First segment of Monon South Trail complete
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The Indiana Department of Natural Resources on Thursday marked the completion of the first section of the new Monon South Trail.
The 1.27-mile trail segment is located in the Orange County town of Orleans and is part of what will ultimately be the longest contiguous trail in the state.
Plans for the Monon South Trail were first announced in January 2023. The trail is slated to span 62.3 miles on the abandoned Monon Railroad, running through Clark, Floyd, Washington, Orange and Lawrence counties.
The first section completed in Orleans runs from Stetson Street to Freeman’s Corner and includes a new trailhead at Franklin Street with vehicle parking, a restroom, bike racks and other amenities.
“The development of the Monon South Trail will be a game changer for attracting massive interest in outdoor recreation across this five-county region in southern Indiana, connecting locals and visitors alike to these communities and the many attractions available along the way,” Indiana DNR Director Dan Bortner said in a news release. “With the opening of this first section of Indiana’s future longest recreational trail, we’re blazing new trails while preserving history and sparking new economic opportunities.”
The Orleans segment is the first of five to open in Phase 1 of the Monon South project. That first phase will see 20 miles of trail that includes segments in Borden, New Pekin, Salem, Campbellsburg, Saltillo, and Mitchell.
The Monon Railroad went into operation in 1854, and trains were last operated on the rail line in 2008. The line was abandoned in 2018 by its most recent operator, CSXT. The corridor was acquired by the city of New Albany and Radius Indiana to turn it into a recreational trail.
“The public support for this project has been positive and overwhelming,” Radius Indiana CEO Jeff Quyle said in the release. “We look forward to a busy 2025 as we open several more portions of the trail and begin to activate it for public.”
The project is being supported by nearly $30 million from the Next Level Trails program, with $5.5 million being used to acquire the property. Radius Indiana said it has committed $650,000 to the project, and the Indiana Uplands Region has pledged $1 million in READI funding.