Monon Trail

Love this place… conducive for biking, running, walking, or just chilling. It is family friendly and lots of scenery. You must «share the road» but it’s a great place to work out. Definitely a spot to try…

The trail is in very good condition and goes through some neat towns. The two things I did not like was the many road crossings and the area the trail starts at in Indy. The cars were very cordial to us at all crossings at least. Great lunch at Public Greens.

Looking for a fun way to safely travel via bike, roller bladers, or foot from the downtown area to the northside? The Monon is definitely the way to go.
This gives the Cultural Trail a run for its money because of the length and distance the Monon travels. Not only does it span from downtown to just north of 169^th Street, it passes by tons of wonderful stores, shops, venues, parks, and all that you would need to satisfy an entire day outside on the trail!
The Monon sets the pace for what all trails should be like in the Indy area. Although it doesn’t get the special treatment of stopping traffic signs just for trailgoers like the Cultural Trail does, I do overall feel safe when using the trail.
One thing that would make this trail 6 out of 5 stars? Lighting! I know it’s a ton of path to cover, but it would be so nice having some lighting along the trail for early morning or evenings when the sun is setting. For safety, and so you can see in general!
Overall, one of my favorite trails in the city!

When I lived in Broad Ripple, I’d make it a point to time my evening run with the sunset. It’s beautiful in the summer or in the fall. Make your way to the Indianapolis Arts Center while you’re there. Try not to get too hungry while you run/​walk by La Piedad and the other great restaurants by the trail!

This is such a great place for a run or walk! There are tons of options for parking at different points along the trail so you can vary the scenery and avoid boredom! It can get crowded through Broad Ripple on weekend afternoons, but mornings are usually perfect; not desolate but not crowded. The paved, straight, flat surface is really nice for long runs when you want to zone out rather than watch every step to avoid the dreaded face-​plant.
Now…there are wonderful places to stop along the trail if you’re looking to «re-​fuel» from that run or walk. Let’s just say, it’s probably good BRICS isn’t open in the early morning hours!
Some folks worry about safety… I don’t know… I’ve never had any even creepy moments anywhere from 96^th down to a fair distance south of BR Avenue. I really think it is extremely safe; like I said, it isn’t desolate; others are always out walking and running. Might not be a super smart idea to go for a run at 2AM or something, but during normal human hours it is totally fine!

If you want a trail to walk/​run/​bike/​rollerblade/​whatever, then this is the trail!
I went around 7pm on a Tuesday & it was slightly crowded but if you watch out for the people on any amount of wheels, it’s not bad at all.
Beautiful scenery, small little creek, & lovely bird nests everywhere!
Dogs are welcome!

I love this rails to trail path. Most of the time I am riding my bike on the trail between 75^th Street and Broad Ripple Ave. But, I have also taken the trail as far North as Westfield and as far south as 21ish street. The trail is very well maintained. It is good for walking, riding, roller blading, running. It is good for adults, kids, dogs.
If you are a biker, there will be times where you can get your speed up, but you should also know there are times where you need to ride slower for the safety of the pedestrians. A bike bell is helpful to let the walkers /​runners know you are coming up. You can also do the «on your left» shout. Many pedestrians will have the head phones on and won’t hear you. However, I find these people to be pretty much focused and going on a straight line path anyway. But, it is still good to assume they can hear you and give your warning.
If you are a pedestrian, it would be good to remember that there are bikers coming up behind you and before moving to the other side of the trail, be cautious.
When we all play nicely together, this trail works well. And, from my experience, everyone on the trail has been playing nicely together.

Easy to navigate, relaxing, and family friendly
I went on an unusually warm Saturday in January and was pleasantly surprised. There were a lot of people out on the trail, but it made for a nice time. Once you move past the Broad Ripple area of shops/​food/​etc, it is nice and quiet.

This is the PERFECT trail for walking (dog walking), running, rollerblading, or riding a bicycle. I lived right off this trail for one year and it was the best thing that ever happened! Whether you are in the Broad Ripple area or out in Carmel, there are a ton of local restaurants and stores for you to enjoy.
Optimal smooth and level paved trail. During warmer months, there is great tree coverage to keep you cool while walking and running! People are generally very friendly and helpful!

