The Monon Trail (known as the Monon GreenwayinCarmel) is a rail trail located entirely within the state of Indiana. The Monon Railroad was a popular railroad line connecting the cities of Chicago and Indianapolis, with stops at major settlements along its route. After the decline of railroad travel and the sale of the company in 1987,[2] the portion of the line between Indianapolis and Delphi, Indiana, was abandoned.[3][4]
In Northwest Indiana, the trail is 4.4 miles (7.1 km) long, running through Lake County from MunstertoHammond. In the Indianapolis area, the trail consists of 18.1 miles (29.1 km) running through Hamilton and Marion counties, connecting Indianapolis, Carmel and Westfield. The trail has been extended to Sheridan, making the total length 24 miles (39 km).[5]
The first portions of the trail were created in the late 1990s, but it has been consistently extended in both of its segments since then. The trail is a shared use path complete with trailheads, park amenities and local attractions near it.[6][7]
Northwest Indiana's portion of the Monon covers 4.4 miles (7.1 km), starting at the Pennsy Greenway near the Illinois–Indiana border in Munster, and running north to the Erie Lackawanna Trailhead in downtown Hammond.[6]
In 2014, the trail was significantly extended, with a segment opening between Munster and Hammond.[8] The segment connected a previously existing portion of the Monon Trail located entirely within Munster. The extension required the reconstruction of the old 1909 railroad bridge across the Little Calumet River, at a cost of approximately $1.5 million.[9]
The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which operates the South Shorecommuter rail service, is reconstructing a portion of the rail route along the old Monon right-of-way. The West Lake Corridor project was planned to provide service from southern Lake County communities to and from downtown Chicago; it is estimated to be completed in 2025.[10]
Portions of the Monon Trail in Lake County
Remnants of the abandoned railroad tracks and switch near the trailhead in Munster
The Monon Trailhead in downtown Munster was built in 2012.
The 1909 railroad bridge over the Little Calumet River was rebuilt in 2014 as a trail bridge.
View of the Monon Trail looking south from the bridge over 165th St. in Hammond
The Monon Trail traverses Indianapolis's north side neighborhoods.
The Monon Trail in the Indianapolis area runs northward starting from just north of downtown Indianapolis, passing through Martindale's Hillside neighborhood, the King Park, Mapleton-Fall Creek, Meridian-Kessler, Broad Ripple, and Nora neighborhoods, and then proceeding into Carmel and Westfield, Indiana, a length of 18.1 miles (29.1 km). Plans to create a shared use trail on the former Monon right-of-way date back to the late 1980s.[11] In 1999, a 10.0-mile (16.1 km) segment in Indianapolis was completed, while a 5.2-mile (8.4 km) segment in Carmel was opened between 2001 and 2002.[12] The first phase of the trail cost approximately $5.5 million to create.[13]
The trail was extended into Westfield starting in the fall of 2008, and since then has been extended north over the abandoned Monon right of way toward Sheridan, Indiana, for a total of 2.9 miles (4.7 km) in Westfield.[14] In Indianapolis the Monon connects with the Central Canal Towpath along the Indiana Central Canal, and the Fall Creek Greenway.[7] In Westfield, the trail provides access to the Midland Trace, Anna Kendall, and the Little Eagle Creek trails.[15]
In the Indianapolis area, the Monon Trail is used by more than 1.3 million people annually.[16][17] The trail has been cited as having a positive economic impact to neighborhoods adjacent to the trail, including Broad Ripple in Indianapolis and the mixed-use developments of downtown Carmel, which have experienced a large growth in population over the past decade.[18][19][20][21]
The longest continuous stretch begins in Indianapolis at 10th street, and runs North, terminating in Grand Park of Westfield at 191st street. This continuous stretch is 20.6 miles (33.2 km). After reaching Grand Park, bikers can take country roads to reconnect with the trail at 216th street, where the trail picks back up and goes another 3.1 miles (5.0 km) and ending in Sheridan. The final connection from 191st Street to 216th Street was completed in 2020.[22][needs update]
USBR 35[1]
