White RiverMap

Public access boat ramp next to Forest Park

Gentle river slope behind Rocky Ripple’s Town Hall.

Formal launch with parking beneath the Monon Trail bridge over White River next to the Indianapolis Art Center.

Get on the White River with Frank’s Paddlesports Livery! Based in Riverside Park in Indianapolis, Franks offers 7-mile and 4-mile trips and stand-up paddleboard rentals.

Perhaps the most unique boating experience available on the White River is a paddle boat, available for chartered, special event excursions of up to 60 people. Smaller guided tours on pontoon boats are also available.

Looking for an outstanding day on the river? Local fishing guides can help you enjoy a fully furnished, full-day experience of solitude and beauty on the river complete with insider knowledge on where the best fishing spots can be found.

This otherwise nondescript bridge comes alive after dark with vibrant colors reflecting off the river’s surface with a view of the downtown Indianapolis skyline in the distance. Sit on the west bank lawn and watch the colorful ripples of the water.

From dolphins to orangutans and elephants to macaws, you can experience five core biomes of the world at one of the leading players in global animal conservation. The adjacent White River Gardens is a 3.3 acre lush landscape in outdoor gardens and an indoor tropical conservatory.

Located north of Interstate 465 on Indy’s southside, this low-head dam was built in the 1920s originally to serve a gristmill. Today it provides cooling water for a natural gas power plant. It is owned by AES and alters the river for 4.8 miles upstream to the Chevy Dam.

Located south of Washington Street in the West Indy neighborhood, this low-head dam has been modified with large rocks and serves utility purposes for Citizens Energy Group’s downtown district heating and cooling system. It is owned by Citizens Energy Group and alters the river for 2.5 miles upstream to the Emrichsville Dam.

Located south of 16th Street in the Haughville neighborhood, this low-head dam was constructed in 1899 for aesthetic and recreation purposes as part of the development of Riverside Park upstream. More recently it provided for emergency intake pumps for Indy’s municipal water supply. The dam partially collapsed in 2018, lowering the water levels it was holding back by at least six feet and will be replaced by a smaller, safer, and more ecologically-friendly rock dam upstream. This dam is owned by the City of Indianapolis, and prior to its collapse altered the river for 4.3 miles upstream.

Located in Broad Ripple, these two low-head dams were constructed in support of the Central Canal project and today serve to divert river water into the canal for Indy’s municipal water supply. They are owned by Citizens Energy Group and alters the river for 3.9 miles upstream.

Located north of Noblesville around 211th Street, this low-head dam was built in 1922 as a hydro-electric dam but today provides cooling water for a natural gas power plant. It is owned by Duke Energy and alters the river for 3.3 miles upstream.

For more than a century people have constructed dams and levees to alter the flow of the river. These features have changed the look and health of the river, creating areas of river that are much deeper and wider than the natural river and creating barriers for aquatic life.

Built in 1916 to replace a bridge destroyed in the Great Flood of 1913, this bridge served as a crossing for Washington Street (the historic National Road) until 1994, when it was refurbished as a pedestrian bridge connecting the Indianapolis Zoo and White River Gardens section of White River State Park to the park’s main campus.

Perhaps the most beautiful historic bridge in Central Indiana, the 30th Street bridge links both sides of Riverside Park in Indianapolis. It was built in 1907 after a series of floods destroyed many of the original bridges across the river. It was state-of-the-art for its time, consisting of concrete and steel arches faced with Indiana limestone, and included scenic overlooks and grand staircases down to the river. The bridge today is in serious disrepair but is slated for significant rehabilitation beginning in late 2021.

Named after Indianapolis native astronaut David Wolf but more commonly known as just “the green bridge,” this bridge was built in 1941 as a two-lane Parker through-truss steel bridge. It was restored in 2008 and today serves the eastbound lanes of 82nd Street in the Keystone at the Crossing area.

Geology buffs will find some of the most outstanding geological features in central Indiana in Southwestway Park. Formed during the last glacial period and undeveloped since, Mann Hill is a kame, or a large mound of sand and gravel outwash that was deposited at the edge of retreating glaciers. A 3-acre gaminoid fen wetland can also be found at the park.

