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It would be helpful if these reviews included information about the reviewer. A 22 year old, semi-competitive bicyclist is going to barely notice hills that give me fits.
I have a different perspective than most trail users. I am paralyzed from the waist down. My "daily driver" is a manual wheelchair. And for what it's worth, I'm 50 years old; in decent shape for my age, but still not in my 20s! I use a handcycle: basically a three-wheel bicycle that I pedal with my arms. The rear two wheels are just along for the ride. The front wheel does all of the steering, braking, and propelling. As my weight is all on the back wheels, it spins out on too steep of a hill. There is one hill on the Sunset Park end of this trail (coming up from the parking lot) that I could just BARELY do, but I made it work. If the trail was wet, I would have not had enough traction to get out of the parking lot.
The reviews that claim the hills on this trail are "minor" or "moderate" were obviously written by someone much younger than me who was pedaling with their legs, not arms. There are numerous other hills scattered throughout the trail that were quite a challenge for me, even using my handcycle's climbing gears. Please don't misunderstand - it was a great workout that I enjoyed immensely. I don't often get to shift down and use those low (2 to 4 mph) gears, and I learned a lot about climbing efficiently. Plus, of course, the downhill sides were a fun break. I'll likely come back again (I live about 30 minutes away). I just want to state all of this right up front for others who might be looking for something more flat.
Setting aside these handcycle considerations, Evansville has done a commendable job with this trail. It is very nicely constructed and maintained. Even on a wheelchair-width (about 30 inches wide) bike, there was plenty of room to pass and meet other trail users. There are several good places to park, with ample parking spaces. To me, this trail is the perfect blend of natural scenery along Pigeon Creek and the Ohio River and of city riding. It takes you through several of Evansville's excellent parks, right by the casino and where the LST-325 (a landing ship that was used in World War II and has been restored to working condition) is docked. There are historic markers all along the trail. Some other folks complained that it takes you right by a huge scrapyard. They've done a pretty good job blocking that off, but I personally think it's cool seeing a process of that magnitude in operation. Same thing with the waterworks discharge at the Sunset Park end - something neat that most people don't get to see every day. The trail goes through some neighborhoods. You can either ride hard or take your time to see the sights on this trail. I did a combination of both of those. The scenery and the history more than made up for the hills I had to climb.
I would suggest studying the trail map before you leave. The trail is one long continuous path, with the exception of a little half-mile side quest that takes you onto a really cool bridge along the Ohio River (don't miss that). Even so, there are a few places where you might wonder which of numerous options is the trail. Evansville could do a little work on the signage and make a big improvement. There is very little shade, so bring some sunscreen. Also, bring plenty of water/whatever else to drink. Unlike most other public trails I've used, I didn't see any drinking fountains on this one. That would be another great improvement. I'll definitely fill both of my water bottles next time, instead of just one like I did today.
I can't wait to come back to the Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage with my wife and daughter on their bikes. It is an asset to the Evansville area. Come check it out. I hope to see you out there!
It has a nice round trip, with mostly smooth pavement except by Roseland park, so maybe skip that section.
Nice and open to nature with a brief urban stint with not too many road crossings.
I would recommend this trail to anyone looking.
It's mostly an urban trail, with not too much nature.
Geese were allover the place and so was their poop.
Good round trip though.
Bird poop is common throughout this trail, especially by American Park, to the point you might want to only walk that segment instead of riding a bike.
Pavement is mostly smooth, though American Park turns into loose stone for a stretch, and overall scenery is good for the trail.
Beautiful scenery and if you’re lucky you’ll see cows roaming the pastures! Nice trail with a good uphill climb in the middle. Ample parking at all trailheads along the route.
Lots of homeless people living right off the trail. The trail is not well maintained and smells really bad out there.
Road this today from trailhead in Colfax to Lebanon and most of the trail is enjoyable, but there’s parts where they really need to trim some of the branches and MOW along the sides of the trail!
There's nothing to see except some sports fields, a pond, and crops, and with a short round trip, I might skip it if you're not local.
There's lots of shade on this one, with statues lining the entrance to the trail and the Joseph River is always in sight.
The trail itself has a lot tight twists and turns early on before straightening out and the pavement is pretty rough, with bumps and cracks throughout.
I would only recommend this one to locals, and maybe only walk it.
This one should be avoided, as with frequent road crossings and nothing to see, you are going to spend almost all of your time in a urban, neighborhood setting.
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