The Nickel Plate Trail is a

rail trail A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...

that encompasses of abandoned railroad corridor in north central

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

. The trail runs from

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

to Kokomo.

Route

The northern endpoint of the trail starts is in

in Fulton County, Indiana and travels south into

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

through Macy, Deedsville,

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

to the north of

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

. The trail then uses various roadway combinations and picks back up as a separate trail on the west side of the city. From Peru, the trail heads south through Bunker Hill and

in Miami County and through Cassville in

Howard County, Indiana Howard County is one of 92 counties in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 83,658. The county seat is Kokomo. Originally named Richardville County, it was renamed in 1844 to commemorate General Tilghman Ashurs ...

Plans

Currently, the trail ends in Howard County, just north of the city of Kokomo. In 2018 the Industrial Heritage Trail in Kokomo was extended via a lighted pedestrian bridge over IN 931 and under

US 31 U.S. Route 31 or U.S. Highway 31 (US 31) is a major north–south U.S. highway connecting southern Alabama to northern Michigan. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with US 90/ US 98 in Spanish Fort, Alabama. Its ...

effectively extending the trail just south of Lincoln Road near State Road 931. Other communities south of Kokomo have expressed interest in connecting to the Nickel Plate Trail. Recently,

Tipton Tipton is an industrial town in the West Midlands in England with a population of around 38,777 at the 2011 UK Census. It is located northwest of Birmingham. Tipton was once one of the most heavily industrialised towns in the Black Country, w ...

started work on a comprehensive plan with hopes of connecting to the Nickel Plate Trail. Should the Nickel Plate Trail connect to Tipton, the trail would then be near 60 miles in length, meeting the same length of the

Cardinal Greenway The Cardinal Greenway (TGC) is a multi-use recreational network combining a rail trail and an on-street route that together cross and five counties — in east central Indiana. The greenway, which was designated a National Recreation Trail i ...

, the current longest

in Indiana. It would also connect Tipton, Sharpsville, Oakford to Kokomo via an extension of the current Industrial Heritage Trail on the city's south side. In Hamilton County, the tracks from

Atlanta, Indiana Atlanta is a town in Jackson Township, Hamilton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 725 at the 2010 census. History Atlanta had its start by the merger of the three neighboring rival towns of Spargerville, Shielville, and Buena ...

Noblesville Noblesville is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Indiana, United States, a part of the north Indianapolis suburbs along the White River. The population was 51,969 at the 2010 census making it the state's 14th largest city/town ...

are used by the Nickel Plate Express heritage railway. From Noblesville to Indianapolis, construction has started to convert the right of way into another part of the Nickel Plate Trail.

References

{{reflist Rail trails in Indiana

Route

Plans

See also

References