Explore the best rated trails in Richmond, IN. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Great-Little Trail and Mad River Trail. With more than 41 trails covering 4460 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 Mad River Trail offers a paved route connecting a handful of parks along its namesake river in northeastern Dayton. The scenic pathway is also part of one of the nation's largest network of paved,...
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Muncie's White River Greenway follows the course of its namesake river through the city between W. White River Boulevard at W. River Road and N. Gavin Street at Bunch Boulevard. The trail corridor...
The Ohio to Erie Trail is a colossal project, not just for the state of Ohio but also nationally. Dreamed up more than 25 years ago, this route will eventually connect the Ohio River in Cincinnati to...
The Little Miami Scenic Trail is a jewel in the crown of Ohio rail-trails, spanning just over 78 miles from the outskirts of Cincinnati to Springfield over historical bridges and through tranquil...
Centerville’s Archway Trail runs adjacent to a new road on a former railroad corridor that connects downtown to a recently developed neighborhood. The wide, paved trail is one of several open...
The short Union City Gateway Trail is significant in that it was the first trail to cross the Indiana–Ohio border. A highlight along the paved pathway is the beautifully landscaped park on both sides...
D Street Trailhead Park is nestled along Richmond’s waterfront on the East Fork of the Whitewater River. From the park, travelers can go north on the Cardinal Greenway (which, at 62 miles, is...
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The 7-mile Iron Horse Trail (open in two disconnected segments) utilizes approximately 2 miles of former Penn Central right-of-way, providing users a pleasant route through neighborhoods, as well as a...
The growing Mill Creek Greenway Trail follows one of Cincinnati’s most important urban waterways and will one day stretch 14 miles through the city's northern neighborhoods. Groundwork Cincinnati is a...
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Ohio’s Miami River Valley, with 340 miles of off-road trails, is home to one of the nation’s largest paved trail networks. Heading northwest from Dayton, the Wolf Creek Trail is one piece of this...
The Dayton Kettering Connector combines a historic rail-trail and bike lanes, and shared road riding for 7 miles between the two municipalities. The off-road portion is 1.9 miles long and sits in the...
The Creekside Trail is part of a network of more than 340 miles of trails that travel throughout Ohio’s scenic Miami Valley. The route follows a nature-filled corridor offering many opportunities for...
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 Stillwater River Bikeway winds through Dayton's northern suburbs, following the tree-lined eastern shore of its namesake waterway for much of the way. Two disconnected segments of trail are...
The Great Miami River Trail is the backbone of one of the nation’s largest paved trail networks, spanning 340 miles throughout Ohio’s Miami Valley. The route connects beautiful natural areas, small...
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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...
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Crossing from one end of Shelbyville to the other, the Blue River Trail provides a safe way for residents to walk or bike to a number of parks whilst enjoying the proximity to the city's beloved...
When complete, the Hamilton Belt Line Trail will wrap 3 miles along a former CSX right-of-way around the west side of Hamilton. In its heyday, Champion Paper Mill used the line track to move coal and...
How can a trail be great and little? When it connects two of the Miami Valley's most popular regional trails, the Great Miami River Trail in the west, to the Little Miami Scenic Trail in the east. The...
The straight, paved Pennsy Trail (not to be confused with the Pennsy Greenway located farther north in the Chicago suburbs) occupies a portion of the old right-of-way of the Pennsylvania Railroad...
The Sharon Woods Loop Trail encircles a picturesque lake in popular Sharon Woods in Sharonville. The county park offers a visitor center, boathouse, golf course, picnic areas and athletic fields over...
The Lebanon Countryside YMCA Trail offers 8 miles of paved pathway winding through Lebanon, from downtown to a connection to the 78-mile Little Miami Scenic Trail. The trail begins in the north near...
The Progress Parkway Trail is a flat, hardtop shared-use path running along the east edge of Shelbyville, Indiana. Despite its name, the trail actually starts along Lee Boulevard, on the east edge of...
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The Henry County segment of the National Road Heritage Trail runs for nearly 5 miles over two segments. One runs from N. West Street in Raysville east to CR 425 W in Ogden (2 miles); the other between...
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...
Ohio’s Miami River Valley, with 340 miles of off-road trails, is home to one of the nation’s largest paved trail networks. Heading northwest from Dayton, the Wolf Creek Trail is one piece of this...
The Mad River Trail offers a paved route connecting a handful of parks along its namesake river in northeastern Dayton. The scenic pathway is also part of one of the nation's largest network of paved,...
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 Ohio to Erie Trail is a colossal project, not just for the state of Ohio but also nationally. Dreamed up more than 25 years ago, this route will eventually connect the Ohio River in Cincinnati to...
