Indiana's Cheapest Ways to Stay Active: The $50 State Park Pass, the Monon Trail and a Free Indoor Track

Indiana is flat, its trails are mostly paved, and its city parks charge a few dollars where private gyms charge a monthly fee. If you plan around the calendar, you can stay active here for less than the price of one month at many gyms. That calendar matters more than you’d think: Indiana’s park passes reset every January 1.

Indiana state park fees, and the timing trick

Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources charges by the vehicle at most state parks and state-managed lakes [1]:

Some parks have different entrance fees, including Indiana Dunes and Prophetstown State Park. Check the DNR fee schedule before visiting.

Here’s the part people miss: annual passes are good from January 1 through December 31 of the year they’re issued [1]. A pass isn’t 12 months from the day you buy it. If you buy a 2026 pass in November, you get a few weeks out of it. Pay the $7 daily fee for the rest of this year, then buy the next year’s pass early.

If you live near a park, the cheapest option is to leave the car at home. Walking or biking in costs $2 a person [1].

Two other things to know: veterans usually don’t get free admission at Indiana State Parks, though there are discounts for disabled veterans and former prisoners of war. And the federal “Every Kid Outdoors” free pass for fourth graders works only at federal sites in Indiana, not state parks [1].

Free trails in and around Indianapolis

The Monon Trail is one of the most popular trails in the state. Indy Parks says it runs from 10th Street to 96th Street in Indianapolis, then continues into Hamilton County [3]. It also connects to the Fall Creek Greenway and the Central Canal Towpath [3], so you can build a longer loop without driving anywhere. It’s free to use, and because it runs through the middle of the city, plenty of people can reach it without driving.

Downtown, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail is a linear park managed by a nonprofit in partnership with the City of Indianapolis. It also runs Pacers Bikeshare and offers free public programs along the trail [5].

Outside Indy, many Indiana towns have their own rail-trails and greenways. Look on your city or county parks department’s site.

Indy Parks family centers: a few dollars a visit

Indy Parks runs family centers across the city, and their prices are hard to beat. At Broad Ripple Park Family Center, for example [4]:

• Indoor track: free
• Adult open gym (18+): $5 a visit, or $15 for a monthly membership
• Youth open gym: $1 for ages 13 to 17, free for 12 and under

The center also has fitness rooms, courts and fitness classes [4]. A free indoor track is worth knowing about from December to March, when sidewalks and trails are icy. Rates differ from center to center, so check your nearest one on the Indy Parks site, and ask whether prices are changing for next year.

YMCA of Greater Indianapolis

The YMCA of Greater Indianapolis bases membership rates and program fees on total household income. Its sliding scale begins for households with a total income of less than $55,000 a year [6]. Ask at the Member Services desk at any of its centers to talk about the levels of help [6]. Ys in other Indiana cities are run separately, so check with yours.

Exercising through an Indiana winter

From December to March, cold and ice are the main things that keep people inside. If you head out, the CDC recommends [7]:

• Several layers of loose-fitting clothing and a water-resistant coat and boots.
• Keeping your face, ears, fingers and toes covered.
• Staying dry: wet clothes from sweat or rain raise the risk of hypothermia.
• Watching for frostbite (red or painful skin, then white or grayish-yellow skin) and hypothermia (shivering, confusion, slurred speech). Both need medical help.

On icy days, an indoor track or open gym is the safer choice.

How much activity you need

The federal Physical Activity Guidelines recommend 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week for adults, plus muscle-strengthening activity at least 2 days a week [8]. A brisk half hour on the Monon five days a week covers the first part.