I'm a huge fan of the five trails in Plainfield. Their safe, as a trail can be, clean, paved, many…read moreconvenient parking areas throughout Plainfield and not over populated like the Monon. Most of the folks I encounter are friendly and polite with a lot of dog walkers, runners and bikers. Each of the trails intersect with another trail making it easy to explore Plainfield or stay away from the congestion of the world. If you enjoy spending time in nature, you'll enjoy Vandalia Trail. Spend a few hours exploring all the trails to find your favorite route throughout Plainfield. Vandalia Trail replaced the old Vandalia railroad line. As a child my husband played on and around the Vandalia tracks and I love hearing his childhood memories. Most of the 5 trails have points of interest along the way that can distract you. Vandalia Trail has a great bridge at the intersection of White Lick Trail close to the baseball diamonds at Franklin Park. Just across the bridge is a shaded seating area which is great to meet up with friends and a map of the trails if you get turned around. I often find myself stopping to watch a ballgame at Franklin Park on my way to White Lick Trail. The almost 5 mile trail is a comfortable walk, jog or ride with a few hilly areas. The N. East Street and Aquatic Center hill is probably the steepest but still manageable for most. Much of the trail is shaded with sunlight streaming through the trees and I find very peaceful. You will encounter a few road crossings or under passes, and even though well marked stay vigilante. Vandalia Trail connects with White Lick Trail which takes you to Main St., a.ka. Washington St. or US 40, Al's Doughnuts, Oasis Diner, or Dairy Queen if you're looking for a quick snack or meal. From here continue on to Friendship Park and Hummel Park. Both are beautiful parks and each have their own points of interest worth exploring.

I love running on this paved trail in Plainfield...a lot of traffic in most areas but on some parts…read moreof the trail it can seem lonely. Great mile markers. The parks department keeps it mostly clear and easy to access. This is a gem in Plainfield!

The City of Carmel has injected a bunch of fun activities and art along the Monon Trail in area…read moreknow as Midtown. The trail splits in this area with bike/running paths and pedestrian paths. In the medians between, there is a artsy splash pad/fountain, good for a quick cool down on a hot day. One area has a fun climbing structure for kids. There is even a colorful ping pong table, complete with paddles and balls. I even saw a bocce ball and shuffle ball courts - completely equipped! The setup is perfect for a date night or family fun. There was a temporary photo backdrop of splashing water commemorating the local swimmers going to the US finals and Olympics. Along the trail are several sculptures and murals that keep the trail interesting. There are benches and tables periodically to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or socialize. The landscaping is lovely. The area is kept immaculate. The maintenance staff is super friendly. There is some street and garage parking nearby. The pedestrian traffic gets congested during peak times. Pro tip: Early morning walks are quiet and there is plenty of parking.

Beautiful trail that leads to a cake shop. It was so pretty during the fall season. You can see all…read morethe foliage. Great way to get your steps in.

The first thing that I noticed about this trail is that it is wide, clean and very accesible. It is…read morewell maintained in in excellent condition. I picked it up in Greenfield by the new Depot Park. There is where you will find the art portion of the trail. There are a few murals, a sculpture, a decorated box car, a bunch of trees dedicated to people or organizations, and some benches to sit on and take a load off. The section of the trail spans about 5.6 miles and you will find exercise equipment, restrooms, and emergency phones along its path. It is open from dusk to dawn and some sections of the trail are better illuminated than others. The trail has a decent amount of shade to protect you from the sun. I really liked this trail. I was out there on a nice day (weekday) and I had the trail pretty much to myself. Which was surprising because of how nice a day it was and how awesome the trail is. This is one of the trails three segments. All three segments together total about 10 miles. There are plans to connect the trail with the Pleasant Run Trail, which would make it part of a much larger, 150-mile cross-state trail system. That is going to be awesome and I can't wait.

Favorite new discovery (new to me discovery, that is): We walked out of Landlocked and I looked…read moreacross the street to discover this trail. I am not sure how many times I have been right in this exact spot but never realized this trail is located here. What a peaceful and fun discovery! We spent Mother's Day morning walking along the trail listening to the sound of the birds and appreciating the peacefulness. The trail appears to go on for a couple miles and it's separated enough from cars that you really can enjoy quiet surroundings. It also helps that it conveniently starts right at a coffee shop so you can pick up a treat to take along with you for the trail. We passed a handful of bikers and walkers but mostly it was fairly quiet during our visit. I may prefer this trail to the Monon trail given how few people were on it. Looking forward to our next visit already!

