This 17 mile linear rail trail is quite scenic, partly shaded, slightly hilly, and mostly paved with asphalt. Near Goshen there is a section of hard packed limestone easily negotiable with road bike. Several new sections have been completed in recent years, but there remains a short segment (about 1 mile) between Goshen and Middlebury on country roads without any shoulder.
You pass many Amish farms complete with horse-drawn buggies and carts. You encounter many Amish folk bicycling the trail and farmers mowing their fields with a team of horses. Within the town of Goshen at the southwest terminus the trails signs and mile markers end abruptly and you have to pick your way along the river and through Oakridge cemetery to connect to the Mapleheart Trail which takes you to Elkhart.

We were looking for a medium-distance trail to stop and ride in order to break up a long drive home from a vacation in Michigan, and picked this one because it was not far off of our route. In the searching, I noticed that there was a bike shop located right on the trail, the Pumpkinvine Cyclery in Middlebury. We decided to start there, figuring the proprietor would perhaps have good intel on the best place to eat. This turned out to be a good decision. The shop was a fine little biking establishment, and the proprietor indeed set us straight on a great place to eat. He also had no problem with us parking the car in his lot for the duration of our ride. So off we went on the 11 miles to Goshen. What a gorgeous ride! Even though rain clouds threatened, we thoroughly enjoyed the twisting and turning route through the farmland. As of July 2020, I can report that the trail surface is excellent. We were riding on a day when the temps were at or above 90 farenheit, and were pleased to find that probably over 50% of the trail is shaded by tree canopy. It was a Friday afternoon, and we pretty much had the trail all to ourselves. I suppose the prospect of rain kept everyone inside.

At Goshen, we detoured off the trail to find the Goshen brewery, as the bike shop had suggested. Excellent choice! The food was delicious and the beer was top notch. As always, the ride back seemed shorter than the ride out. We were packing up to leave when we noticed one of the car's tires had gone flat. Just our luck, all the tire shops in town had just closed for the night, so we opted to get a room rather than drive hours on a donut. Thus, we were afforded the opportunity to ride more of the trail the next day.

The tire having been plugged early the next morning, we rode the shorter 6 mile stretch from Middlebury to Shipshewana, which is much more of a normal straight-as-an-arrow rail trail, but features very scenic farms all around. This being a beautiful Saturday morning/afternoon, the trail was much more crowded than the day before, but everyone was courteous and showed perfect trail etiquette. In Shipshewana, there are a couple of excellent Amish restaurants. We chose the Blue Gate, and once again enjoyed a stellar meal.

All in all, this trail is highly recommended for the casual rider who is looking for a leisurely ride through the countryside.

I biked on this trail for the first time this summer and thoroughly enjoyed it. We parked at the Krider World's Fair Garden in Middlebury and hopped on the trail from there.
If you are looking to unplug and get away from your daily stresses and get out into nature, then the Pumpkinvine is for you. This is a well maintained, mostly shaded trail that winds through farmland and the countryside. Enjoy the quiet, the birds, and the views of Amish homes and buggies. It is an easy ride with very few hills or inclines.
We ate supper at Das Essenhaus (recommended!) which is only a five minute drive from the Krider Gardens.
Will definitely be riding this every summer!

My husband and I went bike riding on this section of trail on July 4th 2020. Very nice, has shady areas and we did not have any issues with bugs though we did go early. Are horses allowed on this section of the trail as I ride on the section from Stockbridge to Gregory but the Hawkins staging is closer for me.

Smooth, slight Curves and perfect for all types of trail activities (stroller running too!)

The asphalt is beat up from tree roots, lots of debris on the paths, low hanging tree limbs, messes from homeless people. Signs missing to tell you where to turn making it hard to follow trail.
Has lots of potential, and could be an excellent path if maintained.

I’m 70 yo and just getting back into bike riding. I started from Alamo and rode to Kendall and back. Beautiful trail and no hills. It was a bit dusty but going back again soon.

It takes a few years to “season” a crushed stone trail and regrade it. So the new section from Hawkins Rd parking lot to Stockbridge is great now but will show some degradation with rains and use. Be patient as this happens as this section is very scenic and relaxing. You get some good looks at real working farms as you ride literally right through them

Rode this trail for the first time... from downtown Kalamazoo all the way to South Haven. I did this on a road bike with 700x28 road tires. This was no problem (although I am an experience rider/racer). Some beginner riders my feel more confident on a mountain bike or a hybrid with wider tires. The trail is basically flat with a few gentle rollers. Beautiful scenery and shade -- much needed on this hot day. Some have commented that the scenery is a monotonous, and that might be true to some extent... but much better than looking cars and traffic!!! There are a few towns with some basic amenities, gas stations, restaurants (if they are open)... but you can certainly get some treats, calories, drinks, etc. Overall, it was fast and fun and I'll def do it again!! It was really GREAT to finish in South Haven with bright sun and cool lake breeze!! (Bonus Idea: build a bike shop/coffee shop/ cafe in either Bloomingdale or GOBLES! right next to the path... that would make the trail ride and "destination" to the bike shop/coffee shop something to do!!)