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. Find the river on the map and you can find the Greenway right alongside. Head west on IN 18, and go 10.8 miles. I always park right next to the staircase and Ive never had trouble. This is a nice railtrail mostly through farm lands in the country land of Indiana! Im not sure if the Cardinal Greenway oversees it, but I consider it part of the Greenway. if youre trying to navigate through town just make sure youre where you need to be. Youll take this for about 2 miles, then turn left onto Test Road. The section from Sweetser to the Miller Avenue trailhead and from 30th street south to Jonesboro is picturesque and safe. If you prefer something more artistic . South Trailhead. Looking for Craft Beer or Wineries? I loaded the car with the bike, the rack, the bike trailer, the gps, drive the interstate etcI was fully loaded for this test ride. This trail currently runs from 10th street south of the park in Jonesboro, IN through Marion to Sweetser, IN - a total now of about 11 miles. We have rode this trail with our road bikes and sometimes with 5 yr old and trail a bike. Nice ride. Used the Cardinal Greenway from Marion to Muncie for the first time in my life and mostly the first time I had ever biked to a destination outside Grant County. All of this ride, glitches included, was pleasant. The only one is at the Losantville trailhead, so if you're starting there and going to Richmond and back, you'd better start out with all the water you'll think you'll need for the whole trip. Cardinal Greenways is Indiana's longest span of recreational trails. This trail crosses the beautiful Whitewater Gorge on a 700+ foot trestle and again over the Whitewater River. Drove to Richmond and skated north 12 miles. I did not know about the trail until one of the wedding party informed me of its existence. Its very well maintained but there are some tricks to accessing and using it. While some of the trail is out in the sun, most of it is a shaded path along the edge of the forest, so it could be fairly comfortable in midsummer. I was looking to add mileage and got as much as I wanted. In 2.4 miles, turn left onto Richmond Ave. and River Rd. Rode this gem from Gas City then Gaston all the way to Richmond. From I-70: Take Exit 151. I found the trail easily and rode its entire 20 mile length over a 2 day period. We found that there was very little scenery along much of the trail because of the dense vegetation lining both sides of the trail. That access is now blocked off to cars. Overall I really enjoyed this trail; very light grades made for an easy peddle. You can see nice markers commemorating musicians who recorded there, including Louis Armstrong. a) This spot from the description does not work: "In the heart of Richmond, you can park across from the playing field on Hub Etchinson Parkway." It just keeps changing, right down to the trail's end at Jonesboro, where you climb back up along the river's edge, on a shelf, lined with huge timber supports from the railroad days. Your hosts: Dirk & Danielle Schubert, family and amazing staff! I only had time to ride 5 miles at the head of the trail, but it is gorgeous. This is the only trailhead in Richmond that has water. The premium Tent Sites have water and electric hookups. Here's some background, the good, the bad, and the heads up report. This trail is totally asphalt except for the bridges. 1. Enjoy the people, distinctive buildings, sights, and sounds of small town life in Indiana. The trail is very well maintained with great amenities at the stops. This trail has a slight turn for every half mile of strait away. These are some of the best, well-taken photographs I have seen from the trail pages. We stayed at the Holiday Inn at Richmond IN. 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. I look forward to heading south toward Richmond! Cardinal Greenway . Great Job. . The trail section indicated as incomplete (owned by private party) in the description above, appears to be open. Simply one of the most beautiful and interesting trails I have ridden in my 1250 miles of rail-trails! Drivers will smile and wave to you when you cross. Don't forget your bikes, the 62-mile-long Cardinal Greenway starts only a few miles away! Beautiful farm country USA. There are plans however to connect the Marion section of greenway to the West and the Sweetser Switch trail, which they then plan to extend West to Converse IN., it should be quite a fun ride once it is done "Rode the 27-mile paved section from Losantville (southern terminus of pavement) to Gaston (northern terminus of pavement) via Muncie on Labor Day, 2007. Towns Along the Trail Hoosier towns along the 62 miles of Cardinal Greenway are worth discovering! We were very grateful for a dry place to sleep. INDUSTRIES ROAD So I started running north to try and find the end, and I ran roughly 1.5 miles before I turned around. Do not drift off the trail! Lots of fun memories! The Camping Cabins provide a more rustic camping experience, where you must bring your own linens. Five more miles will be added to the south end of the Muncie section this summer. The Greenway between Gaston and Muncie has some bumps and uneven pavement but made it back to Marion safely (with two periods of rain) Best bike drive in Eastern Indiana in summation. Our interactive trail map allows you to get directions to any trailhead. There are hitching rails, a mounting . I really enjoyed the open sections that are fairly straight so you can comfortable ride at your preferred pace. 