Today was my first time at Leonard Springs Park. Ive been in Bloomington too long not to have gone. It has a great easy trail thats fairly flat. The stairs kinda sketched me out but I made it through (iron grate stairs that you can see through, but very strong and reliable).When I go back to work, Im definitely going to make this a place for picnic lunches. There were many stops thag are perfect for picnics.Among the sites: waterfall, cave, wetlands, woods. All in a mile hike.

The trails here are really amazing. Its a great place to take pictures. However the parking area is tiny and hard to get out of when its busy. Its best to have an alternative destination in mind in case the parking is full. Also be aware that the stairs to the fall are pretty steep, as are some parts of the trails. The soil is full of clay so it takes a long time to dry after rain.

The winter had been long, and I think it must have been February, so it was cold but it felt warmer because the sun was bright I decided to go to Leonard springs Nature Park. From the moment I got out of my car at the trail head I knew I hadn’t ever heard this place in full spring till than. The sound of pounding rushing water was so loud it was amazing. I walked down the stares to the trail and enjoyed being surrounded by waterfalls they drowned out all other sounds even my own thoughts. This is a beautiful place!!! It’s a Good place to be present and quiet a good place to be renewed by what God has made.

The parking lot is up to 8-10 cars and it can get a bit crowded on weekends. There is an option to go downstairs to watch the waterfalls or to continue up straight and to turn left after the restroom building, it will take you to the path through beautiful field up to Horned Owl Rd. It also has an old dam and a pond habituated by many birds.

Very nice quiet park. PARKING lot is very tiny and watch people hit eachother backing out

Beautiful place for a small family hike. Many beautiful mushrooms and water works.

Great hike with different views of multiple environments (marsh, temperate forest with evergreens, creek, waterfalls, lookouts of old damn, prairie, etc.). Great short medium hike. Beware of parking, limited access and spaces. Can park in the neighborhood across the street instead.

Love this trail! The stairs lead down to a beautiful waterfall/creek and it’s a decent distance. Trail is somewhat muddy, but pretty easy to follow. I did go off the trail once while walking because I got confused when I saw a bathroom and thought it was a resting area. The trail keeps going though that area.

A very easy hike. The stairs can be a lot, but doing a circle on this trail helps you get started if youre looking to get into the outdoors scene. Theres a few small waterfalls that are a part of this accessible creek with a few locations of info panels on wetlands. The only reason this gets 4 stars is the abysmal parking. Theres maybe 6-7 spots before you have to start getting creative. Definitely give this a shot if youre a beginner

This is an excellent place to hike. Theres not a ton of parking, but that means the trails usually arent very busy. Theres a few different trails to take and a peaceful river with some small waterfalls. The main hike is a 1.5-2 mile loop of moderate terrain.

This is a really nice short, easy hike. A few water features and a surprising number of old trees. Very peaceful.

Had a wonderful walk. Saw the falls and wet lands. Highly recommend this experience.

Great little mile or so loop through some nature. Easy to get to, right on edge of Bloomington.

Its a magical place. If you can find the right spot and forget about the world for a bit you can see and hear how old these falls are. GREAT!

This is a light walking path good to stretch the legs and beautiful water falls!

Nice,little walk with family,couple caves, little stream.All together took about one hour,small parking space,only about 8 cars lot.

Wonderful short natural trail. Make sure to check out the view from the end of the dam.

Great nature spot to explore. Its FREE to enjoy! Trails to hike, a pretty cool waterfall, and a picnic area. I will come back soon.

Gorgeous park, extremely well kept, everything was new and very clean. The trails were a little confusing, but a gps will get you through the hikes. They even have bathrooms and picnic areas. I would highly recommend stopping by Leonard Springs!

They got new benches. Such a wonderful walking area

Alot more enjoyable than I thought it would be. Youll definitely want to wear boots here!

Wonderful nature park! Took my 3 young kids here recently. The diverse terrain and cascades were totally worth the frightening descent down all those stairs. ;)

I have visited Bloomington several times over the years since it’s one of my favorite places. However, I never visited any of their parks until this past summer. They have several parks to choose from and I opted to go to Leonard Springs Nature Park for this short excursion. I wasn’t disappointed in the least. With caves, a variety of flora and fauna, a cascading waterfall, and steep forested slopes, it’s truly beautiful and scenic!

