Explore the best rated trails in Fort Wayne, IN. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Central City Trail and Pumpkinvine Nature Trail. With more than 25 trails covering 4000 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The DeKalb County Trail was constructed in 1976 and is called Indiana's first rail-trail. It runs between Morning Star Rd. at the Greenhurst Country Club in Auburn and Cedar Street along Wayne Street...
The Fishing Line Trail will someday span 12 miles between the cities of Kendallville and Rome City, Indiana. Noble Trails, the group behind this project, is in the process of acquiring the parcels...
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
When envisioning a canal towpath trail, most people probably picture a path surfaced with crushed stone where mules once led barges up an adjacent canal. Indeed, this is what once occupied the site of...
The Rieke Park Trail runs behind the large community park in Auburn, Indiana, on an abandoned New York Central Railroad corridor. The paved trail is shaded for most of its route, although it emerges...
The Wabash Cannonball Trail in northwest Ohio is actually two trails in one: its North Fork runs east–west for 46 miles and its South Fork makes up the balance of this nearly 63-mile trail. The forks...
The Shanklin-Mullet Trail, named for the two parks through which it runs, follows the Elkhart River through dense woodlands on the western side of Goshen. Mullet Park is a peaceful 15-acre open space,...
Although short at less than 1 mile long, the Paradise Spring Riverwalk Trail is well worth a trip. Located in eastern Wabash, the scenic loop trail winds through Paradise Spring Historical Park and...
For more than 4 miles, Angola's trail winds through the heart of the city, which sits in the northeast corner of Indiana, just 10 miles from the bordering states of Michigan and Ohio. The paved...
Celina's West Bank Trail follows the shoreline of the Grand Lake St. Marys, Ohio's largest inland lake, and offers beautiful views of the lake and Rotary Lighthouse, as well as providing access to...
The Decatur Greenway is an extensive collection of trails linking parks and other amenities on the eastern side of Decatur, Indiana. Begin your journey at the loop around Adams Memorial Hospital,...
Ridge Run Trail, in the northern Indiana town of Middlebury, offers helpful connections in the community. On its southern end, the paved pathway connects with the beloved Pumpkinvine Nature Trail,...
The scenic Winona Interurban Trail lies in the southeastern corner of Goshen near the Indiana–Michigan border. The paved pathway is part of the larger Maple City Greenway network that links...
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The Heritage Trail is nearly a 2-mile path located in Kasciusko county. It is part of a larger multi-use trail called the Lake City Greenway. The trail is just off of Winona Lake and also incorporates...
The Miami & Erie Canal was built between 1825 and 1845, an engineering marvel stretching from Cincinnati to Toledo. This canal was heavily used until competition from the railroad caused the decline...
The Rivergreenway is an impressive 30-mile linear park that is part of a growing network of trails in the cities of Fort Wayne and New Haven. The Rivergreenway connects neighborhoods, historical...
The Wilden Avenue Trail stretches for roughly 3 miles from the northern Goshen city limits to the community's downtown. In the north, the trail is a direct continuation of the MapleHeart Trail (and is...
Central City Trail runs right through the heart of the northern Indiana city of Goshen, connecting to the 17-mile Pumpkinvine Nature Trail on its northern end and Goshen College on its southern end....
The St. Joseph River Greenway begins on the southern outskirts of the small town of St. Joe, not far from the Indiana–Ohio border. The short paved trail (just over 1 mile long) runs through a scenic...
The name Pufferbelly comes from the historical nickname for a steam locomotive. As of 2018, the rail-trail stretches 4.9 miles. The north end of the trail begins in the Pentolina Grove neighborhood...
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
The St. Joseph River Greenway begins on the southern outskirts of the small town of St. Joe, not far from the Indiana–Ohio border. The short paved trail (just over 1 mile long) runs through a scenic...
The Pumpkinvine Nature Trail covers just over 17 miles between the towns of Goshen, Middlebury, and Shipshewana. The railroad line between Goshen and Middlebury served as a popular passenger and mail...
The DeKalb County Trail was constructed in 1976 and is called Indiana's first rail-trail. It runs between Morning Star Rd. at the Greenhurst Country Club in Auburn and Cedar Street along Wayne Street...