Built in 1870, Potter’s Bridge is the only remaining covered bridge in Marion or Hamilton Counties. The bridge over White River has been restored for pedestrian use and is the centerpiece of the 66-acre Potter’s Bridge Park.

This brick Italianate structure served as the original water pumping station for the Indianapolis Water Company between 1870 and 1969, providing some of the earliest pressurized water and drinking water to much of Indianapolis.

Now home to Riverside High School, the Art Moderne design building was built in 1938 by the depression-era Works Progress Administration. The building contained unique training features like a mock navigation bridge, boiler room, a floodable training room, and a rifle range, and its inland location made it an important strategic meeting location for military leadership during World War II.

Three portions of the Central Canal are visible along the White River. Part of the Indiana Mammoth Internal Improvement Act of 1836, the Central Canal was envisioned as part of a series of canals, highways, and later, railroads, that crisscrossed the state. Few of the ill-timed projects were ever finished because of the onset of the Great Depression, but you can see a remnant of the construction at Lafayette Trace Park, a reimagination into the Downtown Canalwalk in downtown Indianapolis and White River State Park, and as a trail-lined waterway that conveys water from the river in Broad Ripple south toward downtown Indy.

Anchored by the iconic Hamilton County Courthouse designed in an ornate Second Empire style design, Historic Noblesville Square is home to a charming mix of local eateries and shops only two blocks from the Noblesville Riverwalk.

During the era of segregated public parks and swimming pools, Black residents found a naturally-sandy but heavily-polluted section of the White River just south of 16th Street in Indy as one of the few places they could access water recreation. During times of low water you’ll still find a sandy beach beneath the ruins of the Emrichsville Dam, and residents of the Haughville neighborhood are working to honor the site’s history.

In the early 20th Century the economic barons of Indianapolis built a series of exquisite mansions along the hills of the White River north of downtown Indy. Oldfields, also called the Lilly House and Gardens, is completely restored on the Newfields campus. The Marian University campus nearby is home to the Allison Mansion, also known as the Riverdale Estate, which featured a garden designed by prominent landscape architect Jens Jensen that has been partially restored. Marian is also home to the Sommers Mansion and the Wheeler-Stokely Mansion, all converted for university use. Across the river you’ll also find the Golden Hill Historic District that features several notable but private residences.

One of the largest nominations in the National Register of Historic Places recognizes the city planning work championed by landscape architect and city planner George Kessler. For nearly two decades, Kessler developed a connected network of parks, stream-based parkways, and tree-lined boulevards inspired by the City Beautiful movement.

Life-sized replica structures and a mock archaeological excavation compliment the Taylor Center of Natural History, bringing to life the communities built by successive American Indian peoples for nearly 1,000 years before the arrival of European settlers.

Located two miles west of the river near Newfields and Riverside Park, this former regional shopping district has found new life with more than 110 ethnic restaurants and 40 markets-the greatest concentration of authentic ethnic food in the state. You’ll hear more than 100 languages being spoken!

Two miles east of the river on 116th Street, the Nickel Plate District is a developing new center in downtown Fishers with a growing local food scene and shops, along with an outdoor amphitheater and park.

Most of the shopping and eating destinations are a 10-15 minute walk (or a few minutes on Pacers Bike Share or scooters) east of the river, where you’ll find the region’s greatest concentration of both local and chain restaurants and pockets of retail shopping opportunities and nightlife. On the east side of downtown, along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail you’ll find local hotspots Mass Ave and Fountain Square.

Located on the banks of the Central Canal near the river, this small main street in the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood has several popular local shops and restaurants.

Filled with local shops, restaurants, and nightlife, the Village also is home to the Indianapolis Arts Center, Broad Ripple Park, and a network of trails and waterways, including the popular Monon Trail and the Central Canal Towpath along the historic Central Canal. IndyGo’s Red Line also links the Village with smaller restaurant clusters to the south (and to Downtown Indy).

