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.

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!

Beautiful trail with mature trees surrounding it at parts, then some bridges, a park and…read moreplaygrounds, a trickling winding creek to the side of your walking or running or biking experience. , through a bit of farmland and you can even rent motorized bikes to ride on the trail at a near by bike rental shop. Great day activity to share or to spend on your own. This adventure paradise is tucked away just barely outside the city, it's so pristine and calming, you won't believe that this little gem of a place has been existing in plain sight!!! I love it so much, so I just thought I'd share!!! Happy trailing!!!!

The Buck Creek Trail is a 3-mile multi-purpose trail running along Buck Creek. It connects most…read moreCumberland neighborhoods, the Cumberland portion of the Pennsy Trail, Buck Creek Road, US 40, and 21st Street. This is a relatively new trail for Central Indiana having only been completed in 2018. Under an overpass that formerly had heavy graffiti, Cumberland commissioned a mural featuring the work of Koda Witsken called "Light Your Pathway." As has been noted, under normal circumstances this is a wonderful trail. During heavy rains, it's definitely prone to some flooding. As a town rather than a city, resources for upkeep are a little more limited and in a few spots I'd say that's a bit obvious. However, overall, it's a nicely maintained trail and a nice little place to go that is just outside Indy proper. The trail was funded by federal grants. The key trailhead is at Lions Park, though you can also find places to catch the trail in the residential areas (recognizing, of course, that these are residential areas with limited parking and regulations). While this trails pales in comparison to the Pennsy, it's a nice addition to the far-eastside and adds a nice feature for Cumberland residents. Other than the flooding risks, it's a fairly wide trail that remains fairly level and I'd consider to be pretty wheelchair friendly. It would also be friendly to strollers and families. It's definitely used, though it's a primarily local trail and fairly easy to avoid the traffic of some Central Indiana trails. I'll definitely be returning in the near future.

One of two areas in Metro Indy specifically designed for mountain bikers, Town Run Trail Park is…read more127 acres of beginner and intermediate level of trails offering an approximate total of seven miles worth of trails. The first thing worth pointing out, though it has been said in other reviews, is that this trail system is truly devoted to bikers. While hikers and walkers are allowed here, the bikers have the right of way and the trail itself is truly developed with bikers in mind. I've done my share of wheeling, I'm a wheelchair user, on difficult trails but having visited again this afternoon I was again reminded that even the easiest spots here are truly not designed to be accessible. Even if you have off-road wheelchair tires, there are lots of twists, turns, inclines, places to fall, and places where you could easily get stuck. While there's a decent chance you'll run into someone on this trail, I think the vast majority of wheelchair users should steer clear of Town Run Trail Park. Town Run does offer the possibility of other activities including fishing, kayaking/canoeing, and observing of nature. Because it truly is more of a natural trail, nature is much more likely to be here. The Hoosier Mountain Bike Association is involved with the trail and assists with upkeep and installation. The beginner features include a bridge and subsequent single track, dirt rollers, and a rock garden. The advanced features include North Shore Ladder, shoots, bridges, table top jumps, and dirt jumps. If you can't jump, then you're going to have a hard time doing the entire trail. There is parking nearby and the area has been kept fairly natural even around it. This is a great area that's really right around Indy, Fishers, and Carmel but this actually falls within Indy Parks. I enjoy coming here to just hang out and observe, though I definitely don't venture too far into the park because there's simply too high of a risk of injury, getting stuck, or having a fall. This is especially true considering my last amputation. However, for its intended use it's quite the beautiful park and for mountain bikers I'll definitely give it a thumbs up. It's also, in my opinion, one of Indy's better maintained parks.

This 7ish mile trail is an oasis on Indy's North East Side. The trails are well maintained and…read moreeasy to navigate. It is setup so bikers of all skill levels can ride. For example, when there is a big drop, there is a sign posted stating a drop is coming and there is an easy to follow path around the drop so you don't have to soar 8 ft. in the air if you don't want to. I read a review about mountain bikers being elitist here. I find that preposterous. I started riding off road in September 2015. Brand new to it, I went out on my own. I found many bikers on the trail who were nothing but friendly and helpful. I have also been riding when there are runners on the trail. It has always been met with cooperation from both. Much of the trail is in the woods, but there is a big stretch that is out in the sun (so you may want sun screen). The entrance can be tricky to find, but it is on 96th street near Allisonville road, just east of the river. I love the place!

I saw this and was like we must go see it! I feel like maybe we didn't go to the best part of it…read morebut it was still nice. It was a perfect after dinner stroll. Only bad thing was the ice cream place right there was closed! How do you close for the season in October? Ugh lol. But hey lead to us going to a good chocolate place. Not from the area and just from seeing some pictures I wish we had explored some more.

I kicked yesterday morning off with the chilliest yet most peaceful walk along the canal path with…read morea dear friend. Despite only being 14° outside, the snowy trail along the water was just what my soul needed to start the day. We walked our way along the water until we hit the Rocky Ripple neighborhood. There are several bridges along the way for pedestrians to cross between both sides. The path is an Indianapolis treasure that I sometimes think we take for granted. The trail connects Broad Ripple to Butler University and several other neighborhoods along the way.

