Oliver’s Woods

A few weeks ago, we attended a Feathers and Fermentation event.  If you’ve never been to one of these, they are very informative and fun, and the Indy Brew Bus will either show up with taps or drive you to the event!  You really can’t beat that.  This one was at Oliver’s Woods, which is a nature preserve in Marion Country not very far from the Fashion Mall.  You would never know this property was there unless you really knew what you were looking for.

The land was donated to the Central Indiana Land Trust (CILT) by Oliver Daugherty upon his passing in 2009. The property contains 16 acres of woods, 37 acres of prairie, about a mile of frontage to the White River and is bisected by Carmel Creek.  The original house – Daugherty House – is also still on the property and is in the process of being renovated.

Currently, the preserve is closed to the public except for scheduled events.  When it does open there will be plenty of trails for hiking, biking and even a few spots to launch a kayak.  The CILT folks mentioned that the property would be open to the public soon, so stay tuned, this is something you will want to check out.

• Parking: Ample parking exists on the property, but the entrance to the property is not yet marked and very easy to miss.
• Trails: Easy and winding, great for spotting wildlife