Monon Trail

Monon Trail
The Monon Trail utilizes the same logo and design cues throughout the entire trail.
Length4.4 mi (7.1 km) (Northwest Indiana)
28.5 mi (45.9 km) (Indianapolis)
LocationLake, Hamilton, Marion counties, Indiana
Established1996–present (in segments)
Designation USBR 35
TrailheadsMunster—Hammond
Indianapolis—Sheridan
UseShared use path
SeasonYear-round
SurfaceAsphalt
Right of wayMonon Railroad
WebsiteNorthwest Indiana segment
Indianapolis segment
Trail map
Indianapolis area extent of the trail

The Monon Trail (known as the Monon Greenway in Carmel) is a rail trail located entirely within the U.S. state of Indiana. It runs along the main line of the Monon Railroad, a popular railroad line connecting the cities of Chicago and Indianapolis with stops at major locations. After the decline of railroad travel and the sale of the company in 1987, the portion of the line between Indianapolis and Delphi, Indiana, was abandoned.

In Northwest Indiana, the trail is 4.4 miles (7.1 km) long, running through Lake County from Munster to Hammond. In the Indianapolis area, the trail consists of 28.5 miles (45.9 km) running through Hamilton and Marion counties, connecting Indianapolis, Carmel, Westfield, and Sheridan.[1]

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.[2]

Northwest Indiana segment

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.[2]

In 2014, the trail was significantly extended, with a segment opening between Munster and Hammond.[3] 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.[4]

The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which operates the South Shore commuter rail service, is reconstructing a portion of the rail route along the old Monon right-of-way. The West Lake Corridor project is planned to provide service from southern Lake County communities to and from downtown Chicago; it is estimated to be completed in 2025.[5]

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
  • Monon Trail at the future South Hammond station.

Central Indiana segment

See also: List of parks in Indianapolis and Transportation in Indianapolis

Central Indiana's portion of the Monon covers 28.5 miles (45.9 km), beginning at 10th Street in Downtown Indianapolis, and passing through various neighborhoods and suburban cities before ending in Sheridan at the Hamilton-Boone county line. Plans to create a shared use trail on the former Monon right-of-way date back to the late 1980s.

In the Indianapolis metro area, the Monon Trail is used by more than 1.3 million people annually.[6] 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.[7][8]

Indianapolis segment

Construction of the Indianapolis segment occurred in phases between 1995 and 2004.

Within the city of Indianapolis, the trail passes through a number of neighborhoods, including Martindale's Hillside neighborhood, the Mapleton-Fall Creek, Meridian-Kessler, Broad Ripple, and Nora neighborhoods. Additionally, the Monon connects with a number of other trails, including the Central Canal Towpath along the Indiana Central Canal, the Fall Creek Greenway, the Nickel Plate Trail, and the Pogues Run Trail. In March 2021, a pedestrian bridge was completed that crossed 38th Street, eliminating a dangerous crossing for trail users.[9] There are plans to build another bridge over 86th Street.[10]

Hamilton County segment

Construction of the trail in Hamilton County began in 2001 and was completed in 2025.

The first segment of the trail in Hamilton County was constructed in Carmel and opened in the fall of 2001. The Carmel segment stretches 5.2-mile (8.4 km) between 96th Street and 146th Street.[11] This first phase of trail construction cost approximately $5.5 million.[12] The trail was first extended into Westfield starting in the fall of 2008, and was gradually expanded north towards Sheridan, Indiana. The trail extends a total of 7.9 miles (12.7 km) in Westfield Township. The final segment of the trail in Hamilton County was opened in Sheridan on October 3, 2025.[13]

In Hamilton County, the trail provides access to several other pedestrian trails, including the Midland Trace Trail, Hagan-Burke Trail, and Little Eagle Creek Trail.

Portions of the Monon Trail in Marion and Hamilton Counties
  • An original Monon Railroad bridge was repurposed as a trail overpass in Indianapolis.
  • The trail traverses Indianapolis's north side neighborhoods.
  • A mixed-use development in downtown Carmel surrounds the Monon Greenway.
  • North of Carmel, the greenway passes under U.S. Route 31 heading towards Westfield.
  • An overpass was created in Carmel's section of the greenway, spanning 146th St.
  • A bridge over East 176th Street in Westfield, opened in May 2020.
  • Plaza near the Indiana School for the Deaf and 42nd Street in Indianapolis.

Visitor attractions along the trail

Future Expansion

Plans exist to further extend the Monon Trail north into the town of Kirklin in Clinton County.[14]

See also

  • B-Line Trail, a trail in Bloomington, Indiana also built on a portion of the Monon

References

  1. ^ Allen, Jake (October 6, 2025). "Final stretch of Monon Trail opens in Hamilton Couty. Will it keep going?". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Monon Trail (Lake County)". TrailLink. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  3. ^ Ortiz, Anna (July 23, 2014). "New bike trail leg bridges Munster, Hammond". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  4. ^ Earnshaw, Rob (July 7, 2014). "Hammond opens bike, pedestrian bridges". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  5. ^ Gallenberger, Michael; Media, Lakeshore Public (November 26, 2024). "South Shore president not ruling out May opening of West Lake Corridor". Inside Indiana Business. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  6. ^ "Indiana's Monon Trail". Rails-To-Trails Conservancy. March 1, 2009. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  7. ^ Earnshaw, Rob (July 21, 2014). "Neighborhood conditions impact quality of life". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  8. ^ Flusche, Darren (July 2012). "Bicycling Means Business: The Economic Benefits of Bicycle Infrastructure" (PDF). Advocacy Advance. p. 23. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  9. ^ "See the completed Monon Trail bridge over 38th Street that eliminates dangerous crossing". The Indianapolis Star. March 13, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  10. ^ "$7M pedestrian bridge planned for Monon Trail at 86th Street to improve safety". 13WTHR. September 13, 2025. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  11. ^ Sunkel, Gwen (March 22, 2014). "In The Park: The Monon Rail-Trail". Historic Indianapolis.com. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  12. ^ Price, Nelson (2004). Indianapolis Then & Now. San Diego, California: Thunder Bay Press. p. 131. ISBN 1-59223-208-6.
  13. ^ "Sheridan cuts ribbon on finalized Monon Trail". Hamilton County Television.
  14. ^ "Final stretch of Monon Trail opens in Hamilton Couty. Will it keep going?". Indianapolis Star.
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