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Lower Cascades Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 840 Google reviews · Running trail in Bloomington, Indiana · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Lower Cascades Park's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Green space with an extensive fully accessible playground, picnic shelters & a paved trail.
What runners say about Lower Cascades Park
“The bathrooms are decently clean and the appeal of a running little creek beside you to play in has always been nice.”
“A grate place it kind of reminds me a holy place in India lots of places to sit and have a good time all with first sit view of the "river crick" beautiful waterfall.”
“Great, quiet park with picnic benches, reasonable parking, and wide, accessible walkways down to the waterfall area.”
“One of the best local parks when it comes to the diversity of activities to do for all ages.”
Great for everything. Nice play grounds at different locations. Not at all crowded in the mornings of weekends. Shelters of different sizes can accommodate group of 30-50 ppl. No open grills though if you just want to chill and grill at the picnic benches placed around the park. The grills are next to shelters only.
Scenic park with large playground perfect for walking children ages 12 and under. The colorful wooden playground has metal safety enclosures to help keep children safe. Two steep slides and several smaller ones. There is even a smaller play structure for the younger adventurer.
Very beautiful park located just outside of town. Lots of beautiful limestone buildings/benches. Water features are great; spotted lots of kids playing. Large playground. Paved and not paved path options. Dog friendly with waste stations. Popular bike area. Lots of free parking.
My kids love this park. Has a few big slides, spider web to climb on, covered tables so you can eat in shade. Real bathroom no out house bathroom here. Wasn't to busy enjoyed our time. We grabbed some food and came to the park to let the kids burn some energy.
Trail conditions & character
“A grate place it kind of reminds me a holy place in India lots of places to sit and have a good time all with first sit view of the "river crick" beautiful waterfall.”
“The bathrooms are decently clean and the appeal of a running little creek beside you to play in has always been nice.”
“Cascades Waterfall - The highlight of the park — small but beautiful waterfall tucked into the woods - Easily accessible via a short trail 2.”
“Great, quiet park with picnic benches, reasonable parking, and wide, accessible walkways down to the waterfall area.”
“Great play are for the kids and a small waterfall just up the hill from the playground.”
“Great, quiet park with picnic benches, reasonable parking, and wide, accessible walkways down to the waterfall area.”
“I was very impressed by the new boardwalk thar connects the water fall.”
“They have restrooms and water fountains available as well.”
Plan your run at Lower Cascades Park
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms, water — reported by runners
- Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
- Websitebloomington.in.gov
- Phone(812) 349-3700
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 6 AM–11 PM |
| Tuesday | 6 AM–11 PM |
| Wednesday | 6 AM–11 PM |
| Thursday | 6 AM–11 PM |
| Friday | 6 AM–11 PM |
| Saturday | 6 AM–11 PM |
| Sunday | 6 AM–11 PM |
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