Construction on Middlebury’s River Mill Trail will begin this spring. The town advertised for bids in November and awarded the project to Reith Riley earlier this month. Construction is anticipated as soon as weather clears, according to Tom Enright, Middlebury Parks and Recreation superintendent. Funding for the 1-mile trail is complete, but two short neighborhood […]
River Mill Trail nears construction Read More »
Construction of a giant pedestrian bridge over three train tracks and five lanes of traffic is underway. This is almost certain to be the largest pedestrian bridge in Elkhart County. It will cost roughly $6 million and take a year to build. But by next fall, you’ll be able to walk from the MapleHeart Trail
Building a BIG bridge Read More »
The 2018 Pumpkinvine Bike Ride was Phil Mason’s first as co-director, alongside Tim Drescher. His extensive background in business brought a fresh perspective, and increased revenue, to the Friends’ largest fundraising event of the year. In spring of 2022, Mason became board president and continued through construction of the trail’s final construction project this past
Phil Mason leaves Pumpkinvine board Read More »
Jared Beasley says he’s not a trail expert but an expert user. He regularly runs on the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail with friends and family. Sometimes that’s casual and conversational and other times he’s training for marathons or triathlons. He also walks the family dogs on the trail. He loves this trail and looks forward to
Jared Beasley to lead Pumpkinvine board Read More »
We are delighted with the turnout at the Pedal Party in August. The response to, and genuine excitement for the future of a trail linking Nappanee and Wakarusa will help fuel our movement forward. The Pedal Party gathered more than 100 people to ride in the southwestern part of Elkhart County, where an effort is
Looking Back on Our Pedal Party Read More »
The Pumpkinvine Nature Trail is finally complete from Goshen to Shipshewana, and a celebration 33 years in the making is being planned. Over the summer, the final 2,900-foot stretch between C.R. 35 and C.R. 20 was constructed and is open to the public. Thanks to the creativity and collaboration of Niblock Excavating, construction was finished
The Pumpkinvine Nature Trail is Finally Complete! Read More »
This summer, we asked people at our events to fill out surveys that can help guide our work of trail-building. One lucky survey participant would win a grand-prize E-Bike. Earlier this month, we drew a name from among the 215 respondents and Josh Weaver of Goshen was the winner. Congratulations, Josh! The surveys help us
Summer Survey E-Bike Drawing Read More »
Measuring usage of a trail relies on devices that count someone passing through a single spot. Trail counters in Elkhart County saw a remarkable 340,000 passes last year. This figure is based on the data received from four counters located on the Millrace and Pumpkinvine trails, as well as estimates developed after several counters experienced
Counting Users of Our Trails Read More »
2,900 feet. That’s what remains to complete the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail. The stretch of trail to be constructed between C.R. 35 and C.R. 20 will be on what was formerly private property, and stretches of the original Pumpkinvine railroad corridor. The segment offers many physical challenges due to wetlands and as much as 10 feet
Pumpkinvine Completion Update Read More »
We were thrilled to be part of the ribbon cutting for the River Greenway Trail, connecting the Maple Heart Trail and downtown Elkhart. The event at the Elkhart Environmental Center featured Gov. Eric Holcomb touting the value of trails in the state. He proclaimed that trail development is economic development. So far, Indiana has invested
River Greenway Ribbon Cutting Read More »