Explore the best rated trails in Peru, IN. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Sweetser Switch Trail and Lafayette Linear Park. With more than 27 trails covering 3986 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 Lafayette Linear Park is a paved trail on the southern side of Lafayette, Indiana. The trail occupies a rail corridor once used by the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway...
Visitors to the Delphi Historic Trails network can tour the historical town of Delphi in north-central Indiana by foot or bicycle—or skis in the winter—on old canal towpaths and former railroad...
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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...
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...
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The Big 4 Trail is a developing rail-trail route across Boone County that will one day span 50 miles. Currently, three disconnected segments of the rail-trail are open. The name is a reference to the...
Kokomo's nickname is the "City of Firsts" and the Industrial Heritage Trail celebrates its progressive and inventive past with public art and signage highlighting the historic significance of some of...
Cattail Trail provides a pleasant route through West Lafayette, beginning in Pickett Memorial Park and winding north, making connections to the Purdue University campus. Along the way, you'll travel...
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A restored covered bridge that dates back to 1837 is the centerpiece of Noblesville’s White River Greenway, which opened in 1999. The level to gently rolling asphalt trail, which hugs the banks of the...
The White River Greenway in Anderson, IN is approximately 4.89 miles paved (with a small section of boardwalk) along the White River and continues approximately 1.7 miles unpaved. It links multiple...
The Nickel Plate Trail traverses rural Indiana from Rochester south to the outskirts of Kokomo, with a short gap in the middle in Peru. The rail-trail runs along the former corridor of the Peru &...
The Natalie Wheeler Trail provides a straight north-south route along Union Street/Westfield Boulevard in the Indianapolis metro area. Although it parallels the roadway, the trail's western side is...
The Little Turtle Waterway Trail covers 1 mile along the Wabash River and is part of a 5-acre park in downtown Logansport. The rail-trail part of the equation comes from what is called the Gateway,...
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...
Completed in late 2015, the Converse Junction Trail provides 2 miles of smooth asphalt along a former Penn Central railroad line, linking the small Indiana communities of Converse and Mier. The trail...
The Cloverleaf Trail is a recreational trail in Kokomo, Indiana, that was built on a former Norfolk Southern railroad bed. The trail extends from Madison Street to Markland Avenue, with an extension...
The River Bluff Trail follows the Eel River for 1.3 miles along an elevated, paved surface, traversing some wooded areas. There are no street crossings along the way; the trail stretches between SR...
The Monterey Erie Trail occupies the same railbanked corridor as the longer North Judson Erie Trail to its west, and the two rail-trails are planned to be linked in the future. The paved pathway...
The Syracuse-Wawasee Trail isn't a single path, rather it's a system of hiking and biking pathways, spreading across the Town of Syracuse, Syracuse Lake and Lake Wawasee. The trail system is 12 miles...
Indiana’s Panhandle Pathway follows a former Pennsylvania Railroad corridor out of Winamac south to Kenneth. Along the way, the trail links the communities of Star City, Thornhope, and Royal Center...
Note: This developing route is not yet fully contiguous – it is just over 50% complete. Please refer to the Trail Map for more information on the existing sections of trail, as well as the online...
The River Bluff Trail follows the Eel River for 1.3 miles along an elevated, paved surface, traversing some wooded areas. There are no street crossings along the way; the trail stretches between SR...
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 Big 4 Trail is a developing rail-trail route across Boone County that will one day span 50 miles. Currently, three disconnected segments of the rail-trail are open. The name is a reference to the...
Much of the Midland Trace Trail is still in the planning and development stage; however, three short, disconnected segments totaling nearly 2.5 miles have been constructed as of 2013. When...
Railroads helped Indianapolis grow into a transportation hub and manufacturing center beginning in the 1850s. One of those early railways that shaped the city’s future is remembered today along the...
Visitors to the Delphi Historic Trails network can tour the historical town of Delphi in north-central Indiana by foot or bicycle—or skis in the winter—on old canal towpaths and former railroad...
Kokomo's nickname is the "City of Firsts" and the Industrial Heritage Trail celebrates its progressive and inventive past with public art and signage highlighting the historic significance of some 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 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...
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Indiana’s Trolley Line Trail runs through popular Happy Hollow Park in West Lafayette. In addition to the paved trail, the 81-acre park offers a softball field, open turf area, hiking trails,...
The Natalie Wheeler Trail provides a straight north-south route along Union Street/Westfield Boulevard in the Indianapolis metro area. Although it parallels the roadway, the trail's western side is...
The Little Turtle Waterway Trail covers 1 mile along the Wabash River and is part of a 5-acre park in downtown Logansport. The rail-trail part of the equation comes from what is called the Gateway,...
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 Syracuse-Wawasee Trail isn't a single path, rather it's a system of hiking and biking pathways, spreading across the Town of Syracuse, Syracuse Lake and Lake Wawasee. The trail system is 12 miles...