It’s my New Year’s resolution to spend more time walking on the Monon. My favorite part is the strip that goes past BRICS + Public Greens… maybe because that’s where all my fave Brip eateries are? I especially love sitting on the PG or BRICS patio on a nice day and people watching. On any given (warm) day, you can expect to see babies, dogs, joggers, walkers, bicyclists and more. People stop + chat with familiar faces. It all feels very Mr. Roger’s neighborhood at times. Always activity!
That being said, I would only want to venture there during the daylight hours and/​or with friends. People can be on the Monon ²⁴⁄₇ but I wouldn’t want to go for a nighttime walk by myself.
Other than that, the Monon is a gem that extends from 10^th Street (& connects to the Cultural Trail) to Carmel and beyond — one day I shall attempt to bike it! No matter where you find yourself on the Monon, you’re likely only a hop, skip and a jump away from a great place to eat or grab a drink.

Here’s a few things you can do on the Monon Trail:
–walk your dog (s)
–stroll up/​down to SoBro, Broad Ripple Village or Nora
–train for a race (mile markers at every ½ mile)
–rollerblade
–take a fall color tour
–skateboard
–detour to Broad Ripple Park, Marott Park, or Canterbury Park
–scope out other people’s patio furniture and lawn ornaments
–ride your bike
–pit stop at Big Lug, Huddles, BRICS, Public Greens, Brugge, Locally Grown Gardens, and Bent Rail (not to mention the dozens of other spots nearby the trail)
–hop on a pogo stick
–admire the murals at 64^th, 54^th, and 49^th
Whether your goal is fitness or food, the Monon Trail is one of the best features of living in Broad Ripple by far!

This trail is not good for families with young children. There are way too many bikers who bike so fast and constantly try to pass hikers and other bikers. It might have some views to see but the mix of bikers and hikers in a place without speed limit (seriously!) keeps me away from going back again.

We bike here all the time, bring guests in here to Brics when they come into town. Basically, this is one of the main reasons we love Broad Ripple!

This trail is awesome. The only thing missing are regular water fountains so BYOW!
You can travel from 10^th St off the Cultural Trail to Carmel and it continues through Carmel all the way up to Westfield.
There are regular stops for streets and especially be careful at 16^th and 38^th Street. Some drivers are so friendly they will stop in the middle of the street and motion you to cross. But beware of the car coming behind them since they are likely to switch lanes and come on across the trail.
Some of the scenery is industrial but much goes through neighborhoods and is very interesting. Different people and groups have left some decent artwork along the trail too.
There are even some repair stations along the way which is super cool. They have wrenchs and specialty bike tools for the public use.

It’s the Monon. A classic staple in the Indianapolis area. Only down part is the little kids that slow you down. Other then that being on there is always a good experience. 4 stars because of the little kids and how sometimes there is very high traffic around the broad ripple area.

What a great public resource that connects areas around Indy to be so easily traversed by walking or biking. The trail is even great in the winter where it is kept plowed, even sometimes better than the regular roads!

Great flat trail for walkers, joggers, bike riders, walking your pets, beginners, advanced, sightseeing, snacking, taking a shortcut and people watching!

After I completely annihilated a Cuban Sandwich at taste of Havana, it was starting to get dark and cold so I started peddling toward home. On the way up I took the bike lane on Illinois, and decided it was getting to dark to ride in the street so I burned it up from broad ripple ave to 20^th. The scenery N of 38^th is very nice and is almost a park like setting, and I really dug the colorful advertisements on the barrier wall.
As it was getting dark, I started to get into the zone S of 38^th of abandoned houses, factories, and the smell of what smelled like burning sawdust. I work around construction all day so I like that smell (of progress), others didn’t. I saw a guy riding no hands on the bars with a shirt pulled up over his nose:). Whatever floats your boat!
Now the cool thing about this section is it allows to to get from mass ave to broad ripple without having to stop for traffic lights, just make sure you DO stop at every stop signs as some cross streets are especially busy. Also noticed were the emergency call boxes every so often which are always good to have on any trail. Overall the 6 miles I rode were very enjoyable, and I can’t wait to ride the southern portions! I’ll be back.

Very cool trail! I start in south broad ripple at 54 street and head north. Clean, exciting, scenic, diverse. Lots of excitement and I feel safe on the monon, On a pretty day packed, farmers market along trail, artsy and a happy place to be. Really enjoy!

When the State Fair train first began in the 80s, I remember riding it on the Monon track down from the Carmel depot. When I moved to Sobro, we rode dirt bikes on the abandoned trail, wondering what would become of the overgrown pathway. The news of a proposed «urban rail trail» was greeted with both skepticism and hope. Then piece by piece, loved, feared, honored, the Monon Trail grew & grew. When streets were reconfigured & repainted to provide bike lanes crisscrossing the city, we thought they were just for show. Expansion of the trail systems connecting into the Monon was a nice bonus. But the blooming of the Cultural Trail into a destination has put Indianapolis & our bikeways in the spotlight. The most wonderful part of all this is — they’re really being used! It’s great to be able to get to your destination & not have to worry about parking your car. You can travel uptown, downtown, all around town and see parks, rivers & canals, wildlife; neighborhoods, friends, restaurants, events, shopping, museums. I see all kinds of people on the Monon, playing, exercising, commuting. Way to go, Indianapolis! Grab a bike, park your car & go for a walk, get a dog or two or three, & don’t forget your friends.

