Status Map of Projects Along NRHT
Nov
'23 Hamrick Station Trail Begins First
Seasonal
Closure
Aug
'23 Status of Next Level Trails Grants Across NRHT
July
'23 Putnam County Leads in Open NRHT Miles
Jun
'23 Hancock
Co. Pennsy
Trail Opens
East from
Cumberland
Apr
'23 5
New Sections of NRHT
Currently Under
Development
Jun '22 Hendricks
Co. Received Grant
for Vandalia Trail
at Clayton
Apr
'22 Round 3
Next Level Trails
Grant Goes to
Greencastle
2024
2020-2021
2018-2019
2016-2017
2015 & before
November
2023
Hamrick Station
Trail Begins First Seasonal Closure:
As background for this annual closure, very often, it is complicated or even impossible to piece together corridors for trails, because of competing interests in the same property that don't appear to be compatible. The Hamrick Station Trail is a good example of a creative solution to this problem.
For a number of years, the former railroad corridor was of interest for a public trail, but in this more remote area of the county, hunting was a very popular activity for even longer. Working together, trail and hunting interests found a way to take the property ownership out of limbo to the benefit of both.
The trail group was allowed to purchase the property with the agreement that the trail would be closed for a period each fall around deer firearm season.
August
2023
Status of Next
Level Trails Grants Across NRHT:
NEW NLT APPLICATIONS
Hendricks County Parks and Recreation: Hendricks County Parks & Recreation submitted an application for ~$1.7 million to complete the funding needed to build ~2.5 miles of paved Vandalia Trail west from Lambert Park in the Town of Clayton to about halfway to the Town of Amo. This will be a very important segment beginning to fill the trail gap in the center of the county and finally providing the residents of the town of Clayton with direct access to a multi-use trail. This is the only incorporated community within the central 4 counties of the NRHT initiative to not currently have a trail.
Pennsy Trails of Hancock County: Pennsy Trails of Hancock County submitted an application for ~$1 million to pave the next mile east from the current Pennsy Trail trailhead at CR 400 W. This will extend the longest continuous open segment along the NRHT from 20 miles to 21 miles and will reduce the trail gap to Greenfield Parks' Pennsy Trail to 1.5 miles.
ACTIVE NLT-FUNDED PROJECTS
Town of Plainfield: The town of Plainfield is quickly building its 2.3-mile Vandalia Trail extension east to Indianapolis. With most of the new paving done and many of the new concrete crossings in place, the project is still on track to complete this fall. This will increase Plainfield Parks & Recreation's continuous Vandalia Trail length to 7.5 miles.
City of Greencastle: The city of Greencastle is completing the engineering work on its 2.3-mile trail project, including 1.5 miles of new paved trail to extend and complete the Campus Link Trail across the southwest part of the city, plus connecting to and paving the current stone surfaced 0.8-mile Putnam Nature Trail Phase 1 going southwest from the city. As part of this project, National Road Heritage Trail, Inc. will transfer to Greencastle the Putnam Nature Trail Phase 1 property that it currently holds for Putnam Parks & Pathways. This will extend the local continuous open segment along the NRHT corridor to 15.4 miles including the Vandalia Trails of Hendricks County Parks & Recreation and Putnam Parks & Pathways and the Greencastle Parks & Recreation Department's trails. Construction is expected to start in 2004.
July
2023
Putnam County
Leads in Open NRHT Miles:
Marion County is in a close second with 15.2 miles, consisting of Indy Greenways, Indianapolis Cultural Trail, and the Town of Cumberland. Some additional corridor is preserved for future trails on the west side of the city, but near term development is uncertain. The next segment to watch for is the Vandalia Trail starting from Plainfield and going east being promoted by the White Lick Creek and Vandalia Trail Alliance, Inc. (wlcvta.org). Another interesting development will be the Eagle Creek Trail bridge over the Big Eagle Creek east of Tibbs Ave north of I-70, since that is also envisioned to be used for the future Vandalia Trail approaching downtown. Completion plans for the Eagle Creek Trail were given a boost in the past year with significant funding committed from the city and the Lilly Endowment.
