AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Monon Trail & Nickel Plate Trail

9.7 mi · ▲ 28 ft · 3 hr 15 min

Monon Trail & Nickel Plate Trail is a 9.7-mile out-and-back near City of Indianapolis (balance), IN. It is mostly level, with 28 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi702 – 748 ft10.5 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 39.77980, -86.14497
Nearest town City of Indianapolis (balance), IN
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Monon Trail & Nickel Plate Trail

9.7 mi · ▲ 28 ft · 3 hr 15 min

Elevation 703–749 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: 39.77980, -86.14497

Weather Sep 21: sunrise 7:32 AM · sunset 7:45 PM

Dogs allowed on leash · Transit-accessible: 10th and College EB stop 105 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading N.
  2. 250 ftTurn right, heading E.
  3. 450 ftTurn left onto Indianapolis Cultural Trail, heading NE.
  4. 50 ftTurn right onto Monon Trail, heading NE.
  5. 1.3 miContinue straight onto North Alley 1050 East, heading N.
  6. 100 ftContinue straight onto Monon Trail, heading N.
  7. 2.2 miTurn right onto Nickel Plate Trail, heading N.
  8. 0.2 miTurn right, heading NE.
  9. 0.5 miBear right, heading E.
  10. 0.5 miReach Monon Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  11. 0.5 miTurn right, heading S.
  12. 0.5 miTurn right, heading W.
  13. 0.2 miTurn left onto Monon Trail, heading W.
  14. 2.2 miContinue straight onto North Alley 1050 East, heading S.
  15. 150 ftContinue straight onto Monon Trail, heading S.
  16. 1.3 miTurn left onto Indianapolis Cultural Trail, heading S.
  17. 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
  18. 450 ftTurn left, heading S.
  19. 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/monon-trail-nickel-plate-trail-out-back-16-km-a4e1

Trail surface

87% paved13% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 7:32 AMSunset 7:45 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.6 mi in (~16 min). Leave by 7:09 PM for the 7:45 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:16 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Transit-accessible: 10th and College EB stop 105 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from this trailhead

Hikes near City of Indianapolis (balance), Indiana