This trail currently runs from 10th street south of the park in Jonesboro, IN through Marion to Sweetser, IN - a total now of about 11 miles. Sweetser has a picturesque depot stopping point and the trail has been maintained very nicely, but only one restaurant is available but there are no shops to invite you to stop and browse (unlike the Monon in Carmel and Broad Ripple). The section from Sweetser to the Miller Avenue trailhead and from 30th street south to Jonesboro is picturesque and safe. The middle portion from Miller Avenue to 30th Street has quite a few areas of uneven rolling pavement; I wouldn't want to ride here by myself early in the morning or later in the day as it is not the safest part of town (I live here). I don't know who wrote the glowing town review on this page, but there is not anywhere to eat or any interesting activities in either Gas City or Marion to entice you to use this trail. I ride it several times a week because it's close and convenient, but I would not travel any distance to use this trail. The Greenway Muncie or Gaston portion is not only safer, but there are so many options available to you after your ride is over that I would stick with that portion.

My wife and I spent some time exploring the Cardinal Greenway that goes through Marion IN. last summer(about 71/2 miles one way). The South trail head parking is not at the end of the trail in Jonesboro IN.,(it’s just off of hyw 22 & 35) and one owes it to yourself to go a little further south to see the trails end (it really doesn’t end there it just goes onto public streets and meets up eventually with the section in Gaston IN)… There’s a really nice walking bridge over the river near the parking area in Jonesboro that will take you to a public park in Gas City IN. It's a very nice park with a large pond, and many picnic areas to enjoy.

My wife and I are very fond of the section that goes from the parking area in Jonesboro (going more or less North after you cross the highway) to Nebraska St in Marion. Along the way are many elevation changes, a beautiful wooded area with a bridge over a creek and a picnic area, many trestles, and only three busy roads to cross…(watch out for the crossing at 38th St. cars fly down that road) it’s about a five and a half mile ride one way. Sadly, once you cross Nebraska St. it becomes way too much starting and stopping crossing all the roads that must be crossed before you reach Ninth St. Once past Ninth St. however it becomes a fairly pleasant ride all the way to Miller Ave. the current trails end(or head). There are plans however to connect the Marion section of greenway to the West and the Sweetser Switch trail, which they then plan to extend West to Converse IN., it should be quite a fun ride once it is done...

"Rode the 27-mile paved section from Losantville (southern terminus of pavement) to Gaston (northern terminus of pavement) via Muncie on Labor Day, 2007. 54-mile round trip; cloudless sky; 65- 80 degrees; mostly calm to light W breeze.

Losantville parking area is just off US35, 3.7 miles N of intersection of US35 and IN1; well marked and easy to find. I came from out-of-state and drove up US35 from I-70 where they insect in Richmond... nice route!

The trail is smooth and flat with a few cracks and sharp bumps in and near Muncie. Overall it is in excellent condition and seems well-maintained.

The trail covers 16.5 miles from Losantville to the Wysore Street Depot in Muncie. This section has some shaded areas, but it is largely very open. It is 10.5 more miles from the depot to Gaston; this section is quite open and there is little shade. On a sunny summer day, you WILL get cooked on this trail, so bring lots of water and plenty of sunscreen.

Scenery? Many, many farms with corn and soy bean fields. The bean fields were turning gold and were gorgeous and the corn was about half green and half dryed out. There were a couple of housing tracts, but except for Muncie the trail is really quite rural.

Because of its openess, this trail would be a killer in a headwind. Check the local NWS radio station to find out where the wind will come from when you plan to ride and then design a trip that heads into it so you'll have a push on your return. The trail should be a real screamer with a good tailwind!

There are quite a few trailheads with excellent parking and latrines along the trail. The latrines - porta potties - were nearly new and surprisingly spic and span. I don't like those things very much, but the ones I used were easily the nicest - and cleanest - I've ever seen. And they even had waterless hand cleaner!

There is a lot of nice interpretive signage and the trailmarkers are the classiest I have ever seen - bar none! Bridge crossings are very nice, with modern, attractive side rails and turn outs in some cases. Split rail fences line some sections of the trail and provide a nice touch as well as safety (some of the drop offs by the sides of the trail are significant). The folks who put this trail together have done a first class job.

The Wysore Street Depot in Muncie is awesome. It has been fully restored and is quite a nice sight to behold. It houses the Cardinal Greenway heqdquarters and a nice gift shop that was open when I visited. The lady attendant was helpful and very pleasant. I bought a Cardinal Greenways Trail User Guide for a mere $2 and found it to be chock full of good info and detailed maps.

I hate to sound at all negative, but there is some critical info I need to share: there are countless road crossings and some of the roads are quite busy. Many of the roads intersect the trail at angles, so it's a bit difficult to determine if traffic is present. BE CAREFUL! Also, to prevent use by motorized vehicles, many of the road crossing sport full-width gates with narrow openings at each side through which you must walk or carefully ride your bike. These gates are rather nicely done - they look quite nice - but they require your attention in order to safely negotiate them. If you ride an LWB recumbent - you folks know who you are - you're going to hate these gates. And there are a LOT of them in 27 miles.

Bottom line: nice ride that I'll do again, although I think I would prefer a cooler or a bit less sunny day!
"

"As of Nov 2006, the trail is continuously paved from Gashton through Muncie to Losantville. "

"My wife and I took two great rides on the Cardinal Trail. In late September, 2005 we rode twenty miles of the trail starting in Muncie, and then two weeks later on our way back from the east coast, we rode the section in Richmond. The trail is well marked and well maintained in the sections we rode. Unique stone mile markers are situated along the trail. Excellent parking facilities with restrooms are conveniently located at most trailheads.

We started in downtown Muncie, where a large overhead arch identifies the trail, and rode north to the end of the trail, and then headed for the south end. Numerous street crossings are the only drawback on the northern section. To the south, there are fewer crossings.

This is an excellent trail."

"Thirty miles of paved trail are now developed in three segments: 7.5 miles in Marion, 20 miles centered on Muncie, and 2.5 miles in Richmond. Five more miles will be added to the south end of the Muncie section this summer.

I rode the entire 75 mile corridor round trip this spring and found it to give a wonderful variety of experiences. I was also glad to see that the north end could be easily connected to the Sweetser Switch Trail, adding another 6-10 miles to the entire corridor."

"I biked the entire length of the trail this October. I found it very easy to ride. The northern half to Gaston was beautiful with the fall colors on the trees.

If you get a chance, you should definitely get on this trail. I graduated from Ball State and I only wish it had been there when I was in school."

"I visited Muncie for the first time in August 2002 to attend a friend's wedding. I usually take my bike along on trips like this to ride the local roads. I did not know about the trail until one of the wedding party informed me of its existence.

I found the trail easily and rode its entire 20 mile length over a 2 day period. I was impressed with its wide and smooth surface. The right of way was well maintained and well signed. I have ridden many bike trails, mostly in the east, and the Cardinal Greenway was one of the finest trails I have ever ridden."

This was the first rail-to-trail I'd ever been on. I had a great bike ride and will always remember it with the best of other fine adventures I've been on. I think that not converting any of the old railways to useful recreational pathways is going to be a terrible loss.

"A 2.5 mile section of the Cardinal Greenway Trail opened in Richmond during October 2000. This trail crosses the beautiful Whitewater Gorge on a 700+ foot trestle and again over the Whitewater River. For a map to the trailhead, visit WayNet.org the North 3rd St. Trailhead."