Have you taken a walk recently? Fort Wayne is known for its rivers and its restaurants, but our town has 90 miles of beautiful trails for you to explore. The trails, designed and organized by Fort Wayne’s Parks and Recreation Department, are visited by about 50,000 people a month. They provide Fort Wayne residents (and visitors!) with exercise, recreation, and even transportation. Our trails were awarded the Outstanding Trail Group by Indiana’s Greenways Foundation for trail development and expansion on Indiana’s trail network this February in Indianapolis. The Parks and Recreation Department has plans to add on to these trails, and improve on them in the next few years.

Some of our favorite trails in Fort Wayne are:

The Rivergreenway

This trail is 25 miles of shaded walkways and gorgeous views through Fort Wayne and New Haven. It traverses all three of our rivers: the St. Marys, St. Joseph, and Maumee. The walkway is very wide in most places, which makes it ideal for multiple visitors to use it at once. Cyclists, joggers, dog walkers, and families alike enjoy using the Rivergreenway during the spring, summer, and fall. Not only is this trail great for Fort Wayne residents’ health and happiness, but it also keeps their homes safe: the trail “creates a natural overflow against the invasion of high water which helps mitigate the ravages of flooding”. When the river waters rise, some sections of the trail are closed due to flooding—but it’s certainly better than our roads and houses.

The Towpath Trail

Named for the historical Wasbash and Erie Canal Towpath, this trail consists of 5.5 miles of walkway from Rockhill Park to Lutheran Hospital. The historical canal towpath (a path of crushed stone where mules would lead barges through the canal) was opened in the 19th century for the Wabash and Erie Canal, but because of rapid erosion of the canal banks, the city of Fort Wayne decided to fill in the canal. In 2011, Fort Wayne took this unused towpath and created a trail, instead.

The Salomon Farm Loop

Near the Parkview YMCA, the Salomon Farm Loop is the most popular trail in Fort Wayne. About 550 people use this trail every day during the summer. It’s only a little under 2 miles, so it’s perfect for people who are looking for short walks or runs. The trail surrounds the beautiful Salomon Farm property, which is dominated by the unmistakable giant red barn.

What are your favorite trails in Fort Wayne? Let us know in the comments or tell us on Facebook!