Monroe County Parks and Recreation

Monroe County Parks and Recreation This is the official page for the department of Parks and Recreation of Monroe County, Indiana. The Follow us for updates, events, and exciting news!

Monroe County Parks and Recreation operates Karst Farm Park, Flatwoods Park, Will Detmer Park, and Jackson Creek Park. The parks have playgrounds, picnic shelters, trails, and other facilities for your park needs! Detmer Park has garden plots to rent and Karst Farm Park has a dog park, splash pad, and athletic fields to rent. Recreation programs include day camp, after-school sports programs, adult day trips, soccer leagues and tournaments, nature programs for all ages, and special events!

They came, they saw, they hunted. Thank you to everyone who came out to our annual Easter Egg hunt at Will Detmer Park. ...
04/02/2026

They came, they saw, they hunted. Thank you to everyone who came out to our annual Easter Egg hunt at Will Detmer Park. And a special thank you to Red Robin - College Mall for providing over 200 eggs!

Come grow with us this summer at the Will Detmer Community Garden!  We have a few ground plots left in our garden and wo...
03/17/2026

Come grow with us this summer at the Will Detmer Community Garden! We have a few ground plots left in our garden and would love to see anyone passionate about organic gardening to come join the fun. Plots are $25/year and there are scholarships available. All levels of experience are welcomed!

Come sign up at:

https://mcparksandrec.recdesk.com/Community/Membership

RESCHEDULED! AGAIN!  Due to inclement weather for frog watching.  Spring is doing the best it can to cool off our love o...
03/16/2026

RESCHEDULED! AGAIN! Due to inclement weather for frog watching.

Spring is doing the best it can to cool off our love of frogs, but we remain dedicated!

We know there were hundreds of us impatiently waiting for the weekend to end and Monday to come so we could hear the dulcet tones and jazz-like rhythms of our local frog performers at our Swamp Side Serenade. Unfortunately, the spring has tricked us all once again and the weather has decided to put a FREEZE on our program. Frogs usually stop singing under 40 degrees and will instead find ways to stay warm and silent on these chilly evenings.

No worries though, we have rescheduled the event for next Wednesday, March 25th at 7:30pm at Karst Farm Park. The weather looks good.

Be on the lookout for the rest of our frog-concert series throughout the rest of the season. Next stop is Toadstock, and then on to Gran-Frog-loon!

*** EVENT RESCHEDULED TO SATURDAY, MARCH 28TH *** Due to inclement weather for star gazing.  Tomorrow night at 8pm we'll...
03/07/2026

*** EVENT RESCHEDULED TO SATURDAY, MARCH 28TH ***
Due to inclement weather for star gazing. Tomorrow night at 8pm we'll see you all out there.

Our first Star Party was such a hit that we are bringing it back this spring! Join the fun out at Flatwoods Park on Friday, March 28th from 8pm-10pm. Bring the family, your blankets, and your curiosity. We'll bring the telescopes and the hot chocolate. If you have your own telescope or know someone who does, bring it on out and share the sky with everyone, we'll be setting up before 8pm. Hope to see you out there!

Email [email protected] for more information.

Come join Monroe County Stormwater and Parks and Rec to help clean up sections of Jackson Creek on Saturday, March 21st ...
03/05/2026

Come join Monroe County Stormwater and Parks and Rec to help clean up sections of Jackson Creek on Saturday, March 21st starting at 10am. We'll bring the trash bags and gloves so all you'll need to bring is an excitement to spend the morning outside cleaning and maybe some clothes you don't mind getting dirty and wet. Everyone is welcome!

03/04/2026
***RESCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25th!!***  Due to inclement weather for frog watching.We know there were hundreds of...
02/26/2026

***RESCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25th!!*** Due to inclement weather for frog watching.

We know there were hundreds of us impatiently waiting for the weekend to end and Monday to come so we could hear the dulcet tones and jazz-like rhythms of our local frog performers at our Swamp Side Serenade. Unfortunately, the spring has tricked us all once again and the weather has decided to put a FREEZE on our program. Frogs usually stop singing under 40 degrees and will instead find ways to stay warm and silent on these chilly evenings.

No worries though, we have rescheduled the event for next Wednesday, March 25th at 7:30pm at Karst Farm Park.

Be on the lookout for the rest of our frog-concert series throughout the rest of the season. Next stop is Toadstock, and then on to Gran-Frog-loon!

________________________________________________________________

You are cordially invited to our.....

SWAMP SIDE SERENADE
An Evening of Frog Calls with Monroe County Parks & Recreation

Step into the wetlands for a smooth night of rhythm, ribbits, and nature’s finest vocalists. Monroe County Parks & Recreation invites you to an after-hours experience where the headliners croak, trill, peep, and chuckle their way through the evening chorus.

Learn to recognize the signature sounds of our local frog and toad performers while enjoying a laid-back nighttime stroll through the park. From bass-line bullfrogs to soprano spring peepers, every species brings its own style to the stage.

We'll start our night at the Karst Farm Park commons where we will review the sounds and species we might hear, then head on down to the pond in the park's nature area.

Start at 7:30pm and will last until 9pm (leave earlier if you need to).

No cover charge. No dress code. Just good vibes and great wildlife.
It will be a night you will not Frog-get (sorry for the puns)

Monroe County Parks will be closed Monday, January 26th. Stay warm!
01/25/2026

Monroe County Parks will be closed Monday, January 26th. Stay warm!

**OLD POST**

Sunday, Jan. 25
8:55 AM

A Travel Warning has been issued for Monroe County.

Road conditions continue to deteriorate and travel impacts are expected.

Refrain from all travel unless it is an emergency.

For road conditions, refer to 511in.org.

You can find other county travel statuses by going to https://www.in.gov/dhs/travel-advisory-map/.

Our office will continue to evaluate the conditions throughout this system.

The Travel Warning is expected to stay in place until road conditions are safe for travel. We will update the status when appropriate.

**UPDATE 11/19**  The Flatwoods Star Party has been CANCELLED due to inclement weather.  We've been watching the forecas...
11/19/2025

**UPDATE 11/19** The Flatwoods Star Party has been CANCELLED due to inclement weather. We've been watching the forecast and the skies and unfortunately it looks like we won't have a clear night. We are going to reschedule the Star Party for March of next year and we'll have a date and time closer to the event. Thankfully, TONIGHT is IU Astronomy's last Kirkwood Open House from 6:30-8pm and is located at the western edge of Dunn’s Woods, behind Bryan Hall, near the intersection of Indiana Avenue and 4th Street.

**UPDATE 11/19** The Flatwoods Star Party has been CANCELLED due to inclement weather. We've been watching the forecast and the skies and unfortunately it looks like we won't have a clear night. We are going to reschedule the Star Party for March of next year and we'll have a date and time closer to the event. Thankfully, TONIGHT is IU Astronomy's last Kirkwood Open House from 6:30-8pm and is located at the western edge of Dunn’s Woods, behind Bryan Hall, near the intersection of Indiana Avenue and 4th Street.

The Star Party was such fun last year, that we are bringing it back! Join the fun out at Flatwoods Park on Friday, November 21st from 7:30pm-10pm. Bring the family, your blankets, and your curiosity. We'll bring the telescopes and the hot chocolate. If you have your own telescope or know someone who does, bring it on out and share the sky with everyone. Hope to see you out there!

Address

501 N Morton Street, Ste 100
Bloomington, IN
47404

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

Telephone

+18123492800

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