park's wildlife.
Indianapolis Zoo
Celebrate autumn with the animals at the In(Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Zoo Facebook page)
One of the perks of living in and visiting Hendricks County is being just a short drive from downtown Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Zoo. Book a hotel in Hendricks County for a more affordable stay and to avoid the noise and traffic of downtown while being just a short drive from the front gates of this beautiful zoo.
Want to do more than just look? Depending on the day and season, the zoo offers animal chats, presentations and opportunities to feed animals such as giraffes, flamingos, kangaroos and birds. Visiting in September through November? Don't miss out on catching Zoo Boo festivities.
Cardinal Bark Park
This two-acre park along Hornaday Road in Brownsburg is a short walk from the B&O Trail and has plenty of amenities and space to keep your dog or dogs entertained. You must pay a monthly membership fee to enter, and you can register up to three dogs.
For more information or to register, click here.
Paw Park
Located in Avon at Washington Township Park, it is designed to give dog owners the opportunity to socialize and exercise their dogs in an enclosed area. Dogs must have a membership.
Applications can be found online at the Paw Park website.
Bark Park
The Plainfield Bark Park,1007 Longfellow Drive, also requires dogs to be registered, which involves a fee and a signed waiver of liability.
You can register your dog at the Richard A. Carlucci Recreation & Aquatic Center.
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