Find the top rated birding trails in Frankfort, whether you're looking for an easy short birding trail or a long birding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a birding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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I took a section of this trail that runs along the South side of 146th street from the Hagen Burke Trail to Hazel Dell. It's an okay trail but it does run along a very busy road and it was rush hour when I took it. The trail crosses several subdivision entrances and a few bigger roads. You just have to watch for turning cars but it was an okay route to take. The path does seem to have a lot of debris on it with twigs, loose gravel, etc. that you need to watch for and it isn't as wide as other trails. I don't think I would use this just for a casual ride but to bike commute it did its job.
I tried this trail for the first time yesterday on my commute home. I picked up the trail from the Monon trail and then followed it up to the 146th street trail. With the Rangeline road improvements there is now a dedicated crossing with crosswalk and lights. The trail is fairly wooded and there is a creek that runs along side. Due to all the rain a section of the trail was flooded near the apartments but I was able to ride through okay. The trail had good signage which was nice because there were several offshoots that one could easily take and get lost without them.
I use this trail often and you can now go all the way up to 146th street. The Southern part of the trail located in River Road park takes you around the park and along the river and one of the holes at Prairie View golf course. Head North and the trail runs through a wooded area and neighborhoods. You can cross River Road and take the trail past Prairie Trace elementary all the way up to 146th street now. This connects to the 146th Street Trail. Makes for a nice bike ride or run.
I really like this trail. It is newer and the pavement is mostly even. Railbed trails are far better overall surfaces, but that should not be held against this path. North of Washington St (US 40) the path runs on both sides of the divided highway! Along the length of this short trail, however, there is NO lighting for early morning or night commutes/ training rides and it gets DARK. This makes the trail more hazardous due to the zig zags near intersections and limited lighting nearby. The very fine silt dust that accumulates on the path from the nearby fields is also extremely slick. I fell on this path recently without warning due to silt+moisture and got a bad concussion. Overall, add some lighting and more miles to this and it could be a great run that connects to the B&O snd Vandalia Trails.
Beautiful trail - plenty of access points. We were impressed by how well thought out the trails extras were. Porch swings, super clean bathrooms, even a bike repair station. There are quite a few required stops for busy roads but 9 out of 10 times the traffic stops for you.
Great trail for walking, jogging or moutain biking but not so great for road bikes. I made the mistake of assuming the whole trail was paved like the pics I saw of the trailhead in Lebanon but about 3 miles north it goes from paved to hardpack/gravel. Lots of bumps and out right potholes so keep your eyes open, whether on bike or foot. It's not impassable to road bikes but if you do use that kind of bike do yourself a favor and let some of the air out of your tires. I inflated my 28mm tires from 60 psi to about 75 psi cause I wanted to reduce drag and go a little faster. I made the round trip of about 15 miles no problems but when I got home my front tire was flat, probably from a pinch flat. Other than back and forth on surfaces not a bad trail. Loved the little oasis about 5 miles north of the trailhead! Plenty of benches if you want to take a break and a port o potty. Thanks #BetterinBoone
We ride this trail quite often. The portion which passes the Art Museum and Butler are very nice. Once you get closer to Broadripple, the trail starts to get narrow and crosses many busy intersections. The really narrow section is the portion right before Broadripple where it is barely wide enough for a bike. Beware if there is someone coming towards you. Portions of the trail are currently closed due to construction of a flood wall. You have to ride the road from the Rocky Ripple area towards 56th and Illinois. Don't ride this trail after a rain unless you want to be covered in limestone grit and muck.
Pros:
This trail is well-tended and clean with even pavement over most of it. There is a small portion where the trail crosses E County Rd 300 N that is gravel, but it is otherwise very clean. The trail is shielded from traffic by trees on both sides. The sides only open up a few times along its length. The trail is relatively flat and wide making it an easy path to walk and bike. This path is very quiet.
Cons:
The trail is only 6 miles which is short if you want to run a long distance. The entrance to the trail at Raceway Rd is difficult to get to as there are no sidewalks leading to it, and it ends very close to a road that has no shoulder. I usually have to access the trail by parking in a local business and walking across grass to get to it. Another con is that, while the trail is well-groomed and trees are plenty, there are very few turns or hills that provide interest to the trail.
All-in-all, it's a fantastic,quiet path to run, walk, or bike, although it could use a little more interesting scenery and the east entrance is difficult to access.
Without a doubt, this trail is the location of some of the most scenic vantages of the Indianapolis skyline. From the Zoo at Washington to the bridge at 10 St is the most well kept portion of the trail. South of the Zoo at Washington, things can get sketchy real quick due to the White River basin and some blind turns causing hazard. Northbound @ 10th, you either hang a left over the bridge and loop back South (nice loop) or, you head right on the sidewalk in front of Eskinazi. This portion is unmarked and not intuitive, because the trail actually picks up again North of 10th on a suspension bridge just before the light at St Margaret’s drive. Go left (west) at the end of the bridge, (the right leg ends quickly at Indiana) and there is.a paved trail that continues north. Once you hit 16th, this path is adequately titled t”the nutcracker because it is very uneven all the way to where it connects to the towpath @
I have ridden the entire Pennsey, with the Eastern most Portion being the best with signage, mileage and sights. Perhaps someday the segments will be connected, but at least we have the opportunity to ride the preserved miles.
I have been going to Garfield park for years with my kids cuz there are always others for them to play with here. This is the Southern end of the Pleasant run trail. It is a little older and not what it once was but still a nice urban nature park atmosphere most days with a view of the downtown skyline. Now, once you leave the park going north, the “trail” is not only covered in piles of dirt, debris, and broken glass, but there is NO lighting for early morning or evening exercise which really contributes to the very sketchy and unsafe feeling of this decayed area by the creek. My recommendation, leave the (UN)Pleasant run trail off your list of places to see in Indy.
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