Looking across the state, the next section of NRHT that will open will be the 2.3-mile extension of the Vandalia Trail by Plainfield east to Indianapolis, possibly in 2023. That will bring Hendricks County up to a similar length as Vigo and Hancock Counties with around 10-11 miles.
April
2023
5 New Sections
of NRHT Currently Under Development:
Hamrick Station Trail - This 3-mile rustic rail trail in southwest Putnam County will be accessible only from a small gravel parking lot on Manhattan Road about 2 miles north of US 40, for the foreseeable future. Putnam Parks & Pathways expects final construction activity for this initial natural surface, dead end version of the trail to be completed in early May. This is a very scenic section including elevated views of the Big Walnut Creek valley for much of the westernmost mile. Future connection west to Reelsville and surface upgrade are in study.
Campus Link Trail - The city of Greencastle is in final design for this Next Level Trails funded 1.5-miles of new paved trail extension across the southwest part of the city, connecting to and upgrading to paved the 0.8-mile Putnam Nature Trail Phase 1 going southwest from the city. This will extend the local continuous trail length along the NRHT corridor to 15.4 miles including the Vandalia Trail from Hendricks County through the existing Campus Link Trail across the southeast part of the city. Construction is expected in the 2005-2006 timeframe.
Vandalia Trail (Clayton) - Hendricks County Parks & Recreation is in final design and acquisition for their new funded 2.5-mile section of paved Vandalia Trail to run from Lambert Park in the town of Clayton west to the Pecksburg area, half way to their original Vandalia Trail in the town of Amo. Construction is currently predicted to begin in 2004. This will be a key new amenity in the middle of the current 10-mile gap in the Vandalia Trail between Amo and Plainfield.
Vandalia Trail (Plainfield) - The town of Plainfield began construction of its 2.3-mile paved Vandalia Trail extension east to its existing trailhead and short trail section at its border with Indianapolis in the winter of 2023 (Photos of early April status). Combined with the town's existing 5-mile and 0.2 mile sections, this will form a continuous 7.5-mile Vandalia Trail completely across the town's current width. A future extension east into Indianapolis and connection to a north-south greenway is the focus of the westside Indy not-for-profit White Lick Creek and Vandalia Trail Alliance, Inc.
Pennsy Trail (Hancock County) - A new 1.3-mile paved section of Pennsy Trail driven by Pennsy Trails of Hancock County and managed by Hancock County's government began construction in late 2022 between CR 600 W and CR 500 W. Most of the route has been graded and laying of base gravel began in early April. This section will connect the long continuous trail from Cumberland and downtown Indianapolis and Hancock County's original 1-mile section, resulting in 20 miles of continuous trail along the NRHT corridor from White River State Park. Also acquired and in early development is another 0.5 miles of Pennsy Trail corridor just east of Hancock County's existing 1-mile section, so is hoped to further extend this continuous section in the not too distant future.
Miscellaneous: Note that the "continuous" part of the NRHT on the east side of Indianapolis does currently have a short break in the Pleasant Run Trail due to adjacent road construction and trail reconstruction around the Southeastern Avenue intersection.
June
2022
Hendricks Co.
Received Grant for Vandalia Trail at
Clayton:
This increases the amount of new trail currently funded or under construction along the cross-state National Road Heritage Trail initiative to 7 miles, as shown on the NRHT map page. It will also significantly reduce the size of one of the larger gaps in that initiative in central Indiana.
April 2022
Round 3 Next
Level Trails Grant Goes to Greencastle:
The overall project is expected to take 3-4 years to complete. See the location on the NRHT maps page. National Road Heritage Trail, Inc. will donate the Putnam Nature Trail Phase 1 property to the city of Greencastle as part of this project.