Cattail Trail provides a pleasant route through West Lafayette, beginning in Pickett Memorial Park and winding north, making connections to the Purdue University campus. Along the way, you'll travel...
The Erie Trail (otherwise known as the North Judson Erie Trail) occupies the railbanked right-of-way of the former JK Line Railroad, running over eleven miles from downtown North Judson southeast to...
The Cloverleaf Trail is a recreational trail in Kokomo, Indiana, that was built on a former Norfolk Southern railroad bed. The trail extends from Madison Street to Markland Avenue, with an extension...
Completed in late 2015, the Converse Junction Trail provides 2 miles of smooth asphalt along a former Penn Central railroad line, linking the small Indiana communities of Converse and Mier. The trail...
A restored covered bridge that dates back to 1837 is the centerpiece of Noblesville’s White River Greenway, which opened in 1999. The level to gently rolling asphalt trail, which hugs the banks of the...
The White River Greenway in Anderson, IN is approximately 4.89 miles paved (with a small section of boardwalk) along the White River and continues approximately 1.7 miles unpaved. It links multiple...
Much of the Midland Trace Trail is still in the planning and development stage; however, three short, disconnected segments totaling nearly 2.5 miles have been constructed as of 2013. When...
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 Nickel Plate Trail traverses rural Indiana from Rochester south to the outskirts of Kokomo, with a short gap in the middle in Peru. The rail-trail runs along the former corridor of the Peru &...
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...
Railroads helped Indianapolis grow into a transportation hub and manufacturing center beginning in the 1850s. One of those early railways that shaped the city’s future is remembered today along the...
The Cloverleaf Trail is a recreational trail in Kokomo, Indiana, that was built on a former Norfolk Southern railroad bed. The trail extends from Madison Street to Markland Avenue, with an extension...
The Natalie Wheeler Trail provides a straight north-south route along Union Street/Westfield Boulevard in the Indianapolis metro area. Although it parallels the roadway, the trail's western side is...
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 Little Turtle Waterway Trail covers 1 mile along the Wabash River and is part of a 5-acre park in downtown Logansport. The rail-trail part of the equation comes from what is called the Gateway,...
Cattail Trail provides a pleasant route through West Lafayette, beginning in Pickett Memorial Park and winding north, making connections to the Purdue University campus. Along the way, you'll travel...
The White River Greenway in Anderson, IN is approximately 4.89 miles paved (with a small section of boardwalk) along the White River and continues approximately 1.7 miles unpaved. It links multiple...
The Sweetser Switch Trail is a “sweet” paved rail-trail and an important regional connector in spite of its short 4-mile length. The trail joins the 2-mile Converse Junction Trail in the west and a...
A restored covered bridge that dates back to 1837 is the centerpiece of Noblesville’s White River Greenway, which opened in 1999. The level to gently rolling asphalt trail, which hugs the banks of the...
The River Bluff Trail follows the Eel River for 1.3 miles along an elevated, paved surface, traversing some wooded areas. There are no street crossings along the way; the trail stretches between SR...
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 Lafayette Linear Park is a paved trail on the southern side of Lafayette, Indiana. The trail occupies a rail corridor once used by the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway...
The Syracuse-Wawasee Trail isn't a single path, rather it's a system of hiking and biking pathways, spreading across the Town of Syracuse, Syracuse Lake and Lake Wawasee. The trail system is 12 miles...
Completed in late 2015, the Converse Junction Trail provides 2 miles of smooth asphalt along a former Penn Central railroad line, linking the small Indiana communities of Converse and Mier. The trail...
Indiana’s Trolley Line Trail runs through popular Happy Hollow Park in West Lafayette. In addition to the paved trail, the 81-acre park offers a softball field, open turf area, hiking trails,...
The Erie Trail (otherwise known as the North Judson Erie Trail) occupies the railbanked right-of-way of the former JK Line Railroad, running over eleven miles from downtown North Judson southeast to...
This trail is a great gem for the community. I stopped by while visiting family and was thoroughly impressed by this trail. Yes there are some cracks, but not nearly as many as many other rail trails and most have pink spray paint to point them out for bikers and, I am assuming, to fix them. The trail is also a decent distance and is close by to an ice cream shop (perfect after a 90 degree ride!).
Going from Thorntown to Colfax is now open and is really nice. All paved round trip 11.01 miles. Going south to Lebanon is very rough. The new paving will not start from Sarum Plant road until 2023. The city of Lebanon got the contract to replace the trial. The are starting on the downtown trail in the city first. Very few will use it because not is too close to cars especially you have kids riding.
