EMERGING RAIL-TRAILS
it may be due to its Hall of Fame cousin, the Monon Trail running though Indianapolis and its northern suburbs, that shares the same historical rail line.) “There are a lot of community memories about that rail line when it was active,” explained Jeff Quyle, president and CEO of Radius Indiana, a nonprofit economic development organization and partner in the trail’s development. “We’ve got folks who remember the day when passenger rail service still existed in small towns like these.” The rail-trail has been in
“It creates common ground, shared experiences. You can see the possibilities.” — Don Caudell, Mayor of Mitchell, Indiana
PROPOSED TRAIL: Monon South Trail
attracting new businesses as well. “It creates common ground, shared experiences. You can see the possibilities.” Along Orleans’ section, the trailhead is also just a short distance from downtown restaurants and shops, said Robert Henderson Jr., the town’s clerk-treasurer, noting that there’s already a buzz of enthusiasm from locals and an increase of visitors from other areas coming to check out the new trail. “There will be a real boost to the hometown business owners as we move forward, who no doubt will see increased foot traffic,” Henderson said. “There are also expected to be a great deal of opportunities for local entrepreneurs.” In celebration of the trail’s railroad heritage, the trail’s design will incorporate artifacts like signal poles and will include covered seating areas at trailheads that resemble old rail platforms. (And, if the trail’s name sounds familiar, LOCATION: The rail-trail will run from Mitchell to Borden in southern Indiana, connecting eight communities in four counties. USED RAILROAD CORRIDOR: Monon Railroad (also known as the Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railroad) LENGTH: The trail is planned to stretch 62.3 miles; as of spring 2025, 3.7 miles of the route are open in Mitchell and Orleans. SURFACE: Primarily asphalt, with some hard-packed, crushed aggregate sections
and Kentucky. The connection will provide access to vibrant riverside communities and major attractions, like Falls of the Ohio State Park, home to 390-million-year-old fossil beds. Although John Bassett’s home is 30 miles north of the trail, he has hiked the new open sections and looks forward to cycling the entire route once complete. A member of the Bloomington Bicycle Club, he lives about a mile and a half from the old railroad and enjoys the rail- trails in his community. The new pathway, expected to become a regional draw as one of the longest rail-trails in the state, will offer views of Midwestern farmland and dramatic limestone bluffs with deep cuts made for the railroad, as well as access to the nearby state parks and natural areas that line the way. “Rail-trails offer an entire- ly different perspective on cities, towns and the countryside than you get from riding roadways,” enthused Bassett. “The neat thing about the Monon South Trail is that it will be a long trail through a beautiful section of south central Indiana.”
the works since 2018, when the railroad’s owner, CSX
Transportation, railbanked the line. Next Level Trails, the state’s grant program, provided the funding to purchase the rail corridor on behalf of Radius and New Albany for $5.5 million. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) also provided $24 million for the trail’s development, according to Mark Becker, director of the DNR’s Division of Land Acquisition. “There’s a long history of this corridor in the state,” Becker said. “But beyond that, the opportunity to railbank a continuous corridor of that length is fairly unique in Indiana.” Interpretive signage along the way will also highlight the economic importance of agriculture to these communities, noted Taylor. Gathering feedback like this at town hall meetings about the project was a key part of the project’s success. “We would sit down and sort of brainstorm through some things,” he explained. “It was very interactive and very hands-on.” South of Borden, the Monon South Trail is also planned to stretch down to New Albany to meet the Ohio River Greenway (ohiorivergreenway.org), which follows the river separating Indiana
Learn more: mononsouth.com.
PHOTOS: Opposite page: (Top) Groundbreaking for the Monon South Trail in Borden, Indiana; (bottom) community visioning and design workshop for the Monon South Trail | Courtesy Radius Indiana and Taylor Siefker Williams Design Group (2).
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