Explore the best rated trails in North Vernon, IN. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Polly Grimshaw Trail and Clarksville Levee Trail. With more than 14 trails covering 109 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 Franklin Greenway Trail (also known as the Franklin Historic Trail) is 3.4 miles of paths threading through Franklin’s parks while connecting community amenities such as schools, community centers...
Bloomington’s Polly Grimshaw Trail is a short rail-with-trail that provides a crucial link from the city’s east side to State Route 45, close to Indiana University. The trail runs between apartments...
In the 1890s, pre-eminent landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. envisioned large community parks connected to the neighborhoods of Louisville via “ribbons of green.” His tree-lined parkways...
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Bloomington's Clear Creek Trail runs between Tapp Road in the north and the Blooming Rail Trail in the south, linking with the latter just north of Church Lane. Although the Clear Creek Trail is...
The Columbus People Trail offers an easy and convenient way for residents in this small Indiana city to get around by bike or on foot. The network comprises more than 15 miles of sidewalks, on-road...
The B-Line Trail in Bloomington runs for 3 miles between Adams Street (near the railroad tracks) and West Country Club Drive. The trail passes through downtown Bloomington and by a railroad...
The Shaker Trace Trail forms a loop around Miami Whitewater Forest, the largest county-run park in Hamilton County. The fully-accessible, paved trail runs for nearly 8 miles through the park’s...
The Clarksville Levee Trail, as its name suggests, winds through Clarksville, Indiana, on top of the levees designed to hold back the Ohio River in the event of rising water. Trail users might want to...
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The Greendale segment runs 1 mile between Walnut Street and Hollywood Boulevard at Eads Parkway, paralleling Eads Parkway/US 50 on the east side. There's a short gap (0.6 mile) in the trail between...
The Tracy Trail is a short suburban greenway in the town of Greenwood. The trail runs northsouth between Summerfield Park and just north of Woodman Park near Southwest Elementary School. The open...
The Bloomington Rail Trail is a 2-mile segment of crushed stone that runs through a suburban wooded corridor. The trail extends between W. Country Club Drive in the north and Church Lane in the...
The Heritage Trail of Madison connects the downtown of Madison, Indiana, with its steep hilltop section. Begin your journey at the intersection of Vaughn Drive and Vernon Street along the Ohio River....
The Clarksville Heritage Trail links the residential heart of Clarksville, Indiana, with its growing trail system and two local parks. The trail, which occupies an abandoned Dinky Line railroad...
The Shaker Trace Trail forms a loop around Miami Whitewater Forest, the largest county-run park in Hamilton County. The fully-accessible, paved trail runs for nearly 8 miles through the park’s...
The Clarksville Heritage Trail links the residential heart of Clarksville, Indiana, with its growing trail system and two local parks. The trail, which occupies an abandoned Dinky Line railroad...
In the 1890s, pre-eminent landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. envisioned large community parks connected to the neighborhoods of Louisville via “ribbons of green.” His tree-lined parkways...
The Heritage Trail of Madison connects the downtown of Madison, Indiana, with its steep hilltop section. Begin your journey at the intersection of Vaughn Drive and Vernon Street along the Ohio River....
The Bloomington Rail Trail is a 2-mile segment of crushed stone that runs through a suburban wooded corridor. The trail extends between W. Country Club Drive in the north and Church Lane in the...
The Tracy Trail is a short suburban greenway in the town of Greenwood. The trail runs northsouth between Summerfield Park and just north of Woodman Park near Southwest Elementary School. The open...
The Greendale segment runs 1 mile between Walnut Street and Hollywood Boulevard at Eads Parkway, paralleling Eads Parkway/US 50 on the east side. There's a short gap (0.6 mile) in the trail between...
The Milwaukee Road Transportation Trailway will one day stretch 20 miles through southwestern Indiana from Bedford to Indian Springs. The region’s rural beauty will be showcased along the way with...
The B-Line Trail in Bloomington runs for 3 miles between Adams Street (near the railroad tracks) and West Country Club Drive. The trail passes through downtown Bloomington and by a railroad...
