New Trail Marks 50th Mile of NLT Projects

The DNR and Monroe County Parks and Recreation celebrated the opening of a newly completed segment of the Karst Farm Greenway in Monroe County on Dec. 6.

The 2.67-mile asphalt extension accommodates both pedestrians and cyclists and was made possible by a grant of over $2.33 million from the DNR Next Level Trails (NLT) program. The greenway extension is the 15th NLT project to be completed and marks the 50th mile of trail funded by NLT.

The project extends the existing 4.5-mile trail north to Highway 46 in Ellettsville. The trail now covers close to 7.3 uninterrupted miles.

The trail creates a link between Ellettsville and Bloomington, linking Karst Farm Park, Campbell’s Park and several residential areas and educational campuses. The Duke Energy Foundation assisted with the project, providing a large grant for trail amenities.

In April, Ellettsville was awarded a third-round NLT grant of over $1.13 million to build the Heritage Trail, a 2.11-mile extension connecting to the Karst Farm Greenway. That project is expected to be complete by the end of 2024. Once finished, it will create a continuous paved trail of nearly 10 miles between the two communities.

As part of the Next Level Connections initiative, NLT is Indiana’s largest-ever infusion of trails funding. The program is administered by the DNR and facilitates trail connections within and between Hoosier communities. To date, NLT has awarded nearly $120 million to 73 projects across Indiana. Close to 140 miles of trail are under development.