Ridge Run Trail, in the northern Indiana town of Middlebury, offers helpful connections in the community. On its southern end, the paved pathway connects with the beloved Pumpkinvine Nature Trail,...
The Wayne Avenue Trail serves as a pleasant east-west connector through the quiet, tree-filled neighborhoods of Middlebury in northern Indiana. On its west end, it provides residents with access to...
The Millrace Trail meanders through wooded parkland on the west side of downtown Goshen, a walkable town itself with historical buildings and nice shops. The scenic trail follows the hydraulic canal...
The Shanklin-Mullet Trail, named for the two parks through which it runs, follows the Elkhart River through dense woodlands on the western side of Goshen. Mullet Park is a peaceful 15-acre open space,...
The Rieke Park Trail runs behind the large community park in Auburn, Indiana, on an abandoned New York Central Railroad corridor. The paved trail is shaded for most of its route, although it emerges...
The Cardinal Greenway, the longest rail-trail in Indiana, connects Marion, Muncie, Losantville, Richmond and a host of other small towns in rural northeastern Indiana. The trail takes its name from...
The Rivergreenway is an impressive 30-mile linear park that is part of a growing network of trails in the cities of Fort Wayne and New Haven. The Rivergreenway connects neighborhoods, historical...
The Wilden Avenue Trail stretches for roughly 3 miles from the northern Goshen city limits to the community's downtown. In the north, the trail is a direct continuation of the MapleHeart Trail (and is...
Central City Trail runs right through the heart of the northern Indiana city of Goshen, connecting to the 17-mile Pumpkinvine Nature Trail on its northern end and Goshen College on its southern end....
When envisioning a canal towpath trail, most people probably picture a path surfaced with crushed stone where mules once led barges up an adjacent canal. Indeed, this is what once occupied the site of...
Although short at less than 1 mile long, the Paradise Spring Riverwalk Trail is well worth a trip. Located in eastern Wabash, the scenic loop trail winds through Paradise Spring Historical Park and...
The Wabash Cannonball Trail in northwest Ohio is actually two trails in one: its North Fork runs east–west for 46 miles and its South Fork makes up the balance of this nearly 63-mile trail. The forks...
Columbia City’s Blue River Trail weaves throughout the small city along the banks of the Eel River, linking residents with schools, businesses, activity hubs and parks. The main trailhead, which...
The Decatur Greenway is an extensive collection of trails linking parks and other amenities on the eastern side of Decatur, Indiana. Begin your journey at the loop around Adams Memorial Hospital,...
The Miami & Erie Canal was built between 1825 and 1845, an engineering marvel stretching from Cincinnati to Toledo. This canal was heavily used until competition from the railroad caused the decline...
The Heritage Trail is nearly a 2-mile path located in Kasciusko county. It is part of a larger multi-use trail called the Lake City Greenway. The trail is just off of Winona Lake and also incorporates...
Although short at less than 1 mile long, the Paradise Spring Riverwalk Trail is well worth a trip. Located in eastern Wabash, the scenic loop trail winds through Paradise Spring Historical Park and...
The Wilden Avenue Trail stretches for roughly 3 miles from the northern Goshen city limits to the community's downtown. In the north, the trail is a direct continuation of the MapleHeart Trail (and is...
The DeKalb County Trail was constructed in 1976 and is called Indiana's first rail-trail. It runs between Morning Star Rd. at the Greenhurst Country Club in Auburn and Cedar Street along Wayne Street...
The Rivergreenway is an impressive 30-mile linear park that is part of a growing network of trails in the cities of Fort Wayne and New Haven. The Rivergreenway connects neighborhoods, historical...
The Heritage Trail is nearly a 2-mile path located in Kasciusko county. It is part of a larger multi-use trail called the Lake City Greenway. The trail is just off of Winona Lake and also incorporates...
The Decatur Greenway is an extensive collection of trails linking parks and other amenities on the eastern side of Decatur, Indiana. Begin your journey at the loop around Adams Memorial Hospital,...
When envisioning a canal towpath trail, most people probably picture a path surfaced with crushed stone where mules once led barges up an adjacent canal. Indeed, this is what once occupied the site of...
