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The Nickel Plate trail is the 40+mile railtrail corridor running from Cassville in Howard County to Rochester in Fulton County. This corridor was purchased from the Norfolk and Southern Railroad via the Federal Railbanking program for the purpose of developing a trail for hiking, bicycling, and other non-motorized recreational uses. The trail currently goes through the communities of Bennetts Switch, Miami, Bunker Hill, Peru, and Denver.
With 12.8 miles of the trail currently paved and 20 additional miles currently being developed, the Nickel Plate Trail is ideal for walking, hiking, running, bicycling, skating, or even cross country skiing. Overall it is comfortably wide, smooth, and maintains an almost unnoticeable grade. Paved in some areas, there is a good mixture of open and shaded trail.
The trail follows what was once the Nickel Plate Railroad, running alongside and in places crossing over, Little Pipe Creek. The landscape surrounding the trail not only looks beautiful, but has the unmistakable fresh smell of the Indiana countryside. No matter how many times you visit the trail, there is always something new for you to find.
As you explore the woodlands and wetlands you can see a wide variety of plant and animal life. Of interest is Scout Bridge, which crosses Little Pipe Creek, and an old dam with some historical interest, both of which are just south of the Peru trailhead. South of Bunker Hill and to the east of the trail are some of the remains of the Union Traction railway, the electric interurban line that was abandoned around 1940.
Well cared for, the Nickel Plate Trail is one of the nicest-looking trails in the midwest. The amazing sights, sounds and scents the trail provides make it much more than just a great place to visit, it's an experience.
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| Cole Porter Run Info Now Available. |
| See our Trail Calendar for more info. |
North Section of the Nickel Plate Trail Finished!
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After a lot of clearing by NPT volunteers and prisoners from the Miami County Correctional facility, twenty miles of new trail from Lover’s Lane in Miami County to Rochester, Indiana in Fulton County was recently paved by the Indiana Department of Transportation in completion of an American Recovery and Reclamation Act stimulus project. As you can see, bike riders are eager to ride the new trail. Benches will be put in place, signs will be appearing soon, and parking areas are in the planning stage. A grand opening is tentatively planned for October 2nd. Watch the website for further details.
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| Letter from the Trail President..... |
| We would like to take this opportunity to thank all Miami, Howard, Cass, and Fulton County residents and friends who run, walk and bike on the Nickel Plate Trail for their enthusiastic encouragement and support. In the past few years we have seen what was an empty, overgrown rail bed become a beautiful greenway. The opportunity to exercise and enjoy nature away from traffic has been a joy to many. Currently, thanks to a grant from the American Recovery and Reclamation Act (ARRA) stimulus funds, 20 additional miles of paved trail from Lovers’ Lane in Peru to Rochester will be completed shortly.
While having the trail is a wonderful asset, it must be maintained. Weeds and grass must be constantly mowed and/or sprayed with weedkiller, overhanging trees and large bushes beside the trail regularly trimmed, and the trail inspected for holes caused by small critters. This is an expense not covered by grants, and it requires all types of equipment. The Nickel Plate Trail as an all volunteer not-for-profit organization has established an endowment fund with the Northern Indiana Community Foundation (NICF) for trail maintenance.
Please send donations to the Miami County Community Foundation, 13 E. Main St., Peru, 46970 and specify the Nickel Plate Trail Endowment Fund for Trail Maintenance. Our volunteers will do the work, but we need help to buy fuel and materials. If you can’t donate, please consider volunteering your time.
Mike Kuepper, President,
Bill Click, Vice President,
Steve Gough, Treasurer,
and Joan Smith, Secretary
NPT, Inc, PO Box 875, Peru
765-681-1243
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What Visitors To The Trail Say About Us
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We have rode the trail from Cassville to Peru and love it! Debbie Greene
Rode the trail from Peru to Cassville & back last Monday. A very nice trail. Had a great time. Very beautiful ride. Will be back. Thanks. Ray Ashcraft
Just to let you know I love everything you all have done and continue to do and I was glad to be apart of it. Jason Hutchinson
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