Great trail to ride , the hog farm near Williamsburg smells terrible and at least 3 times big Rottweiler dogs have chased us and nearly wrecked us at the hog farm entrance. Yeah, right. Point deducted for safety concerns. LONG POST I rode this on a Monday from the center of Richmond to the south edge of Muncie -- 40 miles -- and back for a total of 80. Enter your email address below to receive monthly updates from all the happenings and events at Cardinal Greenways! We live close by the trail and typically use the White River Greenway to connect to the Cardinal. [Peak "Leaf Peeping" season]. Many of these beauties remain in place from MP132 down to the very east end of the trail, at Jonesboro. (White Water River Trail). Find the river on the map and you can find the Greenway right alongside. I find the trail very well laid out, volunteers do a remarkable job, thanks to all. I found the trail to be very nice. Whether youre exploring the local area or hanging out at the campground, KOA Holidays are an ideal place to relax and play. Marion Located in Grant County, Marion is the northernmost segment of Cardinal Greenway. I look forward to heading south toward Richmond! Find Us. You can park there and get right on the trail. First, I'll note that I didn't notice any pig farms, despite expecting to on the southern section, nor any Rottweilers. This is the best maintained trail we have ever been on. The latrines - porta potties - were nearly new and surprisingly spic and span. Reason 2 is there are no abrupt turns. No problem! Copyright Cardinal Greenways - All Rights Reserved. It is Indiana's longest rail trail on a former railroad line and benefits much of East Central Indiana. Once the trail winds its way into Jonesboro, you will cross US 35; the trailhead is on the left. The road portion was OK but GPS is pretty much a requirement. I only had time to ride 5 miles at the head of the trail, but it is gorgeous. All of this ride, glitches included, was pleasant. Decades ago, a disused railroad line found new life, becoming the Cardinal Greenway, Indiana's longest rail-trail.But with some ambitious new projects planned, the newest member of the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame which is also celebrating its 25th anniversary as a trail in 2018is about to experience yet another rebirth.. Turn left onto County Road 400 W. The trailhead and parking lot for the Sweetser Switch Trail (which serves both the Sweetser Switch Trail and the Cardinal Greenway) will be on your right. Richmond KOA Holiday is a family-owned and -operated campground near Eaton, Ohio, conveniently located off I-70. I would recommend riding the Muncie section of the Cardinal Greenway in the late fall after the leaves are down or in the early spring before leaf on. Choose from seven RV-developed sites for your stay. The smell is atrocious and as a vegan its even more disgusting. 14805 W. Vineyard Ave., Goodyear. The bean fields were turning gold and were gorgeous and the corn was about half green and half dryed out. The trail at the bottom of the gorge may be part of the Greenway, but I prefer to think there's better access than going down steps along the side of a cliff. . It is a great trail but we picked a bad time to ride as it rained from Gaston till we got to Harris Chapel Church where we spent the night. I found the trail easily and rode its entire 20 mile length over a 2 day period. I would not like to take this trail on a hot summer day because the rest stops do not have shade and in some areas the trees are not fully grown to protect against sun and wind. D STREET TRAILHEAD We will stay there again next week.. This is a long post to give details for those who want to use the trail in Richmond. To reach the trailhead in Gaston, take I-69 to Exit 255 for IN 26 toward Hartford. You might just slip under the fence and over the cliff. However, during our ride in Muncie, we found that there was no safety provisions for the section that crossed McGalliard, where there were 4 busy lanes. I couldn't even figure out where that Amtrak stop could have been! One exception is the Losantville gas station where you can find something cold, which was appreciated. This was the first rail-to-trail I'd ever been on. Your hosts: Dirk & Danielle Schubert, family and amazing staff! Many of the roads intersect the trail at angles, so it's a bit difficult to determine if traffic is present. This portion of the trail is just as the other couple parts I've experienced. There were some cow farms and a horse farm, but the only hazard were the many walnuts on the trail. To the right is a big hill. If you're doing a longer section, I recommend going northwest in the morning, and southeast in the afternoon if possible. That being said, its not real rugged either. I recommend jogging the bike across halfway at a time if it's a busier time of day. Trail Scenery - Hope you enjoy corn fields, and trees. Don't expect to see refreshment stops. Turn right onto S. Wheeling Pike. If you turn south on South 