Find the top rated trails in Shelbyville, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
_155855_st.jpg)
_0_st.jpg)
_0_st.jpg)
_73528_st.jpg){kind=spacer}
_0_st.jpg)
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 146th Street Trail is a linear pathway that follows its namesake roadway across Westfield, which lies on the northern outskirts of Indianapolis. At Rohrer Road, the pathway connects to the Monon...
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 Greyhound Trail is sandwiched between a residential community and the Carmel High School Stadium. A portion of the trail follows the former North Indianapolis Electric Interurban Railroad, and a...
The B-Line Trail in Bloomington runs for 3 miles between Adams Street (near the tracks) and West Country Club Drive. The trail passes through downtown Bloomington and by a railroad switchyard. The...
The B&O Trail, which is being developed along a former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad corridor in Indiana, is planned to one day stretch more than 60 miles from Indianapolis to Montezuma. The paved...
The Central Canal Towpath, also known as the IWC Canal Greenway, features two 19th-century iron bridges that cross the waterway, designated an American Water Landmark. As you follow the tree-lined,...
The Cardinal Greenway, the longest rail-trail in Indiana, stretches just over 61 miles from Marion to Richmond along a former CSX railroad corridor. The trail takes its name from the Cardinal, the...
_0_sc.jpg)
Providing a slice of scenic beauty in an urban setting, the Fall Creek Trail follows the titular creek along a quiet, forested corridor in northern Indianapolis. Offering a variety of recreation...
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 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 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 south....
_124794_sc.jpg)
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...
_155574_sc.jpg)
The White River Greenway in Muncie 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...
_0_sc.jpg)
The Big 4 Rail Trail will eventually connect all of Boone County, from the Marion County line to the south, to the Clinton County line to the north. A large portion of the trail is already complete....
The Carey Road Trail offers a straight north-south route through southeastern Westfield. It parallels the eastern side of the roadway through rural areas and residential communities, including 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...
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...
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 Bridgewater Club Trail surrounds an upscale neighborhood of the same name, providing residents with easy access to the community's many amenities, including a golf course, fitness center and spa....
The Carey Road Trail offers a straight north-south route through southeastern Westfield. It parallels the eastern side of the roadway through rural areas and residential communities, including 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 B&O Trail, which is being developed along a former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad corridor in Indiana, is planned to one day stretch more than 60 miles from Indianapolis to Montezuma. The paved...
_0_sc.jpg)
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...
The Lenape Trace Trail is a short connector path that links a newer residential development in Carmel, Indiana, with both the Sunrise Golf Course and the popular Monon Trail. Residents of the...
Located in the heart of vibrant downtown Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail is an ideal way to experience all the city has to offer. The trail links five cultural districts flush with...
The 146th Street Trail is a linear pathway that follows its namesake roadway across Westfield, which lies on the northern outskirts of Indianapolis. At Rohrer Road, the pathway connects to the Monon...
_111668_sc.jpg)
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...
_0_sc.jpg)
The Centennial Trail lies in a pleasant neighborhood of the same name in southwestern Westfield, about 15 miles north of Indianapolis. The trail crisscrosses a broad stretch of open space along...
This 7-mile Indianapolis trail is worth keeping an eye on: the vision for the Eagle Creek Trail is a 16-mile corridor reaching from the hills of Eagle Park to White River. The greenway will provide...
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 Greyhound Trail is sandwiched between a residential community and the Carmel High School Stadium. A portion of the trail follows the former North Indianapolis Electric Interurban Railroad, and a...
The Big 4 Rail Trail will eventually connect all of Boone County, from the Marion County line to the south, to the Clinton County line to the north. A large portion of the trail is already complete....
Providing a slice of scenic beauty in an urban setting, the Fall Creek Trail follows the titular creek along a quiet, forested corridor in northern Indianapolis. Offering a variety of recreation...
