Blogs - December 3, 2020
“Hey Google, Find Bikeways Near Me”
If you’re a biker, longboarder, jogger, or walker, who is frequently asking Google to “find bikeways near me,” you will love Warsaw/Winona Lake! We have 180 miles of bikeways in Kosciusko County, and one of the best greenway trails of our county directly connects to our campus. Grab your longboard, hop on your bike, or throw on some jogging shoes and enjoy a number of cool sights along the “bikeways near me!”
1.The greenway trailhead is accessible right here on Grace College’s campus — our personal favorite stop along the trail. If you’re starting at Grace, make your way towards Beta Hall and the Institute for Global Studies. Sandwiched between the two, you’ll find this sign. This is where your adventure begins.
See our Campus Map
Pro Tip: Pay attention to the statues as you ride along the greenway. The Heritage Trail features artwork that interprets attributes of the heritage of Winona Lake. These attributes include kindness, virtue, generosity, community, gathering, beauty, respect, legacy, peace, and love.
2. Follow the trail down and up hills, around loops and turns. You will pass by our Miller Athletic Complex. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of our Lancers in action. After you cross Kings Highway, keep your eyes peeled for access points to the mountain biking trails. With nearly 10 miles of mountain biking trails, you are sure to find an exciting route to take your adrenaline rush to the next level. Keep your workout interesting with a ride that rolls over logs, treads through sand, glides across bridges, and soars over jumps. With these intermediate/difficult singletrack trails — the playground of your dreams can be in your backyard!
3. Stop number three is Winona Lake Limitless Park. This park includes public beach access to Winona Lake, sand volleyball, tennis courts, and even a splash pad for kids! It’s the perfect place to stop for a pick-up game of Spikeball or to go for a quick float or paddle in the summer.
4. Not far from the park, the trail will wind around to the Village at Winona. This string of shops and restaurants appeals to a wide array of interests. We could go on and on about each one of them, but we’ll just touch on a few:
- Green Earth Multisport, LLC: stocked with running, riding, and swimming equipment — if you need to replace your gear or an energy gel to keep going — stop here!
- Kelainey’s Sweet Dreams: grab a sweet ice cream treat for the ride!
- Light Rail Roasters: order an iced coffee for the road, or get a yummy pizza for lunch and stay awhile.
Pro Tip: Don’t stay in the Village too long — there’s still so much to see!
5. You will not want to skip out on this next portion of the trail! From the Village, take the trail up to Jefferson St., and then hop on Lincoln Street. This will lead you to the Beyer Farm Greenway. With 1800 feet of wetland boardwalk, the trail offers a tranquil escape from the normal landscape of the midwest. There are educational signs along the trail, (created by our own Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams,) providing information about the wildlife and vegetation that inhabit the wetlands. As the boardwalk ends, an asphalt trail will lead you to the Pike Lake Campground.
Pro Tip: If you need to wet your whistle, there is a natural flowing well at the Pike Lake Campground that many don’t know about. This journey is not a short one: hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
6. Located near the campground are two parks: Pike Lake Park and Lucerne Park (about two blocks off the greenway). Both parks offer lake access, a playground, trails, and restroom facilities. Lucerne Park also has an amphitheater.
7. Just a few blocks from Lucerne Park, on the banks of Center Lake, is Central Park. Central Park is a popular venue for community concerts in the summer and is decked out in Christmas lights in the winter. Right beside Central Park is Warsaw Biblical Gardens. The gardens, situated on approximately 3/4 acre, currently contain over one-hundred plants named in the Bible. These gardens represent the plants mentioned in Scripture that are able to survive in the environs of the Midwest.
Pro Tip: You can request a guide and/or handbook to get more information at the gardens!
8. Stop number eight requires a bit of a ride through town, but once you arrive at the City-County Athletic Complex (CCAC), you can catch some local athletic games on the pitch, the field, or the court. Or you can work up a sweat and step up to bat at their batting cages!
9. Chinworth Bridge: This historic iron bridge spanning the Tippecanoe River dates to 1897 but provides a peaceful getaway today. On the National Registry of Historic Places, the bridge was originally built on the township line that separated Chief Mota’s reservation from Chief Checosee’s reservation. Stop on the bridge, and you may catch some kayakers floating down the river, or continue past the bridge to traverse the two-mile asphalt Old Chinworth Bridge Trail.
Pro Tip: Read #10 — we have some EXCLUSIVE information for you.
10. The final stop we recommend on your greenway expedition isn’t quite ready for you, yet. But get ready — the greenway trail is expanding! Soon, you will meet a juncture at Kings Highway past Miller Field. Take a left, and the trail will lead you back behind Christ’s Covenant Church where a new playground awaits you! Enjoy a freshly paved trail with new sights along the way!
Other Bikeways Near Me:
Nickel Plate Trail
Wabash & Erie Canal Towpath Trail
If your Google search sounds something more like “Hey Google, find mountain bikeways near me,” check out this recent story!
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