The Columbus People Trail offers an easy and convenient way for residents in this small Indiana city to get around by bike or on foot. The network comprises more than 15 miles of sidewalks, on-road...
Bloomington's Clear Creek Trail runs between Tapp Road in the north and the Blooming Rail Trail in the south, linking with the latter just north of Church Lane. Although the Clear Creek Trail is...
The Clarksville Levee Trail, as its name suggests, winds through Clarksville, Indiana, on top of the levees designed to hold back the Ohio River in the event of rising water. Trail users might want to...
Bloomington’s Polly Grimshaw Trail is a short rail-with-trail that provides a crucial link from the city’s east side to State Route 45, close to Indiana University. The trail runs between apartments...
The Franklin Greenway Trail (also known as the Franklin Historic Trail) is 3.4 miles of paths threading through Franklin’s parks while connecting community amenities such as schools, community centers...
Bloomington’s Polly Grimshaw Trail is a short rail-with-trail that provides a crucial link from the city’s east side to State Route 45, close to Indiana University. The trail runs between apartments...
Bloomington's Clear Creek Trail runs between Tapp Road in the north and the Blooming Rail Trail in the south, linking with the latter just north of Church Lane. Although the Clear Creek Trail is...
The Bloomington Rail Trail is a 2-mile segment of crushed stone that runs through a suburban wooded corridor. The trail extends between W. Country Club Drive in the north and Church Lane in the...
In the 1890s, pre-eminent landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. envisioned large community parks connected to the neighborhoods of Louisville via “ribbons of green.” His tree-lined parkways...
The Shaker Trace Trail forms a loop around Miami Whitewater Forest, the largest county-run park in Hamilton County. The fully-accessible, paved trail runs for nearly 8 miles through the park’s...
The Milwaukee Road Transportation Trailway will one day stretch 20 miles through southwestern Indiana from Bedford to Indian Springs. The region’s rural beauty will be showcased along the way with...
The Tracy Trail is a short suburban greenway in the town of Greenwood. The trail runs northsouth between Summerfield Park and just north of Woodman Park near Southwest Elementary School. The open...
The Greendale segment runs 1 mile between Walnut Street and Hollywood Boulevard at Eads Parkway, paralleling Eads Parkway/US 50 on the east side. There's a short gap (0.6 mile) in the trail between...
The B-Line Trail in Bloomington runs for 3 miles between Adams Street (near the railroad tracks) and West Country Club Drive. The trail passes through downtown Bloomington and by a railroad...
The Clarksville Heritage Trail links the residential heart of Clarksville, Indiana, with its growing trail system and two local parks. The trail, which occupies an abandoned Dinky Line railroad...
The Columbus People Trail offers an easy and convenient way for residents in this small Indiana city to get around by bike or on foot. The network comprises more than 15 miles of sidewalks, on-road...
The Clarksville Levee Trail, as its name suggests, winds through Clarksville, Indiana, on top of the levees designed to hold back the Ohio River in the event of rising water. Trail users might want to...
The Heritage Trail of Madison connects the downtown of Madison, Indiana, with its steep hilltop section. Begin your journey at the intersection of Vaughn Drive and Vernon Street along the Ohio River....
The Franklin Greenway Trail (also known as the Franklin Historic Trail) is 3.4 miles of paths threading through Franklin’s parks while connecting community amenities such as schools, community centers...
Beautiful trail, lots of wildlife.
We rode the Parklands section of this trail only. It is one of the most amazing trails I have ever ridden. While riding this part of the trail you don't feel like you are near the city. This is not a straight flat rail-trail. This is a purpose built trail that has sections with challenging hills, sharp curves, switchbacks and river bottoms. The scenery is beautiful and varied. There are rest stops and water at frequent intervals. The restrooms were clean and well kept. The trail links a series of parks. There is a little more congestion at the parks but people seemed courteous. The trail surface alternates between cement and asphalt sections. The cement parts are like giant sidewalks and are wide and smooth. The sections that go through hilly areas are mostly asphalt and also smooth and wide with the exception of a couple of small bridges that had large bumps at either end. The majority of road crossings are bridges or tunnels. A handful were on lightly traveled roads with part of those being at 4-way stops. All along the trail are separate hiking trails if you want to get off the bike for awhile. There are also areas to access the river for canoes and kayaks. Both the trail and river have mile markers. There are bike and boat rentals available at one of the parks. We ended up riding this trail end to end for several days straight because we enjoyed it so much. It is definitely a destination trail and worth a couple hours drive. When riding this trail you get the feeling that it is cared for by people who know they have a jewel and want to keep it that way.
