Loop Island Wetlands

I just visited here for the first time and was quite amazed at what I found. While getting to the trail can be a challenge and is in a very industrial area with run down buildings the trail itself is very nice. The paved part is .7 miles and has some gravel and dirt trails that go off of it that take you right by the wetlands for a some beautiful views. You can even walk right up to the river. A few improvements I would recommend are trash cans since I saw quite a bit of fast food trash around, maybe add some benches or picnic tables where the nice views are, and add signage to make finding the access to the trail and parking easier, as well as trail markers. I don’t know about at night, but during the day even with the rough look of the area around the park, I felt perfectly safe. I saw a lot of people taking pictures around the old abandoned buildings.

I am on a mission to make a trip to all those over-​looked little parks and hiking spaces in the Metro area. Last weekend was a first trip to Loop Island Wetlands, a short trip over the 64 bridge into New Albany and right down East Main Street till it ends.
Loop Island Wetlands is a mid-​sized park at 47 acres and is a natural wetlands with a lake border by the Ohio River and Silver Creek. This is not a park for playing sports, for picnics, for small children to play on the playground. This is a park for bird watching and animal sightings and a quiet nature hike in thick woods. Paths add up to maybe a bit over a mile of walking.
It was very quiet as far as birds go on my visit here, but I expect that during the migratory season it is thick with birds as the water and trees are very suitable. Silver Creek was very low water this week, it would likely add some interest to the area if it was flowing more freely. I was surprised that there were few mosquitoes but it is definitely a damp place so they may be an issue depending on the recent rains or lack of. Long pants and bug repellent are probably a good idea.
There are no real facilities here, just a trash can and a couple benches at the entrance by the flood wall. It is also fairly isolated, with the entrance hidden behind a defunct leather tannery that is falling into interesting (but dangerous to enter) ruins and some sort of ill-​maintained shipping warehouse. I don’t think I would feel comfortable there alone due to its location but its also not something that would stop me from visiting with a friend and my dogs.
For bird watchers, this is a park to put on your list for the right season. For someone just looking for exercise or a stroll, there are better options.