Monon Trail

Northwest Indiana's portion of the Monon covers , starting at the Pennsy Greenway near the Illinois–Indiana border in Munster, and running north to the Erie Lackawanna Trailhead in downtown Hammond. 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. The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which operates the South Shore commuter rail service, reconstructed a portion of the rail route along the old Monon right-of-way. The Monon Corridor provides service from southern Lake County communities to and from Hammond and downtown Chicago; service began in 2026. ==Central Indiana segment==

Central Indiana's portion of the Monon covers , 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. 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. 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. There are plans to build another bridge over 86th Street. 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 between 96th Street and 146th Street. This first phase of trail construction cost approximately $5.5 million. 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 in Westfield Township. The final segment of the trail in Hamilton County was opened in Sheridan on October 3, 2025. 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. {{Gallery Visitor attractions along the trail • Monon Depot Museum • Carmel City Center • Monon Community Center • Indy Art Center ==Future Expansion== Plans exist to further extend the Monon Trail north into the town of Kirklin in Clinton County. ==See also==