The White Riverway is the collection of parks, trails, cultural attractions, and Main Street villages connected by the White River in Hamilton and Marion Counties.
And right now, that connected river experience is growing in all the right ways.
Across Central Indiana, communities are investing in cleaner water, better access, stronger trail connections, new parks, and cultural destinations that help people experience the river more often and more meaningfully.
Here are seven recent and upcoming wins worth celebrating.
1. DigIndy is making the river cleaner than it has been in generations.
One of the biggest wins is also one of the least visible, by design.
The DigIndy Tunnel System is now fully operational beneath Indianapolis, with 28 miles of tunnels about 250 feet underground capturing combined sewage and stormwater that would otherwise overflow into local rivers and streams during heavy rain events.
The result is a major leap forward for water quality. This $2 billion effort is expected to reduce combined sewer overflows by up to 97%, making it the most significant environmental investment in the river’s history.
Upstream Noblesville also continues to separate its own combined sewer system as part of the Embrace Downtown infrastructure project.
Cleaner water is the foundation for everything else the White River Vision Plan envisions. And while major infrastructure projects like these are absolutely critical, there are ways you can help in your own front yard too.
2. Fishers White River Park adds a major new riverfront destination
Fishers White River Park is one of the newest additions to The White Riverway.
Located along the Allisonville Road corridor near the Hamilton-Marion county line, the park brings more than 120 acres of public space and more than 5,000 feet of riverfront into everyday community use.
With trails, river views, natural areas, and places to gather, the park helps turn the White River from a boundary into a destination.
There’s also brand new riverfront living options wrapped around the park providing additional options for those who want to have river access in their own backyard.
3. Conner Prairie is helping tell the river’s story
At Conner Prairie, the newly reimagined Museum Experience Center gives visitors new ways to understand the land, water, and people that shaped this region.
Two experiences are especially connected to the White Riverway story: Power of Place, which explores the history of the property and river-influenced landscape over time, and Wellspring, an art and play experience inspired by nature and water.
It is a reminder that the White Riverway is not just about recreation. It is also about history, ecology, culture, and our relationship to place.
4. The Bur Oak Bridge creates a new connection between Carmel and Fishers
The Bur Oak Bridge on The 106 Trail gives walkers and cyclists a beautiful new way to cross the White River.
The bridge links Hazel Landing Park in Carmel with Heritage Park in Fishers, connecting two riverfront spaces and strengthening the trail network on both sides of the water.
That is exactly what The White Riverway is all about: turning individual parks and trails into a more connected regional experience.
5. Noblesville’s Pleasant Street Bridge strengthens the trail network
In Noblesville, the new Pleasant Street bridge is another major connection across the White River.
The bridge carries the Midland Trace Trail across the river and supports better east-west movement through the city. It also includes public art elements tied to the White River Vision Plan, making the crossing both functional and meaningful.
For bonus points, take a kayak, tube, or canoe trip with White River Canoe Company and see the river-inspired relief murals embedded in the bridge’s piers.
6. Indy’s river bridges are becoming destinations of their own
In Indianapolis, river crossings are getting a major upgrade.
The rebuilt (finally!) 30th Street Bridge restores an important connection near Riverside Park and carries the White River Greenway across the river. It reconnects neighborhoods, parks, trails, and riverfront destinations in one of the city’s most historic park areas.
And just south of downtown, the Henry Street Bridge is under construction. When complete, it will improve connections between downtown and the near west side, support future Cultural Trail access to the White River Greenway, and create a striking new river gateway with 80-foot illuminated rings. Trust us: when this opens it will become THE place to watch the river.
These bridges are more than infrastructure. They help make the river visible, memorable, and easier to reach.
7. Riverside Adventure Park brings new life to a historic riverfront park
Riverside Adventure Park, a new piece of the historic Riverside Park, is giving one of Indy’s most important riverfront park areas a fresh chapter.
Phase 1 opened in 2025 on part of the former Riverside Golf Course, adding a nature-inspired playground, trails, fitness equipment, shelters, and open space for everyday adventure. An archery center is funded and there are future plans for a nature center as well.
Together with the rebuilt 30th Street Bridge, the White River Greenway, and paddling access at Frank’s Paddlesports, Riverside is becoming one of the best places in Indianapolis to experience the river up close.
The White Riverway is coming into focus
Each of these wins matters on its own, but together they tell a bigger story.
Cleaner water. New parks. Better bridges. Stronger trails. More places to paddle, play, learn, gather, and explore.
That is the promise of The White Riverway envisioned by the White River Vision Plan: not one single place, but a connected river experience that stretches across communities and invites more people to find their way to the water.
Rewards!
Discover all of these places and more for yourself and get real-world rewards with the free, digital White Riverway Adventure Pass, now through the end of October!