Planes, trains and automobiles: the Anderson Airport Trail in Madison County has it all. The asphalt trail begins at the perimeter of the Anderson Municipal Airport runway in Chesterfield and allows...
Muncie's White River Greenway follows the course of its namesake river through the city between W. White River Boulevard at W. River Road and N. Gavin Street at Bunch Boulevard. The trail corridor...
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 Stillwater River Bikeway winds through Dayton's northern suburbs, following the tree-lined eastern shore of its namesake waterway for much of the way. Two disconnected segments of trail are...
The Celina Coldwater Bikeway is an early rail-with-trail project from the 1980s. Long a popular trail, users follow the Penn Central Railroad between the village of Coldwater and the city of Celina,...
When complete, the Hamilton Belt Line Trail will wrap 3 miles along a former CSX right-of-way around the west side of Hamilton. In its heyday, Champion Paper Mill used the line track to move coal and...
The 7-mile Iron Horse Trail (open in two disconnected segments) utilizes approximately 2 miles of former Penn Central right-of-way, providing users a pleasant route through neighborhoods, as well as a...
How can a trail be great and little? When it connects two of the Miami Valley's most popular regional trails, the Great Miami River Trail in the west, to the Little Miami Scenic Trail in the east. The...
Piqua City Linear Park was constructed on an abandoned railroad bed from the city's easternmost point to its westernmost point. Midway, it connects to the Great Miami River Trail and is part of the...
The growing Mill Creek Greenway Trail follows one of Cincinnati’s most important urban waterways and will one day stretch 14 miles through the city's northern neighborhoods. Groundwork Cincinnati is a...
The Tecumseh Trail Multi-use Pathway offers a pleasant route, partially on the former Pennsylvania Railroad's Columbus-to-Saint Louis freight mainline. The rail route was also once used for Lincoln's...
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Connersville's Nickel Plate Trail is situated in rural eastern Indiana, not far from the state's border with Ohio. Its trailhead is located at the intersection of 32nd Street and Park Road and, from...
Hydraulic Canal Run begins in picturesque French Park, where stands of mature trees provide the perfect shady spots to picnic. From here, you can also connect to Piqua City Linear Park, a rail-trail...
The Progress Parkway Trail is a flat, hardtop shared-use path running along the east edge of Shelbyville, Indiana. Despite its name, the trail actually starts along Lee Boulevard, on the east edge of...
The paved Tecumseh Trail skirts the quaint city of New Carlisle. The trail takes users through some beautiful wooded areas along a former railroad corridor and connects to Smith Park. At the popular...
Wilbur Wright Trail will one day extend from New Castle (in Henry County) to Losantville (in Randolph County), where it will connect to the Cardinal Greenway, the longest rail-trail in Indiana. The...
How can a trail be great and little? When it connects two of the Miami Valley's most popular regional trails, the Great Miami River Trail in the west, to the Little Miami Scenic Trail in the east. The...
The Wright Brothers Huffman Prairie Bikeway runs from South Street in downtown Fairborn, along the north side of Kauffman Avenue adjacent to an active rail line, to National Road. At that point, the...
The Lebanon Countryside YMCA Trail offers 8 miles of paved pathway winding through Lebanon, from downtown to a connection to the 78-mile Little Miami Scenic Trail. The trail begins in the north near...
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 Canal Feeder Trail begins at Graceland Cemetery on the south end of Sidney and continues southwest on a former historical canal towpath dating back to the 1840s. The paved trail parallels the...
The Steve Whalen Boulevard Bikeway is a short neighborhood trail in East Dayton. The trail parallels the boulevard of the same name, starting at its intersection with Hamilton Avenue, and then heading...
The Henry County segment of the National Road Heritage Trail runs for nearly 5 miles over two segments. One runs from N. West Street in Raysville east to CR 425 W in Ogden (2 miles); the other between...
D Street Trailhead Park is nestled along Richmond’s waterfront on the East Fork of the Whitewater River. From the park, travelers can go north on the Cardinal Greenway (which, at 62 miles, is...
The straight, paved Pennsy Trail (not to be confused with the Pennsy Greenway located farther north in the Chicago suburbs) occupies a portion of the old right-of-way of the Pennsylvania Railroad...
Ohio’s Miami River Valley, with 340 miles of off-road trails, is home to one of the nation’s largest paved trail networks. Heading northwest from Dayton, the Wolf Creek Trail is one piece of this...
When complete, the Hamilton Belt Line Trail will wrap 3 miles along a former CSX right-of-way around the west side of Hamilton. In its heyday, Champion Paper Mill used the line track to move coal and...