I love the Monon Trail and miss it often after relocating to South Indy. I lived not far from the Fall Creek River trail, which connects to the Monon (about 25^th and Fall Creek). I preferred to take the Fall Creek trail to the Monon connection (red bridge over Fall Creek and 30t) and walk to Broad Ripple (north) vs going south. My first time on the Monon, I walked south. However, I have not done is since. Mainly because I was a bit «concerned»; I did not see many people on this side of the trail and the area is just… not that safe for a young female to run/​walk by herself. So I did not.
In fact, I LOVED walking toward Broad Ripple. A few times, I even got so far to 70^th street. The trail is well taken care of, clean, quiet and so pretty any time of the year. Murals in this area have been updated. Bikers and running respects each other. I’ll find many people running, walking, biking and playing with dogs. Many people are good at keeping their pets on the leash. My only issue with this trail vs a few I’ve been on in life are there are not many water fountains along the trail. I do not like walking with water and find it helpful to have water fountains around, especially during the summer.
My walks are usually pretty long; like 2 hours. I NEVER walk at night. The Monon is NOT lit, nor have I seen it being patrolled by police (another issue with it compared to others I’ve been to). So if you are walking/​running by yourself, I would recommend trying to get off the trail by dusk. Not because I am scared, but because we live in an urban city. To be safe, I ask everyone to take this as a consideration. However, I have never had a issue on this trail, no matter which side I go on. Just use your common sense.
I have not been able to find a trail in south Indy that I enjoy quite as much as I like the Monon trail (if you know of any, please let me know). As a result, I have driven back to the Monon trail from south Indy a few times. I still love it.

It was just this past week as I was ending a 13-​day wheelchair ride across Northern Indiana utilizing only hiking and biking trails that I found myself winding my way home with a trip along the Monon Trail beginning in Carmel and ending up in downtown Indy.
As might be expected, the Hamilton County stretch of the Monon Trail is a better kept, safer, and generally more utilized stretch of the Monon Trail. Carmel is a lot like that rich uncle that you really don’t hang out with very often, but you still visit once awhile either because it’s just really cool to do so or you actually need something.
While Mayor Brainard may have his faults and Carmel itself may be racking up its debt load trying to become that Midwestern oasis in the desert, the truth is that Brainard has done an awful lot of things right and taking care of the Monon is near the top of that list. This trail weaves its way through Carmel including the City Hall/​administrative areas, the arts district, and various points heading toward Indy. The trail is well kept, clean, feels safer, and is widely utilized.
This is not to say that the trail’s not utilized in Indy, especially in Broad Ripple and points North. As is true of the best trails, the trail is a beautiful mixture of nicely shaded and comfortably lit. Along the trail’s Northside corridor, you can definitely see where local businesses have capitalized on the trail and you see everything from bike shops to small cafes. In Carmel and Broad Ripple, trail users tend to be friendly if a bit cautious due to some incidents that have occurred on the trail including a handful of robberies.
While I’ve utilized the Monon for years, as I was arriving into Hamilton County as part of this particular event I had one of my road support people express concern about my route into Indy as there had just been a robbery at 35^th & Fall Creek along the trail where a male on a bike was allegedly jumped by four men (and I use the term «men» loosely). While I will admit that I briefly second-​guessed going that particular route a mere day after the attack, I decided I wasn’t about to let violence win and simply decided to move forward down the trail.
There’s no question that the vast majority of Monon Trail users are fitness-​oriented, law-​abiding citizens whose use of the trail is of no threat. Unfortunately, once you begin to get south of the State Fairgrounds along 38^th street, you enter a lower-​income area of Indianapolis that is marked by a number of hidden spots and vacant buildings. Wouldn’t it be lovely if this didn’t matter? Yes, it would be.
Sadly, it does matter. While the trail is certainly maintained in these areas, it does look a bit more blighted and isolated. As I traveled by wheelchair across this area where an attack had just occurred, I couldn’t help but think about both the beauty of the area and how sad it was that someone had taken advantage of a brief section of the trail where it’s easy to lose sight of those around you. There was a blue emergency box on the trail in this area, though I’m unsure if it was there prior to the attack. These boxes, while a reasonable safety measure, have been rumored to not always be functional and this has proven true on at least one occasion.
Despite some hesitation about the section of the trail south of 38^th street, I still consider the entire Monon Trail to be one of Indy’s true gems. It’s a beautiful trail that is friendly to walkers, runners, bikers, and those with disabilities. While there are sections where you cross streets on the trail, the trail is certainly one of the more accessible trails in Indiana and really encourages a person with a disability to get out and stay fit.
While no trail will ever be 100% safe, after all, I know of at least one quite vicious attack that occurred within the Broad Ripple area of the trail, I can’t quite get myself to give the trail a 5-​star rating until I see the quality of the trail maintained as well in the lower income areas as I do in the higher areas AND until I can be assured that the city of Indianapolis is doing everything it can to maintain the safety of its users including addressing the functionality of emergency boxes and perhaps working toward creating a more consistent presence of support crew on the trail.

