Explore the best rated trails in Madison, IN. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Ohio River Greenway and Big Four Bridge. With more than 12 trails covering 97 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.
This trail is lots of fun. I did the Southern section by starting at Noblitt Park and winding along the Flat Rock river and through Mill Race park. You end up at the Western edge of Columbus. The Northern section was even better. I started at the airport next to the Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum and the newly installed C-119 ‘Flying Boxcar’ troop and cargo transport. First you navigate through a commercial section that leads to a short time on low-travelled city streets. Then you rejoin the well paved path that winds South along Haw Creek and the Greenbelt golf course. Very serene ride through a cityscape with a wonderful mixture of nature and neighborhoods.
Good condition, well lighted, good for walking and cycling. Nice amenities, well marked, security cameras in place, connects to other nearby trail systems.
Tale of 2 trails….maybe 3
All the glowing reviews are for the Parklands of Floyds Fork. Look out when you go downtown!!!
5 stars for Floyds but 2 stars for downtown.
We parked at Turkey Run Park on Seatonville Rd. Turned out to be almost perfect midpoint. Rode 10 miles North to end at Miles Garden. All concrete except for the section North of Taylorsville Rd. Relatively flat except for the tough long climb North of Taylorsville and then at the very end approaching Miles Garden.
In the afternoon we parked at the South end at Broad Run Park. Rode about 10 miles North to Turkey Run. Much different experience. Same great trail surface, but many more hills. I think we had 3 steep climbs. I got off and pushed on a couple. Windy downhills were fun though. Amazing that this beautiful park is not tax supported. A real gem indeed!
Downtown is a different story. Parked at Big Four and headed West. Pretty nice for first couple miles. Started seeing some homeless tents under I-64 past the Science Center parking around 9th Street. Had some folks riding go carts and scooters on the trail and wouldn’t move over for bicycles. The real “fun” started after the railroad underpass where trail turns right. Down a sidewalk with some flood level markers in the pavement, then a couple sharp turns into a wooded park. Pavement ends. All dirt and mud. Abandoned cars. We finally turned around when we got to a bridge with mud halfway up to the railings. (see pic) Do yourself a favor. Turnaround when you see the sign at Portland Wharf Park that says Loop Alt Route. (see pic) Was about 4.2 miles from Big Four to Portland Wharf.
Enjoyed the wide diversity of the 3 rides. Definitely a big change from a typical flat and straight Rail-Trail…..bikin-Mike….Aug 2022
A great trail that offers everything for the cyclist. Rolling hills, switchbacks, bridges over water & ravines, pallisades + lots of maintained trail heads.
Rode out & back from Fisherville Paddling Access, through Pope Lick Park, to Seatonville Road. Excellent facilities and great trail surface. What more could you ask for?
I came from Florida to do this trail. It’s very well maintained, sections have shade with other areas open, and it’s not crowded.
I did a total of 16 miles along the levy by the Casino Hotel and the Dearborn Trail. I didn’t do the first part that starts in Glendale because of the .6 mile break in trail. Very pleasant, well maintained, and not crowded on a Thursday.
We called this bridge day because we started on the east end of the Louisville side of the Ohio River at the beginning of the trail and then traveled west and actually saw and four bridges. The concrete trail meanders along the waterfront and is a very beautiful and well-maintained trail. There was a concert being set up at the waterfront area which we had to detour around which was very easy: we went all the way to the section past the railroad yard, where the mud disallowed us to go further; There was a homeless community underneath the bridge; Towards the end of the West Trail, there is a really interesting section where the markings of how high the river came during floods is embedded in the sidewalk that you bike along.
I started by the baseball field and it looked like a nice path but the trail ends and you just run thru the residential area.
We rode a part of the southeast loop today. 11 miles of it, 22 total miles. Rest stops with air pumps. Nice wide paved throughout. Ya need to go if you have a chance.
One southern point said Parking however there was no parking. Went to another location to park and had a nice shady ride along the river for almost a mile and the trail was closed with no detours shown. I biked through a golf course and then back the way I came. Tried to head south but the routes were on city streets or through a park to get to the river garden. Not clear where to go. Very unsatisfactory
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