This collection of upscale shopping is anchored by The Fashion Mall, where you’ll find the likes of Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Apple, and Crate + Barrel, as well as extensive dining options, hotels, and the Keystone Art Cinema.

Located on the river, Downtown Noblesville is a quintessential Midwestern downtown complete with the historic courthouse-anchored Noblesville Town Square. You’ll find local shops, restaurants, services, parks, the Nickel Plate Arts campus, and the Noblesville Riverwalk.

Catch Indy’s minor-league professional soccer team playing at Carroll Stadium on the IUPUI campus.

Open year round, the Galleries at Herron showcase the artwork of emerging and established contemporary artists and designers, as well as the work of Herron’s acclaimed faculty, distinguished alumni and students

Catch the minor-league Indianapolis Indians baseball team with panoramic views of the downtown Indy skyline in this ball park, recognized as one of the best parks in the nation.

Just blocks from the White River, Butler University (go Dawgs!) is home to several cultural and entertainment venues. Clowes Hall anchors a broader performance complex and features a variety of performances, including some of the world’s greatest talents. Historic Hinkle Fieldhouse nearby is one of the nation’s great classic sports arenas where you can catch basketball and volleyball games. And if science and education programming is more your game, the Holcomb Observatory is one of the largest public observatories in the world, housing a 38-inch Cassegrain reflector and a fully digital, immersive fulldome planetarium.

Just blocks from the White River, Butler University (go Dawgs!) is home to several cultural and entertainment venues. Clowes Hall anchors a broader performance complex and features a variety of performances, including some of the world’s greatest talents. Historic Hinkle Fieldhouse nearby is one of the nation’s great classic sports arenas where you can catch basketball and volleyball games. And if science and education programming is more your game, the Holcomb Observatory is one of the largest public observatories in the world, housing a 38-inch Cassegrain reflector and a fully digital, immersive fulldome planetarium.

Just blocks from the White River, Butler University (go Dawgs!) is home to several cultural and entertainment venues. Clowes Hall anchors a broader performance complex and features a variety of performances, including some of the world’s greatest talents. Historic Hinkle Fieldhouse nearby is one of the nation’s great classic sports arenas where you can catch basketball and volleyball games. And if science and education programming is more your game, the Holcomb Observatory is one of the largest public observatories in the world, housing a 38-inch Cassegrain reflector and a fully digital, immersive fulldome planetarium.

A short jog along the Downtown Canalwalk from the river, the Indiana History Center brings the past to life with immersive and award-winning exhibits that tell the story of the Hoosier state.

Located on the Downtown Canalwalk in White River State Park, the museum tells the story of the Hoosier state, and features a year-round calendar of exhibits that explore Indiana art, science and culture from Indiana’s past, present and future through scientific, cultural, history and art exhibits that help define our place in the world.

Located in The Fashion Mall in the Keystone at the Crossing area, this seven-screen theater complex features a wide array of films from independent and foreign language films to documentaries, restored classics and non-traditional studio fare.

With the historic Taggart Memorial serving as the backdrop, the fully-equipped amphitheater is home to Indy Shakes, central Indiana’s only professional “Shakespeare in the Park” company, as well as weekly concerts and movie events.

These two venues offer world-class entertainment on the banks of the White River in downtown Indy. The state-of-the-art TCU Amphitheater welcomes touring musicians and performances in a 6,000-seat outdoor amphitheater. The IMAX Theater inside of the Indiana State Museum offers traditional IMAX films and documentaries as well as remastered Hollywood blockbusters on a six-story tall screen.

Engage with all 24 NCAA collegiate sports through exhibits, videos, and interactive play where you can compete virtually and hands-on through sports simulators, a 1930s retro gym, ski simulator, and more.

Featured as one of the world’s finest Native American and Western Art collections by True West, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art is one of only two such museums east of the Mississippi. The Eiteljorg contains traditional and contemporary pieces by such artists as T.C. Cannon, Andy Warhol and Georgia O’Keefe.