The Big 4 Trail is a developing Indiana trail that currently extends 15.4 miles with a plan for it…read moreto eventually extend right around 50 miles. The current route includes three disconnected segments in Boone and Clinton counties. I was born in Lebanon and still find that I incorporate Boone County into a lot of my wheeling events. As I get older, I'm finding that I use a lot of trails rather than wheeling on streets. This is a rail-trail named after the "Big 4 Railroad" that existed in the area in the mid-19th century. President Lincoln traveled the route on the way to his inauguration. The Lebanon to Colfax section of the trail was previously known as the Farm Heritage Trail before becoming part of Big 4. Similarly, there's a section north of Thorntown that was known as the Keewasakee Trail. The section from Lebanon to Colfax is mostly rural and passes through Indiana hardwoods and over the scenic Sugar Creek on an iron bridge on the north section. There's a mural celebrating the Big 4 Trail and its railroad history can be seen under the I-65 overpass near the Lebanon trailhead. In 2020, the section north of Thorntown was extended to Colfax. There's also a parallel 4-mile equestrian trail that starts at Serum Plant Road. There's plans for more equestrian trails to be developed. This section is paved. The trail segment heading south towards Lebanon from Sarum Plant Road is currently not paved, with the City of Lebanon planning to begin renovation of the trail in 2023. There are also short sections in Whitestown and Zionsville. The Big 4 is a combo of urban and rural, though I always laugh a bit when I hear the "urban" part since we're talking Boone County urban as opposed to, say, Indy. So, it's more smaller city urban. I like this trail, though there are spots it's definitely more difficult for wheelchair users. Doing the entire trail is difficult since it's disconnected - I can do it, but I'm a pretty experienced trail user. I think most would find it difficult. Trail condition also varies from paved to crush stone to sections that aren't particularly well kept and can get debris. Thorntown to Colfax is really the best section and also has some great sights to see including a Carnegie library and the historic Rosenberger building. As I live on Indy's east side, this isn't my preferred trail. However, when I'm heading toward Boone County or when I need to train on a more difficult path I'll head to Big 4. In terms of hills, it's actually a fairly smooth trail. It's the terrain that can be difficult here. Overall, this is a solid 4-star trail and will likely only get better as development grows over the next few years.

Easy path with residential, rural views. Go as far as you can/want & turn around to head back to…read moreyour vehicle. We did over 10 miles.

Fall Creek Greenway is one of my favorite places in the city. I live right next to it and walk the…read moretrail almost every day with my dog. Being so close to the river is really nice, and I'm always spotting wildlife. Recently I've seen a big owl, deer, a beaver, and even a bald eagle! I also love riding my bike on the trail. People are usually very respectful, whether they're biking, running, or walking. You'll often see families out together, which makes it feel welcoming and safe. There could be a bit more lighting though. Other than that, it's an amazing trail to have right in the city.

Great bike trail! Well maintained and nice views of the creek along the way…read more Park your vehicle at fort Harrison park and ride your bike directly to the trail.

Very short trail. If you're going for walking I don't recommend but if you just want to be outdoors…read morein the shade and near the creek it would be fine. I went with my dog hoping to get a decent walk in and I was disappointed.

I'll openly admit that I'd never heard of Hague Road Nature Haven until I decided to do some…read moreHamilton County exploring today following church. Hague Road Nature Haven is a relatively small spot at 43 acres. It's located at the Southeast corner of Hague Road and SR 38. The master plan calls for an outdoor education center, though for the most part the current status of Hague Road Nature Haven is as a fairly rough, immersive, and absolutely peaceful place that makes up for its accessibility issues with being a bit of natural wonder right here in Central Indiana. Hague Road Nature Haven is surrounded by Cicero Creek. There's a small parking lot. It's cleared but still natural in presentation. Plans eventually call for campsites, a natural playground, a nature center, study areas, and I believe I even saw plans for a small, natural amphitheatre. There are no plans, necessarily, to turn this into anything resembling a recreation area and we should be grateful for that. For now, you've got lots of greenery, hiking trails, creekside spots for stomping or wheeling or just watching. There's one absolutely delightful spot with a sort of swing bench. It's an inspired touch for an inspiring location in Noblesville. You can fish here, of course, and I was honestly surprised at just how much of this nature haven I could handle by wheelchair (though certainly not all). The creek itself stays relatively shallow. However, obviously, children should be supervised and care should be taken to ensure safety. This is nature, after all, and things can happen easily. Animals may very well be here, as well. This haven is still relatively light in terms of attendance and in one afternoon I saw fish, tadpoles, lots of birds and, yes, even deer. I wouldn't be surprised if turtles are around here and maybe even a snake or two (I like snakes...for me, that's a good thing). There's a relatively light "nature walk" trail here. It runs just under a mile. The path is natural, though I found it cleared enough that I could manage it. In adverse weather, I probably could not. It's not technically "accessible," but it's wide enough, mostly smooth ground/crushed stone, and almost completely flat. Plus, it's right by the creek. This also means mosquitoes in season, but that's easily handled. Absolutely heaven. This is a relatively secluded area - this can be an amazing thing, but it's also worth noting in terms of taking appropriate precautions. You're really not that far from residential areas here, though this truly is a set-apart haven and a magnificent slice of nature almost smack dab where you least expect it. There's no question I'll be back.