The Pumpkinvine Nature Trail covers just over 17 miles between the towns of Goshen, Middlebury, and Shipshewana. The railroad line between Goshen and Middlebury served as a popular passenger and mail...
Central City Trail runs right through the heart of the northern Indiana city of Goshen, connecting to the 17-mile Pumpkinvine Nature Trail on its northern end and Goshen College on its southern end....
The St. Joseph River Greenway begins on the southern outskirts of the small town of St. Joe, not far from the Indiana–Ohio border. The short paved trail (just over 1 mile long) runs through a scenic...
The Wayne Avenue Trail serves as a pleasant east-west connector through the quiet, tree-filled neighborhoods of Middlebury in northern Indiana. On its west end, it provides residents with access to...
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
The Cardinal Greenway, the longest rail-trail in Indiana, connects Marion, Muncie, Losantville, Richmond and a host of other small towns in rural northeastern Indiana. The trail takes its name from...
The name Pufferbelly comes from the historical nickname for a steam locomotive. As of 2018, the rail-trail stretches 4.9 miles. The north end of the trail begins in the Pentolina Grove neighborhood...
Ridge Run Trail, in the northern Indiana town of Middlebury, offers helpful connections in the community. On its southern end, the paved pathway connects with the beloved Pumpkinvine Nature Trail,...
Columbia City’s Blue River Trail weaves throughout the small city along the banks of the Eel River, linking residents with schools, businesses, activity hubs and parks. The main trailhead, which...
The Shanklin-Mullet Trail, named for the two parks through which it runs, follows the Elkhart River through dense woodlands on the western side of Goshen. Mullet Park is a peaceful 15-acre open space,...
The scenic Winona Interurban Trail lies in the southeastern corner of Goshen near the Indiana–Michigan border. The paved pathway is part of the larger Maple City Greenway network that links...
The Fishing Line Trail will someday span 12 miles between the cities of Kendallville and Rome City, Indiana. Noble Trails, the group behind this project, is in the process of acquiring the parcels...
The Rieke Park Trail runs behind the large community park in Auburn, Indiana, on an abandoned New York Central Railroad corridor. The paved trail is shaded for most of its route, although it emerges...
Nice surface, it was nice not to be on the roads listening to cars.
Started from the trail head at Miller Athletic Complex; plenty of parking. Before I knew it I was at the end of the trail on Roy St. so I just rode the country roads south. Was peaceful as traffic was very light. They have several mountain bike trails which you can get to from Heritage so maybe one day I'll go back for that. Looks like Warsaw is like most cities with several trails. Be nice if they were connected.
This is a nice railtrail mostly through farm lands in the country land of Indiana! Make sure to pack lots of water as someone else said. We took water and still didn’t have enough! Thankfully we came upon one of the trailheads that had water. My husband was not happy with the water quality though ¿¿
Looking for a tough assignment? Try this one. I might be the first reviewer to have done this trail from end to end. This is the slowest 36 miles that I have ever done.
Why do it? My interest in the Miami and Erie Canal started as a kid, as the canal was part of the backyard of my parents' house near Dayton, about an hour's drive south.
In 2019, I set out to do this trail from its beginning in Ft, Loramie Ohio to its end in Delphos Ohio. It took me three attempts.
Some facts: The entire 274 mile length of the Miami and Erie Canal started in Cincinnati and ended somewhere near Toledo. This particular "Miami and Erie Canal Trail" trail covers about 36 miles of it. Another reviewer referred to "Farnsworth" ...actually, that is a misplaced review that belongs to the "Towpath Trail" which is not this trail, but easy to be confused, as that trail also is along a more northerly section of the same Miami and Erie Canal. (BTW the Towpath Trail is much easier than this one.)
It took me three tries to finish the Miami and Erie Trail (e.g., see comment about culvert) but it's feasible to do it in one trip if you know where you are going.
While the trail is "good," as in clearly marked, and hikers have no problem, it is not easy to cycle with a few exceptions. You will need a mountain bike to take it from end to end. Forget about taking your kid along for this one - it's really rugged in spots. Some parts of the trail are hard-paved, others are graveled, but much is grassland along the edge of farmers fields. Sometimes the trail disappears and you are riding the adjacent road.
