We had some rain earlier in the week so I was looking for an asphalt trail and stumbled across Fishing Line Trail at Gene Stratton-Porter Historic Site in Rome City, Indiana. It was well worth the half an hour drive for this adventure. Not only is there a nice asphalt trail, but a historic site with trails in the woods.
The Gene Stratton-Porter Historic Site is one of the former homes of Gene Stratton-Porter who was a writer, photographer, and film producer. She purchased the property and built the “cabin at wildflower woods” on Sylvan Lake in 1912. She moved to the property in 1914 and lived there until 1919 with her husband visiting on the weekends. Unfortunately as her popularity increased, she found the property was not private enough and moved to California. In 1946 it was donated to the State of Indiana and today is open to the public to explore the grounds, trails, and home.
Although we started our adventure by walking on the Fishing Line Trail, we did briefly explore the grounds and trails at the historic site. The trail we followed traversed past the visitor center, toward Sylvan Lake and the cabin. There are other trails that we did not explore, however we plan to return to investigate them.
Prior to exploring the historic site and trails, we walked nearly 3M on the Fishing Line Trail. The trail is across E 850 N and is about 0.3M from the parking lot. It is a wide asphalt trail with woods on both sides. There are views of downed trees, creeks/ponds, and even a farm with cows and horses. It is similar to the rail trails in Bloomington, Indiana and on the day of our visit was fairly busy with people riding bikes. Because of the woods it’s mostly shaded and there are a lot of birds and squirrels which captured Sunny’s interest.
Our Rating
We rate the Fishing Line Trail 3.5 out of 4 paws up. The reason this trail has a slightly higher rating than other asphalt trails is it is heavily wooded making it feel more like you are hiking in the woods instead of in an urban environment. There is also a restroom near the parking lot, which is always a plus. One other reason for the higher rating is the ability to also hike on dirt trails in the woods and the proximity to Sylvan Lake.
How do I get there?
From E. North Street in Kendallville (6W) turn north onto 3. Then turn left onto N. Angling Road and follow it for a couple miles. From there turn left onto E 850 N and after a couple miles turn right onto Pleasant Point. After a short distance the parking lot is on the right. To get to the Fishing Line trail walk back toward and across E 850 N to an asphalt trail that leads to another asphalt trail in the woods. From the parking lot to the start of the Fishing Line Trail is about 0.3M. There are also trails in the woods and towards the Gene Stratton Porter historic site. After parking, walk towards the pavilion and you’ll find trails in the woods with some leading to the visitor center.
For more information about Gene Stratton-Porter.
For more information about Fishing Line Trail.