1st Street by the bridge that has the big RICHMOND sign, youll wind up at a parking lot for the Star-Gennett building where pianos were manufactured 100 years ago. ", "I visited Muncie for the first time in August 2002 to attend a friend's wedding. You may know Richmond for its preserved architecture and being the cradle of recorded jazz, but did you know it is also an exceptional place for a family vacation? Of particular note is the round barn that can be seen approximately 6 miles south. Overall it is a great ride and I recommend it to all. We usually ride on roads so being able to ride without worrying about passing cars was great. He saw my rig and said No" and then directed me 2 1/2 blocks to the north to find the D street trail head. It's a very nice trail, the areas of concern for me reside in Richmond and content in the original description, otherwise I would rate this excellent. The South trail head parking is not at the end of the trail in Jonesboro IN.,(its just off of hyw 22 & 35) and one owes it to yourself to go a little further south to see the trails end (it really doesnt end there it just goes onto public streets and meets up eventually with the section in Gaston IN) Theres a really nice walking bridge over the river near the parking area in Jonesboro that will take you to a public park in Gas City IN. What a NEAT ride! But a great trail to ride. Learn more at www.greatamericanrailtrail.org. These are some of the best, well-taken photographs I have seen from the trail pages. Help move around some tables.How about gardening? My wife and I rode this section of the Cardinal Greenway in early June 2013. Great trail and well maintained. Traveling from Gaston to Muncie, you will experience farm fields along the trail, and shaded canopies offering relief from the hot sun during the summer. Friends of the trail helping to promote events on the trail in Grant County. Cardinal Greenways Horse Trail is a 3.5 mile linear trail, primarily wooded with modest hills and one water crossing. That access is now blocked off to cars. NUMBER 2 TIP: Make sure you double check the names of streets. Now I am not an avid road cyclist, but compared to other trails I've seen this one is superb. From East Main Street, at the railroad bridge that has a big RICHMOND sign, turn north. Excellent parking facilities with restrooms are conveniently located at most trailheads.We started in downtown Muncie, where a large overhead arch identifies the trail, and rode north to the end of the trail, and then headed for the south end. We had dry riding the rest of the way to Richmond. Losantville parking area is just off US35, 3.7 miles N of intersection of US35 and IN1; well marked and easy to find. The staircase is in the tree line. An influx of runners, walkers, and in-line skatersmany of them students at nearby Ball State Universityhit the trail. Make sure to pack lots of water as someone else said. Some of the trail is very interesting but area's are really plain. In 3 miles, turn right onto S. CR 900 E, which becomes N. CR 600 W. In 4.9 miles, turn right onto CR 850 N/W. Laveen, AZ Pinnacle Farms is a diverse orchard with over 1200 fruit trees on 7 acres nestled at the base of South Mountain in Phoenix's old agriculturally diverse Laveen area. It was a very hot week, and I remember sections without much shade, though the fields were pretty. So as always, if in the area and want to get a couple miles in, this should do. The trailhead will be on your right and is located just under the Richmond Ave. Bridge. On a sunny summer day, you WILL get cooked on this trail, so bring lots of water and plenty of sunscreen.Scenery? Towns Along the Trail Hoosier towns along the 62 miles of Cardinal Greenway are worth discovering! Offerings include sit-down restaurants, pubs, and a fast-food sandwich place. My wife and I did a century ride from Gaston to Richmond and back. Outside of Muncie, there aren't a lot of places to pick up water in the northern section either, so err on the side of packing more water than you'll need. A cut off signal mast here hearkens the days of the line's CTC control from Peru. The trail goes through tiny villages that time has largely passed. Learn more about cookies in our, National Museum of the United States Air Force. 