A friend and I rode most of the Ohio River Valley segment on a cool, sunny day in March. We parked by Eva Bardman and rode west and south, out and back. Pro’s: - historical signs downtown and in Shawnee and Chickasaw Parks - the parks themselves - riding past older houses in Shawnee and Chickasaw neighborhoods - great view up and down the River from the Big Four bridge Con’s: - lack of signage on the route, which goes from trail to road to trail .... Frequently you come to a turn or a T-intersection and have no idea which way to turn. Example: no sign to go north on Lee Lane. - downtown the trail winds around concrete pillars supporting the expressway. Hard to see (dim) and unmarked. - very few places to eat or get coffee close to the trail.
We split the Parklands of Floyds Fork trail section of the Loop into two days; arriving late Saturday we rode north from Pope Lick Park to Miles Garden, approx. 13 miles O&B. We unloaded at the park; a very safe & secure area with lots of cyclist. The north section of the trail starts out switching back uphill then meandering through a flat section to another uphill switchback section at the trailhead. We stayed the evening at an idyllically turreted B&B just east of the park and enjoyed a great meal at an upscale mussel & burger restaurant in Jeffersontown.
On Sunday, we rode south to Broad Run Park, approx. 28 miles O&B. This south section of the trail starts out relatively flat but does gradually leads to more challenging grades (incredibly fun downhills). Make sure you stop at the overlook to view where you rode, the B-F Silo. Post ride lunch was at a great mac & pizza joint in downtown Jeffersontown.
This is a beautiful, well maintained, multiple use (kayaking next) trail through park lands, creek sides and hilly woods. All of Louisville should be proud of this privately supported park and thanks for sharing with our family!
Rode from Turkey Run trailhead all the way north to Beckley Creek Park. Agree completely with previous review by davemarshall. It's just beautiful and on a hot day the numerous shelters and water fountains are very welcome.
To me, the only negative is that the trail is almost entirely concrete slabs, which means cracks between every slab. Every third or fourth one is wider than the others and so I really felt them as I rode over thousands of them. Many of those cracks have the remains of what looked to be a rubber-like padding, but they have deteriorated to the point of ineffectiveness now. Now, this may not even bother you and I did get used to it to some degree. And the faster you go, the less you'll feel them. But for me, it was the only drawback. Even if you think it might bother you somewhat, it shouldn't stop you from riding this beautiful, unique trail.