This signature 152-acre art and nature campus includes: the world class Indianapolis Museum of Art, one of the ten largest and oldest general art museums in the nation; The Toby theater, where you can catch a culturally adventurous film, talk, or performance; historic mansions and gardens; and the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park, containing sculptural and landscape art and trails along the banks of the White River.

Designed by world-renowned architect Michael Graves, the 12-acre campus that borders the White River and the Monon Trail offers community art galleries and studios, art classes and events, and the Artspark outdoor sculpture garden.

Starting in Forest Park on the banks of the White River in downtown Noblesville, the Nickel Plate Express offers a variety of themed rail excursions aboard vintage 1956 Santa Fe El Capitan cars. The out-and-back experiences follow a portion of the historic Nickel Plate line and also includes a museum in the 150-year old Arcadia train depot.

Visit professional artist studios, tour galleries, shop for art, take a class, or enjoy art-centered community events at this community arts campus located just off the Square in downtown Noblesville.

This picturesque 18-hole championship layout offers a taste of the south with beautiful rolling terrain and breathtaking backdrops. Tree lined fairways and protected Audubon nature areas give this course a unique country feel.

Boasting a handsome view of the Indianapolis skyline and located only two miles from the downtown core, South Grove presents tight, tree-lined fairways on gently rolling hills along the river.

Coffin is breathtakingly beautiful, with mature trees and a winding river, which provides an ideal setting for a memorable day. Riverside Golf Academy is a PGA recognized practice range with indoor and outdoor practice facilities plus a lighted Par-3 golf course.

River Glen’s tranquil setting takes you away from the busy outside world. River Glen features numerous water hazards and sand bunkers, but is most renowned for an abundance of mature trees that add to its natural scenic appeal. This unique layout will be sure to test all the clubs in your bag. The facility includes practice and banquet facilities.

sycamore trees line the fairways and herald the greens. With 90 bunkers and several lakes to avoid, Prairie View offers 18 holes of challenging golf on 200 acres of the states most beautiful prairie land. This destination facility includes a full service clubhouse, pro shop, locker rooms, teaching academy, driving range, gps carts and banquet facility.

Climb and zip your way through the treetops of the floodplain forest on six treetop adventure trails.

During the winter months, slide 700 feet down central Indiana’s only groomed snow tubing hill.

Experience the beauty and nature of Strawtown Koteewi Park on a guided horseback trail ride.

Try your hand at archery at this outdoor practice and target range built to Olympic specifications. With equipment rental, safety and education classes, and both recreational and competitive shooting, the center offers something for every skill level.

Looking for a riverfront golf experience? You’re in look. The White River offers several public or open-to-the-public golf courses.

The only campground in Hamilton County or Indianapolis on the White River, this 26-acre public facility offers 106 modern and primitive campsites with quiet spots for fishing, boating, and relaxation.

Non-profit organization Friends of White River turns an urban corridor of the White River into an environmental classroom for larger groups of students, civic leaders and similar groups. The guided raft trips discuss history, plants and wildlife, and water quality, all while engaging people in a first-hand look at the river.

Want the ease of an electric bike? Pedego Carmel offers general e-bike hourly and daily rentals as well as a self-guided White River loop tour.

With several stations at parks, trails, and attractions along the White River in Indianapolis, Pacer’s Bikeshare is Indy’s B-cycle point-to-point bike sharing system. Adaptive options are available for those who aren’t able to use a traditional two-wheeled bike with special arrangements

Rent a bike (for 1 to 4 people!) to peddle around the downtown trails, or paddle on a pedalboat or kayak in the Downtown Canalwalk.

Located in Broad Ripple, this outfitter offers kayak classes on the White River. While not a livery that provides pickup and dropoff excursions, they also rent kayaks for you to transport and enjoy wherever you’d like.

The only livery in Hamilton County, White River Canoe Company offers canoe, kayak, and tubing trips upstream from Noblesville.

Travel through history on the banks of the White River and experience life at the home of pioneer settler William Connor, in a Lenape Indian camp, in a pioneer village, and during the Civil War at this immersive museum, one of the most visited of its kind in the nation.