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. Check the local NWS radio station to find out where the wind will come from when you plan to ride and then design a trip that heads into it so you'll have a push on your return. Friends of the trail helping to promote events on the trail in Grant County. Not as many benches and none in the shaded tree canopy sections. Trail Quality - I said this is for marathon bike training for 2 reasons. Then look to the Historic Richmond Depot District! Get a FREE Rail Trails Guidebook when you become a Member with Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Use the map given that you purchase from the trail head in Muncie. . I had even showered immediately after my ride but I had a severe allergic reaction. If you ride a long wheel base recumbant, or a tandem, the gates blocking access at many of the road crossings are a real pain. but I suppose that is a good idea, so you don't accidedentally going zipping onto a busy road. Trailhead.". The club van will be used to transfer bikes, gear and people to Richmond, IN. I did see two cats, a lot of chipmunks, and quite a few blue jays, though ironically not a single cardinal. This can be pretty, but it's also only partially shaded, and the afternoon sun slices through the trees pretty effectively. The paved trail to the Greenway is on the south end of the parking lot. The only thing I didn't care for about about this ride were the many busy road crossings and the presence of busy highways nearly the length of the ride. The latrines - porta potties - were nearly new and surprisingly spic and span. I do agree with some others that a few more water stops along the way would be beneficial, l have been out there on 90+ degree days when l could have used it, although realizing electricity is not really an option at rest stops without considerable costs, it seems maybe a couple bbusinesses along the way, close by could sponsor water stops, that would be well marked from the trail, for example, two points between Losantville and Richmond. 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.. The trail is easy to follow. Indiana drivers were very accommodating at intersections. NUMBER 2 TIP: Make sure you double check the names of streets. Richmond KOA Holiday is a family-owned and -operated campground near Eaton, Ohio, conveniently located off I-70. Wow! | Attractions, Sports and Recreation, Trails and Parks, What to Do. Cardinal Greenways is a private, not-for-profit organization that encompasses the Cardinal Greenway, White River Greenway, Historic Wysor Street Depot, John Craddock Nature Preserve and Cardinal Equestrian Trail. At the bottom of the stairs, turn right to go south to Test Road and through the more natural (though still paved) part of the trail, or turn left to go north toward downtown Richmond. A cyclist can make good time assuming the headwind is not too stern. This has a couple hills and some unpaved side trails that can be fun to explore if youre into off-road biking, hiking, or fishing. Stopped at the train station and had a nice chat with the folks who run the place. Now I am not an avid road cyclist, but compared to other trails I've seen this one is superb. They were well marked, however. walk this trail almost daily. On a sunny summer day, you WILL get cooked on this trail, so bring lots of water and plenty of sunscreen.Scenery? Drove down from Michigan for the second year in a row to ride this trail to launch my cycle season. One feature which I appreciate is that there are porta-potties spaced at each of the frequent trailheads - about one every 3 to 4 miles in this particular section. I have ridden to north of muncie about 5 miles and south of muncie about 7 miles. From East Main Street, at the railroad bridge that has a big RICHMOND sign, turn north. We plan to drive to another spot and ride more of the Cardinal on another day, but this is a great ride for anyone, especially novices! Quite a bit of harvesting going on. In Richmond, the trail goes along the edge of the Whitewater Gorge, which is really cool. 