MapleHeart Trail

The MapleHeart Trail connects Goshen, Indiana to Elkhart and its name brought images of majestic trees, perhaps painted with early fall color.  I'd biked the Pumpkinvine Trail out of Goshen and I expected a bucolic ride through rural Indiana.

But, I was wrong.

The MapleHeart Trail is a purely practical connector between Goshen and Elkhart.   It's neither tree-lined nor rustic.  It's basically a wide side-walk along a county highway.  If you live in Goshen and want to get to Elkhart, the trail takes you there, safely and easily. Transportation over recreation.  Practical bike routes make a lot of sense given the large Amish population in the region, who use the trails to commute.

To be fair, it's a nice ride to the attractive Ox Bow County Park, about halfway between the two towns.  It also connects to the Pumpkinvine Trail, for those wanting a longer ride.

My ride started in Abshire Park, east of Goshen.  From there, it was 9 miles to Elkhart, on a combination of the Pumpkinvine Trail, the Wilden Avenue Connector, and the MapleHeart Trail.  It was a beautiful afternoon and good exercise, even it not exactly what I expected.