The Pleasant Run Trail travels along both the creek and road of the same name as it courses through eastern Indianapolis, although the trail is located on sidewalks in certain areas. In the north, the...
The White River Wapahani Trail is nearly 7 miles long, stretching from 38th Street at Riverside Regional Park south to W. Raymond Street. Near downtown Indianapolis, the trail provides access to White...
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...
_73528_sc.jpg){kind=spacer}
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 White River Greenway in Muncie 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...
The Vandalia Trail is the longest open component of the National Road Heritage Trail (NRHT), a proposed border-to-border trail stretching between Terre Haute and Richmond, a span of more than 150...
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 Bridgewater Club Trail surrounds an upscale neighborhood of the same name, providing residents with easy access to the community's many amenities, including a golf course, fitness center and spa....
The P&E Trail begins at the corner of Main Street, 16th Street and Crawfordsville Road in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave of Indianapolis. This eastern endpoint of the trail is just a stone’s throw away...
Located in the heart of vibrant downtown Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail is an ideal way to experience all the city has to offer. The trail links five cultural districts flush with...
The Central Canal Towpath, also known as the IWC Canal Greenway, features two 19th-century iron bridges that cross the waterway, designated an American Water Landmark. As you follow the tree-lined,...
The B&O Trail, which is being developed along a former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad corridor in Indiana, is planned to one day stretch more than 60 miles from Indianapolis to Montezuma. The paved...
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...
The Vandalia Trail is the longest open component of the National Road Heritage Trail (NRHT), a proposed border-to-border trail stretching between Terre Haute and Richmond, a span of more than 150...
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...
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...
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 Pleasant Run Trail travels along both the creek and road of the same name as it courses through eastern Indianapolis, although the trail is located on sidewalks in certain areas. In the north, 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 B-Line Trail in Bloomington runs for 3 miles between Adams Street (near the tracks) and West Country Club Drive. The trail passes through downtown Bloomington and by a railroad switchyard. The...
The Cardinal Greenway, the longest rail-trail in Indiana, stretches just over 61 miles from Marion to Richmond along a former CSX railroad corridor. The trail takes its name from the Cardinal, the...
The White River Greenway in Muncie 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...
The White River Wapahani Trail is nearly 7 miles long, stretching from 38th Street at Riverside Regional Park south to W. Raymond Street. Near downtown Indianapolis, the trail provides access to White...
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 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 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 south....
This is a long post to give details for those who want to use the trail in Richmond. I live in Richmond and have walked this trail with my dog regularly for about five years. It’s very well maintained but there are some tricks to accessing and using it. It’s not the trail terminus, but Union Pike is the simplest trailhead to get to if you’re driving in, especially from I-70. Directions there are at the bottom of the post. This is the only trailhead in Richmond that has water. There’s a water fountain that’s turned on except during the winter. This is also the only trailhead in Richmond where I remember seeing porta-potties. My biggest request would be for more bathrooms and water fountains along the way. These access points run south to north. NUMBER 1 TIP: The Whitewater River runs north to south and divides Richmond in half. The Cardinal Greenway follows the river the whole way through Richmond. Find the river on the map and you can find the Greenway right alongside. On the south end of town, the Greenway is on the west side of the river. It crosses the river at several points along the way. NUMBER 2 TIP: Make sure you double check the names of streets. There are N, S, NW, and SW (but not NE or SE). if you’re trying to navigate through town just make sure you’re where you need to be. WHITEWATER GORGE TRAIL This is the oldest and southern-most part of the Cardinal Greenway. It’s been around for a few decades, built by a local trail group. I’m not sure if the Cardinal Greenway oversees it, but I consider it part of the Greenway. It’s a paved trail that goes through a gorge that’s mostly wooded parkland along the river. This has