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. (An unofficial trail tip: If youre on foot, you can keep walking north of the parking lot through a grass field. Just be alert, don't be stupid. It reminded Me of the Tanglefoot Trail a bit, due to the rural region, only instead of cotton & soybeans, the crop is . Help defend and expand trails nationwide. The rest areas are frequent and the porta-potties clean. Looking east, you'll see Milepost C-156 and its highway style metal mile marker. Numerous street crossings are the only drawback on the northern section. Cardinal Greenway roadway itself is kept up very well, but the scenery is not much to see a lot of the way. -Rich Ballash, Latrobe, PA 9-14-14. If you want a few more, there are a couple of shorter trails that connect in Muncie. There is a chunk of the trail near the brady street crossing in muncie that heaving of the asphalt is occuring. Each season has its own great things to offer.In the spring and fall, Get creative with your campfire or grill to take an everyday sundae to the next level. WHAT:Stay Friday night, May 12th at a participating campground, and get Saturday night, May 13th for just $20*. Wrong Length - This trail is a lot bigger than the site currently shows. So if you are planning a trip from Marion to Muncie, pack for weather conditions. Hard-paved asphalt, remote from traffic most of the way. This forms a loop option you can take with the Cardinal Greenway and the White River Greenway in Muncie. Ways to StayThere are many ways to stay at our campground near Richmond, Indiana. Southwest Ohio (Dayton-Cincinnati-Xenia etc) has a very large and well-maintained bike way system: over 320 miles interconnected safe, hard-paved paths spanning the SW quarter of the state. Just pick a dry day or two to ride it. Enter your email address below to receive monthly updates from all the happenings and events at Cardinal Greenways! My wife and I rode 40 miles on the Cardinal Greenway starting at the Depot and turning around just southeast of Losantville. The flowers were ubiquitous and the temps perfect. This section of the trail displays much more open scenery of the rolling farmland than the Muncie section when the trees are in full leaf. These gates are rather nicely done - they look quite nice - but they require your attention in order to safely negotiate them. Rode from Richmond, IN to Williamsburg, IN 29.5 miles round trip. By the way, take a look at the still intact stub of the Pennsy at the grade crossing at the nearby trailhead. There should be a big green sign at the top of the stairs. The more luxurious RV Sites have full hookups and a KOA Patio. Its a paved trail that goes through a gorge thats mostly wooded parkland along the river. Several rest areas are provided, but the only water stop I found was at Losantville. Some of the trail is very interesting but area's are really plain. Along the way are many elevation changes, a beautiful wooded area with a bridge over a creek and a picnic area, many trestles, and only three busy roads to cross(watch out for the crossing at 38th St. cars fly down that road) its about a five and a half mile ride one way. The Cardinal Greenway follows the river the whole way through Richmond. It was in the summer, had lots of wildflowers and butterflies, and I saw many deer in the mornings. a) Beware the berms. Would do it again in a second! I enjoy the safety of the trail, as opposed to open roads with traffic, too many times cars passing me within two feet at 50-60 mph, none of this on the trail, so well worth my travel time to get to it. thanks again, 5 stars. This section is new and well designed, but I found the northern section from between Losantville and Muncie to be more enjoyable. Great trail all paved, level, mostly shaded! We use cookies on koa.com to help improve your experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits, troubleshoot how the site operates, and learn more about how koa.com is performing. I strongly recommend this trail to anyone who might consider a ride in the Richmond or Muncie areas. Many of the roads intersect the trail at angles, so it's a bit difficult to determine if traffic is present. Gateway trails represent those iconic trails that make possible the Great American Rail-Trail in each of the states it connects. McGalliard Road is a more highly trafficked road crossing than most trails have, but it has an island in the center so you only need half of it to be clear at a time. 850 N. (Gaston) to Test Rd. If you're doing a longer section, I recommend going northwest in the morning, and southeast in the afternoon if possible. 1.7 mi Biking Trails Parks. Estrella Mountain is also the site where the Gila and Agua Fria rivers meet, and a 65-acre grassy picnic area. Your site was successfully added to your shopping cart. They are well-maintained, assisted by the newness of the trail. The folks who put this trail together have done a first class job.The Wysore Street Depot in Muncie is awesome. I couldn't even figure out where that Amtrak stop could have been! 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!