Erie Lackawanna Trail

Erie Lackawanna Trail is a rail trail located in Lake County, Indiana, which runs along the former Erie Lackawanna Railway.[4] The trail begins in the city of Hammond then passes through the towns of Highland, Griffith, Schererville, and Merrillville before coming to an end in the county seat Crown Point. It covers a total of 17.7 miles (28.5 km).[1]

For the former Pennsylvania Route 2 (PA 2), see Lackawanna Trail.

Erie Lackawanna Trail
The Erie Lackawanna Trailhead near downtown Crown Point was completed in 2014.
Length17.7 miles (28.5 km)[1]
LocationLake County, Indiana
Established1990s-present (in segments)
DesignationU.S. Bicycle Route 36[2]
TrailheadsHammond–Crown Point[3]
UseShared use path
SeasonYear round
SurfaceAsphalt
Right of wayErie Lackawanna Railway
Pennsylvania Railroad (partially)
Websitehttp://www.indianatrails.org
Trail map

History

The original Erie-Lackawanna right-of-way was an important freight route through Lake County; although, with the decline of railroad traffic in the United States, the line was abandoned in 1986 by Conrail.[5] After it was abandoned, plans were made by Hammond's Parks and Recreation Department to develop the former right-of-way into a trail system.[6] The first portions of the Erie Lackawanna Trail were created in the mid-1990s, having been continually extended since then.[1]

The trail currently connects to the Monon Trail in downtown Hammond, and the Oak Savannah Trail in Griffith.[7] The Erie Lackawanna is in the vicinity of Pennsy Greenway in Schererville.[8] Today, the trail is a shared use path, complete with trailheads, park amenities, and local attractions near it.[3] It is currently the longest contiguous trail in Northwest Indiana.[9]

Visitor attractions along the trail

See also

References
  1. "Erie Lackawanna Trail". TrailLink. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  2. Benman, Keith (November 11, 2015). "NWI bike trails win national route designation". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  3. "Erie Lackawanna Trail". IndianaTrails.org. The Greenways Foundation. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  4. Erler, Susan. "Crown Point officials get update on bike trail improvements, roundabout". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
  5. Schwieterman, Joseph P. (2001). When the Railroad Leaves Town: American Communities in the Age of Rail Line Abandonment. Kirksville, Mo.: Truman State University Press. pp. 77. ISBN 9780943549989.
  6. Brown, Cliston (July 21, 1996). "Merrillville hikes toward trail project". The Times of Northwest Indiana.
  7. Dolan, Bill (July 14, 2006). "Proposed trail offers something for many". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  8. Steele, Andrew (April 11, 2015). "Schererville: Engineering work to begin on Pennsy-Erie Lackawanna connection". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  9. "Spring/Summer 2015" (PDF). Merrillville Parks & Recreation. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  10. "Historical Park". Griffith Historical Society. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  11. Fashek, Allison (June 22, 2006). "Lake County to get unusual new park". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
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