a couple hills and some unpaved side trails that can be fun to explore if you’re into off-road biking, hiking, or fishing. This is not counted as part of the Greenway on the TrailLinks map, but still has about 2 miles of nice trail with interesting views and even some wildlife occasionally. It’s not flat the whole way so if you want less challenging landscape, skip ahead to the D Street Trailhead. That being said, it’s not real rugged either. TEST ROAD The best way to access this trailhead is from Abington Pike. From National Road/Route 40, go south on Southwest 2nd Street (this becomes Abington Pike). You’ll take this for about 2 miles, then turn left onto Test Road. In about a quarter mile, the trailhead parking will be on your left. They just added a gate here and the sign says it’s closed dusk to dawn, so if you park your car there be sure to be out of there by nightfall so you don’t get locked in. RICHMOND HIGH SCHOOL - HUB ETCHISON PARKWAY You can access the trail from a long staircase at the parking lot across the street from Richmond High School on Hub Etchison Parkway. Coming from the north, the school is on the right and the parking lot is on the left side of the street. It’s a school parking lot, but even if you go when school is in session you should be okay. I always park right next to the staircase and I’ve never had trouble. The staircase is in the tree line. There should be a big green sign at the top of the stairs. You could haul a bike down it if you wanted, but it’s probably not the best place. It’s fine if you’re on foot. At the bottom of the stairs, turn right to go south to Test Road and through the more natural (though still paved) part of the trail, or turn left to go north toward downtown Richmond. VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK From East Main Street, at the railroad bridge that has a big “RICHMOND” sign, turn north. You’ll drive down a hill and toward the memorials. You can park there and take the trail south. There is a building with bathrooms and water fountains, but they’re usually not open. They’re supposed to connect this to the rest of the Cardinal Greenway to the north with a staircase, but that’s not finished yet. (An unofficial trail tip: If you’re on foot, you can keep walking north of the parking lot through a grass field. To the right is a big hill. If you walk up that very steep hill where there’s a worn path, you can get to the D Street trailhead parking lot.) STAR-GENNETT BUILDING If you turn south on South 1st Street by the bridge that has the big “RICHMOND” sign, you’ll wind up at a parking lot for the Star-Gennett building where pianos were manufactured 100 years ago. There was also a music recording studio that made jazz and country records. You can’t go inside the building except for special events, but you can use the parking lot any time. Head south on the Greenway to go to Test Road. You can see nice markers commemorating musicians who recorded there, including Louis Armstrong. If you go north on the Greenway you’ll end up at the the Veterans Memorial Park. Along the way you’ll go under some large bridges and you can read some historical markers. It’s a pretty nice part of the trail. You definitely know you’re in a town, but you’re below it all in a partly wooded area. It’s great for a nice short walk with a good flavor of local history. If you’re looking for more quiet and solitude, you may want to go farther north or south. If you’re on foot, you can access the Star-Garnett building area via a stairwell on the bridge on the south side of South A Street/Route 40. D STREET TRAILHEAD This is considered downtown, but it’s on a small side street. The best way to get there is on North 5th Street. Near the intersection with Richmond Avenue, find North D Street, a little side street a block and a half long (NOT the big North D Street that exentends from Richmond Ave. I have no idea why there are two North D Streets a block apart!) The trailhead is straight ahead at the end of this short street. This is the easiest access point if you have a bike trailer. There’s a bike shop very close to the trail here as well. They have a cafe here, but I don’t use it enough to be able to review it. They may have water, I just don’t know for sure. You can access this trailhead by taking North A Street around the front of the post office then turning north on North 3rd Street, but this way can be more confusing. SPRINGWOOD PARK You can park your car here and go up a steep switchback to get to the Greenway. From Waterfall Road, enter the park and drive past the entire lake and to the large parking lot near the closed-in pavilion. The paved trail to the Greenway is on the south end of the parking lot. UNION PIKE From Industries Road (just south of I-70 Exits 151 and 149A), turn south on Union Pike. Drive until you come to a crosswalk with flashing yellow lights. This is the trailhead. You can park there and get right on the trail. INDUSTRIES ROAD This is an old trailhead and is closed off to traffic with barriers. DO NOT PARK HERE. There is some exercise equipment where the parking lot used to be.