Fort Loramie - In a word: disconnected. Go to the State Park and ride along the lake's edge on the road side, and do a quick tour of the park. The lake was a feeder to the canal. It's placid and pretty. Ride the road along the canal hiking trail, then you will come to Ohio Rt 66, and realize that the bike path isn't really there...it's someone's backyard, or - across the road - a rough uncut farmers field with ground hog burrows under the uncut grass. That might be Ok for hiking, but not for bikes. If you want to make it to Minster-New Bremen, then load the bike on your car, or ride the edge of OH 66.
Minster-New Bremen - this is a nice stretch, the trail is a mix of graveled and hard-paved path and canal-side streets. Stop at the AWESOME WORLD CLASS!!! Bicycle Museum of America. On display is the world's first bicycle .. the real deal.
Going north, expect the paving to be excellent for awhile, and suddenly you are riding through rough grassland along the edge of farm fields. Get used to it and enjoy the solitude and the relaxed speed of 6 mph. Sometimes you are on tire tracks in the woods. Nice!
As you approach St. Mary's OH. you realize you are again in people's yards, so you go back onto Ohio Rt 66 for a bit. Go into Geiger Park and get back in the trail, see the canal boat in the center of town, and then,,,you might get lost (as I did), ask for directions, it's OK. Friendly locals. Suddenly, you are dead-ended at a culvert (just too small and wet to be reasonable for biker, but a hiker, hmmm) that goes under the divided highway. Later, you learn that you were supposed to go left at the culvert, and cycle on the grass along the highway, go under the bridge, and you are back on track. It gets nice with 40 acre lake.
After St, Mary's comes Kossuth, then Spencerville - lots of grass pedaling until you reach the adjacent gravel pit, where the the trail is paved with stone chips. Nice!
Then continue onto Delphos, which is quizzical. What do they have in mind as they newly pave the trail (in process as I write this) but come to a dead-halt in someone's backyard?
Overall, a tough and sometimes confusing path combined with the world class bicycle museum. Glad to have done it.
as long as you don’t mind utilizing the sidewalks you can go all the way down to Fort Wayne Outfitters, whereupon the new park just opened up in front of their building! also a means of riding down to Turnstone, where I was a client back in ‘07
My biking pal & I did 15 miles today! Online maps made the trail look paved all the way to 109. But it went to grass & dirt after Oak Openings. It was a grand adventure anyways!
On July 30 I rode from Richmond to Economy return. It was a glorious ride! Loved it! Safe and shady most of the way. However, beware the Oak Mites! The next morning I woke up with welts all over my forehead, neck and shoulders. I had even showered immediately after my ride but I had a severe allergic reaction. I am not from this region and had never heard of these critters that can flourish in July and August especially in years when locusts also flourish. But the trail is so great I would do it again but take more precautions.
I rode 5.6 miles on an out-and-back ride on the West Bank Trail in Celina Ohio. The trail is located on the western shore of Grand Lake St. Marys in Mercer and Auglaize Counties of Ohio. The trail is flat with no elevation change. Most of the time you are riding right along the edge of the water. The West Bank Trail connects two parks, goes by the public boat launch, and passes quite a few boat docks. There are great views of the lake throughout the trail's length making it a very scenic ride.
One word of caution: the path is quite narrow in spots which could be problematic if the trail is crowded. Someone could end up in the lake.
Not bad for an urban trail. Many street crossings and some travel in a residential area. The map was useful because the trail in those areas is not marked in any way. The crossings are well marked and there is a traffic light where the trail crosses Hwy 127 specifically for the trail. So kudos to the developers there. The trail has been extended so now it goes to and into Pokagon State Park. At least doubling the trail length. As an earlier reviewer stated there are some nice hills.
If you start in Goshen, do yourself a favor Abshire Park to start. Very nice trail all around. Very well maintained trail offering plenty of beautiful scenery.
I use to spend hours on the old railway as a teen. I would walk from Washington Center Road past Smith Field all the way out to Gump Road and back. When the rails and ties were pulled the land owners blocked access to the trail. It will be great to see part of it reopened. My son spent hours with me on a bench at the airfield watching the planes land and take off.
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