1.7 mi Biking Trails Parks. and River Rd. Give it try at home or on your A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO CAMPINGCamping is the ideal getaway because you can tailor your trip to fit your needs, wants and level of experience. The best way to access this trailhead is from Abington Pike. No RV? The trail is well protected from the wind for the most part and the grade never goes over 1%. There are picnic and camping areas, beaches, and cabins for rent. As of this date, everything has been maintained very well. You definitely know youre in a town, but youre below it all in a partly wooded area. Join TrailLink (a non-profit) to view more than 40,000 miles of trail maps and more! (Richmond). Many, many farms with corn and soy bean fields. I always try to find a cool town or city to serve as a base when exploring a new trail, and Muncie did a great job in that regard. The newest section of the Cardinal Greenway runs from Losantville south to Richmond, continually changing from open, sunny stretches to shady sections under a wooded tree canopy. Directions there are at the bottom of the post. The Whitewater Gorge Trail features geological landmarks, such as vertical cliffs and waterfalls, that are accessible by foot on side paths off the main trail. Immediately turn right onto N. D St. walk this trail almost daily. If you get a chance, you should definitely get on this trail. Cardinal Greenways Horse Trail. Within just a couple of hours drive in any direction, you can explore places like The Ark Encounter and Creation Museum in Williamstown, KY, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, or the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, OH, just to name a few! There were a couple of housing tracts, but except for Muncie the trail is really quite rural.Because of its openess, this trail would be a killer in a headwind. Beautiful trail and surroundings. The Cardinal Greenway is a Great destination trail. The access points have a consistent appearance, with wood encased and serviced porta-potties, attractive signage, historical markers, high-quality rest benches are set in concrete. Such trails are always welcome, but when you find one that is relatively low use (during the workday) it truly lets you relax and take in all it has to offer. The only negative is the pig farm you have to pass. Hayes Arboretum. That is something we don't seem to be getting much of these days. Great trail all paved, level, mostly shaded! It is very well laid out; a good deal of design work went into the bridges which are very aesthetically pleasing. If you prefer something more artistic . Kudos to the photographer(s). Posts about Cardinal Greenway written by manandhisbike. From National Road/Route 40, go south on Southwest 2nd Street (this becomes Abington Pike). Starting just north of Marion, the Cardinal Greenway seamlessly connects to the Sweetser Switch Trail, which heads north, while the Cardinal Greenway runs south back into downtown Marion. Excellent trail, we rode from Gaston to Richmond. I prefer trails with few road crossings and not much traffic. The trail is in excellent condition. To access the northernmost trailhead just outside of Marion: From I-69, take Exit 264 for IN 18. In this video, our RV expert discusses the different types of RV batteries We are all about living in the moment and enjoying the current season of camping that youre in. We stayed at the Holiday Inn at Richmond IN. For much of this trail, there is no flat, level berm on either side of the trail. Hwy. From Industries Road (just south of I-70 Exits 151 and 149A), turn south on Union Pike. Richmond is about an hour's drive from where I live in Dayton. Always bring my bicycle along on business trips, to ride at the end of the day. Mel and I rode our tandem on 14-15 April. The road part is difficult to navigate. Bring plenty of water. Horseback riding and camping at , which is located near Muncie, Indiana . This trail should be on your list whether you want a short trail ride and decide to do a single section or a two day trip on your bike. Reason 1 is because this is a very well kept pavement trail. You can access the trail from a long staircase at the parking lot across the street from Richmond High School on Hub Etchison Parkway. Rest stops along the way with water, porta potties and historical info every 5 miles! North Phoenix Campground. The Muncie depot offers a nice break from the trail, with restrooms and snacks, but has limited hours that they are open. Between Milepost 137 and 2.4 miles east, you parallel the old Cincinnati-Chicago mainline C&O on a trackside trail, and as you approach the trail's "grade crossing", you see the beautiful welded rail that Amtrak's Cardinal ran over until 1985. Go north on US 27 about 1/4 mile, turn right (east) onto Highland Road, go 1 mile, turn right on Cart Rd and follow the signs.GPS: N39.870933, W84.862657. Definitely worth the drive and will do this again very soon. Bring food! Its great for a nice short walk with a good flavor of local history. You should visit cardinalgreenways.org for more information. We also found the portable restrooms to be clean. The trail takes its name from the Cardinal, the passenger train that once regularly ran the route. The best way to get there is on North 5th Street. There are several dining options in downtown Muncie, which are an easy trip off of the trail. My biggest request would be for more bathrooms and water fountains along the way. Along the way youll go under some large bridges and you can read some historical markers. Get closer to your family and friends while camping at Richmond KOA Holiday. I usually take my bike along on trips like this to ride the local roads. 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