It has been a really rainy spring so we have not been hiking as much as we would like. When we finally had a break in the rain at the end of last week we hit the trails. We ventured to Peru, IN and found a real gem, the Nickel Plate Trail.
History of Nickel Plate Trail
The Nickel Plate Trail was built in 1881 to compete with the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway. The intention was for it to be a high-quality competitor and was nicknamed Nickel Plate after being described as nickel-plated. It grew into a significant railway that reached St. Louis, Chicago, and Peoria. Unfortunately over time rail service declined and parts of the line were abandoned. In 2000 a local non-profit began converting it into the wonderful trail that exists today and goes from Kokomo to Rochester, IN.
Our Adventure
We started our adventure at the Peru, IN parking area which is near North Street and Lover’s Lane. There is a gravel parking area on the left with the trail starting across the street. After a quick exploration of the grass and trees in the parking area we crossed the street and started our adventure.
The trail almost immediately becomes wooded on both sides making it feel like you are walking in a forest and not on a rail trail. After a short distance there is a sign with the trail rules on one side and the trail map on the other. As you continue on the trail you can hear the birds chirping and water flowing. You cannot really get down to the water, but have views of it for most of this section of the trail.
In several areas there are wooden barriers to prevent you from getting into the brush and down to the water. Sunny was quite interested in investigating what was on the other side of these barriers, but I convinced her to stay on the path.
As we continued Sunny noticed some critters in the woods. Although I thought they were squirrels it turned out they were bunnies. This was quite exciting for Sunny who wanted to get up close to investigate, but we continued on the trail instead. At nearly the two mile marker we found a little platform that looked like it entered the woods. It didn’t go very far, but it made a nice spot for a photo.
Not much further down the trail we came to a stop sign as the trail continued across a road. Since we had hiked for over 2M we decided this was a good spot to turn around. There was a bench dedicated to Nick and Lolie Farinas where we stopped for a quick snack of water and apple slices. Then we headed back toward the car. Along the way we enjoyed more views of the water and the peaceful tranquility of the trail.
Sunny’s Perspective
Although I really do prefer dirt trails this was a fantastic trail. The smells were amazing and there were BUNNIES! I was not allowed to chase the bunnies, but I sniffed and smelled all the areas where they were and I made several of them hip hop back into the woods. It was great fun to keep those bunnies in check.
Our Rating
Sunny and I rate the Nickel Plate Trail 3.5 out of 4 paws up. The only real downside for us is the section we hiked did not have a restroom. We loved how peaceful it was, that we felt like we were in the woods, and that we had views of the river. Parking was easy to find and directly across from the start of the trail. All in all this was a great spot and I imagine it’s amazing in the fall. This is one we will definitely visit again despite the long (for us) travel time.
How Do I Get There?
Use Nickel Plate Trail North Peru Parking for the location in your GPS. From IN-24W turn right onto IN-19N and then take your first left onto Lovers Lane Road. After about .6M it turns into North Street. The parking area is on the left just after this and the trail is across the street from the parking area.
For more information about the Nickel Plate Trail check out these websites.