Stand-in photo, not this place: A boardwalk bridge in a forest somewhere else.
Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
About
Ritchey Woods is a City of Fishers nature preserve on Hague Road, just north of 96th Street. The city describes it as about 127 acres with nine trails totaling just over 2.25 miles. It says this is one of only two state-designated nature preserves in Hamilton County. Visit Hamilton County lists ten trails, and says 42 acres are the state preserve and the other 85 are under a conservation easement. The state's preserve sheet counts 55 acres and calls the preserve part of a larger restored area, so the numbers can look different.
The trails pass through forest, prairie and wetland. The woods are mostly sugar maple and red oak, with floodplain forest along Cheeney Creek. A swamp boardwalk keeps your feet dry through the wetland. Bring binoculars, since the city recommends it for birding, and watch for deer, crawdads and honeybees. There's also a picnic shelter, picnic tables and public restrooms.
One trail passes a small pioneer graveyard, believed to belong to the Osborn family, who moved to the county in 1835 and farmed this land.
When to go
The city welcomes visitors from dawn to dusk all year. The city recommends the Orchard and Dragonfly trails for summer color. Fishers Parks also holds programs here. 2026 listings included Forest Bathing sessions on April 5, August 6 and October 11, and a free Skeleton Safari on October 29. Check the city's event calendar for what's next.
Good to know
A 2020 city post and a 2023 family guide describe Second Nature Backpacks you can borrow from the Parks office at 8100 E. 106th Street, with binoculars, a field guide, an insect net and more. The city's current pages don't mention them, so call first. The sources checked don't say whether dogs are allowed, so ask Fishers Parks before you bring one.
Price
- Walking the trailsFree
- Forest Bathing, Fishers residents, per session (2026)$36
- Forest Bathing, non-residents, per session (2026)$54
Other programs vary, and some are free, so check the event listing.
Prices checked November 2026 on the website of Fishers Parks. They can change, so check before you go.
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