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 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 Franklin Township Greenway Trail runs on flat terrain through conservation, agriculture and residential areas just beyond the southern shoreline of Grand Lake, Ohio’s largest inland lake. Portions...
The Great Miami River Trail is the backbone of one of the nation’s largest paved trail networks, spanning 340 miles throughout Ohio’s Miami Valley. The route connects beautiful natural areas, small...
I longboarded south from the memorial park, and the trail is super smooth and well maintained until you round the corner. Rough path from then on; potholes, big cracks, chert rock, logs, etc.
I went Longboarding here (there’s a sign or two that say “no in-line skates”, so I technically didn’t break any rules ¿). I didn’t mind the $5 to get in, but I do wish the path was a bit smoother. Overall, the path is pretty narrow, with a number of blind turns (usually at the bottom of a hill, of course), many ups and downs, and absolutely Gorgeous views of the water and woods. I’ll keep visiting periodically for as long as they keep letting me skate.
Really nice for running. The path is very well kept, not too busy, and felt very safe.
Great trail! Great for bike riding, running, walking and with your dog!! I rode 30 miles on the trail one day. Love it.
The OTET is not the ETOT. I found out why when cyclists were flying past me Northbound as I fought headwinds Southbound. Yes the winds wind up the Ohio Valley hence the trail is named Ohio To Erie Trail. I was southbound because after my glorious arrival and celebration in Cincinnati I continued through Louisville, Mammoth Cave and Nashville to our daughters horse farm in Shelbyville TN totaling 721 wondrous miles of memories and new acquaintances both 2-legged and 4-legged. I suggest using credit card
Nice easy path. There was one tree down that was easy to get around. We did our route on horse back.
I ride from my house starting at iron horse trail going north across Linden to creekside trail connector and follow it to Xenia Station which gives me a total of 30 miles up and back. The last 2 times I have been on my ride I have seen a total of 6 deer. I seen 4 deer today crossing the bikeway at Factory Rd. I ride this trail 3 times a week for a total of 90 miles. If you have not biked on this trail it is well worth it. The trail is mostly flat with lots of scenery along the way. It is a little crowded on the weekends so I bike m-w-f and just a few walkers and bikers. I will be 70 the end of this month and biking in my opinion is a great way to stay in shape.
A huge shoutout to the organizations that put this trail together, maintain, and promote it - its remarkably well done. There are a few spots that could use some more signage (Westerville is pretty bad) but overall from top to bottom it's hard to get lost. I did this trail in 4.5 days from Cincinnati to Cleveland the last week of October with almost no bike experience. I also used a busted up old mountain bike from the 90s and had pretty much no problem with it.
I rode this trail through Muncie today, as an addition to my Cardinal Greenway ride. Much of this trail runs along the White River, giving some great river views that largely aren't part of the Cardinal Greenway. It also takes you by Minnetrista and some well-architected historic houses, and lets you see more of Muncie than just sticking to the Cardinal Greenway would - not to mention allowing a lot more people in Muncie to access the Cardinal Greenway without driving.
The trail has also been expanded since the TrailLink map was updated. It now goes under the railroad by North Gavin St, and continues along the river and some switchbacks before crossing a bridge known as Bridge #85 south of East Jackson Street, connecting back up with the Cardinal Greenway west of the river. This forms a loop option you can take with the Cardinal Greenway and the White River Greenway in Muncie. Technically the trail is closed under the railroad (perhaps they need to add protection for falling cargo from trains?), but with a very short segment on Bunch Boulevard, you can bypass the closure and get right back on the trail on the opposite side of the tracks.
I discovered this trail at the southern end of the Cardinal Greenway, and figured why not check out the trail by the gorge? It may well be the most scenic part of the entire connected trail system, going up to Gaston and including the White River Greenway Trail in Muncie. There's lots of green, a river (albeit usually hidden from view), and a good amount of elevation change in a short time. Definitely worth adding on to a Cardinal Greenway ride if you have the stamina to spare.
There also are some nice parks along the way, including by the piano/record factory, and at the veterans park near the northern edge, where you can see the difference in size between a light tank and a main battle tank in real life.
Still, there are a couple shortcomings that make this a trail that could easily be a 5, but isn't quite there yet. The largest is that there is a section near the southern end where the pavement is quite rough, which also corresponds with the steepest area, making it potentially hazardous. The connector up to the high school is even steeper and in rougher condition. There should be the next priority for fixing up.
There also was a tree across the trail almost at the southern terminus, which appeared to have been there for some time, and several of the wooden benches in the southern section were not in great condition any more.
It did look like the section by the veterans park was pretty new trail, and that the overseers were still working on an overlook above that park, so this trail may well still be receiving investment. With a little TLC on the southern section as well, it would definitely be a 5 star trail.
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.
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