You’ve Never Experienced Anything Like This Epic Abandoned Railroad Hike In Indiana

Indiana has a lot of pretty awesome trails, including some that pass by gorgeous waterfonts and some that cut through amazing state parks. One of these coolest trails however, is undoubtedly one built over former railroad tracks. This railroad hike is probably one of the best trails you’ll ever walk or bike across.

J Stephen Conn/Flickr

Jim Grey/Flickr

The Monon Trail is a stunning rail trail in Indiana located in two separate segments: Northwestern Indiana and Indianapolis/Carmel. This trail was once part of the Monon Railroad, a heavily used railroad during the 1900s which ultimately closed its doors in 1987.

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H. Michael Miley/Flickr

After the railroad closing, the Monon Trail concept was conceived. Work began on the trail in the early 1990s and continues to be expanded upon.

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Currently the Northwestern part of this trail spans 4.4 miles, beginning at the Pennsy Greenway (close to the Indiana-Illinois state border in Munster) and continues up to Hammond, ending at the Erie Lackawanna Trailhead.

Indy Dina/Flickr

The central part of this trail is 18.1 miles and starts just north of the Indianapolis downtown area. It cuts through some popular sites, like King Park, Mapleton-Fall Creek, and Broad Ripple, then extends to Carmel and ends in Westfield (where they are still expanding the trail).

Eric Fischer/Flickr

It’s really neat to walk or bike this trail and see this abandoned railroad put to a great use again. And no matter how big you are into hiking, you’ve certainly never experienced a trail like this before.

Have you ever taken a railroad hike along the Monon Trail? For more awesome hiking adventures under 5 miles each check out this list.