City Parks

About Bloomington's City Parks

Hours of Operation

• Unless otherwise noted, City park hours are 5 a.m. through 11 p.m.
• Hours of operation for Rose Hill and White Oak Cemeteries are 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
  • Find directions to and more information about Rose Hill and White Oak Cemeteries.

City Park Property Rules and Hours of Operation, and Removal or Suspension from Bloomington Parks and Recreation Properties

• View behavior guidelines, actions that could result in removal or suspension from park properties, and learn about the appeal process.

Volunteer Adopt-a Programs in City Parks and Trails

For more information about the Adopt-a programs for trails and streams on public land, or about helping remove invasive plants from city park properties, send an email to Community Relations Coordinator Emily Buuck or call 812-349-3739.

• Learn more about Adopt-a-Greenspace
• Learn more about Adopt-a-Stream
• The Adopt-a-Trail program is on hiatus. Check back in 2027 for more information.
• Learn more about becoming a Park Ambassador

Recreation in City Parks and Trails

• See Parks and Recreation's Geocaching Policy
• See Parks and Recreation's Policy regarding use of metal detectors in parks and on park property
• See Parks and Recreation's Policy regarding animals in parks and on park property. Note that dogs must be leashed at all times, and domestic livestock including horses, goats, and cattle are prohibited in any park without an approved special use permit.

Research and Collecting Policy for City Parks

• See Parks and Recreation's Harvesting & Collecting Policy

A Scientific Study and Research Permit is required for research and/or collection activities on Bloomington Parks and Recreation (BPRD) properties. View, download, and fill out the Scientific Study and Research Permit.

By requiring permits, Parks and Recreation can:

1. monitor research being conducted on BPRD property
2. prevent duplication of research
3. meet the management requirements of the state dedicated nature preserves on BPRD property
4. further expand our scientific knowledge by requiring copies of the research results, and
5. protect park sites

Requests to conduct research and/or collecting on BPRD property must be submitted to:

or emailed to Natural Resources Manager Mary Welz.

Enabling Statutes

• View Bloomington Municipal Code Chapter 11.08, Griffy Lake
• View the Endangered Species Act
• View the Indiana Nature Preserve Act (PDF)
• View the Department of Natural Resources Property Regulations

Permit Requirements

• Bloomington Parks and Recreation Scientific Study and Research Permit
  A research permit signed by BPRD is required of anyone who wishes to collect scientific data, flora, fauna, or geological specimens on lands owned or managed by BPRD. All research requests require this permit. Scientific study and research period is not to exceed one year. Contact Bloomington Parks and Recreation by phone at 812-349-3700 to discuss long-term research projects.
• Indiana DNR Division of Nature Preserves signature
  Research on state dedicated Griffy Woods Nature Preserve requires permission from the Indiana DNR Division of Nature Preserves. Learn more about Research and Collecting Permits for State Dedicated Nature Preserves
• Indiana Scientific Collector's License
  Any request involving the taking or harassment of vertebrate animals as well as crustaceans and mollusks on BPRD property also requires a separate Scientific Collectors/Purposes License from the Indiana DNR Dvision of Fish and Wildlife. If collecting vertebrate animals, a signed copy of your Indiana Scientific Collectors/Purposes License must be included with your Scientific Study and Research Permit application. Learn more about the Scientific Collectors/Purposes License

How to apply for a BPRD Scientific Study and Research Permit

A detailed explanation of the proposed research must include:

• Submit to BPR a 7.5 USGS Quadrangle showing the locations of any installed equipment following their placement.
• description of activities
• project objectives
• methods and procedures to be followed
• duration of the project
• areas to be visited (include a map)
• anticipated disturbances to the site
• species or objects to be collected
• number of specimens taken
• method of taking
• disposition of specimens

Once the permit application is reviewed and approved by BPRD staff, the applicant will receive a signed copy of the permit.

Follow Up

A written report is required following the research and should be submitted to BPRD within one year after the permit expires. To minimize possible negative impacts, publication resulting from a research study must not reveal information about rare species and their locations without permission from BPRD.

BPRD considers each application based on previous and current work on the site, to avoid duplication of effort and cumulative impacts. Applications are considered based on the prospective gain in terms of scientific value, and benefits to the site. If the applicant has a history of approved permits, but has not submitted the required study results or has been negligent in conducting the research, no additional permits will be issued to that applicant.

Collection of species already documents on the site is no permitted unless specifically required by the research. If collecting a previously document species, or species listed as endangered, threatened, or rare is permitted, BPRD reserves the right to place restrictions on collections.

Collecting unique or uncommon geological specimens is not permitted.