Mel and I rode our tandem on 14-15 April. We ride an old Pacific Tandem Fat Tire bike. It is not geared for climbing hills. On Thursday we rode from Tingler Rd trailhead to Richmond and back-15M. On Friday we rode from same trailhead in opposite direction 7.5 miles out, just passed the Williamsburg trailhead and back-15M. The weather was just right cool. We were extremely pleased with the mild terrain grade on both days! The other plus is how far apart the trail sections are from each stop sign. We love this trail! Beautiful farm country USA. Next week On our way back to Raleigh NC, we plan to ride another 2 days. We stayed at the Holiday Inn at Richmond IN. It was very convenient and a great place. We will stay there again next week.👍👌🤓
I use this as a connector from Beck Ln to Twykiham to get to the bank. It's beautiful covered path. I realize there are houses on one side and the railway on the other but in a wheelchair it's kind if creepy if you're alone.
I drove out to Noblesville to find a trailhead with parking. The path is definitely not for anyone on skates. The bridges were rickety wood making it impossible to pass over them. I drove further than I could skate.
There must be a new section because the trail extends to Lagro. Half a mile of it is on a farm road, but then it continues just before you arrive in Lagro.
I rode the section of the trail from Richmond to Gaston over two days - essentially, all except the part above the gap to the north. It's a really good trail, but there are just enough shortcomings that I hesitate to put it at 5 stars, particularly compared to trails I've been on in West Virginia and Pennsylvania earlier in the year.
First, I'll note that I didn't notice any pig farms, despite expecting to on the southern section, nor any Rottweilers. There were some cow farms and a horse farm, but the only hazard were the many walnuts on the trail. I did see two cats, a lot of chipmunks, and quite a few blue jays, though ironically not a single cardinal.
The scenery is mostly fairly narrow wooded areas, with farms on the other side, though there are a few areas of denser wooded areas, notably by the nature preserve south of Muncie. This can be pretty, but it's also only partially shaded, and the afternoon sun slices through the trees pretty effectively. If you're doing a longer section, I recommend going northwest in the morning, and southeast in the afternoon if possible. I was going northwest and west in the afternoon of the first day, and the sun was doing an admirable job of trying to blind my left eye.
Amenities are good, but just short of great. There are restrooms every 4-5 miles, most of them with hand sanitizer, which is quite good. There are a decent number of water fountains as well, but of the three I tried on the northern section, two smelled bad, and one (by the Hitching Post, technically off of the White River Greenway but close to the Cardinal Greenway) didn't work. The southern section was reliable in this area. Outside of Muncie, there aren't a lot of places to pick up water in the northern section either, so err on the side of packing more water than you'll need.
The trail condition is generally very good, though it can be a bit bumpy in spots in Muncie. McGalliard Road is a more highly trafficked road crossing than most trails have, but it has an island in the center so you only need half of it to be clear at a time. I recommend jogging the bike across halfway at a time if it's a busier time of day.
The elevation gain is not negligible. Including segments on the White River Greenway in Muncie, and the Whitewater Gorge Trail in Richmond, I logged over 2000 feet of elevation gain, and it was noticeable, especially on the southern section where there were moderate, but extended, hill climbs. By comparison, I logged less than 1200 feet of elevation gain on the Greenbrier Trail in West Virginia, which is also longer. So don't assume that because it's in Indiana, you won't have some decent climbs!
I also should note that it's worth going into town in Muncie, whether that's the White River Greenway, which intersects with the Cardinal Greenway in two places, or grabbing some food at some of the excellent restaurants or breweries downtown, which is easily accessible from the trail. I always try to find a cool town or city to serve as a base when exploring a new trail, and Muncie did a great job in that regard.
Got 6 miles in starting by Muncie.
This portion of the trail is just as the other couple parts I've experienced.
The paved trail is mostly flat, level and equally shaded/open.
The one thing to be aware of is a couple bad spots/cracks in the pavement that could result in an ankle injury or biking issue, but this should not deter one from using the trail.
So as always, if in the area and want to get a couple miles in, this should do.
Today was my first rails to trails ride and this one was amazing. Love the scenery and I plan to add many more to my list and come back to this trail again.
The trail is much longer than shown on this map. It continues through Noblesville to the intersection of SR 32 and Hague Road where there are further options. However, those who oversee the Westfield segment of the trail decided it was a good idea to allow golf carts on the trail. The trail, especially over bridges, is not much wider than a golf cart which makes this decision dangerous for walkers, runners, bikers, and children. The Noblesville section does not allow ANY motorized vehicles and is, therefore, much safer and more enjoyable.
This trail is shaded, and enjoyable — goes past farmland. I recommend a hybrid or mountain bike because some parts are bumpy old asphalt with some pea gravel. There are some roads to cross that are larger gravel. We got past thorntown and about 3-4 miles left of the trail to colfax was closed due to construction on a trail bridge. The workers said it should be open in a week or so. And you paved miles
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