Always bring my bicycle along on business trips, to ride at the end of the day. Found this trail on the trail link app. Beautiful trail, very pleasantly surprised. Stopped at the train station and had a nice chat with the folks who run the place. Plenty of places to stop for breaks, nice surface.
There is no where to park at the trail head. Really? What a waste
Easy, flat grade trail. Narrow so passing can be made difficult at times. Enjoyable scenery along the canal with turn offs to explore the Newfields campus and Butler University. Utility construction has the southern portion of the trail closed after I-65. Construction is expected completed Spring 2019
We rode the trail from down-town Indianapolis north to Westfield. You have to piece together the path from the intersection with Midland Trace up to the soccer fields (it is basically an oversized sidewalk that follows the roadway). We jumped on lightly traveled country roads at the soccer fields and picked up the trail into Sheridan. The portion into Sheridan was lovely and shaded. Can't wait for them to finish the portion that connects the two sections. It will be a great ride.
Follows a very busy road and crosses many crossroads and highway entrances. Just stay on the Monon unless you need to get to a store that is off 146th.
Tried to take the southern section of the trail north from Raymond Street. The path is incomplete at it's southern end with no clear marking of where the trail picks up after it ends at street intersections. Got about a mile up the trail and a small bridge was blocked with snow fence and a sign saying the trail was closed for cleanup. Nobody in sight, the fence was broken down in areas so it has been up at least a few days if not longer. Very disappointed as the area we rode on was very nice and quiet. It will be a while before I attempt this trail again as it was just not worth the hassle.
When I travel to Indianapolis on business, I typically ride this trail because it's easy to access from downtown hotels. This is my third time riding it and it seems to get worse each time I make the effort.
Today, the Washington Street Bridge was closed due to some zoo event so the part of the trail south of downtown was inaccessible. No problem, I thought. I'd just go north and catch the canal towpath at 30th Street and ride to Broad Ripple. Unfortunately, the trail was also closed north of 30th Street due to some sort of public works project.
In between, there are terrible road crossings at 10th and 16th. When I say terrible, I mean they are among the worst urban road crossings I've ever seen. There's nothing at all intuitive about the crossing at 10th. You have to know where to pick up the trail on the other side, and it requires riding along the road on a narrow, hemmed in path. It's awful. 16th is downright dangerous as traffic approaching from the west is basically blind to the trail. There's a flashing light warning motorists here, but few slow down. Exercise extreme caution crossing 16th Street.
There are some bright spots. The suspension bridge over Fall Creek is nice as is the catwalk just to the south of old Bush Stadium. The newer section south of the zoo is nice when the river is low, but when it floods it takes the city awhile to remove debris. The short cycletrack on 30th connecting to the canal towpath would also be nice but the city puts warning signs right in the bike lanes and the debris on the road here will cut a tire if you're not careful.
So I'm sorry, but I cannot recommend this trail. It has potential, but it is simply not enough to throw down some asphalt and stencil some bicycles on the pavement. What makes a trail great is the thought that goes into the design and the day to day execution. This trail is a long way from reaching its potential. Sorry, Indy.
Beautiful scenery. Nice trail head entrance in Raysville, not heavily populated. Not paved. Watch out for snakes!
I enjoy this trail, it’s a hidden gem! It’s more challenging than the Pennsy trail in Greenfield with more inclines and curves.
Both ends of the trail provide ample parking, however I prefer the trail head entrance on the road behind the hospital as it is a more scenic route to explore.
Get Your 2018 RTC TrailNation Jersey!
Download the TrailLink mobile app and take TrailLink with you!
Donate and Get a FREE 2018 RTC Guidebook!
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Map Search
_124794_st.jpg)
_0_st.jpg)
_124943_st.jpg)
_155574_st.jpg)
_111668_st.jpg)
