Hidden Indy: Broad Ripple Dam
Topic: Hoosier Oddities | Indianapolis Living
Posted: Mon, Jan 10, 2005 
Just east of Westfield Boulevard and north of Broad Ripple Avenue is the Broad Ripple dam, a wooded area of the White River that's fenced off and not accessible, just north of the Broad Ripple pumping station. On a sunny summer day a few years back, my friends and I climbed up the painted wall next to Westfield Blvd., shimmied through a hole in the fence, and hiked back through the woods to the dam.
Because of the dense vegetation, the site has a feeling of isolation and it doesn't seem you're in the middle of a city. We were able to walk out across the dam barefoot and let the water flow over our feet, and walk across stones across the river and back.
Frequented mainly by fishermen and high school kids, the beauty of the flowing water is accented by interesting graffiti artwork on the dam and supporting structures.
Given the fencing, I suspect we were not supposed to be where we were, but I'm not sure. There are some fishing websites that mention this area as a hot spot. Take note of that if you're planning to visit.
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Comments
1. Jan 10, 05 03:19 PM | Michael Packer said:
That's not so hidden really. In fact, I knew plenty of bridge kids back in the day that lived there!
2. Jan 10, 05 03:31 PM | Steph Mineart said:
True, but a lot people don't know it's there, and it's not really visible from anywhere in Broadripple. I thought about calling it "not so hidden Indy" but the title would have been too long. :-)
3. Jan 10, 05 03:36 PM | Brent Mundy said:
Where is that arial photo site you used to pull up pics of the Tao on Delaware? A pic of the dam and surrounding area would help me visualize where it is in relation to BR. Steph, where's the dam pic?
4. Jan 10, 05 03:53 PM | Steph Mineart said:
Ummm. I'll pull a picture of the dam, and I'll do a separate post on the Indy's aerial photography website.
5. Jan 10, 05 04:29 PM | Steph Mineart said:
The site crashed when I was using it to get an aerial pic of the dam. I'll attempt later in the week.
6. Jun 17, 05 07:35 PM | Carrie said:
A friend and I discovered that very place today! In fact I wanted to find out more about it, so I did a search for Broad Ripple Dam and this site came up. We accessed it easily from a nearby street where there is a path that goes down to the dam. It is in fact very secluded, but loud, as the water rushed over the dam. We walked up onto the abuttment at the north end of the dam. Its quite a special place -- hard to believe you're practically in the heart of the city.
7. Jun 20, 05 12:04 PM | ratboy75 said:
SAFETY CONCERN: PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL ON/IN/AROUND LOW-HEAD DAMS SUCH AS THESE. THEY HAVE A VERY STRONG CURRENT AND CAN TRAP YOU AT THE BASE OF THE DAM IN A CIRCULATING CURRENT. USE CAUTION. LOW-HEAD DAMS KILL PEOPLE EVERY YEAR!!!!
8. Feb 28, 07 06:48 PM | ELVIS said:
I was a bridge kid when I was a teenager--best damn time of my life. You might as well have called me a Broad Ripple rat! Anyway, we always referred to this area as "The Falls."
9. Jan 28, 12 12:11 AM | B-RipQueen said:
Yes! Still known as The Falls by Bridge Kids. Don't know why it had to be posted on here, though. This is how places get ruined. The seclusion goes away and it gets busier, other people don't have ties to it like Bridge Kids do. It could also cause security to get heightened and make it harder to get to.
10. Feb 12, 13 01:31 PM | Chat to Strangers said:
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