Went there mid March 2019. Cute small place to explore!! Beautiful water, easy trail. Nice place if you want to take your dog to have a fun walk! Just not too many park spots.

A hidden gem, with a wet land, an old reservoir, easy trails, very scenic.

Lovely trails. Small parking lot, can only hold 8-13 cars

Beautiful, easy nature hike.

My wife and I took our dogs and had a great time. We are older so we opted to go in the direction of the stairs first. We find it easier to go down stairs first rather than up them at the end. The restroom was clean.

Small but a beautiful trial.. couple of caves and a small water stream.. the parking lot can only hold a maximum of 5 to 6 cars at a time. I went during September evening between 6-7.. there were lots of insects.. so prepare to go with a mosquito repellent cream.

Charming easy loop. Lovely waterfalls to start the hike with some caves to peek into. No caving without prior permission, but I dunno how accessible permission actually is.

Nice place to take a walk close to Bloomington, IN. The stairs are quite steep if you come up them. The trail can get quite sloppy and extra muddy as the rain increases. If you want to go sit and listen to the spring it is great. The trail is easy besides the sloppy slippery mud in the rain. The parking lot is small but not as small as some other options in the area.

Great hike. Not too long for beginners, yet nice sites to see.

Ive had the pleasure to frequent this park since it opened in 1999. So many magical memories of this place, I cant even begin to list them all. Im from Crown Point, and my husband was born and raised in the area. When we met in 2007, he had never been there. It sure was cool to take him somewherehe had never been in his own town.In 2012, I was asked to be Mrs. Jennings at Leonard Springs, and Im happy to say we just celebrated 7 years of marriage.

Its a pretty straightforward nature trail, a single loop around the area with minimal side paths. Its an absolutely gorgeous area though.

There are 2 caves here and they are awesome.

Fun & easy trail. Pet friendly. Feels like nature only minutes from town.

Nice easy hike and well marked. Be careful on the rocks around the waterfalls. Real cool wetlands and caves

I found this trail system to be great, beautiful waterfall almost year round. Also, mud, for large portions of the main trail almost year round. Bring your bug spray in the summer months.

Very nice park. It wasnt obvious until I arrived at the far end (southish) that his was the remains of a lake where the dam had been breached. Trails were in good shape and well marked. A couple covered places to sit would be nice, esp at the far end.

Great mile and a half loop. Not too rough on slopes. The stairway at the falls is rough on dogs paws, so be careful with them.

Close to house and beautiful views

Was really relaxed place.

Easy hike with interesting history, beautiful waterfalls, and a cave. Adding this to a list of my favorite places to hike.

The park is so beautiful! Ive been going ever since I was a little girl and I still love it. The waterfall has always been my favorite part, but the caves are super cool too!!

Amazing peaceful place love it

Such a cool place to hike around and enjoy nature! ️

Nice short trail with a cave, waterfall, and a lake.

Super pleasant views. Major elevation changes on the trails are steel grid stairs, so not great for anything with wheels. Springs, creeks, waterfalls, a cave, wetlands, trees, flowers, chert, and fossils are my favorite things to see there. Notable bugs in the area, so prepare for that. Lots of shade, so sun is barely an issue.

Waterfalls are gorgeous!

Great little nature park.

Beautiful. Scenic. Refreshing and only a 1 mile loop

Someone commented that this was a mulched trail. Its not. Narrow trail with lots of roots, rocks, mud, and fairly steep hills. Trail not marked. Leaves you wondering which way to go. River and falls are beautiful.

Great place to hike. It has two small caves, and a few small spring fed waterfalls.

Beautiful water and woods. Very nice trails.

Its a good place to hike and walk dogs.

Very nice place to go and relax and see the mini waterfall after the rain

Lovely place to relax

Love this place! So peaceful, good place to go for a short hike with family.

Its a nice park and pet-friendly, too. I just wish the loop trail was more clearly marked. Or marked *at all*.

Another Park thats off the beaten trail a little bit. This park has historical waterfalls and old growth hardwood trees. There are huge beaver dams that form parks lakes. I recommend going down the stairs and walking back up the sloped trail.

