Print these directions.    Go Birding !!!

From the ticket terminal at the Indianapolis International Airport, drive east out of the terminal. Follow the I-465/I-70 Exit signs. Veer right (south) on the "I-465 North/74 Exit only" sign. Follow I-465 North roughly 6 miles to Exit #17/38th Street.  Veer right (east) on Exit #17/ 38th Street.  Stay in the left lane.  At the exit stop light, turn left (west) on 38th Street.  Stay in the right lane.  Drive west roughly 1 mile on 38th Street.  You will pass a Eagle Creek Airport sign on the right (north) side of the road.  Turn right (north) on Dandy Trail Road/C.R. 7800 W.   Drive roughly 1/8 mile north on Dandy Trail Road. Turn left (west) into the Rick's Cafe parking lot.  Veer left (south) and drive to the south end of the parking lot. Use your scope to scan the reservoir around the dam.  When finished, drive to the parking lot on the north side of Rick's Cafe.  From the gazebo, scan Eagle Creek Reservoir north of Rick's Cafe (toward 56th Street).   When finished, turn left (north) on Dandy Trail Road.  Drive north roughly one mile. Turn left (north) on Dandy Trail Road/C.R. 7700 W. (this left turn keeps you on Dandy Trail-46th Street veers right (east).  Follow Dandy Trail for roughly 1 1/2 miles to 56th Street.  Turn right (east) on 56th Street/C.R. 5600 N.  Drive east on 56th Street for roughly 1/4 mile.  Turn left (north) at the brown "Eagle Creek Park" sign.  Drive north to the 56th Street Entrance of Eagle Creek Park.  Once past the entrance gate, the park road becomes Eagle Creek Parkway.  Follow Eagle Creek Parkway as it winds north through the park for roughly 1 mile.  Turn left (west) on Walnut Point Road (Green arrow signs here for Boat Launch, Marina, Peace-Learning Center, picnic sites).  Follow Walnut Point Road west till it dead ends at the Eagle Creek Marina and Ski rental Lodge.  Park in the lot and proceed to the south side of the ski-rental lodge.  Scan Eagle Creek Reservoir south to 56th Street.  When finished, walk west toward the channel and Purple Martin houses. Scan the channel and waters south of the Eagle Creek Marina (south to the Coffer Dam).  Search the tree lines of the reservoir for eagles and ospreys.  When finished, follow Walnut Point east, back to Eagle Creek Parkway.  Turn left (north) on Eagle Creek Parkway.  Drive north for roughly 1 1/4 mile to 65th Street. (a white arrow sign on top for 65th Street-green arrow signs below for Nature Area, Lilly Lodge).  Turn left (west) on 65th Street.  At the first intersection, turn left (south), at the "Nature Center/bus parking" arrow signs.  Park in the gravel parking spaces on the left (east) side of the road (opposite the Nature Center).   From the observation deck on the south side of the Nature Center, scan the Bird Sanctuary Lake for waterfowl and seabirds. Check the L-shaped island for resting waterfowl, waders and seabirds.  When finished, follow the one-way Nature Center Road as it loops back to Eagle Creek Parkway.  Turn left (north) on Eagle Creek Parkway.  Drive north roughly 1/4 mile.  Just before the 71st Street Entrance to Eagle Creek Park, turn left (west) on the paved service road (unmarked road-the green gates should be open, as parking is now allowed at the base of the Coffer Dam).  Follow this paved road west, till it dead ends at the beginning of the levee (Coffer Dam).  Park here and scan Bird Sanctuary Lake on the east side of the Coffer Dam (levee).  When finished, walk northwest to the channel of Eagle Creek Reservoir.  Scan the channel, islands and rocky shore for Waterfowl, seabirds and shorebirds.  During periods of low water levels, this entire channel can be mudflats.  The rest of this tour has to be on foot.  We will be hiking the North Loop.  The North Loop starts from the Coffer Dam Road, the road you just drove down and are currently on.  Simply turn around and drive east, as if you were going back to the 71st Street Entrance to the park.  When you are half way back to Eagle Creek Parkway, you will come to a T-section. This T-section will have a white "No Motor Vehicles" sign. Park in an acceptable location along side the Coffer Dam Road.  On foot, turn left (north) on this gravel/dirt service road.  Hike north for roughly 1/8 of a mile to a small bridge over a tiny creek.  Hike north across the bridge and at the fork in the road, continue straight (north).  As you approach the northern most section of the North Loop, you will see a grass service road coming from the east and merge with the road you are on.  From this point, start looking for a tiny foot trail on your right (east).  This tiny trail is just before the North Loop starts to curve northwest.  Turn right (east) when you locate this foot trail.  Follow the trail down to the shoreline.  This is the extreme northeast section of Eagle Creek Reservoir. The I-65 overpass can be seen to the northeast.  When water levels are high, search for waterfowl and seabirds.  When water levels begin to fall, this is the first place mudflats appear.  When finished, return to the North Loop service road.  The North Loop service road will veer west. You are at the top of the loop.  There are several overlooks at the top of this loop.  Use them to scan the north channel of Eagle Creek Reservoir for waterfowl, seabirds and shorebirds.  There is an island in the north channel which serves as a resting area for migrating water birds. On the north side of this channel is an iron bridge and a cattail marsh.  When finished, continue walking west until you reach the elbow in the North Loop [elbow turns left (south)].  This is a popular fishing site and is a wide opening. Scan any part of the north channel which you have not already covered.  When finished, turn left (south) at the elbow.   Hike south on the North Loop service road past the row of pines. If you are hiking the North Loop in winter, stop at the Black Alders on the left (northeast) side of the North Loop service road, just past (south) of the row of pines.  The Black Alders are deciduous, have rusty red leaves and tiny pine cones.  Winter finches feed on these tiny pine cones.  I have found Purple Finch, Pine Siskin and on February 5, 1996, I found 10 Common Redpolls here.  When finished, continue hiking south.  The North Loop service road will eventually veer left (east), back to the fork in the service road.  At the fork in the road, turn right (south) and return to your vehicle.

Special Note: From the Coffer Dam parking lot, one can hike the Coffer Dam if water bird activity is high.  The Coffer Dam will loop you back  to your vehicle.  When you reach the southeast corner of the Coffer Dam (levee), simply follow the the woodland trail north, up the hill to the South Overlook.  From the South Overlook, continue hiking north along the east ridge of the Bird Sanctuary Lake.  This trail will lead you north, to the Nature Center.  From the Nature Center, continue north on the paved road, past Lilly Lodge and the North Overlook.  When you reach the paved road-dead end/T-section, turn left (west) on the Coffer Dam Road (unmarked) and return to your vehicle.                                                

                                                   END OF TOUR