The Monon is fantastic. I’ve never had a single issue while walking it (and I have done so many times) with groups. I’ve loved watching the Monon become better and better every year. It’s beautiful and peaceful. Definitely one of the top places to walk/​bike in Indy.

I love the Monon and frequent it with my bike often! Biking from Carmel to Broad Ripple takes only an hour and they have really boosted side attractions. Love that I can get a beer along the way!
There are some awesome trails off the Monon as well, especially around the Community Center.
It is illegal to be on the trail at night and I was just advise against it due to everyone paranoia with robbery. But I have heard of some altercations so I’m not interested in becoming one of the statistics! I love it during the day… all day long :)

The Monon is so much more than a place to get exercise. .. it is a conduit to Indy’s Cultural Arts and Industry.
I’m an ex-​dominatrix who fought local government in Indy’s media in three David vs. Goliath battles that took place in ²⁰⁰⁶⁄₂₀₀₇. Although it can be argued I won all three, I emerged wounded and crippled from the fight. The stress caused me to gain 100 pounds and I suffered from fibromyalgia that left me hobbling and depressed. I carried the weight for five long years and then I lost it. .. because I started replacing meals with raw organic smoothies stuffed with healthy raw organic greens and fruits.
Then I started riding The Monon Trail everyday.
Thanks to juicing and The Monon Trail, my health problems are a memory.
Indy is a great city to offer this incredible rail to trail resource.
Weight loss is 70% diet and 30% exercise. When I started writing my book, «Spanking City Hall: Dominatrix to Political Activist» in December 2012, my legs were not good enough for the book’s cover art concept and we discussed hiring a model.
By fall 2013, after five months of riding The Monon, my legs were in good shape and I did my book’s cover shoot with Dave Fulton who won an Emmy in 2013 for his local documentary, Naptown Rock Radio Wars.
Dave lives close the Monon and I can almost see his house from my favorite bridge on the trail.
I’m never bored on The Monon. Time your ride in the summer at dusk through «The Forest of The City» just north of Broad Ripple and south of 86^th Street to see the gorgeous firefly display which glimmers throughout the surrounding woods.
Pull over at the Indianapolis Art Center in Broad Ripple to look at the sculpture garden.
Ride the path west along the canal in Broad Ripple over to Holcomb Gardens to see the «Octagon of Truth and Freedom» and the 19^th century Persephone bronze.
.. . and south of 38^th street you’ll find a couple beautiful bridges and urban murals that brighten an unavoidable and important industrial area to our city.
Rent one of the easily accessible Pacer’s Bikes downtown and ride eight miles north to Broad Ripple and then on to 86^th street to experience it for yourself.
Feel free to stop and talk along the way. You never know who’ll you will meet.
#SpankingCityHall

This new mommy was thrilled to see the recently smoothed-​over curbs on the Monon near Brics & Broadripple Brewpub. It makes for a super smooth ride for our little dude in his stroller!
There are also some new benches made out of halved logs which I’m fairly certain will make for a great feeding spot in the future when the weather is warmer.

I was visiting a friend in Indianapolis and had to get in a 7-​mile run for my training plan. A little research led me to the Monon Trail, which was only about ½ a mile from her front door. I enjoyed every mile I ran on this trail — it was wide enough that it never felt crowded and flat as can be. It was fun running behind people’s backyards and being nosy and there were fun murals to look at along the way. The trail crossed a few roads along the way, so I was able to duck off of it and hop into a store to buy a small bottle of water instead of worrying about carrying it with me on the run. (Though, someone had put out a jug of water and some cups at one spot along the trail, which was awesome!)
If I lived in Indy, I’d probably run on this trail all the time.