The Franciscan Trail is one of Central Indiana's newest trails having opened in April 2022 and the…read morefirst trail inside the Beech Grove city limits. Fully paved, the 2.2 mile trail has end points of S. 13th Avenue and S. Emerson Avenue/Hornet Avenue. There's free parking available at Sarah Bolton Park and Don Challis Park. If it's not obvious, the Franciscan Trail is a partnership between the city of Beech Grove and Franciscan Health. Franciscan Health is a longtime presence in the Beech Grove area. While St. Francis Hospital in Beech Grove is no more, Franciscan continues to have outpatient offices, IT offices, and home health offices in Beech Grove. As someone who is both a wheelchair user and an active trail user, the Franciscan Trail seemed like a great way for me to start off my 2023 Yelp reviews. The trail is 12' wide and considered wheelchair accessible. However, do note that there are some gentle inclines in places and those who don't handle inclines well may want to have a companion along. For those wheelchair users who are able to handle inclines and the usual trail terrain, the Franciscan Trail is an absolute delight. The trail winds along Lick Creek and Beech Creek and is quite scenic. I hesitate to use the word "urban" to describe the trail since Beech Grove is a smaller city, but it does go through the more urban parts of Beech Grove. A 1.1-mile second phase of the trail is already fully funded and expected to begin construction in 2024. It will pick up where the existing trail ends on Emerson Avenue. Because the trail is at times creek side, there is the risk of modest flooding during rainy periods. That said, the trail seems well designed and well cared for by the community. A trail has been a need in this area for quite some time and it's exciting to see it happen. Biking and walking are allowed on the trail. Wheelchairs are also encouraged. The usual trail rules apply. As Christina B. noted, this is not a looped trail and walkers should plan accordingly.

The Franciscan Trail just officially opened on April 15th and is the first greenway in Beech Grove…read more Part 2 is already in the works. The paved trail is 2.2 miles long and traverses between Sarah Bolton park and just past Don Challis park. It isn't a loop so be prepared to walk 2.2 miles back if you walk the full trail. We parked at Sarah Bolton park and walked just over 1/2 mile of the trail to check it out. The trailhead at the park features a map and the trail rules. The trail is freshly paved and boasts that it is pet friendly and handicap accessible. There are pet waste stations located every so often along the trail. Parts of the trail were a little hilly so I don't know just how accessible it would be but would probably vary by person. We didn't see them on this trip but I read that two officers patrol the trail on electric bicycles for safety. Even though it was in the city, it was super peaceful. We quickly entered into a woodsy area full of wildlife like birds and bunnies. The trail also runs along Lick Creek. We were there the morning after a thunderstorm so there was some flooding on parts of the trail, but it looked like some sort of drainage system was in the works. I'm looking forward to coming back to walk the full trail soon.

Excellent quick hike getaway in Avon. - no entrance fee or…read moremembership needed - easy to find right in heart of Avon no long trek - on-site free parking - deep forest & streams - secluded, no crowds - connect with nature - flat easy to navigate trail, short distances

This nature preserve has a lot of undeveloped potential. The land (83 acres) is forest with a…read moresmall creek running through it. The park has little information (no kiosk) but does have a sign asking visitors to wipe the soles of their shoes BEFORE entering so that they don't bring in seeds from invasive plants. The park entrance is at the southwest corner of the preserve (near the highway). From there, a trail leads back to the first loop (Blue) that covers roughly the middle third of the park. On the north end of the loop, there is a sign that directs you back to the entrance or north to the second loop (red) which covers the northern third of the park. Basically, the red loop covers the area on the other side of the creek. Both loops and the connector trails consist of moderate size trees with foot worn paths between them. A few wooden bridges rest on the ground to get visitors through the wettest areas of the park. The loops have very little elevation change so I would rate the hikes as easy to moderate. Although the preserve does not have its own parking, the neighboring church (to the west) allows park visitors to use the church lot any time other than Sunday morning. I can see not wanting to develop the land for visitors, but information about the parks plants and animals would be useful. Trail lengths and a map of the layout would also be helpful for first time visitors to plan their treks. Review #806

Red Maple Path is one of three paths located inside the 205-acre Hummel Park. Red Maple is…read moreprimarily known for its wooden bridge pathway. It's a narrow path, though I had no issues crossing it in my wheelchair. I can never turn down a good bridge. The entire path is around 1.2 miles around the eastern portion of Hummel Park. You'll experience several of the park's amenities. This is a very wooded park and quite beautiful. The path itself is paved and super wheelchair friendly with barely an incline to be found. It's worth noting that the bridge goes over the White Lick Creek. This is a pedestrian bridge and no fishing is allowed. You're really not supposed to stop on the bridge, though it'll take a stronger person than me to not stop and gaze at the beauty. Because this is located inside Hummel Park, parking itself is solid and there are accessible spots, including van accessible, quite close to the trail. This was one of my stops on a work trip to Plainfield and I already find myself wanting to return in the near future.

