Merry Lea Environmental Learning - Albion, IN
Merry Lea Environmental Learning in Albion, IN, offers a spacious and well-maintained dog park experience perfect for pet owners seeking dog-friendly hiking and pet-friendly trails. This park features wheelchair accessible entrances and parking, ensuring accessibility for all visitors. With over 1200 acres of natural beauty, including three lakes and well-marked trails, it provides a peaceful and scenic environment for dogs and their owners to explore and enjoy nature together.
Visitors appreciate the clean public areas, ample parking, and the variety of outdoor amenities such as picnic tables, a gazebo, and observation towers where you can spot local wildlife. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing walk, a place for your dog to roam freely, or a family-friendly outing with pet-friendly trails, Merry Lea Environmental Learning is a top choice for a dog park in Albion, IN. The park’s commitment to maintaining beautiful grounds and offering engaging programs makes it a unique destination for dog lovers and nature enthusiasts alike.
FAQ for Merry Lea Environmental Learning in Albion Indiana:
- Is the park wheelchair accessible? Yes, Merry Lea Environmental Learning has wheelchair accessible entrances and parking lots.
- Are restrooms available for owners? Yes, restrooms are available and are kept very clean, though they are located on the front side of the park only.
- Are there benches or seating areas for owners? Yes, there are wonderful places to sit, including a gazebo and a covered seating area with picnic tables.
- Are there walking or hiking trails connected to the park? Yes, the park offers 1200 acres of well maintained and well marked trails encompassing three lakes.
- Is the park regularly cleaned and maintained? Yes, the park is very well maintained, with clean public areas, well-kept grounds, and well maintained trails.
- Are picnics or BBQs allowed? Yes, there are picnic tables and grill areas, though the grills and seating near the beach could be improved according to visitor feedback.
- Are there special events or classes offered? Yes, the park staff offer excellent programs and story walks for visitors. School field trips and guided activities also take place here.
- Is there a swimming area or pond for dogs? There is a beach and lakes in the park; however, the water quality has declined over the years making fishing and possibly swimming less ideal in some areas.
- Where is the best place to park? There is plenty of parking space available around the public areas of the park.
- Is there shade or shelter available? Yes, there is shade available including gazebos and covered seating areas where visitors can rest.
Reviews
This place is a God send for so many neglected, abused and exploited animals that are victims of the exotic pet trade. They operate like a true sanctuary should – the animals best interest is first , followed by educating the public on their stories because that’s the only way anything will ever change- people must start thinking about the consequences more than the perceived cuteness. The sanctuary lets the animals live as wild as they can with the ciand always give them the choice to be out near the public or not. While that means sometimes you won’t see every single animal, it means the animals were given control over their own selves and as an avid animal lover, that is absolutely the kind of life experience I am proud to support them having. If you do want to have the best chance of seeing the most animals you can go for their enrichment tours where the tour guides educate you on the animals while they get to eat special snacks one day a week. The sanctuary provides enrichment, species appropriate food and veterinary care, and advocates on behalf of their residents and the countless others like them to work towards a world where no more wild animals are forced to be in places domesticated animals should be. I can’t wait to go back and take another tour. I also really love their gift shop they have unique items and their staff and volunteers are always so kind and helpful. If you mostly value having good views of animals you will love it there. You get much closer to the animals habitats than at most zoos. I absolutely recommend giving them a visit.
Awesome trails and beautifully kept grounds.These folks always have excellent programs
Truly a place worth visiting if you love animals and nature. The keepers were so friendly and knowledgeable. The animals are so respected and incredibly well cared for. We saw animals like bears, parrots, several foxes, and other animals that are not at the zoo. So worth it. Definitely take some bug spray even in summer for kids to keep bugs off of they don’t like being touched by them. Have your water bottles. Hot days are hawt there, so we plan on going back when it’s cooler to see the animals being more active and it not be smoldering as we walk through. There’s a lovely picnic area and they often have events to help fundraise. Visit their website for those details, it’s on there. Go visit.
I went here with my family several years ago and it was amazing to see so many rescued animals just living out the rest of their days in peace. One of the male lions roared in response to sirens in the background and it was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. 10/10, would recommend. Kinda pricey, but for the experience and the care they give the animals, it’s worth it.
The tour was great, and we learned a lot about the animals. We also learned about the intricate regulations and legislature that do and don’t protect animals like the ones at Black Pine. We had a great visit and look forward to helping out the sanctuary and their mission in the near future.
Always have a good time visiting herd alone or with the family. Always something surprising to see hiding right in front of your eyes! There story walks as well so you can read fun books while walking through the trail as well! Make sure to wear boots and be prepared to maybe get a little dirty and have a lot of fun! Thanks staff!
My sons class went on a field trip today. Each guide we encountered and followed today, they were so great. Some kids were really tough to manage but they did fantastic with the kids who couldn’t manage and did really well with the ones who were interested. There was a great balance. There was so many activities we got to take part in. The property is maintained really well. I will be taking my whole family back to visit and see more of what they have to offer. I enjoyed the covered seating area with picnic tables we had lunch at, it was clean and in a nice location.
Grab a map at the welcome sign. We made it to the observation tower watched a turtle, a great egret, and geese. They have wonderful places to sit and just embrace the nature. Trails are really maintained and nice.
1200 acres of well maintained and well marked trails, encompassing 3 lakes.