Eagle Creek in Indiana 2020

Trip Overview

This is a great, easy trip but your experience will vary based on water level. We parked one vehicle in the east end of the parking lot at Zionsville Lions Park (entrance available from Sycamore Street). It's about 75 yards to the creek bank with a paved path going about 60 yards before it stops at the bank. A little bit of vegetation to walk through/over as you go down to water level. Once in the water you'll have to watch for shallow points, especially near some small rapids created by rocks. Throughout the trip, we probably had to get out of the kayaks 5-7 times after they got stuck on rocks/creekbed. The creek passes under the Main Street bridge and then the old Eagle Creek Bridge built in 1919. You'll pass by several people fishing and several spots north of the I-865 bridge where people can access the water to swim/recreate. Be careful in the Starkey Park access section. There's a small dam feature with 1-2 foot drop (39°56'14.0"N 86°16'02.7"W). A quick portage on the right might be wise unless you feel good about getting a straight shot over the top. Definitely a chance for the boat to take on some water if you do that, and getting out just above the feature creates a big slip hazard. South of there the stream gets quieter for a while -- a good area to scan the trees for larger birds. Previous recommendation of bringing a small folding pruning saw is a good one due to the potential of fallen trees or branches blocking the path. We didn't need to use it but saw sections where limbs needed to be removed. South of 79th Street bridge effects of the reservoir become more notable as the canopy falls away, waterway widens and current slows. On a warm day this would be the hottest, sunniest part of the journey. We used the takeout point along Lafayette Road. There's a pull-off parking area on the east side of the road about 900 feet north of the bridge. The parking area is about 400 feet due west of the creek access point. There's a bit of a trail there, although there is some form of construction underway there currently that has cut away a lot of trees near the man-made levy. When paddling toward the takeout point, look for a cove that opens up on the right. The takeout point is straight ahead, about 150 feet past the edge of the cove. We stopped during this trip a few times and it lasted about 4 hours. If you were looking to paddle the whole time and the water was just a little higher, it could be shorter than three hours. There's a USGS Water Gauge in Zionsville to help you know stream conditions. During this trip, the water gauge level was 1.56 feet with a discharge of 45 cubic feet per second. I would say this level is at or near the lowest point you'd want for a fun day on the water.