My absolute favorite park in Bloomington! As beautiful as any where else in the world. We are so very blessed to have this place in our community

I love going here. Its so quiet peaceful and beautiful.

Great park to go and enjoy a walk. In its past it was the reservoir for the surrounding area.

Amazing hiking in a lesser known area around Bloomington. Nice waterfall, very small cave, cool bog. Trail is roughly a mile long, easy terrain.

Absolutely love to hike here.

Nestled in Bloomington, a hidden gem, Leonard Springs. A short walk from the parking lot will lead you to a metal staircase with hand railings. This staircase makes easy access to the falls for most. The landing offers a view and information about the small cave you pass. Once you are at the foot of the stairs nature takes over. Rocks provide opportunities for pictures of the falls. Beginner trails offer an opportunity for hiking.

Cool place

Its a sweet little trail- perfect for kids or a quick short walk. Also great for longer walks if you do the loop twice it stop for a picnic at the deck by the pond.

Beautiful park to take a walk

Best place in Bloomington. Period

A fun place to hike!!

Dont climb on cut trees and you will have a great time here

Good hiking

This place is truly beautiful and scenic!

Good

Beautiful place to get away from that city life and chill with nature

Fun short hike, just enough terrain to make you feel like youre exercising. Cool water features between the spring and the wetlands from the old reservoir.

A little muddy still in some spots but the waterfalls and stairs down are worth the trip. There is slso a cave on the left side of the trail on the way to the picnic tables I hadnt noticed before.

Its been awhile since Ive been here but the caves and easy trail are nice. Its much more fun to adventure off of the trails and see what kind of stuff you can find. We found a neat little newt or salamander last time. Little orange guy.

Beautiful spot! This place is very easy to miss, the sign is very small and there isnt much parking I would say 10-12 spots if people park kind of close together. Over all I would consider this an easy/moderate hike with about 3 -5 stories worth of stairs and a lot of uneven terrain. There are lots of good places to take photos. If you are looking to cool off in the spring it is not deep enough for wading it about ankle deep. Over all its a great place to hang out by a beautiful waterfall and natural spring.

One of my favorite places to hike in all of Bloomington

Very underated. This park is BEAUTIFUL the history is fun. The waterfalls, tower, caves and off trailing was a beautiful.

Love this place.. My daughter does too

Nice

Another Hidden Gem

Loved this place. Close to nature. Beware of spiders, wear insect repellents and boots.

My friend who works at the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Dept recommended I visit this city park a couple weeks ago. And wow - this is the by far the best kept secret in Bloomington! Its just a 15 minute drive from downtown. It has waterfalls, caves, AND wetlands! Theres a picnic area with nice bathrooms - built from concrete, not port-a-potties. The only thing to be careful of is the parking. Theres only space for about 5 cars, so theres a chance you could drive all the way out there and then have nowhere to park. Its pet friendly, so it was fun bringing our friends dog along to enjoy the beautiful forest. We strayed a little off the trail to get a view of the giant waterfall hidden behind a hill, but there are 2 other waterfalls if you dont want to go off the trail. Its hard to believe this is right here in Bloomington. This little park is a hidden gem!

Love going here, it is clean and peaceful

Ive lived in Bloomington Indiana my whole Life and never gave been here before. My Husband and I Loved it here, its not real big, but it was something we had never seen in our hometown, and is really nice.

This is a lovely short hike close to town if youre in Bloomington. The water was really flowing today!

Gorgeous, clean, and great exercise. Great place for mushroom hunting if you can get there earlier than everyone else. Kid and pet friendly. Beware of the parking lot. It can be a little tight.

Good for a quick hike. Usually no litter but if I see some I pick it up. Like the waterfall.

Perfect time to go is April, you can see for miles and no mosquitoes at all! Wear pants because youll be tempted to stray from the path.The stairs are no joke. Save water for the end.

Very peaceful and unique. Great for scenic and for exercise.

Some hidden jems, that can be missed? After a heavy rain is the best!!

If you love nature this place is awesome!

Super beautiful. Rather small and steep for just 30 minute walk though.

What a great place to hike in nature. Take my dogs here often. They love it.

Best Park in Bloomington

The dog finally walked on the metal grated surfaces...