When you think of Indiana's trails, you most likely think of the bigger trails like the Cardinal Greenway, Nickel Plate, Central Indiana's Monon Trail, or even the Pumpkinvine.
You don't likely think about the Sweetser Switch Trail.
You should. This is a delightful trail, a connector to the nearby Cardinal Greenway that runs the full-length of the small town of Sweetser, Indiana. The trail is a three-mile long rail-trail. This means it runs along a railway for pretty much its entire length. It's fully paved and a mostly gentle trail. As a wheelchair user myself, I can fully attest to its accessibility. There's ample parking at nearly every crossing road and, trust me, Sweetser loves its little but memorable trail.
The trail allows for biking, walking, running, use by wheelchairs, roller blading, and horseback riding. Sweetser is located in Grant County - so, it's definitely worth of a day trip with a stop in Sweetser then possibly five more miles over to Marion.
This trail is part of the American Discovery Trail and despite being only three miles in length you'll see two covered bridges (over Pipe Creek) and you'll even see some train equipment. You'll even see a statue of Garfield commemorating Hoosier and Garfield creator Jim Davis who grew up nearby.
Grant County has about 13.5 miles of paved trail these days. Thus, you could easily give yourself a decent half-marathon run and stay in Grant County. Just east of downtown Sweetser the trail is even lit so that you could do an evening run. During the better weather seasons, you'll definitely see bird boxes, picnic shelters, and an old-fashioned water pump.
Quite honestly, this is a beautiful little trail that is well maintained. Since it really stays within Sweetser, there's a pretty good chance you're going to actually encounter people along the route.
As a couple of fun facts, the first mile of the trail was funded entirely by donations AND the entire trail was developed from start-to-finish in one year. For trails, that's pretty amazing. You can even take your dogs to nearby Pawadise Park - Grant County's first dog park.
Whenever I'm wheeling in this part of the state, I make it a point to add the Sweetser Switch Trail to my route because it makes for a few miles of beautiful wheeling and practically guarantees I'll run into some friendly people along the way. I give it a wholehearted thumbs up. read more