Another one of Karlie’s favorite Bloomington adventures was hiking at Wapehani Mountain Bike Park, which was the first mountain bike park in Indiana. It consists of nearly forty-six acres of wooded trails that can be used by walkers, runners, and mountain bikers. The trails are rated from easy to difficult. Once on the trails it is easy to get turned around and lost since there are not a lot of signs or trail markers. Because of this, when we explored at the park, I tried to remember which way we turned so I could get us back to the car.
The park is open daily and has a gravel ten-spot parking lot with a port-o-potty. Despite this being a mountain bike park, we’ve never encountered any when we hiked. We typically go during the week and in the morning, so it may be different on weekends and later in the day. The trails are narrow with a lot of downed trees, roots, inclines, and descents. This makes it inaccessible for strollers, wheelchairs, and difficult for those not in good health or with mobility issues.
Our rating
Karlie and I hiked the trails at Wapehani Mountain Bike Park several times. She loved climbing the hills and getting out in the woods. Getting lost did not concern her. Sunny and I took our first adventure to the park in September 2022. Like Karlie, she loved all the great smells and getting out in the woods. She also did not concern herself with getting lost. We rate this trail 3 out of 4 paws up since there is no water feature and the trails are not well marked.
How do I get there?
The park is located on the southwest side of Bloomington off Weimer Road. Turn onto Wapehani Road off Weimer Road and follow the road to the gravel parking lot at the end. The road is fairly narrow so be mindful of other vehicles and pedestrians. Park in the lot and enter the trails behind the port-o-potty. Remember to keep track of which trails you take to keep from getting lost.
For more information, check out the Bloomington Indiana website.