MapleHart Trail and Ox Bow Park

The MapleHart Trail runs from Hively Ave. in Elkhart to the Goshen city limits. The trail is parallel to CR 45 as well as the Norfolk & Southern Railroad.

Directly north of Hively Ave. an on-street-connector on Sterling Ave. leads to the Elkhart’s Bike Ways.

The trail passes in front of Ox Bow County Park where parking is available. If you drive to Ox Bow Park using U.S. 33 you need to turn east and cross the Norfolk & Southern Railroad tracks to reach CR 45 (see the inset on the trail map).

Maple City Greenway

Goshen Parks and Recreation Department plans to build an addition to the Maple City Greenway starting in Sept. 2010. The new trail will start at the Goshen city limit, which is also the south end of the MapleHart Trail, and continue along the northeast side of CR 45 and Wilden Ave. When the trail reaches Rock Run Creek it will turn southeast and proceed along the northeast side of the creek. The trail will cross under Main St. at the railroad overpass and then then swing north and east to join the existing Pumpkinvine Trail at Fifth St.

These construction plans will complete about 14 miles of continuous trail connecting Hively Ave. in Elkhart to CR 33.

Maple City Greenway is more than ten miles of urban trails connecting neighborhoods, schools, businesses and parks to downtown Goshen. Parking is available at Abshire Park and also at public lots along Fifth St. From the parking lots go north on Fifth St. and find the trail on the east side of the street about 200 feet past the Norfolk & Southern tracks.

Abshire Park to CR 28

Open for public use

This section of trail was built by Goshen Parks and Recreation Department and was opened for public use in March 2000. The surface from SR 4 to CR 28, 1.75 miles, is packed limestone and is suitable for narrow tired bicycles.

Abshire Park provides parking and restrooms are available in Abshire Cabin. A short spur on the east side of the main trail, about 200 feet south of the crossing at CR 4, leads to the trail head and cabin.

Trail between County Roads 28 and 33

Trail open for public use

More than half of the trail in this 3.4 mile section was built off the abandoned Pumpkinvine railroad corridor. The original corridor cut diagonally across cultivated fields creating difficulties for large scale row crop farming. As a result the abandoned railroad corridor was traded to neighbors for strips of land around the edges of the fields. The new route climbs one hill, a feature not usually found with railroad beds. The route has several right angle corners which are also not found with railroads.

During the growing season parts of the trail are surrounded by rows of corn and soybeans. Just southeast of the intersection of CR 26 and CR 31 is Williams, Ind which was a whistle stop for Pumpkinvine train passengers. The photo on the right shows the passenger shelter as it appeared in January 1918.

About 300 feet west of CR 33 is a trestle bridge across Pine Creek. The creek is a major drainage in Elkhart Co. and is prone to flooding during heavy rains. Wood trestle bridges are a feature of the past and the design was preserved during renovation for historical purposes.

The original railroad crossed CR 33 and most of the corridor northeast of the road was acquired by the railroad in 1899 as easements which reverted to the adjacent landowners when railroad operations ceased in 1980. Consequently, the Pumpkinvine Trail continues on county roads for 1.7 miles as shown on the map.

About 3500 feet east of CR 33, just before the woods end, is a large patch of white trillium that blooms abundantly in early May.

Trail between CR 35 to US 20

Not open for public use

Traveling from the west you will enter this section from CR 35. A whistle stop, named Burns, for train passengers was located at the junction of the county road and the trail. The photo of whistle stop on your right was taken in 1918.

Immediately north of the trail at CR 35 is a country school known locally as the “Pumpkinvine School”.

U.S. 20 at the east end of this section passes about twenty feet above the original railroad bed. The highway poses a barrier for continuation of the trail north into Middlebury. Construction of a tunnel under the U.S. 20 along with 2100 feet of trail is in progress. This work will be complete in autumn 2010. Middlebury has funding to build trail north of the tunnel to Wayne St. in 2011 or 2012.