B&O TRAIL
The B&O Trail is one of the premier trails in the Indianapolis Metro Area, running from West Michigan Street in Haughville through Speedway. A short break is being built between Speedway and Clermont. The trail continues through Brownsburg up toward North Salem.
Trail managers want to take the B&O Trail West to the Indiana State Line. Trail colleagues in Parke County have already prepared the B&O bridge across the Wabash River in Montezuma for a connection with a longer trail. With grant funding through the Indiana Next Level Trails program, it appears that the B&O Trail has a great start on its goal!
TRAIL FEATURES
Type of Trail: Rail Trail
Surface: asphalt
Uses allowed: all uses
Wheelchairs allowed: yes
Attractive Features: Scenic views previously only seen as a passenger on the railroad. Connection to the Bicentennial Trail and Cardinal Park.
AGENCY INFORMATION
B&O Trail Association
6038 Walnut Court
Brownsburg, IN 46112
317-852-3838
Agency Website
More Information
Development of the B & O Trail segment in Marion and Hendricks Counties has ramped up. After 16 or more years of negotiations with the CSX Rail Road, the purchase of 16miles of the B & O wrapped up in December, 2009.
May 11, 2010 witnessed groundbreaking ceremonies for the paving of three miles of the B & O from State Road 267 in Brownsburg, just north of County Road 350 North. The construction resulted from fundraising and trail design going on during the time of the purchase negotiations.
The new trail construction will also include building a bridge across the east fork of White Lick Creek, almost ½
mile south of the O’Reilly Raceway Park, formerly known as Raceway Park. The wooded area, bounded on either side by federally protected wetland will make a scenic promenade.
This three mile paving of the B & O eastward from State Road 267 in Brownsburg will end at County Road 300 North. Due to a gap in land ownership, trail goers will have to follow a mile long detour along 300 North eastward to County Road 1000, and then south one third mile until they link up with the B & O again and continue eastward on the trail the “end of the line” of pavement, at Raceway Road (County Line Road).
A green light atop a railroad semaphore marks the trail here, a former signal signifying “clear travel” to railroad engineers riding their magic carpet of steel. A similar semaphore will decorate the new trail head at State Road 267.
Across Raceway Road, or County Line Road, the unpaved part of the B & O continues eastward and through grass, but still accessible by foot, for about 1000 feet, unpaved, across Tansel Road through grassy fields in the Drakes Landing, a housing addition.