I ride some portion of this incredible park system of trails 3-5 times a week and it’s never the same ride twice. The actual “Louisville Loop” is a proposed 100 mile trail around the city, but right now it’s more like three disconnected segments , each great in its own right. I’d estimate you can ride about 60 miles of it now. You can ride along the Ohio River on the Louisville waterfront and take the very cool Big Four Bridge across the Ohio River into Indiana and ride for 15-20 miles there as well. It’s big city but you don’t share the road with cars and it’s a great ride. Amazing views of the river with restaurants, coffee shops and ice cream on the Indiana side. It’s cool to sit in the middle of the bridge with classical music being piped in! The next major portion open is along the west side along the Ohio River from the Farnsley Moreman House towards Louisville. The trail is flat, paved , with multiple rest areas along the way. It’s often called the levee trail as it runs along the top of the levee! Mike Linnings is a local favorite fish place and it even has its own “off ramp”. Great views of the Ohio River and very little traffic. But the absolute jewel of the system that is worth a drive from anywhere in on the east coast or mid America is the portion called The Parklands. It’s a system of five separate parks, all connected with a wide, paved bike and pedestrian path. No cars to deal with. It covers every kind of terrain you could want, from very challenging hills, to pristine meadows, rolling hills, cool forests, river views, winding paths through cornfields and wildflowers everywhere. There are numerous access points but the trail runs from Shelbyville Road in the north (Beckley Creek Park) to Bardstown Road in the south (Broad Run Park). It’s a little over 40 miles round trip but quite a workout with some big hills near Broad Run. There are five segments, each with a trailhead, water, restrooms, picnic area and bike repair stations at most parking areas. From Beckley Creek it’s very scenic with rolling hills, meadows and a few decent hills. As you descend into Pope Lick Park, there are all the facilities you need. Heading out from Pope Lick is easily the most pristine and enjoyable part of the trail system. It’s called the Strand and is almost all flat following the river. Numerous bridges cross back and forth over Floyd’s Fork. It’s worth the drive alone. That part ends at Seatonville Road in Turkey Run Park. Restrooms and shade and water available. Leaving Seatonville you head up some challenging hills through the hills and woods of Kentucky and it’s absolutely gorgeous. More cool bridges await! You will come to the silo and another rest area in Turkey Run Park as well and if you have a hybrid or mountain bike they’ve just opened a mountain bike park right near the silo. You can climb the silo and get a birds eye view of it all. It’s great for the adventurer. There are several side trails, well marked for mountain or hybrid bikes to add some variety! The last portion goes from the silo to Broad Run Park, another hilly ride that flattens out at Broad Run Park with lots of bike options, including dirt paths along the river, paved paths through the meadow and a huge pavilion, spray park, picnic area and restrooms. If you combine this with the levee trail and Ohio River portion it makes a great biking weekend! I’ve ridden the Silver Comet, Great Allegheny Passage, Monon Trail, Katy Rail Trail and The Little Miami trail and would put this up against any of them. Not nearly as long as those iconic rail trails but a GREAT bike experience!
I've been on the B-Line Trail a few times. When I was in a group of three walking dogs it was nice with pretty views. The one time my car broke down and I biked the rest of the way to work on the B-Line, two guys started cat calling me and throwing insults in a dangerous and aggressive manner. It also felt like I was being followed at one point when I had to take a walk break.
Great trail but hard to find. Started on the Bedford side and even stopping to ask directions it was hard to locate. Also nowhere to park had to park on the street. For such a good trail you would think the city would do more to help out of owners locate it. If there was parking and signage would have given a 5.
Just rode this trail yesterday, but got stuck in the local coffee shop for 1.5 hours waiting for a strong storm cell to pass through. We almost gave up and headed home but the rain finally stopped and away we went. starting from the "U" street access there was parking but I think the parking area belongs to the business close by. Its a gravel area and I don't feel the business minds a few cars parked at the far end of their property. Although the trail has its ups and downs the overall flow is downhill from the "U" street starting point making the return trip a bit more aerobic. The trail was covered with forest debris and 6 downed trees due to the storm that just passed through. My son developed a slow leak in his rear tire at about the turn around point (10.2 miles out) so I topped off his tire pressure hoping it would hold out for the return. No such luck, with about 7 miles to go he went totally flat. we ended up fixing his tire right next to a guys house (the trail crossed over his front driveway). The owner came out to check on us. Great guy, retired, and offered his air compressor to fill the new tube. We were on our way in 10 minutes. I would recommend no smaller than 35mm width tires. we used our mountain bikes with larger tires and due to storm debris, I'm glad we did. When we got back to the car my sons front tire was nearly flat. What ever he hit, he got both tires. We decided to stop at a local restaurant called "Pappas". Very popular with the local Bedford residents. Its not fancy but the fried chicken was excellent and the wait staff was great. We enjoyed the trail and will ride it again. The three star rating is due to no water on the trail so bring plenty and a less than perfect parking situation. There are two porta-potties. One at the trailhead and one more about 4.5 miles out
Grateful to have this gem in my county. We utilize this entire trail for walking & biking whenever the weather allows.
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