While some Indian River locals — especially The Friends of Indian River — can probably navigate the “wilds” of Indian River Park wearing a blindfold, those less intimately familiar with the park could indubitably use some direction — via signage.

“I love the signs,” said Rogard Ross, president of The Friends of Indian River. “What we see in the park now is only the first phase.”

Myriad twists and countless turns on the trails coupled with intersecting paths throughout the wooded grounds can sometimes be disorienting to casual visitors, young cyclists and inattentive pedestrians.

“You can go in there and get lost. You can get turned around because there are a lot of little spurs off of the main parts of the trails,” said Mike Barber, Chesapeake’s Director of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism. “We’re trying to discourage that. We want to keep some of the native plants undisturbed so we’d like to eliminate some of the little spurs.”

Indian River Park’s Conceptual Signage Project, embraced by Chesapeake Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, is in the process of testing “temporary signage concepts” throughout the park and is interested in receiving public feedback in regard to the provisionally posted signs prior to the placement of any permanent markers.

Brightly colored signs at the main Indian River Park entrance explain the signage project and solicit public comment. Park users are invited to scan a QR code and submit feedback or offer suggestions. (Bob Ruegsegger/For The Virginian-Pilot)

“This particular park is one that has been challenging from the beginning because we have so many different (kinds of) users of the park,” said Mike Barber. “When you’re combining bicyclists and BMX bikers versus pedestrians and joggers with environmental concerns that we want to take care of in the park, it’s not the average place where you can put up any kind of sign to direct you in any shape or form.”

Over the past year, the Indian River Park Signage Subcommittee, a team made up of “diverse park user groups,” met to make certain that the proposed signage meets the needs of all patron groups.

Park specialists want to ensure that they are “getting it right.” They’ve installed dozens of signs within the park  near its entrances, with the intent of improving navigation and generally enhancing user experience.

Signs have been generated to outline the trails and amenities offered on the grounds of Indian River Park east of Military Highway.

Placards mounted on wooden posts delineate the site’s main entrances: Northeast entrance, South Military Highway; Rokey Avenue entrance, parking lot; Southeast entrance, Miller Avenue; South entrance, Paramont Avenue; West entrance, Paramont Avenue and Haverford Drive.

This brightly colored sign attracts the attention of park visitors near the Paramont Avenue entrance. It offers public information regarding park rules. (Bob Ruegsegger/For The Virginian-Pilot)

Maps illustrate the park trails. The Outer Loop ( 3 miles) is deemed best for cyclists. The Inner Trail (2 miles) is best suited for pedestrians. The Nature Trail (0.5 miles) includes tree identification markers.

“There are many different trails there. Some are geared more to pedestrians and nature. Some are more geared toward the more active BMX or dirt biking,” Barber said. “Some are more suitable to leisure biking. Most certainly all of them can be utilized for all of that. When you get multiple (types of users) folks there at one time, it can get complicated.”

Park bridges, parking, and boundaries are also clearly indicated on the post mounted placards.

“We’ve redone some of the amateurish bridges and made them sturdier and safer for all patrons to use. We took down all the makeshift bridges that wouldn’t meet the standards,” Barber said. “It’s been a partnership with a lot of different groups to get to this point. Now we’re trying to get to all the people that we didn’t reach by having them use the QR code (on the temporary signs) and give us their feedback.”

Barber and his staff plan to keep a close “eye on the project” because what Parks Recreation and Tourism has learned through the process may have direct applications to the Chesapeake Arboretum and Northwest River parks.

“We’ll keep working on this until we can get it as right as we possibly can for everyone,” pledged Barber. “We really want to be good stewards of this park for all users.”

https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/10/18/new-signs-indian-river-park/