City: Indianapolis, IN

Category: Parks & Recreation

Telephone: (317) 327-7379

Address: 8400 Mann Rd.

Description: Located about 10 miles south of downtown Indy, Southwestway Park features 587 acres with an interesting history. Quakers originally inhabited the area around the park and founded the town of Spring Valley in 1848. Before it was abandoned in 1884, Spring Valley contained five businesses, a post office, a school, and residences. The land around the present-day park was farmed and used for pasture for decades until it was purchased for a regional park. Southwestway Park contains some of the most outstanding geological features in Central Indiana. The area is part of a delta complex formed by a glacier, with the most significant formation being Mann Hill. Described as a kame—a hill or mound deposited during the melting of stagnant glacial ice—Mann Hill is the highest hill in Indianapolis. Located along the White River, the bluff rises about 150 feet above the surrounding land. Southwestway Park is joined with Winding River Golf Course and Cottonwood Lakes. In 2002 the community along with the Park Foundation bought an additional 101 acres to expand the park. Amenities include three baseball diamonds, a picnic shelter, concession stand, six soccer fields, hiking trails, and a playground.