Red Maple Path is the Hummel Park Wooden Bridge path intended primarily for pedestrian use to…read moresafely cross White Lick Creek. The bridge is narrow so walking your bike across is a must. Nice location for pictures or an easy to find meeting spot in the park.

Zionsville, Indiana has about 20 miles of interconnected paths and trails. This includes the…read moreofficial Zionsville Rail Trail (which I've also heard referred to as the Big 4 Rail Trail). This is a 5+ mile paved trail that goes through the heart of Zionsville, a small suburb on the northwest side of Indy. Trail parking is available at American Legion Trail Crossing, Heritage Trail Park, Carter Station, Zionsville Town Hall and the Nancy Burton Corridor Parking, and just off of Starkey Road. Currently, the trail is being extended north toward Whitestown and south to Zionsville Road. The Zionsville Road trailhead is also currently being constructed. Thus, you will likely encounter some unfinished areas and some construction along the way. While the trail can get busy during good weather, it's a much quieter trail than Monon or Nickel Plate. Because it also weaves through Zionsville, there's also places to stop and it's typically pretty easy to find a public restroom. I know there's at least one on the trail that is clearly marked. Some of the entryways don't look like they would be wheelchair friendly, however, Zionsville has actually done really well to create accessibility along the path. I haven't down this trail during the winter - so I can't speak to maintenance during adverse weather. The paved trail is wide. The most significant inclines are at access points and all those that I experienced met ADA requirements. The trail feels safe and I've seen quite a few parents with strollers on the trail. While you get runners, everyone is considerate on this trail. The plan for the trail is that it will stretch 50+ miles across Boone County and will go from northern Indy to Lafayette. The Big 4 Railroad operated along this corridor from 1889-1930. Zionsville established this trail in the 1990s. The trail is a paved 12-foot wide path with a 3-foot soft shoulder on both sides for runners. It offers restrooms, water fountains, trail markers, picnic benches, and trash receptacles. Pets are to be leashed. If you turn right onto a short path when the trail intersects with Starkley Avenue, you can go directly into downtown Zionsville. Zionsville has a brick-paved Main Street that is quite cool. The trail utilizes nearly all underpasses to go through town. You don't really experience an at-grade crossing until you hit Zionsville's north side. I find this to be much nicer and safer. The trail passes by Mulberry Fields, Jennings Field, Carter Station, Heritage Trail Park, and Rail Trail Gardens Event Center. The trail's a definite winner and only getting better in the coming years!

I walked the Zionsville Rail Trail with a friend in September '23 and it appears it was either…read morestill undergoing construction (or some enhancements). We parked at Zionsville town hall since the map online indicated an access point here. There was one, but it was a gravel path for about a half mile until we realized we were walking through an unfinished part of the trail. The Rail Trail is a straight path through residential areas of Zionsville. It wasn't very busy on a fall afternoon, and I'm not sure if it will have commercial development like the Monon Trail in Carmel and the Nickel Plate Trail in Fishers, since it does back up to houses/neighborhoods.

WALKED ON THE MONON TRAIL ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 9, 2025…read more===================================================== My husband really wanted to take our e-bikes to Indianapolis, but I didn't want to deal with loading and unloading them every day on our four day road trip from L.A. to Indy. We did find a good place to rent e-bikes in Indy, but it was so freakin' hot and humid that we didn't do that either. We did however walk on part of the Monon Trail a couple times the week we stayed in Indy. The next time we go back and the weather is cool we'll definitely rent e-bikes and go explore. History: The Monon Trail is named for the Monon Railroad, which was on the land that the path is now on. It was opened in 1999 as a ten mile bike and pedestrian pathway. Today the paved pathway stretches more than twenty miles.

12 years since my last review of the Monon Trail. This Indianapolis treasure connects miles and…read moremiles of neighborhoods and is used daily by cyclists, walkers, runners, rollerbladers, you name it. In the summer months, it can be quite busy. In the last few years, it's been great to see some of the business and residential development along the Monon. Specifically from 30th street all the way to downtown. Who can be sad about a trail that lands you at a bakery like Leviathan? Or, you can also follow the trail until it connects with another fabulous network, The Cultural Trail just off east Mass Ave downtown. If you're visiting from out of town, this is a great option for exercise and a little peace and quiet (other than the intersections... which are not always peaceful thanks to Hoosier drivers ).