Top 10 Trails in Indiana
1. Pumpkinvine Nature Trail
Elkhart and LaGrange counties
Featured as the November Trail of the Month, the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail steals the show in Indiana. If you want to experience genuine Midwestern Americana, this is it. Pastoral scenes of Amish life and fields of gold line the path. A must-visit trail!
2. Cardinal Greenway
Delaware, Grant, Henry, Randolph and Wayne counties
The Cardinal Greenway is the longest rail-trail in Indiana, boasting more than 60 miles through Indiana countryside that may well have inspired the lyrics to “America the Beautiful”: spacious skies, fruited plains and amber waves of grain provide much of the backdrop. Gorgeous!
3. Indianapolis Cultural Trail
Marion County
This innovative nine-mile trail is redefining how urban trails are envisioned, constructed and integrated into their communities. With a strong focus on green infrastructure, public art, and the city’s cultural and historic roots, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail is most definitely a trail of note.
4. Monon Trail
Hamilton and Marion counties
Stretching north from Indianapolis, the Monon Trail is the ultimate example of an urban transportation corridor. The trail stitches together neighborhoods, recreational facilities and schools between the city and the northern suburb of Westfield. The 19-mile trail is also a member of RTC’s Rail-Trail Hall of Fame!
5. Erie and Lackawanna Trail
Lake County
Spacious and scenic are two words that fittingly describe the Erie and Lackawanna Trail. It’s an “urban escape route” from the cities and suburbs of northwest Indiana, leading trail enthusiasts into the more rustic part of the Hoosier State. At 17 miles in length, this trail is sure to satisfy your appetite for the great outdoors.
6. B&O Trail
Hendricks County
The B&O Trail has a long and storied past, and while only 3.1 miles are currently constructed, this trail will be a major route west from Indianapolis, acting as a spine for a system of trails that will expand into the rural reaches of Indiana.
7. Nickel Plate Trail
Fulton, Howard and Miami counties
What makes the Nickel Plate Trail so special, you ask? For some, it’s the thick maple forests, especially during the autumn glow. Others embrace the trail when it is cloaked in snow, a wintery dream for cross-country skiers. You’ll have to visit the 35-mile trail to decide for yourself!
8. Panhandle Pathway
Cass and Pulaski counties
The spectacular 21-mile Panhandle Pathway passes through bucolic Midwestern farmland, which seems to stretch across the horizon. Trail users will experience a unique and dramatic vista less than one mile south of the Winamac trailhead, where the trail crosses the Tippecanoe River.
9. Pennsy Trail
Hancock and Marion counties
The Pennsy Trail, just east of Indianapolis, is closing in on 10 miles in length, but its current mileage is only a hint to what it will become. Plans call for the trail’s three open segments to be connected and incorporated into the proposed, 150-mile National Road Heritage Trail.
10. B-Line Trail
Monroe County
The B-Line Trail is a gem of Bloomington, Ind. This college town, home to Indiana University, fully embraces and celebrates the three-mile trail, and even sponsors fitness stations along the path. Students, residents and visitors agree that the B-Line is an asset to Bloomington!
