trails

“Once the connection is made to the east, bike commuting to downtown Indianapolis from Greenfield and Cumberland will increase,” says Scott Irons, owner of Indy Cycle Specialist. “It’ll also be a boon to Irvington, as riders explore our shops, restaurants, breweries, and the beautiful neighborhood.”

Trek women’s advocate Kate Nolan has ridden Town Run for 20 years. “It’s very flowy. There are lots of short step-ups and -downs, and I love the drops,” she says. “It has plenty of terrain changes, from hilly and windy to dirt berms in the prairie.”

“I love the trail south of the zoo,” says Andrew Hector, a downtown runner working up to a marathon. “It’s pretty much just you, the woods, and the river … a little oasis in the city.”

How popular is the Monon Greenway in Hamilton County (and Carmel in particular)? Some 450,000 people biked or walked it last year, so it’s no surprise that about $500 million in new development projects have broken ground—or will shortly—adjacent to the trail.

Recently opened or improved nature areas in Brown County you might not have visited yet.

Owen County lets explorers encounter nature in some of its purest forms.

“We’ve had some good discussions with leaders about potential expansions,” says trail executive director Karen Haley.

The heart of Plainfield holds one surprise (cool yarn shop!) after another (fantastic bike trail!).

With deep gorges, lush ravines, and sandstone cliffs, Shades evokes the splendor of its more-popular neighbor, Turkey Run—but without the crowds.

Thirty minutes in at Adena Trace, I reached a clearing, and the overlook delivered: A gorgeous panorama of the eastern shore opened before me.

The term “middle of nowhere” might have been coined for spots like Hemlock Cliffs, a trail leading through an oasis of sandstone bluffs designated a “special place” by Hoosier National Forest officials for its striking and rare features.

The trip was so pleasant, when I found myself back at the lake post-hike, I wanted to turn around and do it again—relentless crowds and all.

Not until a mile or so in did I realize how far off the mark I’d been in Morgan-Monroe State Forest—and experienced the kind of a-ha discovery that hikers live for.

The wide mix of terrain over 16 miles of singletrack in Versailles State Park has made the trail system a favorite of many Hoosier riders.

A glutton for punishment, I took the harder route. As my legs churned and my lungs screamed for more oxygen, I quickly realized this stretch has significantly more elevation gain than most Hoosier trails—including Brown County’s Hesitation Point.