One of Karlie’s favorite places to hike in Bloomington, Indiana was Jackson Trail in Olcott Park. The funny thing is this is not a dirt path through the woods, but an asphalt path behind a park and homes. Despite that you feel like you are in the woods and it’s quite scenic. There’s even a creek with a bridge over it, a definite plus in Karlie’s book.
The trail is about a two mile round trip, but you can also walk around the park that is adjacent to the parking lot to add some mileage. The park has playground equipment for the kids and an athletic field. Some sections of the path around the park are out in the open, but there are also some wooded areas. These lead into a housing development. This part of the path is pretty wide. Both sections of the trail are heavily used, but it has never felt crowded when we’ve gone. However, we recommend not going in the morning when the kids are headed to school, since they use this path and it can be unnerving for some dogs.
The best way to find Olcott Park and Jackson Trail is to use Olcott Park as the location in GPS. You will drive through a housing development and turn into the park. There’s a lot of parking, a restroom, and some picnic tables. To get to Jackson Trail, park at the beginning of the park, past the entrance. The trail is just before the first parking spot on the right.
To read more about our many adventures at Olcott Park and the Jackson Trail, check out our book Adventures With Karlie.